The Gospel in Real Life

The Purpose of Circumcision
Circumcision was a sign given first to Abraham and his household and later, to the Old Covenant nation of Israel.  One purpose of circumcision was identification.  Initially, circumcision identified those who belonged to Abraham’s household.  Under the Old Covenant, that period of time from Exodus 19 to Acts chapter 2, circumcision identified ancient Israel as the physical people of God.  In both instances, circumcision was a physical sign showing one’s physical identification.

The greater purpose of circumcision was to point to the coming age of the Spirit in the New Covenant in which the church, Abraham’s true spiritual descendants (Galatians 3:16, 29), receive true circumcision of the heart (the forgiveness of sin and everything that accompanies salvation) and are placed within the family of God.  In the New Covenant, physical circumcision gives way to baptism as the outward identification that one has become a part of the people of God, a spiritual descendant of Abraham and a part of the true people of God, the church.

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:9-12)

Circumcision and the Abrahamic Covenant
Let’s begin by tracing the significance of circumcision in the Abrahamic covenant.  There are some important concepts here that we need to catch in order to fully understand and appreciate the purposes of God in giving the picture of circumcision.

• The first thing we should note is that in Abraham’s case, circumcision was an outward sign that he truly believed.  Abraham had been given the gift of faith, experienced the forgiveness of sin, and is an Old Testament example of imputation – a saving righteousness being placed into his account because of the faith he had received.  Abraham believed God and his belief was credited, or imputed to him as righteousness, acceptance with God (Romans 4:7-25).
• Second, Abraham was justified and had his sins forgiven before he was given the sign of circumcision, indicating that he was justified by faith alone, apart from works or anything that he did.  For Abraham, the outward physical sign of circumcision did not contribute to his salvation in any way.  Everyone who seeks to be accepted by God by works will instead experience his wrath and anger (Romans 4:9-14).
• Abraham was told to circumcise every male in his household.  Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham.  The Abrahamic Covenant was God’s promise to Abraham that he would create a people, rescue them from slavery, and bring them into a land, Canaan (Genesis 17:1-14).
• Every male child born in Abraham’s household was to be circumcised when he was eight days old (Genesis 17:12).
• Both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are contained within the Abrahamic Covenant.  The promise made to Abraham to create a people and bring them into a land is first illustrated under the Old Covenant in the nation of Israel, and then fully accomplished in the New Covenant by the death of Christ (Hebrews 3:7-4:11).
• The Abrahamic Covenant is also called the Covenant of Circumcision (Acts 7:8).
• Although Abraham believed, belief was not a requirement for circumcision and inclusion in Abraham’s household.

For continued reading about the Abrahamic covenant, see Gospel Pictures: The Abrahamic Covenant.

Circumcision and the Old Covenant
The era of the Old Covenant can be defined as the period of time from the giving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19) to the pouring out of the Spirit and the beginning of the church in Acts chapter 2.  There are several important points worth noting as we talk about circumcision under the Old Covenant.

• Circumcision continued under the Old Covenant as an ongoing obligation to the Abrahamic Covenant and as a restated requirement of the Old Covenant (Leviticus 12:1-3, John7:21-22).
• Circumcision for the nation of Israel was a physical sign that they were the people of God under the Old Covenant (Philippians 3:5-7).
• Any slave or foreigner living in Israel had to be circumcised before they could eat the Passover (Exodus 12:43-48).
• Belief was not a stated requirement for circumcision.
• When Scripture evaluates the spiritual condition of the Old Covenant nation of Israel, the verdict is always an indictment of unfaithfulness and unbelief. While there was always a believing remnant, as a whole, Israel was unbelieving (Jeremiah 9:25-26, Malachi 3:6-9, Romans 11:4, Hebrews 8:7-13).
• Israel was repeatedly called to repent.  The language of repentance was a call for circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:14-15, 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4, 9:25-26).

The sign of circumcision was an outward physical indication that one was either a physical descendant of Abraham, a physical part of the Old Covenant community of ancient Israel, or both. But the outward sign of physical circumcision was not an end in itself. It was a gospel picture of the need for circumcision of the heart, the true forgiveness of sin, and inclusion in the true people of God. God’s indictment against all of those who were circumcised, including Israel, is an indictment of unbelief because they were satisfied with mere physical circumcision instead of true spiritual circumcision – circumcision of the heart:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” (Jeremiah 9:25-26, emphasis added)

“You stiff-necked people, 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 announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. (Acts 7:51-54)

Circumcision and the New Covenant
Under the New Covenant, physical circumcision means nothing.  What circumcision once pictured and anticipated has been fulfilled and realized by the death of Christ. The forgiveness of sin is called circumcision of the heart.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:28-29 emphasis added)

• Every believer experiences circumcision of the heart (Colossians 2:9-12).
• Circumcision for the sake of pleasing God is viewed negatively and is divisive in the church, the true people of God (Galatians 2:12-13, Titus 1:10-11).
• No one can gain acceptance with God by good works. What counts is genuine faith evidenced in the new heart and the changed life (Galatians 5:1-6, 6:15).
• God accepts us when he circumcises our hearts, which results in the forgiveness of sin and unconditional acceptance (Acts 20:21, Philippians 3:2-3).

The Purpose of Water Baptism
Let’s turn our attention now to the significance of water baptism.  The primary purpose of baptism is to acknowledge or testify to God that we are his.  Baptism is the believer’s formal profession of faith and pledge of a good conscience that is the result of having received the forgiveness of sin (1 Peter 3:21).

• Baptism is the outward sign that we are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation (Romans 6:3-4).
• Examples of baptism in the New Testament immediately follow conversion (Acts 8:34-38, Acts 16:33).
• Baptism is identification with Jesus in his death and resurrection. It has no direct connection to Old Testament circumcision but it correlates to circumcision of the heart, meaning that baptism is not intended for infants who cannot embrace the gospel, but it is intended for those who repent and believe the gospel and have experienced spiritual circumcision of the heart, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:9-12).
• Scripture does not tell us how to baptize. We are simply commanded to baptize new converts (Matthew 28:19).

Just as circumcision once identified the physical descendants of Abraham and Old Covenant Israel, water baptism is our identification with God in Christ, indicating that our sins have been forgiven and we have received circumcision of the heart, the forgiveness of sins.

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:9-12)

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