The fight over circumcision Romans 2:25-29
In 1995, a man by the name of McArthur Wheeler walked into two Pittsburgh banks and robbed them in broad daylight and made no visible attempt at disguising himself. He was arrested later that night, less than an hour after videotapes of him taken from surveillance cameras were broadcast on the 11 o’clock news. When police showed him the surveillance tapes, Mr. Wheeler stared in unbelief and said, “But I wore the juice.”
Apparently, he was under the impression that rubbing one’s face with lemon juice rendered it invisible to videotape cameras.
“25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
The first question we need to ask is, what is circumcision, why was it done, what was its purpose, why was this procedure only directed toward men and if it was discontinued in the New Testament era, was anything meant to take its place?
I So, first, what is circumcision
There are two circumcisions discussed in scripture and one is the physical circumcision of the Old Testament and the other is spiritual circumcision of the New. The Old Testament circumcision was the surgical removal of the foreskin of a male. The word circumcise literally means “to cut around.” This practice originated with the covenant established by God with Abraham, his family, his slaves and eventually the rest of his descendants. It was first performed by the father as Abraham did and later, we also see Moses wife performed circumcision on her son. And as time went on circumcision was performed as a religious rite by a rabbi.
We find it’s beginning in Genesis 17 where it says,
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
God promised him three things.
1) There was the National Blessing
This was the promise that Abraham and his descendants would not only dwell in the land they were traveling in but that he through his descendants would become a great nation. And of course, we’ve seen the Jews through the centuries occupying the land while they were obedient and then taken captive from the land because of their unfaithfulness. But, in these last days God has brought them to the land in unbelief and they’ll stay there until He fulfills His future plans and then we’ll see a revival of the Jewish people.
2) There was also a Personal Blessing
God promised that Abraham that he personally would accomplish great things. In Genesis 12:2 God said, “I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing.” So, he would be blessed and we know his God’s blessings are never just for the one He’s blessed but will be a blessing to those around him. When He promised to make his name great, you have to remember, Abraham is not only honored by Christians and Jews but even by the Muslims.
3) There was also a Universal Blessing
God promised that Abraham’s faith would be the beginning of a spiritual movement that would have an influence on every nation on earth. Genesis 12:3 says, “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” And this happened because God’s covenant reached way beyond Abraham and we can see in history how those who treated Abraham and his descendants were blessed while those who mistreated he or his descendants were cursed.
The last part of God’s covenant was implied by the promise that “in him all families of the earth will be blessed.” And this was a veiled promise of the Messiah whose sacrifice and atoning death would provide forgiveness and salvation for all who believed in Him.
And then we’re told how Abraham was to seal the deal. It’s in verses 10-13, “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, ever male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.”
God’s promise was made and Abraham was to enter into this agreement with the sign of circumcision; and not to be too gross but, every time a Jew was naked, he would be reminded not only of his fore-father Abraham but also of the promises God made.
Having stated that circumcision was ordained of God there are a few questions I have always wondered about.
First, why of all things, did God choose circumcision as the sign of the covenant rather than something more visible like a tattoo or some other symbol that would be a noticeable sign that this person was a believer.
The simple answer is, I don’t know; but I believe circumcision is an extremely private sign and this sign demonstrates the depth of intimacy God wants to have with his people; because when they’re totally committed, they’re willing to mark their body or even that of their children in the most intimate place possible. And when you think about it, the one who has been circumcised may be the only one who ever knows it and that makes it a very personal symbol as well.
Second, I also wondered, why didn’t God prescribe something that would apply to both men and women? I’m not too sure about this one either; but when Paul refers to the very first sin in 1 Tim 2:14 he said, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” And part of the curse for sin in Genesis 3 was that the man would rule over the woman and so, his circumcision may have been intended as a covering for both.
Third, it was ordained that a male had to be eight days old but was that the only time anyone could be circumcised? No, that was the time when a new born Jewish boy was to be circumcised but men of all ages who either came into the Jewish faith or for some reason wasn’t circumcised as a child were also allowed to be circumcised.
Fourth, how would someone even know if someone else was circumcised? For the most part no one would; but circumcision was never made to be some kind of public demonstration of faith but was a constant reminder to the one who was circumcised that he was born to have a relationship with the living God.
Fifth, does the church have anything that replaces circumcision? The answer is no. Some have suggested baptism but baptism was meant to be both a testimony of faith of the one who has consciously become a believer and it was also an illustration of our death with Jesus as we go under the water and our promised resurrection as we’re brought back up and the water itself represents how our sins are washed away.
