- What is circumcision?
- An act of circumcise
is called circumcision.
- What is circumcise?
- Hebrew word used for this
circumcise is namal
(Strongs: H5243)
- It means become clipped, be circumcised,
be cut off, to remove the foreskin (the fold of skin that covers the head)
of
a male's reproductive/sexual organ.
- Where and who instituted/established the
circumcision? Why?
Circumcision originates from the Covenant of Circumcision
in Genesis 17.
- Who made this
covenant?
- God
made covenant
between Himself and
Abraham:
- Genesis 17:7
- And I
will establish
My covenant
between Me and
you and your
descendants
after you in
their
generations, for
an everlasting
covenant, to be
God to you and
your descendants
after you.
- When God made this
covenant with Abraham?
- God
made covenant
when Abraham was
99 years old:
- Genesis 17:1
-
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
- Genesis 17:7
- And I
will establish
My covenant
between Me and
you and your
descendants
after you in
their
generations, for
an everlasting
covenant, to be
God to you and
your descendants
after you.
- What is this
Covenant?
- God
Make Abraham a
father of many
nations:
-
Genesis 17:4-6 - 4 "As for Me, behold,
My covenant is with you, and
you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram
(means
Exalted Father), but your name shall be
Abraham
(Father of a
Multitude);
for I
have made you a
father of many
nations.
... ... ...
8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
- What needs to be
done to keep the covenant?
-
Abraham needs to
circumcise the
flesh of his
foreskins:
-
Genesis 17:10-11
- 10 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.
- Who are all needs to be circumcised?
- All the males in
Abraham family, their
descendants and their slaves:
- Genesis 17:10,13
- 9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you,
you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 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
... ... ... ... ...
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.
- In what age they need to
circumcise?
- All eight days old
males in Abraham family,
his servants,
and their descendants:
- Genesis 17:12 - He who is
eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every
male child
in your generations, he who is born in your house or
bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
- What happen if one refuse to
circumcise?
- They will be cut off
from Abraham's family or Israel:
- Genesis 17:14
- And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be
cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
- Is there any way/options God
provided to anyone who wants to become a
Abraham's family (Israelites)?
- Yes, if anyone or a
community who needs to
become Abraham's or God's family
can do so by circumcising all
males.
- Genesis 17:12 - He who is
eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every
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.
- Exodus 12:48
-
And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let
all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For
no uncircumcised person shall eat it.
- Genesis
34:15,16 - 11 Then Shechem said to her father
(Jacob) and her brothers
(Jacob sons
and their sister
Dinah), "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.
12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife."
13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
14 And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us.
15 But on this condition we will consent to you:
If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised,
16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone."
18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.
19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father.
- Joshua 2:8-13 - 8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: "I know that the
Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For
we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and
what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you
utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things,
our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that
you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." 14 So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that
we will deal kindly and truly with you."
- Joshua 6:23,25
- 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 And
Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
- Does this circumcision
saves/justifies them?
- No.
- To join the Abraham's family or descendant
of Abraham they have to have the same
kind of faith Abraham had before he was
circumcised and circumcised.
- Romans 3:30 -
29
Or Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes,
of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God
who
will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
- NLT:
Romans 4:12
- And Abraham is also the spiritual
father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
- Circumcision is the outward sign of our inward change in
our heart due to our faith in God.
- Is this circumcision still
applicable or necessary now?
- Similar question arises
during 1st century Christians:
-
Acts 15:19,20 - 19 Therefore I judge that
we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
- Therefore
circumcision is not necessary
now.
- Why circumcision is not necessary
now?
- All are saved by
the grace of God not by the
works/circumcision but by
believing in Jesus Christ
through their faith:
-
Acts 15:5-11 - 1
And certain men
came down from
Judea and taught
the brethren, "Unless
you are
circumcised
according to the
custom of Moses,
you cannot be
saved."
2
Therefore, when
Paul and
Barnabas had no
small dissension
and dispute with
them, they
determined that
Paul and
Barnabas and
certain others
of them should
go up to
Jerusalem, to
the apostles and
elders, about
this question.
3
So, being sent
on their way by
the church, they
passed through
Phoenicia and
Samaria,
describing the
conversion of
the Gentiles;
and they caused
great joy to all
the brethren.
4
And when they
had come to
Jerusalem, they
were received by
the church and
the apostles and
the elders; and
they reported
all things that
God had done
with them.
5
But some of the
sect of the
Pharisees who
believed rose
up, saying, "It
is necessary to
circumcise them,
and to command
them to keep the
law of Moses."
