BACK TO ARTICLES LIST

circumcision, then and now

Of course we understand that “circumcision” was instituted by God. “Circumcision” was a “covenant” that God first made with Abraham: [Gen 17:9 – 10] “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.  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.” Perhaps we should define a “covenant”; according to Webster’s dictionary a “covenant” is: “COVENANT, n. [L, to come; a coming together; a meeting or agreement of minds.] 1. A mutual consent or agreement of two or more persons, to do or to forbear some act or thing; a contract; stipulation. A covenant is created by deed in writing, sealed and executed; or it may be implied in the contract.”  Therefore, “circumcision” was a “covenant” that God first made with Abraham.

“Circumcision” did not end at the death of Abraham.  It was enforced upon the children of Israel by the Law:
[Lev 12:3] “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” To get a description of “circumcision” let us go to the time that Moses began his journey to Egypt to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. Moses had a son at the time and it appears as though he forgot to circumcise his son.  His wife, Zipporah took matters into her own hands and in doing so we have a good description of “circumcision”:    [Ex 4:25] “Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.” That was circumcision of old.

What about “circumcision” today? Are we bound to the law of “circumcision” today? Perhaps a better question would be, “Are we under the Law as given by Moses today? Of course any student of the New Testament knows that we are not bound to keep the law of “circumcision”! Paul did not preach “circumcision”: [Gal. 5:11] “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution?” Here is a scripture reference that makes it very clear that we are no longer under bondage to the old Law: [Col 2:14] “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” To bind “circumcision” upon any male child today would be making the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross to be in vain.

However, Christians of today are to be “circumcised” but it is not a physical circumcision; rather it is a spiritual “circumcision” of the heart:  [Rom 2:29] “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.” This is very clear, Christians today are “circumcised” in the “heart” and “spirit”! Today, the uncircumcised are justified by faith: [Rom 3:30] “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” [Gal 5:6] “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Paul wrote to those at Rome and Corinth that “circumcision” without obedience is nothing: [1 Cor 7:19] “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” Keep this scripture in mind when considering “circumcision”; it does not matter whether you are “circumcised” or “uncircumcised” obedience is what really matters. Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ?