Romans 2:1-29

As we proceed through the Book of Romans, we must remember that when Paul originally wrote this letter, there were not any chapter/verse divisions or punctuation as we have in most of our Bibles today. Therefore we must read the whole letter (epistle) looking at the context noticing the thought-content, and not be distracted by the chapter/verse divisions and the punctuation which were later added, even though they may be helpful to us in locating sections of scripture.

Romans 2:1 and 2:

^2:1On-which-account you are without-defense, oh man, every-person judging, for in that-which you judge the different-person you condemn yourself, for you, the (person) judging, practice the same-things. ^.2But we knew² that the judgment of God is according to truth on the (people) practicing the-things-of-this-kind.

Here, Paul changes from the plural to the singular individual “you”. Even though he addressed this whole letter in Romans 1:7 “…to all the (people) being in Rome (who are) loved¹ of God, called, holy…” – he now teaches by addressing "oh man". All the holy-people (Christians) in Rome were not to take this to heart as though they were all doing what Paul is talking about, but they were to learn from this so-that they could better understand what was going-on around them from God's point of view in Rome and elsewhere. He writes:

On account of what is detailed in the previous verses (refer to Romans 1:28-32)…

you are without defense (without excuse; there are no words, apology, speech which you can truthfully offer to plead your case in your own defense to get away from a difficult situation before a tribunal, etc),
- oh man (this expression refers to a human-being whether male or female),
  - specifically every person who is presently and actively judging (making a decision),
for in that-which you judge the person of a different kind/sort (such as a Gentile judging a person of the Judean background, or a Judean judging a person of the Gentile background)
- you condemn yourself (this verb has the same root in Greek as the verb “to judge” – you judge down against yourself, you bring a sentence down, pronounce a decision against yourself),
for you, the person who is judging, are practicing (you are habitually, repeatedly doing, you are in the process of accomplishing) the same things.

But we (myself and the holy-people with me) knew and we still know (perceive, see) that…

the judgment of God (God’s judgment, the decision God made or arrived-at issuing from the judging process, the sentence He passed or pronounced) is
- in accordance with truth (in conformity, proportion to/with God’s essential reality, His inherent verity)
  - down-on (against) the people practicing these sorts of things.

God’s judgment is according to God’s truth.

[Reference: Matthew 7:1-5; John 3:33-36, 17:3; Romans 1:20; I Thessalonians 1:9.]

Verses 3 and 4:

^.3But do you calculate this, oh man, the (person) judging the (people) practicing the-things-of-this-kind and doing them, that you will escape the judgment of God? ^.4Or do you despise the wealth of His benevolence and holding-upwards and patience unknowing that the benevolence of God leads you into repentance?

Do you …

oh man, the person who is
- judging the people who are practicing such things
- and you are doing (performing) the same things,

… calculate (reckon, count, compute) this that emphatically you will escape (flee out from) the judgment of God?

Or do you despise (think down-on or against) the wealth (richness) of His…

benevolence (kindness, supplying what is appropriately needed for use in specific situations) and
holding-upwards (restraint, holding Himself upwards or back in restraint) and
patience (long-suffering, long-forbearance towards/with others, long-temperedness)

…unknowing (personally not knowing, being unaware, ignorant) that the benevolence of God leads you (directs, conducts, conveys you) into repentance (with a view to, directed-to and resulting-in repentance, a change of mind from bad to good, emphasizing your mind’s change after re-thinking the matter)?

A person is not "stuck" or "destined" or "physically-made" to behave in such a manner – because the only true God has given mankind His Word which makes known His benevolence which leads a person to change his/her own mind. God does not and will not force or control a person to make him/her believe His Word and to behave in a manner which is in accordance with His will. God shows His grace and benevolence in-that He makes-known how these people can get out of what they are in – they can stop doing these things if they want to.

[Reference: Titus 3:4-7.]