6
Now the apostles
and elders came
together to
consider this
matter.
7
And when there
had been
much dispute,
Peter
rose up and said
to them: "Men
and brethren,
you know that a
good
while ago God
chose among us,
that by my mouth
the Gentiles
should hear the
word of the
gospel and
believe. 8
So God, who
knows the heart,
acknowledged
them by giving
them the Holy
Spirit, just as
He did to us,
9
and made
no distinction
between us and
them, purifying
their hearts by
faith. 10
Now therefore,
why do
you test God by
putting a yoke
on the neck of
the disciples
which neither
our fathers nor
we were able to
bear?
11
But we believe
that
through
the grace of the
Lord Jesus
Christ we shall
be saved
in the same
manner as they."
-
Eph 2:8-9 - 8
For by
grace you have
been saved
through faith,
and that not of
yourselves; it
is the gift of
God, 9
not of works,
lest anyone
should boast.
- Circumcision is not
necessary because God
fulfilled His promise to Abraham through
Jesus Christ.
- Galatians 3:16
- Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed,"
who is Christ.
-
Genesis 22:18 - In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
-
Genesis 28:14 -
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and
in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
- Believers in Christ
become heirs of Abraham without
physical circumcision.
-
Galatians
3:28-29 - 28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And
if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
-
Romans 4:11 - 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, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
- Is there anything
similar to circumcision exist in
Christianity?
- Yes, it is
water baptism.
This is the one and only ritual
exist in Christianity.
- Matt 28:19-20 -
19 Go therefore
and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching
them to observe all things that
I have commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even to the
end of the age." Amen.
- Does this water baptism
saves/justifies us?
- No, like
circumcision baptism is the one
and only ritual God asked us to
do but not to get
saved/justified. Be baptized in
response to your
salvation/justification.
- Mark 16:16
-
He who believes
and is baptized
will be saved;
but he
who does not
believe will be
condemned
- NLT: Mark 16:16
- Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.
But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
-
Luke 23:43 - 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: a THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged
blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the
other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for
we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
- Water baptism is the outward sign of our inward change in our
heart due to our faith in God.
-
What
Circumcision really means?
- True circumcision is not just
outward action in the flesh; but circumcision is
of inward change of heart
by the work of the Spirit, not just the
knowledge or the God's word.
- Romans 2:28,29 -
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.
- NLT: Romans 2:28-29 - 28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision.
29 No, a true Jew is one whose
heart is right with God. And
true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has that kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.
- Romans 2:25a For
circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law;
- Deuteronomy 10:16
- Therefore
circumcise the foreskin
of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
- Deuteronomy 30:6
- And the Lord your God will circumcise your
heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
- Jeremiah 4:4 - Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, And take away the foreskins of your
hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of
the evil of your doings."
- Lev 26:41 - and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their
uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt--
- Acts 7:51 - 51
"You stiffnecked and
uncircumcised in heart and
ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit;
as your fathers did, so do you.
- (JC) Circumcision was
- an
identification of God’s covenant people,
an outward sign of what was to be an inward reality; and
- an illustration of God’s dealing with the flesh.
- In the Old Testament, God defined how the illustration of circumcision was intended to work.
- Exodus 6:12 speaks of the circumcision of the lips.
- Jeremiah 6:10 speaks of the circumcision of the ears.
- Ezekiel 44 speaks of the circumcision of the heart.
- God’s people were to
speak with tenderness,
hear with sensitivity,
feel with compassion. Circumcision was meant to be a
picture externally of the transformation that takes place internally. Yet although the Jews were outwardly circumcised, they were far from where they should have been internally.
- As the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, the Lord said, “Before you can take on Jericho in victory, before you can enter the Promised Land and enjoy the milk and honey, you must circumcise all those who came out of Egypt” (see Joshua 5). They needed to do away with the flesh before they could have victory in the Spirit. But this principle became lost in the community of the super-religious, for although they boasted of their circumcision physically, their hearts, lips, and ears were hardened to the Lord in reality.
- (WW) Circumcision was the great mark of the covenant, and it had its beginning with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation (Gen. 17).
To the Jews, the Gentiles were "uncircumcised dogs." The tragedy is that the Jews depended on this
physical mark instead of the spiritual reality it represented (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 9:26; Ezek. 44:9). A true Jew is one who has had an inward spiritual experience in the heart, and not merely an outward physical operation.
People today make this same mistake with reference to baptism or the Lord's Supper, or even church membership.
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