Circumcision

Circumcision is the cutting off of a male's foreskin, primarily done as a sign of God's covenant with Abraham and a commandment of God's covenant with Moses. Since this physical procedure is not a requirement for New Testament Christians (1Cor 7:19, Gal 5:6, 6:15, Col 3:11), then why invest time in a Bible study of circumcision? There are two excellent reasons. Firstly, we love and worship the Jesus who fulfilled every detail of the Law of Moses, including the law of circumcision. Secondly, Paul tells New Testament Christians that there is a sense in which they are circumcised, although it is not a physical sense (Col 2:10-11, Php 3:2-3, Rom 2:28-29). Clearly, then, there is something about circumcision that is worth discovering, even for a modern, Gentile Christian!

Our first encounter with circumcision in Scripture occurs when God required it of Abraham as a condition and sign of His covenant with him (Gen 17). This requirement extended to all the males of Abraham's household and all his descendants (Gen 17:12-13), hence it would have applied to Ishmael (Gen 17:23-26) and Abraham's other sons (Gen 25:1-4). It was reiterated in the Law of Moses as a commandment to all Israelites (Lev 12:2-3, Jos 5:2-8). And it was no mere suggestion: failure to observe this requirement was punishable by death (Gen 17:14). It was a serious enough issue that God was prepared to kill Moses over the uncircumcision of his son (Ex 4:24-27).

So what is at the heart of this command, and why is it so important? Was God trying to ensure that His people had good hygiene? Enhanced sexuality? Higher fertility? A unique badge of their covenant with God? The simple truth is that there is no Scriptural "sound bite" that gives the "why" of circumcision-- God simply commanded it, linked it to consequences, and used it as a symbol and metaphor of spiritual/eternal things. Perhaps the best approach, then, is to understand the "what" and see the "why" emerge later!

Circumcision in the Old Testament. Many details of circumcision vary (e.g. age, implement, location, etc.), but what is common and significant is that it involves the man's penis, it is bloody and painful, it results in a piece of skin being cut off and discarded, and it is a sign of God's covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:11, 34:24, Ex 4:25-26, Jos 5:2-8). Let's start with that covenant.

God's covenant with Abraham involved two promises: innumerable descendants who would bless and be blessed, and a bountiful Promised Land (Gen 13:14-17, 17:10-12, 17:21, Dt 6:10-12, 8:7-9, 28:10-11). Both of these promises are pictures of fruitfulness-- a theme that is prominent throughout the Creation and Flood accounts (see details at bottom), and which positively dominates the Abraham account (Gen 11:30, 12:2, 12:7, 13:14-16, 15:1-6, 15:13-18, 16:1, 16:10-11). In fact, Abraham's very name speaks of fruitfulness: at the point that he entered the covenant, God changed his name from "Abram" ("high father") to "Abraham" ("father of many nations"; Gen 17:1-6). We can note in passing that God's call and promise of fruitfulness are a call to be like Him: He Himself is fruitful (Gen 1, Ps 95:1-7, Isa 55:10-11, 64:8, Jn 15:1-2, Ja 1:17-18, 1Cor 8:5-6), and He wants fruitfulness to characterize those who represent Him (Dt 23:1, 28:10-11, Lev 21:17-24, 22:24-25, Ps 1:3, 92:12-15; Pr 11:30, Jer 17:7-8, Mt 13:18-23, Lk 8:11-15, Jn 15:5-8, Jn 15:16, Rom 7:4-6, 2Cor 9:8-11). Fruitfulness in this broad context includes the actions that spring from Godliness, including their lasting positive effects (godly offspring, disciples, and praise to God).

Although Abram believed God to fulfill that promise of fruitfulness (Gen 15:3-6), twenty-four years intervened between God's first promise of "seed" and His fulfillment of it. In the meanwhile, the issue of barrenness led them to some human responses that ranged from exemplary to shameful. They talked about it with God, sometimes allowing doubts to surface (Gen 17:17-18, 18:11). They created great trouble for posterity when they used Hagar as a surrogate for Sarai (Gen 16:1-12, 21:9-11). And they experienced tense moments when childless Sarai masqueraded as mere sister to Abram, leading two different kings to apprehend her as a potential wife (Gen 12:11-20, Gen 20:1-20).

By the time Abraham was given the sign of circumcision, it was clear that his own virility, cleverness, and effort were inadequate to bring forth the blessing of fruitfulness; he was ready to accept that God would give it by miraculous "brute force" from Sarah's dead womb and his dead body (Heb 11:11-12). In implementing the sign of circumcision as an old man, we see that Abraham was willing to abase what he would normally protect, that he was ready to abandon his own masculine pride and self-reliance, and that he was willing to accept pain in order to obey God. In fact, it evinces the same resignation and trust he demonstrated when he lifted the knife to sacrifice Isaac (Heb 11:17-19)-- in both cases, he was cutting the only humanly known means of achieving God's promise, trusting God to work a miracle.

