Circumcision

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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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. 17:10-1110This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11And 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; 17:105And 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)
10This 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 2:25-2925For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But 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; 15:826Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27And 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)
8Now 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. 2:8-98(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9And 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. 1:1111In 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. 2:2828For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: (Romans 2:28); Gen. 17:1111And 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. 2:2929But 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. 3:33For 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)).