We practice baptism by immersion; but if anyone goes into the water lost, they’ll come out just as lost as they were when went in. We have the Lord’s table once a month where we remember His sacrificial death but if anyone who is unsaved eats all the bread and drinks all the juice they’d be just as unsaved leaving the church as they were when they came in. These signs of faith are great but they’re simply signs.
So, back to the question, what is circumcision, it is a physical sign of commitment to God but second, there’s also circumcision of the heart and it’s mentioned in both the Old Testament and New.
Deuteronomy 10:16 says, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” We know this wasn’t referring to a physical act because there’s no foreskin on the heart but Moses was referring to an attitude of submission and obedience to the Lord. Both physical and spiritual circumcision are two sides of the same coin; because physical circumcision is meaningless without conversion and this is what God was looking for. He expected the Old Testament Jews to be just converted as He does the New Testament church. He says in 1 Corinthians 7:19, “For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.” In other words, God is looking for obedient or circumcised hearts.
When Abraham believed God and he and the male members of his household were circumcised and this wasn’t just some religious act but was an act of faith, because this was a demonstration of their belief in God. The act of circumcision means absolutely nothing without true spiritual faith and that’s what He’s is looking for.
In Romans 4:3 and then down in verses10-11 we read, 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Verses 10 and 11, “How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.”
So, if it was a seal of his faith then what was be the sense of circumcision if there was no faith?
Anyone can put on a stethoscope and white lab coat and walk down the halls of a hospital pretending they’re a doctor but that’s all they’d be doing. But a real doctor is someone who’s been to medical school, passed the exams and has been approved by a medical board; and then he wears the stethoscope and lab coat because they reflect who he is. So, trusting in physical circumcision doesn’t make sense unless we’ve had a spiritual circumcision or conversion where God has completed His work in our hearts.
Most of us who have witnessed to non-Christians have asked them, “How do you know you’re saved?” And many will say, “I was born in the church and my parents took me there every time the doors were open.” And others will say, “Well, I think I’ve lived a pretty good life.” A few will even say, “I hope I am.” Or, “I think my good works will outweigh my bad.” But when I ask if they’re ever received Jesus as their Lord and Savior most of them will simply say no. The majority of non-Christians are like those who are trusting in circumcision; they’re relying on something and hoping that God will be as forgiving as they say He is.
Once upon a time a spider built a beautiful web in an old run-down house. He made sure to keep it clean and shiny so that the flies would patronize it. The minute he got a ‘customer’ he would eat him so the other flies wouldn’t get suspicious. Then one day a fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by. The big spider called out and said, “Why don’t you come on in and sit down for a while. But the fly wouldn’t fall for that trick. He said, “No sir, I don’t see any other flies in your house and I’m not about to come in there by myself!”
A little later the fly spotted a large group of flies who appeared to be dancing on a sheet of brown paper. He was excited because he loved to dance. Just as he was making his final approach and was about to land on the paper a bee buzzed by and said, “Don’t land there stupid, that’s ‘flypaper.”
But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, “Don’t’ be silly, look at all those flies they’re having a great time. There’s a big party going on down there and besides that many flies couldn’t be wrong! Well, as soon as his feet hit that sticky brown flypaper he was trapped, and eventually he died on that very spot.
Many people like the fly take great comfort in the fact that the majority of people believe the same way they do, but in reality, they’re all deceived because God has always been the God of the minority. Someone wisely said, “Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start now and make a brand-new ending.”
II Why was circumcision such a big deal in the New Testament?
1. In Acts 7 Stephen preached an incredible sermon before the Sanhedrin which was comprised not only the high priest but the seventy Jewish leaders of Israel and Stephen gave an extraordinary walk through the spiritual history of Israel but when he came to the end of his message he said in verse 51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
He said, the nation of Israel had a longstanding history of being physically circumcised, yet they were spiritually uncircumcised. We see this so often in the Old Testament where the nation is constantly straying into false worship and then marrying their unsaved neighbors but when they repent, they experience the blessings of God.
2. And then in Acts 15 we find the apostles arguing about the issue of circumcision with some of the converted Pharisees and the argument escalates to the point where they call a church council, and the conclusion of the meeting starts at verse 24, where they said, “Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment.” And then they sent Judas and Silas to go from church to church and spread the message and the message was simply that circumcision wasn’t necessary.
Paul seems to sum up the argument in I Corinthians 7:19 where he says, "Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters"
So, circumcision was a really big deal in the beginning of the early church because for many it was more than just a spiritual issue, it determined who was Jewish and who wasn’t. And Paul’s point was you don’t have to be circumcised to be saved, you need to put your faith and trust in God.
