Covenants, Circumcision and Does It Even Matter? Part 2

November 27, 2022

The Abrahamic Covenant was the beginning of God’s establishing His people through Abraham.

God made a covenant to give Abraham a land, a seed and a blessing.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.Genesis 12:1-3

A requirement of the covenant was circumcision of all males.

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. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.Genesis 17:10-14

Circumcision was a Jewish practice to show that you belonged to God and were one of His covenant people.

Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant.

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.Matthew 26:28

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.Hebrews 9:14-15

In the New Covenant, Jesus is the once-and-for-all sacrifice for sins, Jesus is our High Priest with God, mankind has a direct relationship with God and God has written His Word in our heart through the Holy Spirit.

Under the New Covenant, the Law has been fulfilled and, at the completion of the covenant, Israel will turn to God as He pours out His Spirit upon Israel.

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.Joel 2:28-32

Circumcision, under the Abrahamic Covenant, was an outward symbol of ownership by God and obedience to His commandments.

Problems arise when the outward symbol no longer matches the contents of the heart.

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.Jeremiah 4:1-4

While their circumcision said they were owned by God and obeyed His commandments, their heart disagreed.

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:Deuteronomy 10:16-17

The Jews wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised as proof of their commitment to God.

And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.Acts 15:1

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.Acts 15:5-6

Timothy’s mom was Jewish and his father was Greek, so Paul had Timothy circumcised as to not cause issue with Jewish believers.

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.Acts 16:1-3

The unbiblical desire for Jews to use Jesus as an add-on to Old Testament Judaism was the reason for the letter to the churches in the Galatian region.

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:Galatians 2:3-4

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.Galatians 2:16

If you’re circumcised and you disobey God, you’re effectively uncircumcised. If you’re uncircumcised and you obey God, you’re effectively circumcised.

God is no longer looking for circumcision but obedience and a clean heart.

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.1 Corinthians 7:18-19

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.Galatians 5:6

No longer is circumcision a mark of ownership and obedience, but a changed life is.

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.Galatians 6:13-15

It’s not about race, ethnicity, cultural background or religious practices, it’s all about Jesus now.

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.Colossians 3:11

Does what it seen on the outside match what’s on the inside?

Does your heart show ownership and obedience?

Since you met Jesus, has there been real change?