Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Israel was given the Ark of the Covenant, and in that Ark was the two tablets of stone with the decalogue written on them by God’s finger.  They also had a national covenant that involved the duty to preserve God’s word (his oracles).  Every seven years they were supposed to gather together for a week and hear God’s word read to them.

They also had a tribe of Levi especially called to lead in local prayer and a priesthood to serve in the central sanctuary.  Elders at the gate also had a responsibility to rule according to God’s word and later kings were to keep a copy of the text near them.

There were age requirements as well establishing different levels of responsibility in Israel’s community and different requirements for office.

And every male was circumcised from the time he was eight days old.

Paul moves smoothly back and forth between the corporate and the personal.  Circumcision is value (or advantage in some translations), because the person circumcised is thereby entrusted with the oracles of God.  (Were a Gentile to convert and be circumcised he would then be entrusted as well as a new member in Israel’s calling.)

The national calling of Israel, given at Mt. Sinai when the Ten Commandments were delivered to Israel for her service, is given to each individual Jew according to their own stage and place in life.

Thus, baptism entrusts us with the new life of Christ given to him and to His people at his resurrection and ascension.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The calling and identity of the Church is the calling and identity of each baptized member just as the value of circumcision was to have been entrusted with the oracles of God.  We have been entrusted with the death and resurrection of Jesus–to put to death the old Adam and live in the New Adam.