Romans 2:25

25 If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.

Romans 2:25 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 2:25

For circumcision verily profiteth
The plea from circumcision in favour of the Jews, and their acceptance with God, and justification before him, is here, and in the following verses, considered. The apostle allows that circumcision was profitable; which must be understood whilst it was in force, before the abrogation of it, for since, it is not profitable but pernicious; and then it was only profitable, in case the law was kept:

if thou keepest the law;
that is, perfectly; for circumcision obliged persons to keep the whole law. Now the circumcised Jews did not keep it in such sense; wherefore circumcision was of no use to them, but, on the contrary, was an handwriting against them.

But if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made
uncircumcision;
that is, it is not accounted circumcision; it is of no avail; such a man was all one as an uncircumcised Gentile, and appeared to be uncircumcised in a spiritual sense: the apostle perhaps alludes to a practice among some of the Jews, to bring on and draw over the foreskin, after they had been circumcised; (See Gill on 1 Corinthians 7:18).

Romans 2:25 In-Context

23 You boast about having God's law - but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law?

24 The scripture says, "Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God."

25 If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.

26 If the Gentile, who is not circumcised, obeys the commands of the Law, will not God regard him as though he were circumcised?

27 And so you Jews will be condemned by the Gentiles because you break the Law, even though you have it written down and are circumcised; but they obey the Law, even though they are not physically circumcised.