Lessons in Greeek
By Elisabeth Duckworth
Circumcision
The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's Law. But if you don't obey God's Law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. And if the Gentiles obey God's Law, won't God declare them to be His own people? In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's Law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's Law but don't obey it. For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the Law; rather it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. – Romams 2:25-29
First things first. Let me allay any fears you may have and assure you I will not be discussing or describing the exact surgery of “circumcision”! In fact, in God's eyes, this procedure was not significant in and of itself. God did not institute circumcision because there was something God specifically liked about it. It could have been ear piercing or tattoos or head shaving. God chose circumcision only for its cultural and religious significance to Abraham and to all the nations around him at that time.
Circumcision was commonly practised by many nations in Abraham's day, from Egypt in the south to the northern areas of Iran and Iraq and beyond. In many cases, circumcision was used to mark individuals who had been set aside to serve as priests to the gods. These priests offered regular sacrifices and prayers to the gods on behalf of the people in return for the gods' protection from the dreaded trio of war, famine, and disease. It was the priests' responsibility to always be ready and qualified to stand between the gods and people, for if the priests failed, the people suffered.
Such specially designated people were removed from their homes and families to live separate lives within the temple precinct. In order to be eligible to come before the gods at any given time, priests lived rigorously controlled lives. They had to be ritually clean. Their specially designed clothes were made of highest quality linen, expensive dyed threads, and rich embroidery. There were also many stringent food restrictions.
Priests remained isolated from the common, “unclean” people of the streets. They could not go out to the market, join in spontaneous public parties, or hang out in the café with friends. Although they lived lives of privilege, it came with a great price. For the average person, they were just glad someone else had the arduous but vital job of priest, leaving the rest of the people free to live their lives as best they could.
So, when God first met with Abraham to establish His covenant, God's request that Abraham be circumcised was perfectly understood by Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). He knew he was being set apart as a servant of Yahweh. The astounding difference was it was not just Abraham who was to be set apart, but everyone in his camp: child, servant, foreigner, and slave, and eventually the entire nation that would one day emerge from Abraham and Sarah's offspring.
Surrounding nations also recognized the confusing but awe-inspiring reality of Israel's special priestly status. Every single Israelite, from babies, to children, adults, slaves, and servants alike was required to follow the stringent rules of physical separation, dietary laws, cleanliness, and special clothing. The job of every Israelite was to demonstrate the holy nature of Yahweh and to draw strangers into the knowledge and safety of the one true God.
Sadly, God's Law quickly became a set of rigorous and joyless rules, rather than an expression of heart-filled devotion to a special relationship with God, as well as an opportunity to witness to the nations outside the camp. By simply following the letter of the Law without true belief, God was not honoured, and the rituals became lifeless and pointless. Prescribed sacrifices and laws, including circumcision, were never to be the end-all and be-all of worship, yet that is what happened. The many prophets God sent to woo back His people to true worship were either ignored or murdered. The people preferred going through the motions rather than pursuing a right relationship of the heart.
By Paul's time in the New Testament, circumcision was greatly misunderstood and even ridiculed by those of the Hellenistic world. The Romans had no significant tradition of religious circumcision. In fact, they viewed it as barbaric and repulsive and there were general bans on the practice for non-Jews. To the Romans, circumcision was just another odd Jewish quirk, not a sign of religious dedication. Even to most Jews, circumcision had lost its original awesome significance and was simply a “rule” that devout Jews followed.
However, God was never honoured by rules. He always wanted worshippers who were “circumcised in their heart” not their bodies (Leviticus 26:41-42; Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 31:33; Rmomans 2:25-29; Colossians 2:11-12). Hence the ongoing battle Paul faced within his new churches, where Jewish Christians wanted a continued adherence to the rules of the Law, while Paul preached we are “free from the Law” (Acts 15:1-35; Galatians 5), “the old has passed away, behold all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5). Circumcision as a physical surgery of the flesh meant absolutely nothing (I Corinthians 7:19). Following the rules of the Law was never enough, unless like David, the believer meditated on the sweetness of the Law as a signpost to true godly love of heart, soul, strength and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5; Psalm 19:10) through our Saviour Jesus, the fulfiller of the Law (Mtatthew 5:17-18; Romans 8:3-4).
~ Next time we'll look at fear (phobia φοβια).