The symbolism of circumcision is deepened by God's use of specific words and imagery. Specifically, He couples and contrasts three Hebrew words that are all built on the concept of "cutting":

• H4135, broadly meaning "to curtail, or cut short". When it is the foreskin that is cut short, it is naturally translated "circumcise" (Gen 17:11); but it is rendered other ways when it is applied to other things, such as enemies ("cut in pieces" in Ps 58:7), grass ("cut down" in Ps 90:5-6), or nations ("destroy" in Ps 118:10).
• H1285, usually translated "covenant" or "league" (e.g. Gen 9:11, Jos 9:6). In English, there is no obvious connection between "cutting" and "covenant", but in Hebrew, the word derives from the covenant ceremony of cutting animals in two and passing between the pieces (Jer 34:18-20, Gen 15:9-18).
• H3772, usually translated "cut off." This word is used literally to describe cutting off a branch (Num 13:23), a person's head (1Sam 31:9, 2Sam 20:22), a piece of clothing (1Sam 24:11, 2Sam 10:4), or anything else (Dt 23:1, Ex 34:13, Dt 19:5). It is used figuratively to describe a judicial severing of participation or continuity (e.g. execution, barrenness, etc, as in Gen 41:36, Ex 31:14, Num 4:18, Jos 7:9, 1Sa 24:21). But interestingly, it is also the word God uses to describe the action of creating a covenant, as reflected in our expression "to cut a deal" (e.g. Ex 34:12).

God plays these words off each other to draw a vivid picture. For example, when Noah leaves the ark after the flood, God says to him : "I will establish my covenant (H1285) with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off (H3772) any more by the waters of a flood..." (Gen 9:11). Or consider Ex 34:10-15, in which seven rapid uses of H3772 and H1285 emphasize that the Mosaic covenant with God should lead the Israelites to avoid any covenants with the Canaanites and utterly destroy their false religions.

But we are particularly interested in the wordplay of Gen 17:14, where God first gave the sign of circumcision to Abraham:

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.

In this one statement, God presents all three of the "cutting" terms above so that the "cutting short" of circumcision is seen as an explicit choice between the "cutting" of the covenant of blessing and the "cutting off" of judgment. He offers no middle ground of half-circumcision or half-blessing, just as there is no middle ground between Jew and Gentile, broad gate and narrow gate, wheat and tares, left hand and right hand, heaven and hell (Dt 30:19-20, Mt 7:13-14, 13:36-43, 25:32-46, Jn 5:24-29).

Here, then are three major lessons of circumcision in the Old Testament:

1. Blessing and fruitfulness come from God, not from human ability or effort. (Abraham's circumcision was a reminder that his own efforts to achieve "seed" were fruitless).
   
2. Blessing comes only by embracing God's gracious Covenant. (Abraham's circumcision was a sign of God's Covenant)
   
3. Cursing is the result of rejecting God's Covenant. (Failure to cut the foreskin was a rejection of the Covenant, which would result in being cut off entirely).
   

As a sign of these lessons, circumcision had its place in the whole lifestyle of Old Covenant Israel, where every aspect of life served to remind men of God and His covenant-- from the Tabernacle (Ex 25:8-9), to the festivals (Lev 23) to fields, livestock, clothing, etc (Dt 6:4-12, 22:9-11). Hence, we can see the great appropriateness of placing such a sign on the seat of male reproduction and masculine power. But like all the other signs and ceremonies, it points to something deeper-- something eternal and spiritual. So let us turn now to the "real thing".

Circumcision Fulfilled in Jesus: a Heart Attitude and a New Covenant. The first aspect of the "real thing" is that it has to do with our heart attitudes, not our bodies or our outward observance of the Law (Rom 2:28-29). Even in the context of the Old Covenant (i.e. the Mosaic Law), God connected circumcision with a deeper attitude of the heart: one that abases human pride, rejects sin, loves Him completely and accepts His Covenant (Dt 10:12-20, Lev 26:40-42, Dt 30:1-10, Jer 4:3-4, 9:26, Eze 44:6-9, Acts 7:51-53).

The second aspect of the "real thing" is that it transcends both the Mosaic Law and even Judaism itself: it is a new covenant which is fulfilled by the "New Testament" in Jesus' blood (Jer 31:31-34, 32:37-41, Heb 8:7-13, 12:24), and a new people which is defined by their heart attitude toward Jesus rather than their lineage or observance of the Law (Lk 3:8-9, Jn 8:37-45, Rom 9:22-26, 1Pt 2:6-10).