Verses 5 and 6:

^.5But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you treasure to yourself wrath in (the) day of wrath and revelation of (the) righteous-judgment of God – ^.6”Who will give-away to each-person according to his works”:

It is in accordance with your…

hardness (you became hard, as having dried-up from lack of water and becoming stiff like a leaf having detached itself from the tree, by your refusal of what God says Who is the source of your water/nourishment to give and maintain your life)
and unrepentant heart (without an amendment to the center/core of your being, no change of mind from bad to good within the seat of your whole personal self and life after re-thinking the matter)

…that you treasure wrath to yourself (you store up wrath, lay it in store for yourself, as in a thesaurus, in-storage) ready for you to receive during the day (period of time) of…

wrath (lasting angry vengeance)
and revelation of the righteous judgment (uncovering of the just action of pronouncing sentence, the right process of making a separating decision, passing just judgment, the righteous decision being made in judgment)
- of/from God –
- “Who will give-away to each-person according to his works” (refer to Proverbs 24:12: God will at that future time pay-back what is due or obligated as a payment or merited wage to everyone in accordance, conformity and proportion to/with each person’s deeds, the effects produced by his/her actions).

The "wrath" here refers to the wrath of God which is lasting angry vengeance, like the heat of a burning-fire. This is not a spur-of-the-moment thing on God's part because He has foretold regarding the consequences of unbelief and rejection of His Word including the promised seed, the savior, all through the ages since Genesis 3:15. All holy-people (Christians) are already spiritually rescued out-from this coming wrath. At a future time it will definitely arrive after all holy-people will have been gathered together by the Lord Jesus Christ at which time we will be given new spiritual bodies. We will not be subjected to the wrath because it will not occur until after Christ comes and gathers the church of holy-people together with him.

[Reference: Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 16:27; Acts 7:51; Romans 1:18, 5:9; II Corinthians 11:15; I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; II Thessalonians 1:5-10; II Timothy 4:1 and 14; Hebrews 3:7-19; I Peter 1:17; Revelation 6:17, 19:15, 20:12 and 13. For further information regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the day of wrath, you may read my studies on I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, plus many old covenant scriptures and the Book of Revelation.]

Verses 7 and 8:

^.7indeed to the (people) seeking-after glory and honor and incorruption according to patient-endurance of good work – eternal life, ^.8but to the (people) from work-for-ambitious-purposes and being un-persuaded by the truth but being persuaded by unrighteousness – wrath and rage;

God will give-away indeed on the one hand…

to/for the people seeking after (looking for):
- glory (importance, splendor, renown) and
- honor (estimated as being valuable, deemed worthy of price, esteemed to have value) and
- incorruption (un-decay, the state of being incorrupt)
according to patient-endurance (their seeking is in accordance with a bearing-up, holding-out, enduring, remaining upwards or upright relative to God and the things of God under any obstacles)
- pertaining-to and proceeding-from good work (work that issues from God Who is good and sets the standard for what is good, the good thing wrought, good deed, the effect-produced having acted expending energy in accordance with what is perfectly admirable from God's viewpoint, work that is according to His words and intention because He is the source of all true goodness)
  - – eternal life (these people will receive life which lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages)….

The Greek word aionios may be translated “eternal” or “agelong”. In the context here, the life being referred to will not end. It is eternal, agelong, lifelong, everlasting. It lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages from the time a person receives it. All holy-people (Christians) have received holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us; it is the deposit, token, earnest of what we will receive at a future time. The full completeness for us will come to pass when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to gather all holy-people together with him giving us new spiritual bodies, the life of which will be holy spirit-life, like the body he has already received from God, his Father and our Father, when God raised him up alive from-among the dead-people.

BUT on the other hand…

to/for the people
- from work for ambitious purposes (their activities are originating out from labor being achieved solely from their selfish ambition, looking for wages as if purchasing a favor and promotion by canvassing, causing factions)
- and who are actively unwilling to be persuaded (they are not convinced) by/with the truth (God’s essential reality, the truth pertaining-to and issuing-from God)
- but who are being persuaded by unrighteousness (convinced with/by injustice, unjustness)
- – there will be:
  - wrath (lasting angry vengeance; as verse 5 above) and
  - rage (intense passion, heated-outburst from the mind, as a sudden flame from a burning-fire).

[Reference: Acts 13:46-48, 14:2; Romans 1:18 and 25; I Corinthians 15:42 and 50-58; II Corinthians 3:18, 4:6 and 17; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14, 17 and 18, 2:10, 5:6; Philippians 2:3, 3:21; Colossians 1:27, 3:4-6; I Thessalonians 1:10, 2:12 and 16, 5:9; II Thessalonians 1:9, 2:10-14; I Timothy 1:17; II Timothy 1:10, 2:10 and 21, 3:16 and 17; Titus 1:2 and 16, 3:7; Hebrews 2:7 and 9; James 3:14-16; I Peter 1:7, 5:4 and 10; Revelation 14:10, 15:1 and 7, 16:1 and 19, 19:15.]