We see many examples in scripture of those who trusted God. Noah built a huge boat in the middle of dry land when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and his neighbors all thought he was a fool and why did he do it, because God said so. Abraham packed up everything he owned and left the land of his home when he was 80 years old, because God told him too. The apostle Peter stepped out of a boat to walk towards Jesus because Jesus told him too. And many ordinary Christians declared “Jesus is Lord” in the Roman Empire which only recognized one Lord and his name was Caesar. They all did this because they trusted in the Lord and in the world to come.
III True circumcision is that of the heart. verses 28,29
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
To the average Jew a passage like this must have been a shocker. After all, he had been certain that God had regarded him with special favour based on his descent from Abraham and his badge of circumcision.
But Paul said, your faith is not a matter of race and has nothing to do with circumcision but it’s a matter of conversion. As far as he was concerned many of the so-called Jews, were not Jews at all; while many of the Gentiles could be a true Jew.
Any Jew who was reading the book of Romans this passage must have really blown their minds because even though he had accepted the Lord some might still of the Jews might think they were a step ahead of everyone else but Paul levels the ground when he explains that all of us who have peace with God are the same. As someone said, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.”
The problem we have is when we read about the Jews in the New Testament, we get the impression that all Jews believed the same thing; but in Jesus day there were several main groups and they all believed differently. There were five very diverse groups.
1. Pharisees - The name “Pharisee” means “separatists.” This was because “of their strict avoidance of anything that would make them ceremonially unclean. They believed the Bible and most of them had memorized the first five books while some had memorized the entire Old Testament. Even though they said they believed it they spent so much time creating and studying commentaries that the commentaries became equivalent to scripture. They believed in tithing to the point they tithed the shrubs that grew in their window boxes. And they also believed in the Sabbath and would rather die than be seen working. They considered themselves to be true believers and would be offended if anyone thought otherwise.
2. Sadducees – literally means ‘member of the council.’ These men were the wealthy and influential people who belonged to the Jewish aristocracy. They were conservative in both politics and religion and they concentrated their efforts in controlling the temple which also meant they controlled the business side of it as well.
They only believed the first five books of the Old Testament and although they would read the rest of it, they said doctrine could only be determined from the first five. They also denied the existence of the afterlife, as well as angels and demons; and had a very low view of God’s sovereignty. I’ve always wondered if their religion was just a pretext for their religious business interests since they really didn’t believe all that much.
3. Herodians - The Herodians were focused on political goals and they encouraged deliverance from Roman rule by restoring Israel to the Herodian dynasty. They were known for their corruption and were more of a political rather than religious party but joined with the Pharisees in opposition to Jesus.
4. Essences - They believed that the Temple and religious leaders of Jerusalem were incredibly corrupt and hypocritical. They also believed they were the true Israel and inherited all the benefits of the New Covenant. They didn’t reject the Temple, but they rejected those who ran the Temple. They simply withdrew from the entire mess, hoping that God would intervene with his armies under the Messiah. They believed and lived as though the end were near. Admission to their group required a three-year probation and the surrender of all private property to a communal treasury and it was from this group that the Dead Sea scrolls came.
5. Zealots - The Zealots get their name from the term “zealous” and it comes from Mattathias in the book of Maccabees who cried out, “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” They were religious but their religion was expressed through their political philosophy and for the most they performed assassinations on any Jew who was sympathetic to the Roman occupation. They would appear in the crowds and assassinate a Jewish political leader, and then they would immediately blend back into obscurity. Josephus blamed the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 on the Zealots.
So, for the most part most Jews were committed to their local synagogue but there were two things they were accused of by the Gentiles in the first century. First, they were accused of atheism because the ancient world couldn’t understand how anybody could worship a God without having any physical representations. If they couldn’t see what they were worshipping, then it didn’t make sense. Pliny the elder was one of the greatest Roman philosophers and he called the Jews, "a race that is distinguished by their contempt for all deities." Juvenal who was a biting Satiral writer said, "They venerate nothing but the clouds and the deity of the sky." The main reason the Gentiles hated the Jews was the attitude they had toward all other religions. After all, not only was the worship of idols absurd to them but it was forbidden in the scripture.
Second, they were also accused of hating everybody who wasn’t a Jew because they were considered unsociable. Tacitus who was considered to be one of the greatest Roman historians said of them: "Among themselves their honesty is inflexible, their compassion quick to move, but to all other persons they show the hatred of antagonism."
The fact is, most of the Jews dealt with Jews and they kept to themselves and any one else was considered to be an unwelcome outsider. I wonder how many churches could be accused of the same today; it’s the old, us four and no more philosophy.
