Circumcision in the flesh is profitable if the one so circumcised keeps the law. But if the one breaks the law his circumcision is of no effect.

With respect to the Law of Moshe there are two portions of it: one with a righteous requirement, which even those who are not physically circumcised can keep, and one without a righteous requirement, which can legally be kept only by those physically circumcised.

The more important circumcision is the one of the heart, rather than the one of the flesh.

With respect to judging, Shaul is here showing that spiritual salvation will be granted to those who are spiritually circumcised - circumcised in the heart, rather than to those physically circumcised yet not spiritually circumcised. Those not circumcised in the heart are those who transgress the law - and specifically that portion which contains the righteous requirement.

Shaul again reiterates that spiritual circumcision, that of the heart, is the more important one. And only those spiritually circumcised are considered spiritual Jews, irrespective of their nationality by race. In other words, with respect to spiritual circumcision and spiritual Jewishness, there is no partiality.

There is an advantage in physical circumcision, which those physically circumcised, physical Yisraelites, have over uncircumcised Gentiles. This advantage has to do with their historical heritage - in that it was to them that were committed the oracles of Yahweh.

The oracles of Yahweh, the law that was committed to the Yisraelites, does provide knowledge of sin. This is the advantage that those physically circumcised to whom were committed the oracles of Yahweh have over those not so committed, in that they had knowledge of sin, while the uncircumcised Gentiles did not so have this knowledge.

Nevertheless, despite having knowledge of sin, and doing the deeds or works of the law, one is not justified in Yahweh’s sight by so doing these deeds or works. In other words, just because one leads a life free of sin in pursuance of the deeds or works of the law is no ground for justification before Yahweh.

Justification, as shown earlier in passages quoted from the book of Acts, comes by the grace - undeserved gift - of Yahweh through faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah. It is by grace and not by deeds or works.

There is a righteousness of Yahweh apart from the law - for the law does indeed comprise of a portion that contains Yahweh’s righteous requirement. This righteousness of Yahweh apart from the law comes through faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah to all and on all who believe. And in this there is no partiality between those physically circumcised and those not so physically circumcised, no partiality between Yisraelites and Gentiles.

Our justification before Yahweh is freely by grace, through the saving power or redemption that is in Yah'shuah the Messiah. It is not through the deeds or works of the law - though from the law we derive knowledge of sin.

Shaul clearly reiterates that justification of all, both physically circumcised and physically uncircumcised, both Jews and Gentiles, is by grace through faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah apart from the deeds or works of the law.

In verse 31 Shaul states that the law is not void, but is established, despite not being the basis of our justification before Yahweh. In other words, the purpose of the law is not justification before Yahweh, but provision of knowledge of sin, as Shaul earlier mentioned.

Shaul shows that even Avraham, to whom circumcision was originally given, was justified not by the deeds or works of the law, but by faith. Justification is by faith and not by works. The law has another purpose, of which justification is not.

It is through faith that righteousness is imputed to us. It is not a righteousness we have earned by our deeds or works of the law. For with respect to the law we are all transgressors, and have fallen short of its requirement and therefore the glory of Yahweh, as Romans 3: 23 shows. It is through faith that righteousness is imputed to us, not through the works or deeds of the law.

The blessedness described by David, the righteousness imputed to us through faith, is applicable to all who have faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah, whether one is physically circumcised or not. Shaul then shows that even Avraham, to whom circumcision was initially given, obtained this blessedness - the righteousness imputed through faith, BEFORE he was physically circumcised. The circumcision was given to him as a seal of this blessedness, not the other way round. The blessedness did not come to him because of his circumcision, rather his circumcision came to him because of his blessedness, which was granted or imputed to him through the faith he had in Yahweh.

Avraham is spiritually the father of those spiritually circumcised, whether or not these are physically circumcised. In fact, those physically descended from Avraham, and physically circumcised, yet not spiritually circumcised, are not spiritually children of Avraham. For even Yah'shuah described the murderous Jews as not having Avraham as their father as their murderous intentions and deeds were not those of Avraham (Yahchanan 8).

Even the inheritance promises to Avraham were given to him by grace - through the righteousness imputed by faith, not through the deeds of the law.

Likewise, we too, whether physically Yisraelites or Gentiles, will share in the Avrahamic inheritance promises by grace - through the righteousness imputed by faith, and not through the deeds of the law.

The many nations of whom Avraham is spiritually father to are those who are his spiritual children, those spiritually circumcised, those who share in the blessedness he had, those to whom righteousness is imputed by faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah. These include both those physically descended from him and those not physically descended from him.

In other words, the promises to Avraham embraced the whole of mankind.

Yah'shuah the Messiah became a servant to the circumcision - meaning the Jews, for the purpose of Yahweh confirming his promises to the fathers - that is Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

Shaul’s admonition in verses 17 and 18 is clear: with respect to circumcision one should remain in one’s state as at the time of one’s calling. Therefore, if one was physically circumcised, meaning a Jew or Gentile proselyte, one should not seek to become uncircumcised, meaning forsaking spiritual circumcision. If one was physically uncircumcised, meaning a Gentile, one should not seek to become physically circumcised, for it is not in physical circumcision that one obtains salvation, but salvation comes by the grace of Yahweh through faith in Yah'shuah the Messiah.

Verse 19 clearly shows that the important circumcision is not the physical one, but the spiritual one - the one whereby one gives the entirety of one’s heart to Yahweh and thereby serves him totally, including keeping his commandments.

It should also be noted that Shaul makes a distinction between physical circumcision and keeping the commandments of Yahweh. Whereby keeping the commandments of Yahweh is superior to partaking of physical circumcision.

Now it is clear that physical circumcision originated as a command of Yahweh. It therefore cannot be described as not being a command of Yahweh. But that Shaul makes a distinction between physical circumcision and "the commandments of Yahweh" suggests that there are two categories of Yahweh's commands, with those categorised as "the commandments of Yahweh" being superior to others such as circumcision.

It appears to me that those commands categorised as "the commandments of Yahweh" are those in which Yahweh's righteous requirement resides. While those not so termed are those in which Yahweh's righteous requirement does not reside. Therefore, "the commandments of Yahweh", those commands of his in which his righteous requirement dwells, are the ones we ought to keep. The other commandments of his in which his righteousness does not dwell are not essential for our keeping.

In verse 20 Shaul reiterates that one should remain in the calling in which one was called.