Verses 9-11:

^.9pressure and restraint on every soul of man, the (person) rendering the bad-thing to-work – both (the) Judean firstly and (the) Greek, ^.10but glory and honor and peace to every-person, the (person) working the good-thing – both (the) Judean firstly and (the) Greek; ^.11for there is not a reception-of-face with God.

Paul explains further:

pressure (compression, stress that afflicts, whatever may be pressing-upon or squeezing, whether it be physical or mental or spiritual) and
restraint (as a crowd of people in a narrow place and in need of space, confinement, restriction)
down-on all/every soul of man (human-being, every person among mankind; the word “soul” refers to the life of a human-being which is evidenced by breathing, natural / physical life),
- emphatically and specifically the member of mankind who is rendering to work (causing to effect, effectively bringing down, achieving) the bad-thing (that-which does not issue from the only true God, what is contrary to His will)
  - – both the Judean firstly (the person of the Judean/Israeli background firstly because immediately prior to the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2, the descendants of Israel were God’s people knowing God’s goodness, and so if they now reject God’s Word to them they receive the consequences first time-wise)
  - and the Greek (the person of a Gentile background, belonging to a nation other-than Israel/Judah, a different ethnic group; this person will receive the same consequences if he rejects God’s Word to him because he has now been given the same Word of God to believe and obey; God has extended His goodness to Gentiles also),

…but…

glory (as verse 7 above) and
honor (as verse 7 above) and
peace (tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement)
to/for every-person (all)
- emphatically and specifically the person who is working (effecting, expending his-own energy producing) the good-thing (that-which is good in God's viewpoint; God is the One Who issues His goodness and He sets the standard to be conformed to by every person)
  - – both the Judean firstly and the Greek;

…for there is not a reception-of-face (taking a person's outward-appearance at face value) with God.

There is not a reception of face (outward appearance) at rest beside, at or with God. He does not 'play favorites.' The reception or taking of a person's outward-appearance is not in God’s power or judgment, because it is not with God to be utilized by Him. God does not receive the face or countenance which is presented or turned to His eye to be seen by Him – like an actor on stage would wear a mask and present it forth to take-on the outward-appearance of another person to make the audience think of him in a different way. God does not have partiality or favoritism based on a person's outward-appearance. He is not a receptor or respecter of persons, of faces, of "masks," even when there is no intention of pretence on the part of the one presenting himself before God. Refer to Deuteronomy 10:17; I Samuel 16:7; II Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1 and 9; I Peter 1:17.

Both the Judean and the Greek receive the same privilege or the same consequence depending on their behavior relative to God and His Word.

[Reference: Matthew 26:28; Acts 2:1-4, 3:25 and 26; Romans 8:35; II Corinthians 6:4, 12:10; Galatians chapters 3 and 4, and 6:10; II Thessalonians 1:6. Chart ]

Verses 12 and 13:

^.12For as-many-as sinned lawlessly, also lawlessly they will destroy-themselves; and as-many-as sinned in law, by means of law they will be judged; ^.13for not the hearers of law (will be) righteous with God but the doers of law will be made-righteous.

Regarding the time of judgment: in truth, as many people as sinned without-law (committed sins, actions of missing the mark of what God has given all of mankind to believe and live-by; specifically the Gentiles did not receive the law that God gave to Moses for Israel to adhere-to and abide-by)…

these-people will cause themselves to be destroyed (to be utterly ruined, completely lost away from God) also not having the law (the law of Moses will not be cited as the standard of judgment with respect to these sinners);

…and as many people as sinned within law (specifically Judeans, the people of Israel, who were given the law that God revealed to Moses for all Israel to live within its precepts)…

by means of (through) law they will be judged (the law will be cited as the standard of judgment with respect to these sinners when their time to be judged arrives);

…for it will not be the hearers of law (people who purposefully hear it only, whose sole intention is only to listen to the law of Moses) who will be righteous with God (in a just state at rest beside, at or with God) – but on the contrary, it will be the doers of law (people who perform, make, accomplish what the law of Moses stipulates) will be made-righteous (set-forth by a judicial act making them righteous, justified by God).

