¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel:^[a] Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?^(A)

³ For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God^[a] and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh^(A)— ⁴ even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;^(B)

¹⁶ As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

⁶ Every male among the priests shall eat of it; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.^(A)

¹¹ Then the priest shall turn these into smoke on the altar as a food offering by fire^[a] to the Lord.^(A)

One in Christ

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth,^[a] called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a circumcision made in the flesh by human hands^(A)— ¹² remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.^(B)

¹⁸ since many boast according to human standards,^[a] I will also boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you or preys upon you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or gives you a slap in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.^{(A) 22} Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.^(B)

¹³ Do you not know that those who work in the temple service get their food from the temple and those who serve at the altar share in what is sacrificed on the altar?^(A)

¹² and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Example of Abraham

4 What then are we to say was gained by^[a] Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh?