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SUBJECT: Circumcision
QUESTION: Is circumcision necessary?
ANSWER:
Many wonder when they read Genesis 17:10 whether
circumcision is necessary: "Every man child among you shall
be circumcised." The ordinance of circumcision was an
outward, physical sign of one's willingness to obey God and
be one of God's chosen people.
Under the new covenant, God is calling a spiritual nation
composed of individuals converted and begotten by His Holy
Spirit. God's people now are all to be "circumcised"
spiritually. Physical circumcision is no longer necessary
for religious purposes. It was only a forerunner or type of
what God really wanted -- circumcision of the heart
(Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). Notice Romans
2:28-29: "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly:
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter."
Spiritual circumcision is a process of conversion. That
Christ circumcises us spiritually is made plain in
Colossians 2:10-11: "Ye are complete in him [Christ],
which is the head of all principality and power: In whom
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.
That is why the assembled apostles and elders of the New
Testament Church declared circumcision to be one of the
physical requirements of the Old Testament which is not
necessary for Christians (Acts 15:24, 28).
It is for entirely nonreligious reasons that many physicians
recommend physical circumcision by a competent surgeon. It
is to promote cleanliness and health.
Following is an excerpt from our Doctrinal Statement on the
Law regarding circumcision:
Circumcision: One of the laws
regarding which the Old Testament is very clear is that of
circumcision. Circumcision was instituted as a sign of the
covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17). It was a sign of the
covenant with God and of the Israelites’ national identity.
It made the newborn boy a part of the community. It was, in
a sense, an initiation rite since any male of whatever age
was required to undergo it to become a part of Israel.
Therefore, it is not surprising that circumcision became an
important issue in the early Church (Acts 10-11; 15).
Christians do not consider physical circumcision as a
requirement for entry into the spiritual community of
Israel, the Church. The reason is that the New Testament
makes it clear that the only circumcision that is required
is spiritual circumcision of the heart and mind. The
question had already been debated and settled in the early
Church (Acts 10-11; 15; Galatians 5:2-12). While one could
voluntarily undergo circumcision, it was not a requirement
for membership in the body of Christ. To reiterate, the only
required circumcision is spiritual circumcision—circumcision
of the heart and mind.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Church rejected
all physical rituals. Baptism was taught as a physical
ceremony. The symbolism of baptism is that of death
followed by resurrection to a new life. It is a voluntary
act requiring active, conscious repentance on the part of
the mature individual, whereas circumcision is an
involuntary act carried out on the unknowing babe in arms.
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