Verses 14-16:

^.14For whenever Gentiles, the (people) not having law by nature, may do the-things of the law, these-people not having law are law to themselves, ^.15the-people-who point-out the written work of the law in their hearts, their conscience bearing-witness-together, and the calculations accusing or even defending-themselves between one-another – ^.16in (the) day when God judges the hidden-things of men according to my good-message by means of Christ Jesus.

In truth, at whatever time Gentiles, who are the people not having law by nature (they were not physically born into the group of people who were given the law of Moses which the Judeans / Israelites were given), would perform the things contained in the law…

these Gentiles, who do not have the law of Moses, are law to/for themselves,
they are the people who point-out (indicate, as though with a finger, they display)
- the written work of the law (the law's deeds, the actions stipulated by the law of Moses which were written down by God on stony tablets for Israel)
- in their hearts (within the center of their beings, the Gentiles’ fleshy hearts),
during the time that (while)
- their conscience is bearing-witness-together (the perception which they put together for themselves, their knowing awareness of what is right as a result of all that they have already been taught and learned in relation to the one whom they recognize as their ruler, the one who has authority; ultimately this authority should be the only true God – their conscience is actively witnessing, attesting with its knowledge in conjunction with what they are doing),
- and their calculations (reckonings, countings, computations of the mind, logistics)
  - accusing (actively speaking publicly against them as in a court proceedings)
  - or even/else defending themselves (speaking in these people’s defense, speaking their way out of a difficult situation, excusing themselves giving an apology or speech offered to plead their case to God)
  - between one-another (in the middle of each other as in a tribunal) –

…during the day (period of time) when God judges (makes His decision on/regarding) the things which are hidden (concealed from view, cryptic to/from other people) pertaining to men (belonging to and emanating from any of mankind)…

in accordance (conformity, proportion) to/with my good-message (the gospel I proclaim, the evangel that I preach)

…by means of (through) Christ Jesus.

[Reference: Ecclesiastes 12:14; John 5:19-30; Acts 10:34-43, 17:31; Romans 1:16-19 and 32, 8:16, 9:1, 16:25; II Corinthians 3:3; I Thessalonians 1:5; II Thessalonians 2:14; II Timothy 2:8, 4:1.]

Verses 17-22:

^.17But if you name Judean on-yourself, and you rest-yourself-upon law, and you boast in God, ^.18and you know the intention, and you approve the-things differing being resounded from the law, ^.19and you persuaded² yourself to be a guide of blind-people, a light of the (people) in darkness, ^.20a trainer of thoughtless-people, a teacher of infants, having the formulation of the knowledge and of the truth in the law – ^.21therefore the (person) teaching a different-person, do you not teach yourself? The (person) heralding-forth not to steal, do you steal? ^.22The (person) saying not to commit-adultery, do you commit-adultery? The (person) abominating the idols, do you rob-temples?

Again in these verses, the word "you" is in the singular form, not the plural. Paul is speaking regarding the people who do the specific things that he is talking about here; he is not referring to the Godly-loved people in Rome as if they were all doing these things. Paul is instructing them about many things so that they would not be ignorant of them.

But if/since you (individual):

put the name of “Judean” on yourself (call yourself a “Judean”),
and you rest yourself upon law (you pause and stop, depend on the law of Moses, not willing to go anywhere else),
and you boast in God (you speak loudly detailing your relationship with God as though what you say were a justifiable claim),
and you personally know the intention (referring to God’s will detailed in the law),
and you approve (prove by testing or examining and thus approve) the things that are differing (carrying a different way, varying from the ordinary and thus excel) – however, you are limited because you are…
- being resounded from the law (being orally taught, informed by word of mouth with the sound originating from the law of Moses into your ears),
and you persuaded (convinced) yourself and you remain persuaded that you are
- a guide of/for people who are blind (a leader of the way, who shows other people the method of proceeding and manner of action to be done; “blind” is not referring to physical sight, but it is figuratively referring to not-seeing the truth of God and the things of God),
- a light (a provider of absolute light) of/for the people who are within darkness (a location where there is an absence of light; figuratively referring to the absence of God Who is Light),
- a trainer of thoughtless-people (one who trains people who are without Godly thoughts and so are senseless or foolish; training them as bringing-up, rearing children, which not only includes instruction but also education, discipline, correction, etc),
- a teacher (instructor) of infants (figuratively referring to people who walk/behave as minors being under-age, who conduct themselves immaturely, as babies without the power of adult/mature speech and so being childish, as-opposed to those who are wise and understanding from your viewpoint),
- having the formulation (holding the embodiment)
  - of the personal knowledge (a truly active and relative knowing, knowledgeable information) and
  - of the truth
  - in the law (contained and shown forth within the law of Moses) –

