The doctrine of circumcision

1. Circumcision was designed by God as the sign of the Abrahamic covenant — Genesis 17:10-14. It was both an operation and at the same time a ritual. The ritual emphasised both the principle of establishment in the law plus the spiritual value of doctrine — Romans 2:25. Abraham was circumcised long after his salvation and after he was given the covenant — Romans 4:11. Moses almost died the sin unto death because he had failed to circumcise his younger son — Exodus 4:24-26. No Jew could partake of the Passover without first being circumcised — Exodus 12:48. The Jews were placed under the 5th cycle of discipline for lack of circumcision of the soul to accompany this ritual — Jeremiah 6:10; 9:25,26.

2. Circumcision consists of the operation of cutting away the foreskin of the male phallus. The ritual indicated dedication of the male sexual organ to the right woman and no one else. It was definitely set up in contrast to the phallic cult of the Gentiles — Leviticus 12:2,3.

3. The ritual of circumcision has no significance in the Church. It only intrudes as a false standard on the wrong side of the barrier — 1 Corinthians 7:18,19; Galatians 5:2,3; Ephesians 2:11.

4. Circumcision became a rallying point for legalism, therefore — Acts 15:1, 24; Galatians 6:12,13.

5. Circumcision was used to designate the Jews by race and by nation — Galatians 2:8; Colossians 4:11; Titus 1:10; Ephesians 2:11. The ritual portrayed the laws of divine establishment found in the Mosaic code.

6. The ritual of circumcision is used as an illustration of retroactive positional truth in Colossians 2:11.

7. Circumcision is also used to illustrate or portray scar tissue of the soul, emotional revolt, and other aspects of reversionism — Jeremiah 6:10; 9:25,26; Ezekiel 44:7; Acts 7:51.

8. Circumcision is used to portray the function of GAP — Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4.

9. Circumcision is used to portray the ECS — Romans 2:28,29; Philippians 3:3. This is a spiritual connotation.

The doctrine of circumcision

1. Circumcision was established as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant, Genesis 17:1-14. Circumcision is an operation on the male phallus in which some useless skin is removed. This principle is carried into the ritual which emphasised the sanctification of the Jewish nation as a part of God’s plan for the previous dispensation. Only the males had to be circumcised in Genesis 17 because only the males were responsible. Women are designed to be responders, they carry no authority except as parents. The ritual as it began in Genesis 17 was designed to set apart the Jewish nation of Israel as a part of God’s plan as God’s representative in the previous dispensation. Abraham was circumcised after his salvation and after receiving the covenant. It was on the reception of the Abrahamic covenant that we actually have the right of circumcision administered for the first time, Romans 4:11.

In the history of Israel there are some very dramatic moments in the field of literal circumcision. Literal circumcision represented to the Jews their responsibility before the Lord to maintain and to disseminate Bible doctrine and the principles of establishment. Moses had ignored this with regard to his own children and almost died the sin unto death for his failure to have his youngest son circumcised, Exodus 4:24-26. Circumcision was a recognition of the role of Israel under God’s grace and therefore it had great significance. Under the command given the child was circumcised on the eighth day. he had nothing to say about it. Being circumcised on the eighth day had two concepts, the coagulation of blood and the principle of grace. The child neither earned nor deserved nor worked for it, nor did his volition enter into it in any way. Therefore circumcision was of great importance in orienting to the grace of God. No Jew could partake of the Passover without circumcision, Exodus 12:48. The Jews were placed under the fifth cycle of discipline for lack of circumcision of the soul to accompany this ritual, Jeremiah 6:10; 9:25,26. So the ritual of circumcision had both physical and spiritual connotation. At its inception we see the spiritual connotation.

2. Definition. Circumcison consists of the cutting away of the foreskin of the male phallus. The ritual indicated dedication of the male sex organ to the right woman, and no one else. It was in direct contrast with the phallic cult of heathenism which the Jews found in the land, Leviticus 12:2,3. This was the physical significance of the ritual of circumcision. It recognised that Israel would be blessed of God not only through spiritual principles but Israel would be blessed in the fact that a maximum number of Jewish males would find the one designed for them and live in great blessing. The [national, not personal] happiness of a nation and the stability of a nation depends upon a maximum number of males within that nation finding, under God’s grace, their right woman. And when a maximum number of right man, right woman marriages are made that nation is stabilised, happy, and blessed.

3. The ritual of circumcision has no significance in the Church Age. By this time in our history a maximum number of people everywhere realise the value of circumcision and have followed the principle, but when males are circumcised today it has no spiritual significance in their life, 1 Corinthians 7:18,19; Galatians 5:2,3.

4. Circumcision early in the Church Age became a rallying point for legalism — Acts 15:1, 24; Galatians 6:12,13.

5. Circumcision was used originally to designate the Jews by their race and by their nation, Galatians 2:8; Colossians 4:11; Ephesians 2:11; Titus 1:10. Under this phraseology the Jews are often called the circumcised.

6. Circumcision is used to portray retroactive positional truth, Colossians 2:11. Remember there are two categories of positional truth. We are identified with Christ in His death. At the point of salvation we are entered into union with Christ as He died on the cross. Bearing our sins and taking our place He rejected human good. Human good is outside of the pale of the work of Christ on the cross. He rejected human good. Human good, therefore, is equivalent to the portion of the foreskin removed in circumcision. Human good is dead and circumcision is dead, useless skin. We are also identified with Christ as He is seated at the right hand of the Father. This is current positional truth. Circumcision relates to retroactive positional truth. Therefore in portraying retroactive positional truth the ritual circumcision removes that which is unnecessary, useless. The removal of the unnecessary useless portrays what is not necessary in the Christian life. Therefore the spiritual significance of circumcision comes into focus. Today we have a spiritual circumcision whereby grace eliminates legalism — what is useless. Grace eliminates the talent of man, the ability of man, the energy of man, the plans of man. All of these form the legalistic package.

7. Circumcision is also used to portray scar tissue, emotional revolt, and reversionism, Jeremiah 6:10; 9:25,26; Ezekiel 44:7; Acts 7:51.

8. Circumcision is used to portray the function of GAP, Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4.

9. Circumcision is used to portray the ECS with entrance into the supergrace life, Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 2:28:29: Philippians 3:3.