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What does circumcision mean to a believer?
Christian SalcianuWatford, Hertfordshire, England, United KingdomOct 3, 2024, 3:34 PM
Abraham had a covenant of circumcision according to Gen 17.
What does circumcision mean to a believer apart from being the cutting of
foreskin originally? I am trying to wrap my head around what circumcision
seems to mean for a new testament believer? Galatians chapter 6.
What religious practices can take the form of circumcision or have the
similitude of circumcision in this modern day?
Could you shed more light on this in layman's language.
Questions from a student.
I appreciate your question and the opportunity to discuss how the practices and symbols of the Old Testament are reflected in the New Testament, and how we can relate those insights to our lives today.
In the Bible, the practice of circumcision starts with Abraham as a sign. This is a key word, as we read: 'Every male among you shall be circumcised […] and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you' (Genesis 17:10, 11; Romans 4:11, emphasis added).
A sign provides an external indication of covenant participants’ acceptance of something, while its deeper significance lies in what it represents internally for such individuals. In this regard, circumcision symbolises a sacred agreement between God and man. The tragedy occurs when the inward experience, the spiritual condition of the ‘heart’, doesn't match this outward sign, indicating the ‘form’ without its substance. The Jews believed that being circumcised, claiming to be Abraham’s sons would suffice. However, their ancestry proved inadequate (see Luke 3:8), because their circumcision was nullified by evil thoughts manifested in cheating, idolatry, and even murder. What they needed (and originally symbolised by physical circumcision) was a ‘circumcision’ of their sinful hearts.
To reiterate and clarify, circumcision of foreskin was visible, but circumcision of the ‘heart’ remains invisible, evidently representing a spiritual metaphor that could also be applied to women. To illustrate this symbol or metaphor in practical terms, in Jeremiah 6:10 we read about the circumcision of ears. This symbolises an opening of our lives to God’s intervention: mind, will, and heart. Moses confirms, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). The New Testament further qualifies this experience: 'circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit' (Romans 2:29).
Highlighting and summarising this born-again experience as represented by the sign of circumcision, we conclude with the apostle Paul: 'neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation' (Galatians 6:15); and 'in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love' (Galatians 5:6; see also 1 Corinthians 7:19, 'keeping the commandments of God').
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