…following-on logically…

the person who is instructing a different person,
- do you not teach yourself (wouldn’t it apply to you also)?
The person heralding-forth not to steal (proclaiming not to take by fraud or in secret what is not rightfully yours, not to be a kleptomaniac),
- do you steal (wouldn’t it apply to you also)?
The person saying not to commit adultery (which is the voluntary action of debasing oneself with/by someone or something which is contaminating or defiling from God's viewpoint),
- do you commit adultery (wouldn’t it apply to you also)?
The person abominating the idols (abhorring, being disgusted, turning away because of loathing, stinking, from the idols which are detestable to you, revolting, repugnant as the bad smell of vomit or other voiding of the stomach),
- [An idol is an image or something that a person places ahead of God in his/her mind and therefore he/she worships or serves that thing/idol as "god" instead of worshipping and serving the only true God. An idol may or may-not have form and substance. Examples of idols are: books, the people themselves, famous people, devil-spirits, icons, statues, perhaps some agricultural endeavor, the environment, the sun, moon or stars, the web or some other computer-related program, software or hardware, television, video games, eating some particular food, or whatever a person puts above or estimates to be higher in his/her mind and living than the only true God and what He says and does. Anything or anybody placed in higher esteem in the whole of a person’s heart and soul and mind process than God is an idol to/for that person.]
  - do you rob-temples (do you go into temples, places which are sacred to people with beliefs different to yourself, so as to take the idols that are in those temples for yourself)?

[Reference: Matthew 4:16, 15:14, 23:16 and 24, 24:15; Acts 19:37, 26:18; Romans 13:12; II Corinthians 4:6, 6:14; Ephesians 5:8; I Thessalonians 5:5; II Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16; I Peter 2:9.]

Verses 23 and 24:

^.23You who boast in law, by means of the stepping-aside of the law you dishonor God, ^.24for "the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because-of you," according as it was written².

You, who is the one who boasts (speaks loudly as though it were a justifiable claim) within the cause and sphere of action of the law of Moses…

through the stepping-aside of/from the law (your willful transgression, the action of going beside and thus against the law; this is not referring to stumbling off course by mistake, but to an intentional change of direction from the course that you were in to walk in a different course)
- you dishonor God (you presently and actively esteem Him as being without honor, of no value or worth),

…in truth, "the name of God is being blasphemed (evilly spoken-of, treated with lack of Godly reverential respect, calumniated) among the Gentiles because of you," according as it was written and continues written.

This is reference to what God previously revealed and is recorded in the old covenant writing of Isaiah 52:5. The children of Israel (God's people in a portion of the Bible) had caused the name of God to be continually every day blasphemed among the other nations because they got into a bad situation as a result of not doing what God had asked them to do.

A name is a word or phrase given to a person, etc, to be called and known-by, in order to designate and describe the distinguishing and distinctive constitution, character, quality, workings, etc. In this verse it is “the name of God” – the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light. He is the only true God and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[Reference: Isaiah chapters 51 and 52; Ezekiel chapter 36; I Timothy 6:1.]

Before we continue in our study with Romans 2:25-29, the following is a brief discussion on “circumcision” in the Bible.

Circumcision = the cutting-around of flesh. It is physically cutting the foreskin off from the rest of the male's flesh, thus separating and removing it from him, which necessitated the shedding of his blood while cutting, but afterwards being healed and not having to deal with that flesh anymore.

Circumcision among all the males of the descendants of Israel was originally asked by God to Abraham (“Abram” was his name before God changed it) as recorded in the Book of Genesis chapter 17. Let us read some verses from that chapter to get a better understanding of the passage in Romans.

Genesis 17:1-11 (KJV):

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

Circumcision was the token of the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis chapter 17), and then was to be passed down to his seed (offspring). In later years, God gave laws and precepts to Moses for the children of Israel to follow. These were known as "the law" to God's people who were descendants of Abraham, and that law incorporated the sign of circumcision. The casting-off of the flesh helped God's people look forward to the coming of the Christ and the redemption and salvation that he would accomplish which would allow them to receive holy spirit-life and not be limited to the flesh. Therefore, to be uncircumcised would mean that that male, and his family, did not want to be part of God's covenant; it would be a demonstration of his rejection of what God said, what God had promised Abraham and his seed.