Since these aspects of the "real thing" are bound up in Jesus, it is worthwhile to look more closely at how Jesus and his New Testament fulfill the law of circumcision (Mt 5:17-18):

1. Jesus satisfied the Old Covenant and earned its blessings. Jesus satisfied both the letter and the intent of the Law with regard to circumcision (Lk 2:21, Jn 8:28-29). His own circumcision accurately symbolized His heart's posture of submission to God and His rejection of human strength and sin, just as His baptism and crucifixion did (e.g. Mt 3:11-17, Lk 22:41-51, Php 2:5-8). In this and every other aspect of the Old Covenant, he was legally perfect and entitled to every blessing of that Covenant (Dt 30:15-16, Is 53:10-12, Rom 10:5, 2Cor 5:21). He not only merited and received those blessings Himself (Heb 1:8-9), but He made it possible for us to receive them with Him (Gal 3:29). In all of this, Jesus shows us that God is faithful to His covenant (of which circumcision is the sign)-- God's promises of blessing were not empty or hypothetical, but actual expressions of His desire and intention to have fellowship with men and to show them mercy and blessing (Ex 25:8, 21-22, Eze 18:23, 43:7-9, Ps 103:1-18). This point refutes the view that the crucifixion and New Testament were God's RESPONSE to Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah: no, God's eternal plan to honor the promises given in the Old Covenant occurs through the mechanism of the New Covenant, not instead of it-- Jesus came to FULFILL the Old Covenant, not annul it.
   
2. Jesus accepted and received the curses of the Old Covenant. Jesus voluntarily accepted the judgment that would rightfully fall on those who reject the Old Covenant. In the terminology of circumcision, he was "cut off" from the land of the living on behalf of sinful men (Dn 9:26; also see Is 53:7-8, which uses yet a different Hebrew term for "cutting"). In so doing, He shows that God was faithful and just to carry out the curses of His covenant, while simultaneously providing a gracious way to transfer those curses to a sinless substitute.
   
3. Jesus established a New Covenant which fulfills the first Covenant. By dying on behalf of sinners, Jesus established a New Covenant in His blood (Is 55:3-5, 61:8; Jer 31:31-34, 33:14-22; Ezk 37:21-27, Mt 26:28). This covenant is based on a more sure foundation (Jesus' righteousness, not our ability to keep external laws), a better sacrifice (Jesus himself, not animals) and has better promises: it entitles those who enter into it to spiritual fruitfulness, eternal blessing, and a Heavenly promised land (Jn 15:5-8, Rom 7:4-6, Jn 14:1-6, Heb 8:7-10, 9:15, 1Ptr 1:3-5).

By fulfilling the Old Covenant in both its blessings and curses, Jesus fulfilled the sign of circumcision and established a New Covenant in His blood. Physical circumcision is not the sign of this Covenant, but is a physical picture of the spiritual state of those who come to Him under this New Covenant.

Our Response and Depiction: Circumcision and the New Testament Believer.
We are incapable of obeying the letter of the Law (Acts 15:4-11, Rom 3:9-23), let alone attaining the spiritual perfection which the Law pictured (Mt 5:17-48). But we have access to its blessings and fruitfulness because Jesus fulfilled it-- obeying its commands, implementing its symbolism and its prophecies, and establishing the New Testament to which it pointed. We enter into those blessings and fruitfulness by faith in Jesus (Rom 3:28-30, 4:8-13)-- that is, by embracing that He is the only fulfiller of the Law (Rom 10:4-10, Gal 3:23-26), the only sacrifice that can atone for our sins (Heb 9:19-28), the only priest who can make us pleasing to God (Heb 7:24-28), the only rightful King of our lives (Acts 2:36, Php 2:10-11) .

Since His covenant is based on our response to Him rather than our execution of religious ceremonies, physical circumcision is not a legal requirement for New Testament Christians (Acts 15:1-31, Rom 4:8-25, 1Cor 7:18-19, Gal 2:3-5). If we try to make it one, we have jumbled up the covenants in a confusing way; to be consistent, we should either include ALL aspects of the first covenant as conditions of salvation (Rom 2:23-29, Gal 5:1-6), or we should understand that ALL aspects of the first covenant are merely signposts and symbols to salvation by faith in Jesus (Luk 24:25-27, Gal 3:21-26). Scripture clearly teaches the latter, and it is a dangerous heresy to elevate physical circumcision to the level of New Testament law (Gal 6:12-15, Php 3:2-7, Tit 1:7-16) . In fact, Paul applies the "cut vs. cut off" wordplay to those who would teach this heresy-- they want you to be "cut" with circumcision, but he wishes they would be "cut off" (Gal 5:10-12).

