Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Circumcision was instituted by God as the visible sign in human flesh that a male child was a participant in the covenant (agreement) that God made with Abraham in Genesis 17:9-14.

As His part of the agreement, God promised to reward the faith in God that Abraham had shown (as noted in Genesis 15:6) by giving him the lands and descendants described in Genesis 17:4-8.

The corresponding action required as part of this agreement on Abraham's part was to make a visible sign in the flesh of all of his male descendants (as well as of foreigners who became part of the nation of his descendants through immigration or -- in the case of slaves -- purchase) by the practice of circumcision (the cutting off of the foreskin of the penis), which was to be performed (in the case of each male baby) when the baby was eight days old.

However, as noted in the New Testament by Paul in the passage cited in the question, Christ subsequently superseded the requirement for physical circumcision by making it possible for individuals from all nations (whether descended from Abraham or not) to be saved through faith in Him (which Paul also figuratively described (in Romans 2:29) as circumcision of the heart), without the necessity of undergoing physical circumcision. (This was finally decided by the New Testament Christian church in Acts 15.)

February 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report