ROMANS UNWRAPPED 31

OBJECTION NO 2.    "We are the circumcision."

For circumcision truly profits if you keep the law; but if you are a law-breaker your circumcision has become uncircumcision          Romans 2 v 25.

The Jews view circumcision as a symbol of privilege, so much so that they used a derogatory term "the uncirumcision" to described everybody else.   Circumcision became the separating mark between Jews and Gentiles, and indeed it was meant to be so in its original concept but was not intended to be a mark of national pride, as it has become.  

The story of circumcision is found in   Genesis 17.   This was an external rite, an operation performed on every Jewish male baby of eight days old.   The purpose of it was to identify every Jewish male with the spiritual head of the nation Abraham. 

Reading the narrative in  Genesis 16 & 17  Abram acted in the flesh contrary to the mind of God.   God had promised him a son who would be the start of the "innumerable seed" of his earthly family.   Since his wife was barren and they were getting on in years, they could not see any humanly possible way in which this could happen so they acted without God and the long-term results were disastrous, when, even today, the resultant seed Ishmael is the avowed enemy of Israel.   For 13 years there was no divine communication until the beginning of chapter 17  when the Lord appeared again to Abraham.   "I am the ALMIGHTY GOD; walk before Me and be thou perfect and I will make my covenant between Me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly."  Genesis 17 v 2       What the Lord is saying to Abram is that I have made you right with Myself in order that you might walk with Me, in fellowship with Me, step by step with Me.   Clearly God is saying you do not fulfil My will for you in the strength of the flesh, doing your own thing without reference to Me.   So God institutes the covenant of circumcision which was the cutting off of the flesh, symbolically saying to Abram and all his seed following him that to act in the flesh was contrary to the mind of God.   The corresponding Christian equivalent of this is found in Galatians 5 v 16 - 21    There is some credence in the view that baptism for the Christian is similar to circumcision for the Jew  Colossians 2 v 11 - 13 "in whom (Christ) also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with Him in baptism wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Him from the dead.   And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh He has made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all your trespasses."

So baptism and circumcision would be similar.   Circumcision didn't make a Jew, baptism doesn't make a Christian; circumcision was an external sign of something real within a person, baptism would be the same.   

• Circumcision involved identification with Abraham and should lead to walking in fellowship with God; baptism involves identification with Christ and should lead to a walk in fellowship with God.
• Circumcision means cutting off of the flesh; baptism would mean the same Romans  6
• Circumcision for Abraham meant a permanent change and in fact led to an new name for himself and his wife; baptism should mean for the Christian a permanent change of lifestyle with a new nature, and a new way of living.  

In Genesis 15  we have a declaration of righteousness, in Genesis 17 we have a demand for holiness.   Although we are not saved by works we are saved to practise good works, in newness of life in Christ.   These external symbols, circumcision and baptism, although not actually achieving anything of a spiritual nature, they serve to remind us of our responsibility before God.

The Jews had missed the true meaning of circumcision, have we missed the true implications of our baptism?  

Externalism, on its own is nothing to God, Paul clearly states " a true Jew is one inwardly whose circumcision is of the heart."   It is meaningless to God if it is not real within us.   Paul concludes by saying that if an uncircumcised Gentile were to live according to the law he would be seen as circumcised.   The rite of circumcision will not save you from the judgement of God.   The giving of the law and the holding of circumcision should not be seen merely as privileges but as responsibilities.

Tomorrow Objection 3 we have the Divine promises.