¹⁷You call yourself a Jew, rely on the laws in Moses’ Teachings, brag about your God, ¹⁸know what he wants, and distinguish right from wrong because you have been taught Moses’ Teachings. ¹⁹You are confident that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in the dark, ²⁰an instructor of ignorant people, and a teacher of children because you have the full content of knowledge and truth in Moses’ Teachings. ²¹As you teach others, are you failing to teach yourself? As you preach against stealing, are you stealing? ²²As you tell others not to commit adultery, are you committing adultery? As you treat idols with disgust, are you robbing temples? ²³As you brag about the laws in Moses’ Teachings, are you dishonoring God by ignoring those laws? ²⁴As Scripture says, “God’s name is cursed among the nations because of you.”

²⁵For example, circumcision is valuable if you follow the laws in Moses’ Teachings. If you don’t follow those laws, your circumcision amounts to uncircumcision. ²⁶So if a man does what those laws demand, won’t he be considered circumcised even if he is uncircumcised? ²⁷The uncircumcised man who carries out what those laws say will condemn you for not following them. He will condemn you in spite of the fact that you are circumcised and have those laws in writing. ²⁸A person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision a matter of how the body looks. ²⁹Rather, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is something that happens in a person’s heart. Circumcision is spiritual, not just a written rule. That person’s praise will come from God, not from people.

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