For a religion that has been active over more than three thousand years, Judaism today has only four major divisions.
1. There are the orthodox Jews and they insist on retaining traditional Jewish laws and customs, not only as they relate to liturgy but also to diet and dress. They demand full submission to the authority of both the written and oral laws of Judaism, and feel that the revealed will of God is the ultimate standard of conduct.
2. There is the Reform movement and it came about when people tried to fit the Jewish lifestyle into mainstream society that was becoming increasingly available both politically and socially. They abbreviated the liturgy, introduced prayers and sermons into the common language, began singing with organ accompaniment, and they made dietary and Sabbath restrictions optional. The Reform movement also became known for its relaxation of rituals and preferred to stress the Torah’s teachings on ethics.
3. Then there was Conservative Judaism and it began as a response to what they considered the excesses of the Reform movement; they welcomed Western education and culture but kept the use of Hebrew in the liturgy, the observance of dietary laws, the Sabbath, and almost all the Torah rituals. In the 1980s the Conservatives decided to admit women as rabbis. And today, there are more American Jews affiliated with Conservative synagogues than with Reform or Orthodox.
4. And then we have Reconstructionist Judaism and they see Judaism as an evolving civilization rather than a religion. They reject the notion of a personal deity, miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, and the whole concept of the chosen people.
I’m a Baptist by choice and not by birth but I find it interesting to hear the number of Baptist groups there are in the world. There are well over two thousand groups or denominations of churches.
I heard a story that illustrates the differences. A man said, “I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, and he was about to jump off. So, I ran over and said “Stop! don’t do it!” “Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well…are you religious or atheist?” He said, “I’m religious.” I said, “Me too! Are you a Christian or a Buddhist?” He said, “I’m a Christian.” I said, “Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” He said, “Baptist!” I said, “Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?” He said, “Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?” He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?” He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!” I said, “Die, heretic” and pushed him off.”
So, as we read the course of Jewish history, we see how circumcision, which was intended to be a sign of submission and obedience to the will of God, became twisted into a mark of superiority and favoritism. Those who had it began to look down on those who didn’t and they became self-righteous and proud of who they were.
They didn’t seem to realize that the mark of circumcision was meant to show they were separated people and they’re separation should have been a point of humility because God who chose them chose them not because of who or what they were but because of who He is.
Deuteronomy 30:6 - "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thine seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live."
Jeremiah 4:4 "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."
So, circumcision was important but it meant something more than just another ritual. True circumcision is of the heart and not the flesh because there’s nothing anyone could do in the flesh to save them. We are either saved by the blood or we’re not saved at all.
Back when I was on dialysis, I used to get a phone call from a Pentecostal friend and he always called to encourage me but somehow, he always ended up telling me how I was out of the will of God. He said, you need to stop this dialysis and be healed. I was always kind but I think I should have said, there are believers who are saved but they’re unemployed. There are some who are saved but they’re extremely sick. There are many who are saved and they actually die. People do it all the time.
Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And here He divides mankind into two categories. There are those who are saved and those who are lost. There’s nothing in the Bible about purgatory and there’s no waiting room. We either have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ or we don’t.
John Wesley, who was the founder of Methodism had been born into a home where his father had been a pastor and he had been very educated in the things of the faith. He went to the right university and was headed for the ministry. At university he even founded a group called the “holy club” which was an organization that was dedicated to obeying the scripture and living it out. But he knew there was something was missing in his life and he found out when he was born again.
John Wesley was said to have preached on the title, “You must be born again” over three hundred times. When someone asked him why he preached that message so many times he said, “Because, you must be born again.”
I read the testimony of a man by the name of Mel Trotter whose father had owned a tavern and when he was nineteen, he became the bartender but they say he ended up drinking as much as he served.
Slowly but surely, he became a drunk but then he slowed down for a while and got married and he and his wife had a son. Soon, he started drinking again and one night when he came home looking for money but couldn’t find any, he took the boots off his little babies’ feet and went out and sold them for a bottle.
When he sobered up, he came home and found his son had died. He felt so bad he went to the funeral where he vowed, he’d never to drink again, but within two hours he was drunk again.
One night he got so drunk he had lost his shoes in the snow while he was heading for Lake Michigan where he had intended to drown himself; but on the way he passed a mission where he heard someone give a testimony of how they got saved and he was soundly converted to Christ. He began a rescue mission work where he continued reaching people until the day he died. He was someone who knew what it meant to trust Christ and nothing else. I like as Jack Wyrtzen used to say, “Salvation is for the uttermost to the guttermost."
