Circumcision and what it means to the believer.

Since Abraham is the Father of Circumcision, it never hurts to study the subject of circumcision starting with him... When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty ; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. With these words God and Abram entered into a relationship and Abram's part is to walk in God's Laws, commandments, statutes and be circumcized.

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

So everyone entering into the same covenantial relationship with God that Abram had are also to follow in his footsteps.

Acts 7:8
Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth

So now that we have the background covered on the subject of circumcision, let us deal with Gentiles wanting to be in the Abram covenant and how they are to understand circumcision.

Romans 2:25
Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.

One of the greatest problems Paul had to deal with is outwards acts does not fool God. You can not substitute the act of getting a circumcision in place of obedience to the Law of God, because if you break the Law of God, then you were circumcized for nothing.

Romans 2:27
The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

As you see from this verse, the reverse is also true. If you are obedient to the Law of God, and are not circumcized you are better off.

Romans 2:28
A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.

It will always be the inward faith and obedience towards God's Law that will be counted as righteousness.

Romans 2:29
No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

So what value is there in circumcision in today's world, where it looks like laws are being placed on the books to make it illegal?

Romans 4:11
And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

It is still a sign of righteousness, a seal of the covenant relationship between the children of Abram and God. As Paul puts it...

1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts.

It is not the outward sign of circumcision, it is the keeping of God's commandments that counts.

Galatians 2:12
For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

You see, you can run into people who have had the circumcision done, but whose lives show no indication that the have the heart and love that God's commandments are to form in righteous living.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

And Paul is exactly right about this. In His day, the use and abuse of the covenant sign to impress and to boast about is foolishness, because that was not its purpose. It was to be a reminder of the covnenant itself, which is to keep the Commandments of God.

Galatians 6:13
Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

And this is why Paul can say... in the bigger scheme of things.. what counts most is..

Galatians 6:15
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

So let it be you who says..

Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

Let this be your understanding

..Colossians 2:11
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,

and let us not..

Titus 1:10
For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.

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Circumcision and what it means to the believer.

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