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“God had made a
covenant with Abraham to be his God, to give
him a multitude of descendants who would be
his special people, and to give those people
Canaan as their homeland. Circumcision was
the sign of that covenant (Gen. 17:1-11).
As a permanent mark in the body,
circumcision symbolized the permanency of
God’s covenant with his people. Because of
its significance for personal cleanliness,
it symbolized also the purity that the
covenant demanded of them. God required that
Abraham, his household, and all his
descendants throughout future generations be
circumcised if they were to be his people
according to the covenant (Gen. 17:9-13;
Acts 7:8).
Abraham believed God’s promises and acted
upon his commands. His circumcision sealed
his faith and demonstrated his obedience
(Rom. 4:11). The covenant had originated in
God’s grace, but the Israelites had to
respond with faithful obedience if they were
to enjoy the covenant’s blessing. If a man
was not circumcised, he and his household
were cut off from the covenant (Gen. 17:14).
In their
self-satisfaction the Israelites forgot that
circumcision was also intended to be a sign
of obedience (Gen. 17:10). Therefore,
circumcised Israelites who were disobedient
to God were no better in God’s sight than
uncircumcised Gentiles. Though physically
circumcised, spiritually they were
uncircumcised, that is, unclean in God’s
sight (Jer. 9:25-26; Acts 7:51; Rom. 2:25; cf.
Deut. 10:16; 30:6). In the Book of Acts, the
uncircumcised who obeyed God was more
acceptable to God than the circumcised who
disobeyed him (Rom. 2:26-27).
Israelites believed also that the only
people who were God’s people were those who
kept the law of Moses. Since the law
commanded circumcision, they believed that a
person had to be circumcised to be saved
(Lev. 12:3; John 7:23; Acts 15:1-5; 21:21).
But circumcision had
never been a requirement for salvation. The
law of Moses set out regulations for those
who had already become God’s people as a
result of the covenant he had made with
Abraham. The law was not a means of
salvation, and neither was circumcision.
Abraham was saved by faith, and that
occurred before the law was given and at a
time when he was still uncircumcised. He
received circumcision later, as an outward
sign of the inward faith that he already had
(Rom. 4:1-2; 4:10-11; Gal. 3:17-18).
Abraham may be the physical father of
the Israelites, but more importantly he is
the spiritual father of all who are saved by
faith, whether or not they are Israelites
and whether or not they are circumcised
(Rom. 4:11-12). The true Israelites, the
true people of God, are not those who have
received circumcision, but those who have
received inward cleansing from sin (Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 6:15).”
[1]
The New Covenant is
an entirely new covenant.
Each covenant has
its own laws. A covenant is a legally
binding agreement. Christians are governed
by the New Covenant Law of Christ.
The early
church had to decide what to do about the
gentiles when it came to the Law of Moses.
The Book of Acts tells us their decision.
Acts 15:1-5 says,
“But some men came down from Judea and were
teaching the brothers, “Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of
Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after
Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension
and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and
some of the others were appointed to go up
to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders
about this question. 3 So, being sent on
their way by the church, they passed through
both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in
detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and
brought great joy to all the brothers. 4
When they came to Jerusalem, they were
welcomed by the church and the apostles and
the elders, and they declared all that God
had done with them. 5 But some believers who
belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose
up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise
them and to order them to keep the law of
Moses.”
The leaders
decided what to do based solely upon the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 15:28-29 says, “For it has seemed
good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on
you no greater burden than these
requirements: 29 that you abstain from what
has been sacrificed to idols, and from
blood, and from what has been strangled, and
from sexual immorality. If you keep
yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.”
Paul was a
missionary to the gentiles. He had to deal
with this subject frequently.
Romans 2:25 says, “For circumcision
indeed is of value if you obey the law, but
if you break the law, your circumcision
becomes uncircumcision.”
Romans 3:30
says, “since God is one—who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised
through faith.”
1 Corinthians 7:18
says, “Was anyone at the time of his call
already circumcised? Let him not seek to
remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone
at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let
him not seek circumcision.”
Galatians 5:2-3 says, “Look: I, Paul, say to you that
if you accept circumcision, Christ will be
of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to
every man who accepts circumcision that he
is obligated to keep the whole law.”
