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Circumcision
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Boyd’s Bible Dictionary
:
(cutting around). Cutting off the foreskin. A rite, performed on males on eighth
day
after birth (Gen. 17;
Lev. 12:3
3
And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (Leviticus 12:3)
;
Ex. 12:44
44
But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. (Exodus 12:44)
;
John 7:22
22
Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. (John 7:22)
). Antagonized by Christianity (Acts 15;
1 Cor. 7:18
18
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. (1 Corinthians 7:18)
;
Gal. 5:2
2
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. (Galatians 5:2)
).
Concise Bible Dictionary
:
The
rite
appointed
by
God
to be a token of the
covenant
that He made
with
Abraham
and his
seed
, and
also
the
seal
of the
righteousness
of his
faith
. Every male in Abraham’s
house
was to be circumcised, and afterward every male of his seed on the eighth
day
after birth. It signified the separation of a people from
the
world
to God. During the 40 years in the
wilderness
this
rite was not performed, but on entering God’s land
all
were circumcised at
Gilgal
, when the reproach of
Egypt
was rolled away (
Josh. 5:2-9
2
At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
3
And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4
And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5
Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not show them the land, which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7
And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8
And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
9
And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. (Joshua 5:2‑9)
).
Circumcision
became a synonym
for
Israel
, so that
they
could be spoken of as “the circumcised,” and the
heathen
as “the uncircumcised” (
Judg. 14:3
3
Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. (Judges 14:3)
;
Ezek. 31:18
18
To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 31:18)
;
Acts 11:3
3
Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. (Acts 11:3)
). Contrary to the design of God, circumcision became a mere formal
act
, when the covenant itself was disregarded, and God then speaks of Israel as having “uncircumcised hearts.”
Stephen
charged the Jewish
council
with being “uncircumcised in
heart
and ears” (
Lev. 26:41
41
And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: (Leviticus 26:41)
;
Acts 7:51
51
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (Acts 7:51)
). In Romans 4 Abraham is shown to be “the
father
of circumcision,” that is, of all that believe as the truly separated people of God.
Hence circumcision is typical of the putting off the body of the
flesh
by those who accept the
cross
as the end of all flesh, because
Christ
was
there
cut off
as to the flesh, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the [sins of the] flesh by the circumcision of Christ” (
Col. 2:11
11
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Colossians 2:11)
); and again, “We are the circumcision which
worship
God by the
Spirit
, and
rejoice
in Christ
Jesus
, and
have
no
confidence
in the flesh” (
Phil. 3:3
3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)
). “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth
” (
Col. 3:5
5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)
).
From Anstey’s
Doctrinal Definitions
:
God
instituted
circumcision
as a sign of His
covenant
relationship with
Abraham
and his descendants, with a view to their
blessing
in the
land of
Canaan
(
Gen. 17:10-11
10
This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. (Genesis 17:10‑11)
). The Jews understood this to be an irrevocable
pledge
of God’s blessing on them (
Gen. 15:5; 17:10
5
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (Genesis 15:5)
10
This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:10)
). Since they were in this relationship with God, they believed that it was impossible for them to be eternally lost, because He would be going back on His Word if they were to end up lost.
However, in
Romans 2:25-29
25
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26
Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:25‑29)
,
Paul
explains that circumcision will not shelter a person from the
eternal
judgment
of his sins any more than trusting in the
Law
will. He shows that a
Jew
needed to have more than the outward sign of circumcision in his body to be a real Jew of whom God approved. He says,
"He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the
flesh
: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart
, in the
spirit
, and not in
the letter
; whose
praise
is not of men, but of God."
The Jews had
"circumcision that is outward in the flesh,"
but they also needed
"circumcision of the heart,"
which involved having
faith
, if their eternal destiny was to be secure. Circumcision is an
outward sign
promising
outward blessing
to Abraham and his descendants. It was connected with temporal blessings, such as: possession of the land of Canaan, abundant growth of crops, good health, protection from their earthly enemies, etc. These temporal things have to do with
life
on
earth
under the favour of God. The Jews, however, were mistakenly trusting in the rite of circumcision, which is connected with temporal blessing, and were imagining that it secured their eternal blessing.
The Jews are not alone in this misunderstanding. Many professing Christians are likewise trusting in outward things and rites such as:
baptism
,
church
membership,
confirmation
vows
, etc., but those things will not secure a person’s eternal blessing either. Paul refers to circumcision in
three
ways in his
epistles
:
• It stands for
the Jews nationally
as opposed to the
Gentiles
who are regarded as the uncircumcision (
Rom. 2:26-27; 15:8
26
Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? (Romans 2:26‑27)
8
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: (Romans 15:8)
;
Gal. 2:8-9
8
(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (Galatians 2:8‑9)
;
Eph. 1:11
11
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)
).
• It indicates
the actual rite
itself—the literal medical procedure performed on the body (
Rom. 2:28
28
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: (Romans 2:28)
;
Gen. 17:11
11
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. (Genesis 17:11)
).
• It represents
a life that is separated to God in faith
from the activity of the flesh (
Rom. 2:29
29
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:29)
;
Phil. 3:3
3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)
).
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“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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