In time past, physical circumcision used to be beneficial. God began the token for the Jews as a mark in their flesh that they were His covenant people (Gen 17:10-14). They were the ones to whom God spoke and gave His law:
Rom 3:1-2 What advantage then hath the Jew?
or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles (like ‘oral’ .... spoken with the mouth .... utterance .... words) of God.
But now, God has sent His word to the Gentiles, first through Peter (referring about his Acts 10 experience with Cornelius and many Gentiles who had come together to hear him tell them how to be saved - Acts 11:14):
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
God chose Paul to take His word to the Gentiles:
Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said unto him (Saul of Tarsus, whose name was changed to Paul in Acts 13:9), Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
In the dispensation of grace (Eph 3:2), under the NEW covenant (John 1:17; Rom 10:4, 6:14; 2 Cor 3:6), things have moved out of the physical into the spiritual (2 Cor 5:16, 4:18; Col 3:2). No more physical sacrifices:
1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Physical circumcision no longer has any advantage:
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Among ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ (and even traditional dispensationalists) .... Ezekiel chapters 40-48, are said to be details about Israel in the promised land during the millennial (1,000 years) reign of Christ on earth. Instructions are given for the ministry in the temple. Sacrifices are to be made by the Levites, the priests. Physical circumcision will be required:
Ezek 44:9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
But now in Christ Jesus, because of His blood that was shed (Eph 2:13), we, who were "called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands" (Eph 2:11), are made nigh .... and physical Israel is no more the ‘true Jew’:
Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Circumcision is no more outward in the flesh, nor made with hands.
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are notorious for correcting people for water baptizing .... yet they hardly mention physical circumcision. Why circumcise if you don’t baptize (Col 2:11-12)? BOTH ceremonies are SPIRITUAL now, and no longer physical.
Now circumcision is made in the heart:
Col 2:11 In whom (Christ) also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
So if you’re not circumcised .... don’t be!
There is no advantage to it anymore. There is no reason to circumcise baby boys and put the mark of Abraham’s physical children in their flesh:
1 Cor 7:18-20 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.
Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
We don’t rely on the flesh .... but on the Spirit:
Phil 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
In Christ, God has erased all distinction between Israel and the Gentiles:
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Christ is all, and in all.
Jesus Christ brought freedom:
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
After a exhortation (2 Cor 3:6-18) to recognize that the old testament (the ministration of condemnation) is done away, and that the new testament (the ministration of the Spirit) has replaced it and remaineth (2 Cor 3:11), .... we have liberty:
2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit:
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
The NEW is so much better than the OLD:
Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
In the new covenant, we have a better hope (Heb 7:19) ....
a more excellent ministry, a better covenant, better promises (Heb 8:6) ....
a better and an enduring substance in heaven (Heb 10:34) ....
a better country, a city (Heb 11:16).
With all these ‘better’ spiritual things in Christ ....
why would God go back to the physical, which could never cleanse from sin (Heb 10:4),
nor make the comers perfect (Heb 10:1), because it was weak through the flesh (Rom 8:3)?
A return to circumcision?
Back to Moses, instead of Christ (Heb 3:1-6)?
Not in my ‘book’.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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