The Judeans/Israelites became physically circumcised to demonstrate their adherence to the old covenant. The old covenant has been superseded by the covenant of spirit since the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2.

As Paul continues in Romans chapter 2, the holy-people (Christians) in Rome were to understand that he is not telling them that they had to be circumcised, but instead he is continuing his teaching and explaining to them the meaning of true circumcision as far as God is concerned.

Romans 2:25-29:

^.25For indeed circumcision profits if-ever you may practice law, but if-ever you may be a stepping-aside-person of law your circumcision became² uncircumcision. ^.26Therefore if-ever the uncircumcision may keep-watch (regarding) the righteous-actions of the law, his uncircumcision will be calculated into circumcision, won't it? – (yes), ^.27and the uncircumcision from nature completing the law will judge you, the stepping-aside-person of law by means of writing and circumcision. ^.28For the Judean is not in the manifest-thing, nor (is) the circumcision in the manifest-thing in flesh, ^.29but the Judean (is) in the hidden-thing, and circumcision (is) of heart in spirit not writing, whose praise (is) not out-from men but out-from God.

In truth…

indeed, on the one hand,
- circumcision profits (brings you benefit, advantage)
  - if it should happen at any time that you (singular, individual) would practice law (habitually, repeatedly do, be in the process of accomplishing law),
but, on the other hand,
- if it should happen at any time that you would be a person who steps aside from law (a willful transgressor of the law)
  - your circumcision (even though you are physically circumcised in the flesh category) became and continues to be uncircumcision (the state of being physically uncircumcised, as though you still have your foreskin – as a Gentile from God's point of view demonstrating that you willingly reject what God said and gave you to believe; the outward appearance of physical circumcision would only be a "mask" – it would not reflect your inner thinking and behavior).

Following-on logically…

if it should happen at any time that the uncircumcision (figuratively representing an uncircumcised person) would keep watch (be vigilant to watch and guard) regarding the righteous (just) actions of the law,
- his uncircumcision will be calculated into circumcision (even though this person would be physically uncircumcised, his behavior will be reckoned, counted, computed by God for circumcision, as though he were circumcised and therefore among God’s people), won't it? – yes (the Greek construction of this question must receive an affirmative answer: "yes, that would be correct"),
and the uncircumcision from nature (naturally, the person remaining physically uncircumcised from birth) who is completing the law (bringing the law of Moses to its ending-issue, accomplishing it)
- will judge (make a decision passing sentence regarding) you, the person who steps aside pertaining to law through writing and circumcision (even though you have both you do not adhere to them, and thus you are a transgressor of law).

In truth…

the Judean is not in the manifest-thing (what is really meant by being a “Judean” does not exist in that-which is evident, brought to light, shown-forth, such as the color of your skin, the physical form of your body, etc),
- nor is the circumcision in the manifest-thing in flesh (what is really meant by being a member of “the circumcision” does not exist in that-which is evident, brought to light, shown-forth within the sphere of action of the fleshy body by being physically circumcised),
but on the contrary, the Judean is in the hidden-thing (within the part of you that is concealed from view, cryptic to/from other people),
- and circumcision relates to the heart (the center/core of your being, the seat of your whole personal self and life)
  - within the sphere of action of spirit (referring to holy spirit)
  - not within the sphere of action of writing (physically written-down laws or precepts on stony tablets, scrolls, letters, etc),
whose praise (applause, acclaim of/towards this person)
- does not originate out from men (any of mankind)
- but on the contrary, it originates out from God.

God looks on the inside of a person, what is going on truly in his/her mind, thinking, motives, desires, the person's whole being, not on the outward-appearance! God knows whether a person is living and behaving in accordance with what God says or not, and He is the One Who gives true praise.

[Reference: Acts 7:51; Romans 5:5, 7:6, 8:9; I Corinthians 4:5; II Corinthians 3:3-6; Galatians chapters 2 and 3, 5:3-6, 6:15; Ephesians 2:11; Philippians 3:3-8; Colossians 2:11, 3:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:10 and 11; I Peter 3:4. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

Romans Chapter 3