Galatians 6:12-13 says, “It is those who
want to make a good showing in the flesh who
would force you to be circumcised, and only
in order that they may not be persecuted for
the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who
are circumcised do not themselves keep the
law, but they desire to have you circumcised
that they may boast in your flesh.”
Colossians 2:11 says, “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,”
Galatians 5:6 says, “For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
counts for anything, but only faith working
through love.”
Galatians 6:15 says,
“For neither circumcision counts for
anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creation.”
Colossians 3:11 says,
“Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all,
and in all.”
“Circumcision was a
sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, and
that covenant reached its fulfillment in
Jesus Christ. Through him, the one
descendant of Abraham to whom all the
promises pointed, people of all nations can
receive the blessings of God’s salvation
(Gen. 12:1-3; Luke 1:54-55; 1:72-73;
Rom. 4:16-17; Gal. 3:6-9; 3:16; 3:29). Now that
Christ has come, the legal requirements of
the former covenant no longer apply (Eph. 2:15;
Col. 2:14-15). More than that, if
people try to win God’s favor by keeping
those legal requirements, they cannot be
saved (Gal. 5:2-4). People are saved only
through faith in Christ, regardless of
whether they are circumcised or
uncircumcised (Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 7:19;
Gal. 5:6).
For Christians, ‘circumcision’
is spiritual, not physical. It is the
cleansing from sin and uncleanness that
comes through Jesus Christ (Col. 2:11-12).
Those so cleansed are the true people of
God, the true ‘circumcision’ (Phil. 3:3;
Rom. 2:28-29).” [2]
By saying
circumcision is not required under the New
Covenant, the Holy Spirit is saying that
keeping the Mosaic Law is not binding on us
since the death and resurrection of Christ
Jesus.
The entire law, all 613 laws of the Old
Covenant are now obsolete.
Nine of the 10 Commandments have been
restated as moral absolutes and binding on
those who follow Jesus under the New
Covenant. Only the 4th commandment is not
repeated. Like circumcision, The Sabbath
commandment was ceremonial in nature and
served as a sign for the Nation of Israel
and all those who lived under the terms of
the Old Covenant.
Examples of
the Commandments as they are restated in the
New Covenant:
Commandment #1 -
Exodus 20:3
You
shall have no other gods before me . . . (1 Cor. 8:4-6; 12:2).
Commandment #2 - Exodus 20:4-5
You shall not make for yourself a carved
image - any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth; you shall not bow down to them nor
serve them . . . (1 Jn. 5:21; Rom. 1:22-23; Acts 17:29; Rev. 21:8).
Commandment #3 - Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the Lord your
God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless who takes His name in vain . . .
(James 5:12; 1 Tim. 6:1).
Commandment #4 - Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy .
. . The Sabbath was not a day of worship for the New Covenant
Church. The Command to keep the Sabbath was
never repeated in the New Covenant. The Church met
on the first day of the week to worship,
study the scriptures and the writings of the
apostles, and
to observe the
Lord’s Supper. (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2) Observance of
the Sabbath was not a requirement. (Rom. 14:5;
Gal. 4:10-11; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:16-17)
Commandment #5 - Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother . . .
(Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20).
Commandment #6 - Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder . . . (Rom. 13:9;
Rev. 21:8).
Commandment #7 - Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery . . . (Rom. 13:9; 1
Cor. 6:9-10; Rev. 21:8).
Commandment #8 -
Exodus 20:15
You shall not steal
. . . (Rom. 13:9; Eph. 4:28; Titus 2:10).
Commandment #9 -
Exodus 20:16
You shall not bear
false witness against your neighbor . . .
(Rom. 13:9; Rev. 21:8).
Commandment #10 - Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house .
. . your neighbor’s wife . . . nor anything
that is your neighbor’s . . . (Rom. 7:7; 13:9).
The Old Covenant Law (including
the Ten Commandments) has been replaced and
the New Covenant
Law has been established.
In the New Covenant,
nine of
the Ten Commandments are included and
enlarged upon; and they are morally and legally binding, not
because they were in the Old Covenant, but
because they are commanded in the New Covenant!
The Sabbath Commandment, like
circumcision, is not a requirement for
inclusion in the New Covenant Church.
References:
1. Bridgeway
Bible Dictionary: Circumcision
2. ibid.
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