In case you are wondering what could the "alternative interpretation be for these passages", Paul when he writes Romans 2 and 3, he is telling the Jews not to count on merely on their physical circumcision, to be right with God.
Physical circumcision counts only if they also keep the Law of Moses. When gentiles keep the Law of Moses, in God's eyes, they are equal to them.
Thus a true Jew, in God's eyes, is one that keeps the Law.
Thank you for finally engaging.
Yes, a "true Jew" or as Christ and John the Baptist defined as "Children of Abraham", is a man that, as God inspired Isaiah to write, "
join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;"
What are we arguing about? DNA??? Really???
When Moses, their lawgiver,
Not just the Jews "Law Giver". But mine as well. As the Torah defines "
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
We were all Strangers at one point sir, were we not? Even Abraham was a Stranger for much of his life. Is this not true according to the Torah?
"
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Where is this difference you and the Pharisees declare on men, according to the DNA they were born with?
said God will raise a prophet like him, and they are to listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15), if Jews reject Christ, they are rejecting Moses, and they are hence not keeping the Law of Moses (John 5:45).
Here is what the Christ of the Bible actually says, according to the text you referenced.
John 5:
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
If I may, don't you have this backwards, according to this same Christ? The Jews didn't believe Moses, therefore, they didn't believe the Holy One of Israel, the "Rock", who inspired him, when HE came to them as Prophesied. For instance, had they believed Moses, Line Zacharias, Simeon, Anna and the Wise Men, they would not have created a Wall of Separation, or a difference between obedient Jews and obedient non-Jews.
Is this not the same issue with many of this world's religious sects and businesses today? They don't believe what is written in the Torah or the Prophets, therefore they don't understand the Gospel of the Rock of Israel. And can they be persuaded otherwise?
Luke 16:
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
So then, if I don't believe Moses, I won't be persuaded by the Christ who inspired him.
Their physical circumcision counts as nothing because of that.
That is what I interpret Paul as implying in those passages.
I do not interpret, as you do, that Paul is saying we gentiles in the Body of Christ are now Israelites.
Well we are told to put on "the new man", Yes?. And be renewed in the Spirit of our mind. Is this not the teaching of the Prophets?
Ez. 18:
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Is this not also for those who sojourn among them?
What man shall I become then? Or am I bound by the DNA I was born with? My understanding of Paul comes from study of the Torah and the Prophets.
So then, in your religion non-Jew members of the Church of God are not
grafted into the Holy Root to become part of the Holy tree? God doesn't consider me as one that was born among them, unless I have Jewish DNA? A non-Jew stranger is different that a Jew stranger? God respects men according to the DNA they were born with? Abraham's children are only men born with Jewish DNA, who do the works of Abraham?
I appreciate you finally making your interpretation clear. And it's good to talk about the doctrines and traditions of this world's religious sects and franchises.
Surely you can see though, given what is written in the Torah and the Prophets, why I would question the implication of your teaching that I am to become a New Man, but cannot become a Child of Abraham unless I am born with a certain DNA.