Nevertheless, circumcision remains a vivid picture of the heart attitude to which it points, so we can find numerous references to it in the New Testament. Under the New Covenant, the believer is circumcised in heart (Rom 2:28-29); he discards the sins of his flesh like a severed foreskin (Col 2:10-13). Meditating on this point reveals that the aspects of blood and pain are not irrelevant to the picture of heart circumcision: it is a sometimes-painful denial of our prideful self-sufficiency and our sinful desires for the sake of Jesus and his Gospel, very much like crucifixion (Lk 9:23-26, Rom 6:1-6, Gal 5:24), mortification (Rom 8:12-14, Col 3:5-17), slavery (1Cor 9:19), or any other form of self-denial (Mt 19:12, Gal 5:16-17).

Though physical circumcision is not to be practiced as a condition or law of salvation, it may be done voluntarily if beneficial, as to enhance the effectiveness of preaching the Gospel to the Jews (1Cor 9:20-22, Acts 16:1-3, 1Cor 9:19; see also Rom 14:1-13). Circumcising for the purpose of improved hygeine does not appear to oppose Scripture (hygiene being a valid aspect of caring for the temple of the Holy Spirit). On the other hand, Titus was intentionally left uncircumcised to oppose those Jews who were mandating circumcision for Christians (Gal 2:3-5). We see, then, that the state of someone's physical circumcision is not something that needs to be "fixed" at salvation, nor is it a basis of approval, disapproval, or pride (1Cor 7:18-20, Php 3:4-10, Gal 5:6, 6:15, Eph 2:8-13, Rom 3:9). We can give our deepest thanks to the Jews whom God entrusted with the Law and who have made it a vivid signpost to Christ through their enactment of it (Rom 3:1-2). If you are physically circumcised, allow it to serve as a reminder of Jesus and his covenant, as well as a call to humility (you can't be fruitful in your own strength) and sexual purity (don't submit your members for Satan's use). If you are not circumcised, you are under no obligation to become circumcised, neither are you prohibited from it if it would be beneficial; and neither are you sinning against your sons if you have them circumcised for hygiene or other benefit.

Summary. Circumcision teaches us that we are powerless to satisfy God's standard of righteousness, hence we are dependent on the grace He offers through His covenant in Jesus (Eph 2:8-9). It shows us that we must choose between blessing and cursing, and that this choice consists entirely in whether we embrace or reject Jesus (Jn 10:9-10)-- the One who fulfilled all righteousness and rightfully secured blessing for all who accept Him as sacrifice, savior and King. The underlying heart and external evidence of choosing Jesus is a rejection of pride and sin-- not by keeping specific, ceremonial laws, but by living a self-disciplined life that embraces Jesus and His principle-based commandment of love (Tit 2:11-12, 1Jn 3:22-24). To reject Jesus is to choose the eternal curses of Hell (Jn 3:17-18, Heb 10:28-31). To accept Jesus by faith is to receive the promise of fruitfulness and eternal blessing in the Promised Land of Heaven. The picture of circumcision exalts Jesus, and invites us to humble ourselves in attitude and action.

Related study: Blood.

Index of all studies.

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Notes and references for the foregoing:

Fruitfulness is a major theme of Genesis, from the Creation Account to the Abraham account and beyond:

• the Creation Account cites "seed," "multiplying" and "after its kind" as prominent aspects of the created things that caused God to declare them good (Gen 1:12, 21, 25) or that represented God's blessing on them (Gen 1:22).
• the Creation Account is structured so as to present God's creation of man "in His image" or "in His likeness" in parallel to the creatures fruitfully bringing forth young "after their kind" (Gen 1:26-27).
• unfruitfulness or painful childbearing is presented as a curse: the curse involves Eve's childbearing and the fruitfulness of the ground (Gen 3:16-19); the curse on Cain involves the fruitfulness of the land (Gen 4:8-12, 5:29)
  
• God's covenant with Noah and blessing upon him involved multiplying to repopulate the earth (Gen 9:1). Moreover, the numerous genealogies of Genesis document the generations of various people, sometimes associated with curses (Cain, Ham) or sin (Ishmael, Lot); sometimes associated with fruitful repopulation of the earth (Japeth); but most importantly associated with the Covenants and blessing that pointed to Jesus (Noah, Shem, Terah, Israel).
  
• The Abraham account occurs as part of the geneology of Terah, which is itself connected with the genealogies of Shem and Adam. In these geneologies we see the pattern of fruitfulness again and again, ultimately pointing toward Jesus. However, it suddenly hits a crisis in Abraham's generation: one brother dies, one bears daughters only, and Abraham is fruitless. Will this line be cut off? How will we get to the seed of Adam who will bruise the serpent's head? This is the crisis point where God intervenes with Abraham and introduces circumcision (Acts 7:8).