For circumcision has its value (ὠφελεῖ, a form of ὠφελέω) if you practice (πράσσῃς, a form of πράσσω) the law (νόμον, a form of νόμος), but if you break (παραβάτης) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος), your circumcision has become uncircumcision.¹  I began here in the last essay and went on to John 7 to contrast Jesus to his adversaries, even his mother and brothers, to try to refine my understanding of the difference between those who hear (ἀκροατής) and those who do (ποιητής) the law.  I want to do that some more in this essay after covering more of what Paul said in Romans 2:26-29 (NET).

Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not² his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?  And will not the physically uncircumcised man who keeps the law judge you who, despite the written code and circumcision, transgress (παραβάτην, a form of παραβάτης) the law?  For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Those who do (ποιητής) the law are like the Jew who is one inwardly, his circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit, his praise is from God.  The ὑποκριτής, the actor, needs a human audience.  Jesus said, Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them.³  Whenever you pray,⁴ do not be⁵ like⁶ the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see⁷ them.⁸  When you fast, do not look sullen like⁹ the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting.¹⁰

And this circumcision that is of the heart by the Spirit is so much more than doing it again with feeling.  Actors have deep feelings.  The Pharisees were passionate about wanting to kill Jesus, but were they passionate because they cared so deeply for God’s honor or because Jesus upstaged them?  It is a terrible thing to upstage an actor.

After his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but¹¹ in secret.¹²  Midway through the feast He began teaching in the temple courts.  Then¹³ the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”¹⁴  In other words, he wasn’t instructed by the Jewish leaders.  Jesus replied, My teaching (διδαχή) is not from me, but from the one who sent me.  If anyone wants (θέλῃ, a form of θέλω) to do (ποιεῖν, a form of ποιέω) God’s will (θέλημα), he will know (γνώσεται, a form of γινώσκω) about my teaching (διδαχῆς, another form of διδαχή), whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.¹⁵

I’m going to say for the sake of argument that the above statement is true.  I should believe it.  I claim to believe Jesus.  It says that since his hearers did not know about his teaching, whether it was from God or whether He spoke from his own authority, Jesus was convinced that they did not want to do God’s will.  They were those who hear (ἀκροατής) the law by definition.  Their heart wasn’t in it, not by the Spirit but by the written code.  They were actors (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), hypocrites.

But wanting to do God’s will is a fairly high prerequisite to knowing about his teaching.  It touches me deeply how faith helps me overcome that deficit.  I may not want to do God’s will—yet—but through the faith that Jesus’ teaching comes from God and is his will I can work backwards, as it were.  More to the point, He can work me backwards to the desire for God’s will.  As Paul wrote, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God [Table].¹⁶

For some good reasons I’ve thought of hypocrisy as boasting about the law but not actually doing it.  I want to consider something else Paul wrote: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh (e.g., get circumcised to make themselves righteous)!  For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,¹⁷ exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials…¹⁸  Then Paul described his past as Saul the hypocrite this way: If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more:  I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.  I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.  In my zeal for God I persecuted the church.  According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless [Table].¹⁹

As I considered that Paul had the audacity to write such a thing, and that the Holy Spirit had the audacity to put that writing in Holy Scripture, I had to amend my thoughts and feelings about hearers (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) and hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) relative to doers or poets (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής).  The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not commit adultery, but the ποιηταὶ love their wives.  And I don’t mean that they have warm fuzzy feelings for their wives when their wives make them feel good.  I mean love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NET).

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious.  Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.  It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.  It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends [Table].

The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not steal, but the ποιηταὶ love their neighbors as themselves.  The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not kill, but the ποιηταὶ love their enemies so that [they] may be like [their] Father in heaven, since [He] causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.²⁰  I have begun, but I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a ποιητής (poet, doer) of the law.

I performed one miracle and you are all amazed, Jesus said to the ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ around Him.  However, because Moses²¹ gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses,²² but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath.  But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses²³ is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) according to external appearance, but judge²⁴ (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) with proper (δικαίαν, a form of δίκαιος) judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις).²⁵

So Jesus, speaking to hearers and actors rather than doers or poets of the law, said, Do not judge me (or by extension, God) according to external appearance, but judge me with proper (that is righteous) judgment.  Slowly, it seems, I learn that lesson.

 

Addendum: January 1, 2021
I was struck by the Greek word κατατομήν (a form of κατατομή), translated of those who mutilate the flesh (NET) and of the concision (KJV) as I worked through this again.  There is a very interesting answer to the question “What is the meaning of ‘katatomē’ in Philippians 3:2?” on the Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange online.  But concision has me rethinking my rather glib explanation: those who “get circumcised to make themselves righteous.”

Is it the act itself done for this reason that Paul cautioned against rather than the men who do this act or recommend that one do this act for this reason?  Listen!  I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! (Galatians 5:2 NET)  It definitely has me thinking about how far reaching this warning could be, how many religious acts it may pertain to.  Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God… (Hebrews 6:1 NET)

Tables comparing Romans 2:26; Matthew 6:5; 6:16; John 7:10; 7:15, 16; Philippians 3:3 and John 7:21-24 in the NET and KJV follow.

Romans 2:26 (NET)	Romans 2:26 (KJV)
Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?	Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν οὖν ἡ ἀκροβυστία τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ νόμου φυλάσσῃ, οὐχ ἡ ἀκροβυστία αὐτοῦ εἰς περιτομὴν λογισθήσεται	εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται	εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται

Matthew 6:5 (NET)	Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward!	And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ὅταν προσεύχησθε, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι, ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν	και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων	και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

Matthew 6:16 (NET)	Matthew 6:16 (KJV)
“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting.  I tell you the truth, they have their reward!	Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί, ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν	οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων	οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

John 7:10 (NET)	John 7:10 (KJV)
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but in secret.	But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὡς δὲ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέβη οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλὰ [ὡς] ἐν κρυπτῷ	ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω	ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω

John 7:15, 16 (NET)	John 7:15, 16 (KJV)
Then the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”	And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐθαύμαζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδεν μὴ μεμαθηκώς	και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως	και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως

So Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me.

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτοῖς [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντος με	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με	απεκριθη ουν αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με

Philippians 3:3 (NET)	Philippians 3:3 (KJV)
For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials	For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,	ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεω λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες	ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεου λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες

John 7:21-24 (NET)	John 7:21-23 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I performed one miracle and you are all amazed.	Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἓν ἔργον ἐποίησα καὶ πάντες θαυμάζετε	απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε	απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε

However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath.

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὴν περιτομήν (οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων), καὶ |ἐν| σαββάτῳ περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον	δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον	δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον

But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ περιτομὴν λαμβάνει  ἄνθρωπος ἐν σαββάτῳ ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ ὁ νόμος Μωϋσέως, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ	ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω	ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω

Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.”

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
μὴ κρίνετε κατ᾿ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε	μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε	μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε