God used circumcision as a mark or a sign, authenticating that the person had made the Old Covenant with Him. It was done on the eighth day to indicate that Israelites were born into a covenant relationship with God. They had to do nothing except to be born.
God, as usual, was looking far forward in time. In the writing of the Bible, He made extensive use of circumcision as the symbol of what must happen to a person's heart under the New Covenant, which is where circumcision was aimed from its inception. Certainly, it played a role in the Old Covenant, but God, who knows the end from the beginning, was laying the groundwork so that we could understand the spiritual ramifications of circumcision. Therefore, spiritual circumcision must happen to each person who makes the New Covenant with God.
In Him YOU WERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH THE CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST,
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but IF YOU ARE A BREAKER OF THE LAW, YOUR CIRCUMCISION HAS BECOME UNCIRCUMCISION. Therefore, IF AN UNCIRCUMCISED MAN KEEPS THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW, WILL NOT HIS UNCIRCUMCISION BE COUNTED AS CIRCUMCISION? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? (Romans 2:25-27 NKJ)
-In other words, even if one is circumcised, if he breaks the law, it becomes as if one were not circumcised.
Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to THE CIRCUMCISION FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS WHAT MATTERS.
FOR WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION, WHO WORSHIP GOD IN THE SPIRIT, REJOICE IN CHRIST JESUS, AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH,
The ordinance of circumcision was an outward physical sign of one's willingness to obey God and be one of His chosen people.
Under the New Covenant, God is calling a spiritual nation composed of individuals converted and regenerated by His Holy Spirit. God's people now are all to be "circumcised" spiritually. Physical circumcision is no longer necessary for religious purposes. It was a forerunner or type of what God really wanted—circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). Paul told the congregation in Rome that physical circumcision is of no spiritual benefit (Romans 2:25-29). Spiritual circumcision, though, is a process of conversion. That Christ circumcises us spiritually is made plain in Colossians 2:10-11.
This is why the assembled apostles and elders of the New Testament church declared circumcision to be one of the physical requirements of the Old Covenant that is not necessary for Christians (Acts 15:24, 28). It is for entirely non-religious reasons that one may decide to be circumcised or have his son circumcised. There is some evidence that circumcision promotes cleanliness and health, depending on the male's overall cleanliness, morality, and health.
The patriarch Jacob had twelve sons, and God had to choose from which tribe His Son would descend. He proclaims His choice through Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:10: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew, as many scriptures record (Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:33; Hebrews 7:14, etc.).
This fact also has spiritual implications for us. Jesus says to the woman at the well, "For salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). Paul explains what this means:
Two parties are necessary to circumcise the foreskin of our heart. In Deuteronomy 10:16, God tells us to "circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer." Here, He commands us to do the circumcising. Compare this to Deuteronomy 30:6, where God says He will perform the circumcision: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart." These two passages do not contradict. God cannot create perfect, righteous character—that is the character of the new man—unilaterally. We build that character as we labor with God, cooperatively working with him over, generally, an extended period of time. That is what the Latinate word collaborate means, to "labor with." This is an early prophecy of what He will do. What is the terminology? "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart." He will change our hearts and write His laws in them.
(John 7:37-39) Jesus is prophesying of the giving of the Spirit, which is absolutely essential to the "circumcision of the heart," to "writing God's law on the heart," to enabling us to have a good relationship with God. Notice that He puts conditions on receiving the Spirit, which is a factor that did not appear much in the Old Covenant prophecies about it. But here the time to make the Spirit available is near, so God's Servant—Jesus Christ—tells us what the conditions are to be if we are going to agree to this Covenant.
He says that we have to believe, to come to Him. If we have been called, we have to respond. We have to thirst—to want it desperately—and on top of that, we have to drink. Remember the old cliché, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? A lot of people are like that: They can be led to the truth, but to get them to take it in and make it a part of them is very difficult indeed.
In addition, the Spirit would not be given until Christ was glorified, that is, until after His death and His resurrection to spirit life.
(Acts 15:8-9) The Gentiles' conversion resulted in a serious controversy in the church over whether they should be required to be circumcised. This major issue resulted in the convening of the first ministerial conference in the history of God's Church. At this conference, the ministry was led to decide that the Gentiles do not need to be circumcised.
God revealed to the apostles that, under the New Covenant, He makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Regardless of race or ethnic origin, He extends the promises of salvation to any and all whom He chooses to call. Under the New Covenant, physical descent from Abraham no longer matters because God is concerned only over the person's repentance and faith in Christ. Those who receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism become "the seed of Abraham." Additionally, because the purpose and meaning of physical circumcision have been superseded by the New Covenant, there is no need to inflict pain and possible psychological distress on an adult male through this operation.
Peter emphasizes that God looked upon the hearts of the Gentiles and saw their repentance. Although they were not circumcised, God forgave their sins because of their repentance and faith in Christ and granted them the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were, therefore, justified by faith and spiritually circumcised, that is, in heart and mind (Romans 2:28-29). During the Jerusalem conference, God revealed to the apostles that justification fulfilled the spiritual symbolism of circumcision.
(Romans 2:27-29) The law he is writing about here is obviously the Ten Commandments. Within this context is the Bible's definition of what God means by circumcision. Circumcision is broadly defined as "when one keeps the law." Uncircumcision is "when one breaks the law." He does not mean an occasional breaking of the law but consistently breaking it as a practice or as a way of life.
It was the shocking disparity between what the Pharisees urged others to do and what they did themselves that ignited Jesus' strong rebukes against them. Here, Paul accuses the typical Jew—not necessarily the Pharisee, the scribe, or the Sadducee—of bringing blasphemy against God by doing the same thing the Pharisees did. They taught and demanded one thing of others and did something else.
The Jews, then, had acquired a bad reputation throughout the Roman Empire by teaching one thing and doing another in the business of life. Thus, Paul says that, spiritually, they were uncircumcised. The average Jew was externally in conformity with the Covenant, but inwardly, as shown by the way that he lived his life—how he conducted his business, his family life—he may just as well have been as uncircumcised as a Gentile! There is a powerful lesson in this for us.
(Romans 8:3-4) God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. However, in order to worship Him in this way, one must have the Spirit of God! In Matthew 26:41, Jesus says, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. A person's flesh can respond to something inspirational and even say, "Yes, I want to do right." But if his heart is not circumcised, a person lacks the resolve to do right consistently. The New Covenant was designed by God to circumcise the heart!
(Romans 9:6) "It is not that the word of God has taken no effect" must be understood in light of why he is writing this. The silent question is, "What about Israel?" as God seems to be setting Israel aside. It appears as if God has been a failure in His dealings with Israel. He gave them the Covenant, but the people did not want to keep it. But Paul argues that, no, Israel is not being set aside. He is saying, "No, you don't really understand what's going on." It is not that the word of God has taken no effect.
"For they are not all Israel who are of Israel." Who is a Jew? Who is really part of Israel? Only those whose heart has been circumcised (Romans 2:29)! If a Gentile is circumcised in the heart, in God's eyes he is an Israelite!
(1 Corinthians 7:18-19) Paul says so plainly that it is important to keep the commandments of God! There is no contradiction in the Scriptures. When Paul seems to write about a doing away with the law in Galatians 5, that perception is mistaken. These verses make it clear that it is very important for a person to keep God's commandments, but it is not important that he be circumcised. One changes the heart, and the other does not. The one builds character, the other does not. The one brings a person into the image of God, and the other does not. There is nothing wrong with the rite of circumcision, but do not expect it to have any spiritual impact.
(2 Corinthians 3:3) Paul specifically says that the law will be written in the fleshly tables of our heart by the Spirit of the living God! However, the circumcision of the heart is a co-operative effort. God does His part, and we do ours by submitting to Him. Both parts are involved within this process, by which God is enabling us to have the power to sustain a relationship with Him. And that power is given only to the children of promise, the children of God, the Church, the remnant, those who are in Christ, those who have received God's Spirit.
God, as usual, was looking far forward in time. In the writing of the Bible, He made extensive use of circumcision as the symbol of what must happen to a person's heart under the New Covenant, which is where circumcision was aimed from its inception. Certainly, it played a role in the Old Covenant, but God, who knows the end from the beginning, was laying the groundwork so that we could understand the spiritual ramifications of circumcision. Therefore, spiritual circumcision must happen to each person who makes the New Covenant with God.
And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to KEEP THE PASSOVER TO THE LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. FOR NO UNCIRCUMCISED PERSON SHALL EAT IT.
(Exodus 12:48 NKJ)
In Him YOU WERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH THE CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST,
(Colossians 2:11 NKJ)
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but IF YOU ARE A BREAKER OF THE LAW, YOUR CIRCUMCISION HAS BECOME UNCIRCUMCISION. Therefore, IF AN UNCIRCUMCISED MAN KEEPS THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW, WILL NOT HIS UNCIRCUMCISION BE COUNTED AS CIRCUMCISION? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? (Romans 2:25-27 NKJ)
-In other words, even if one is circumcised, if he breaks the law, it becomes as if one were not circumcised.
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and CIRCUMCISION IS THAT OF THE HEART, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
(Romans 2:28-29 NKJ)
Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to THE CIRCUMCISION FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
(Romans 15:8 NKJ)
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS WHAT MATTERS.
(1 Corinthians 7:19 NKJ)
FOR WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION, WHO WORSHIP GOD IN THE SPIRIT, REJOICE IN CHRIST JESUS, AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH,
(Philippians 3:3 NKJ)
The ordinance of circumcision was an outward physical sign of one's willingness to obey God and be one of His chosen people.
Under the New Covenant, God is calling a spiritual nation composed of individuals converted and regenerated by His Holy Spirit. God's people now are all to be "circumcised" spiritually. Physical circumcision is no longer necessary for religious purposes. It was a forerunner or type of what God really wanted—circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). Paul told the congregation in Rome that physical circumcision is of no spiritual benefit (Romans 2:25-29). Spiritual circumcision, though, is a process of conversion. That Christ circumcises us spiritually is made plain in Colossians 2:10-11.
This is why the assembled apostles and elders of the New Testament church declared circumcision to be one of the physical requirements of the Old Covenant that is not necessary for Christians (Acts 15:24, 28). It is for entirely non-religious reasons that one may decide to be circumcised or have his son circumcised. There is some evidence that circumcision promotes cleanliness and health, depending on the male's overall cleanliness, morality, and health.
The patriarch Jacob had twelve sons, and God had to choose from which tribe His Son would descend. He proclaims His choice through Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:10: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew, as many scriptures record (Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:33; Hebrews 7:14, etc.).
This fact also has spiritual implications for us. Jesus says to the woman at the well, "For salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). Paul explains what this means:
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28-29)
Two parties are necessary to circumcise the foreskin of our heart. In Deuteronomy 10:16, God tells us to "circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer." Here, He commands us to do the circumcising. Compare this to Deuteronomy 30:6, where God says He will perform the circumcision: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart." These two passages do not contradict. God cannot create perfect, righteous character—that is the character of the new man—unilaterally. We build that character as we labor with God, cooperatively working with him over, generally, an extended period of time. That is what the Latinate word collaborate means, to "labor with." This is an early prophecy of what He will do. What is the terminology? "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart." He will change our hearts and write His laws in them.
(John 7:37-39) Jesus is prophesying of the giving of the Spirit, which is absolutely essential to the "circumcision of the heart," to "writing God's law on the heart," to enabling us to have a good relationship with God. Notice that He puts conditions on receiving the Spirit, which is a factor that did not appear much in the Old Covenant prophecies about it. But here the time to make the Spirit available is near, so God's Servant—Jesus Christ—tells us what the conditions are to be if we are going to agree to this Covenant.
He says that we have to believe, to come to Him. If we have been called, we have to respond. We have to thirst—to want it desperately—and on top of that, we have to drink. Remember the old cliché, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? A lot of people are like that: They can be led to the truth, but to get them to take it in and make it a part of them is very difficult indeed.
In addition, the Spirit would not be given until Christ was glorified, that is, until after His death and His resurrection to spirit life.
(Acts 15:8-9) The Gentiles' conversion resulted in a serious controversy in the church over whether they should be required to be circumcised. This major issue resulted in the convening of the first ministerial conference in the history of God's Church. At this conference, the ministry was led to decide that the Gentiles do not need to be circumcised.
God revealed to the apostles that, under the New Covenant, He makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Regardless of race or ethnic origin, He extends the promises of salvation to any and all whom He chooses to call. Under the New Covenant, physical descent from Abraham no longer matters because God is concerned only over the person's repentance and faith in Christ. Those who receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism become "the seed of Abraham." Additionally, because the purpose and meaning of physical circumcision have been superseded by the New Covenant, there is no need to inflict pain and possible psychological distress on an adult male through this operation.
Peter emphasizes that God looked upon the hearts of the Gentiles and saw their repentance. Although they were not circumcised, God forgave their sins because of their repentance and faith in Christ and granted them the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were, therefore, justified by faith and spiritually circumcised, that is, in heart and mind (Romans 2:28-29). During the Jerusalem conference, God revealed to the apostles that justification fulfilled the spiritual symbolism of circumcision.
