Circumcision-Brit Millah

“You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.  Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.  Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”–Genesis 17:9-13

I am going to be going discussing circumcision or brit millah in Hebrew.  If you recall from previous lessons, Brit means covenant or contract and millah means to cut.  In fact, this is where we got our daily expression “to cut a deal”.  Given the extremely volatile nature of this topic, I have chosen to not be dogmatic.  However, I do wish to provide food for thought and hopefully a fresh perspective as I attempt to answer the $64,000 question concerning whether or not circumcision is valid for a messianic believer today, Jew or Gentile. 

So let’s get started.  First, the general prevailing notion within Christendom today is that circumcision is NOT a requirement for believers. The notion usually expressed is that it was an ancient Old Testament law only for the Israelites.  However, in spite of this notion, the Old Testament clearly states that the covenant of circumcision is to be everlasting, for all generations.  In fact, so important is this issue of circumcision that the above Scripture clearly states that those who fail to be circumcised will be cut off (or karet) from his people.  Prior to Christ, it seems pretty plain that circumcision is a basic requirement for salvation itself and not just a matter of obedience. 

However, after Christ, it appears as though something changed.  In the New Testament, we have such Scriptures as the following:

'Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.-Galatians5:1

This is interesting.  In the Old Testament we have G-d telling Israel that circumcision is fundamental to being a part of one of his chosen.  And now in the New Testament we have G-d telling Israel that if they allow themselves to be circumcised, they can have no part of Messiah.

So here comes the first head scratcher.  How is it that G-d tells Israel in the Old Testament that circumcision is an absolute must for all generations but then seems to do an about face in the New Testament and now says ‘No way Jose’?

The answer is simple; Because Yeshua (Jesus) became our circumcision for us.  Let us not forget that our Savior Jesus was 100% Jewish!  Both His father and mother were Jewish.  He celebrated all of the Jewish holidays and kept all of the dietary kosher laws.  AND without a doubt He was circumcised on the 8^th day according to the covenant of Abraham.  In fact, He was the only human being in the history of mankind to fulfill the Torah perfectly.  That is why He was able to be a perfect eternal sacrifice for all of our sins.

In other words, through belief in Jesus Christ, we fulfill the eternal covenant of circumcision, a sort of circumcision of the heart so to speak.  I reiterate, through accepting Jesus the Christ as our savior, in G-d’s eyes it is as if we have already been physically circumcised.  In fact, because of the work that Jesus did on the cross for us, G-d the Father views us as perfect and holy, absolutely without blemish.

Let me put it in other words, if Jesus as a baby had never undergone circumcision, He could not have been a perfect substitute for us.  The same goes for the dietary laws.  If Jesus had ever eaten pork or shellfish, even once, He could not have been a perfect sacrifice for us.  If He had ever committed adultery, engaged in one act of homosexuality, or fornicated even once, He could not have been a perfect sacrifice for us.

Hence, that is why Paul says: “Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.”  Here Paul is addressing the issue of HOW ONE IS SAVED and not HOW ONE SHOULD LIVE AFTER BEING SAVED.  These are two different issues that a lot of Christians seem to get mixed up.

If you are going to attempt to justify yourself and become saved through circumcision, good luck baby!  First of all, not only do you have to be circumcised but you have to keep the entirely law perfectly!  And NO MAN, I don’t care if you are a super Jew with a red cape and boots, absolutely NO MAN is going to make it into heaven on his own merits.  So don’t even try.  Admit that you’re hopeless sinner and be justified through your messiah. 

However, and this is going to lead me to the $64,000 question, how should we live now that we have been justified thoroughly and absolutely?  What should be our response to our savior who kept the Torah perfectly so that we could be justified?  Since Jesus paid the price for adultery, should we freely commit adultery?  Since Jesus paid the price for murder, should we freely commit murder?  Since Jesus paid the price for breaking the Sabbath, should we go ahead and make the Sabbath just any old day we want?  Doesn’t the same principle apply to the kosher laws and circumcision?

It is a fact that all early believers in the Messiah kept the Torah.  In response to this, I can already hear many Christians objecting by saying, “That is because they were Jews and at the Jerusalem conference it was agreed upon that new Gentile believers did not have to become circumcised.”  Well, let’s take a look at what James who was the head of the Jerusalem church stated in the Book of Acts paying attention to the bolded parts:

"Wherefore my sentence (judgment) is this, that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles who have turned to G-d: But we write unto them, they abstain from pollution of idolatry and from sexual impurity, and from things strangled and from blood. For Moses of old time (the Torah) has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day" Acts 15:19-21.

James says that the Torah is being taught in the synagogues in every city on the Sabbath day.  I think it is very clear that while circumcision and observing the Torah is not required for salvation, it is strongly inferred that Gentiles who accept Jesus are expected to eventually become Torah observant including becoming circumcised. 

The conclusion of the matter is clear for me:

Though not justified by abstaining from adultery, in obedience to my L-rd, I will do my best to not commit adultery (both mental and physical).

Though not justified by abstaining from murder, in obedience to my L-rd, I will do my best to not take another life.

Though not justified from keeping the Sabbath, in obedience to my L-rd I will do my best to keep the Sabbath.

AND though not justified by being physically circumcised, I will become physically circumcised as a sign of my allegiance to my Messiah and Israel.

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.-Matthew 5:19

Amen.