(Romans 2:27-29) The law he is writing about here is obviously the Ten Commandments. Within this context is the Bible's definition of what God means by circumcision. Circumcision is broadly defined as "when one keeps the law." Uncircumcision is "when one breaks the law." He does not mean an occasional breaking of the law but consistently breaking it as a practice or as a way of life.
It was the shocking disparity between what the Pharisees urged others to do and what they did themselves that ignited Jesus' strong rebukes against them. Here, Paul accuses the typical Jew—not necessarily the Pharisee, the scribe, or the Sadducee—of bringing blasphemy against God by doing the same thing the Pharisees did. They taught and demanded one thing of others and did something else.
The Jews, then, had acquired a bad reputation throughout the Roman Empire by teaching one thing and doing another in the business of life. Thus, Paul says that, spiritually, they were uncircumcised. The average Jew was externally in conformity with the Covenant, but inwardly, as shown by the way that he lived his life—how he conducted his business, his family life—he may just as well have been as uncircumcised as a Gentile! There is a powerful lesson in this for us.
(Romans 8:3-4) God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. However, in order to worship Him in this way, one must have the Spirit of God! In Matthew 26:41, Jesus says, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. A person's flesh can respond to something inspirational and even say, "Yes, I want to do right." But if his heart is not circumcised, a person lacks the resolve to do right consistently. The New Covenant was designed by God to circumcise the heart!
(Romans 9:6) "It is not that the word of God has taken no effect" must be understood in light of why he is writing this. The silent question is, "What about Israel?" as God seems to be setting Israel aside. It appears as if God has been a failure in His dealings with Israel. He gave them the Covenant, but the people did not want to keep it. But Paul argues that, no, Israel is not being set aside. He is saying, "No, you don't really understand what's going on." It is not that the word of God has taken no effect.
"For they are not all Israel who are of Israel." Who is a Jew? Who is really part of Israel? Only those whose heart has been circumcised (Romans 2:29)! If a Gentile is circumcised in the heart, in God's eyes he is an Israelite!
(1 Corinthians 7:18-19) Paul says so plainly that it is important to keep the commandments of God! There is no contradiction in the Scriptures. When Paul seems to write about a doing away with the law in Galatians 5, that perception is mistaken. These verses make it clear that it is very important for a person to keep God's commandments, but it is not important that he be circumcised. One changes the heart, and the other does not. The one builds character, the other does not. The one brings a person into the image of God, and the other does not. There is nothing wrong with the rite of circumcision, but do not expect it to have any spiritual impact.
(2 Corinthians 3:3) Paul specifically says that the law will be written in the fleshly tables of our heart by the Spirit of the living God! However, the circumcision of the heart is a co-operative effort. God does His part, and we do ours by submitting to Him. Both parts are involved within this process, by which God is enabling us to have the power to sustain a relationship with Him. And that power is given only to the children of promise, the children of God, the Church, the remnant, those who are in Christ, those who have received God's Spirit.
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS WHAT MATTERS. (1 Corinthians 7:19 NKJ)
ReplyDeleteThe ordinance of circumcision was an outward physical sign of one's willingness to obey God and be one of His chosen people.
Under the New Covenant, God is calling a spiritual nation composed of individuals converted and regenerated by His Holy Spirit. God's people now are all to be "circumcised" spiritually. Physical circumcision is no longer necessary for religious purposes. It was a forerunner or type of what God really wanted—circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). Paul told the congregation in Rome that physical circumcision is of no spiritual benefit (Romans 2:25-29). Spiritual circumcision, though, is a process of conversion. That Christ circumcises us spiritually is made plain in Colossians 2:10-11.
In Him YOU WERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH THE CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST, (Colossians 2:11 NKJ)
ReplyDeleteNow I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to THE CIRCUMCISION FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, (Romans 15:8 NKJ)
Were Hebrew children in the Old Testament required to make a one time "Decision for God" once they reached an Age of Accountability in order to be saved? No. There is no evidence of this requirement in the Bible. They were born into God's covenant, both male and female. Circumcision was the sign of this covenant for boys, but the sign was not what saved them. Faith saved them!
ReplyDeleteRejecting the sign of circumcision, either by the parents of a Hebrew child or by an adult, male, Gentile convert, was a sign of a lack of true faith, and therefore the child or convert was "cut off" from God's promises, as clearly stated in Genesis chapter 17:
http://www.lutherwasnotbornagain.com/2013/09/hebrew-children-and-salvation-in-old.html