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Should Christians be Circumcised?

I. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham.

1. Gen 17:10 - This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

2. Gen 17:11 - And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

3. Gen 17:12 - And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

4. Gen 17:13 - He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

II. Jesus Christ, the seed to whom the promise was made, fulfilled the everlasting covenant of circumcision by His death which put away our sins, which is what circumcision pictured.

1. Gal 3:16 - Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

2. Col 2:11 - 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:

3. Isa 53:8 - He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

4. Rom 6:6 - Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

III. The law of Moses was abolished when the New Testament was put into effect by Christ's death.

1. 2Co 3:13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

2. Col 2:14 - Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

3. Eph 2:15 - Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

IV. Circumcision as a religious ordinance was abolished with the law of Moses and no longer has any significance.

1. 1Co 7:19 - Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

2. Gal 5:6 - For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

3. Gal 6:15 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

4. Col 3:11 - Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

V. The circumcision of the heart in regeneration is the only type of circumcision that matters.

1. Rom 2:28 - For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

2. Rom 2:29 - But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

3. Php 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

VI. Therefore Christians (Jew or Gentile) do not need to be circumcised for religious reasons.

1. 1Co 7:18 - Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

2. A Jew, or any other circumcised man, who is converted doesn't need to become uncircumcised (which would be a difficult task).

3. A Gentile, or any other uncircumcised man, who is converted doesn't need to become circumcised.

4. This verse would not forbid a Christian father from circumcising his son as a baby, in that Paul is referring to adults or older children who have been called by the gospel to conversion.

VII. If a Christian decides to that he or his son should be circumcised for health or cosmetic reasons, he is free to do so.

1. In like manner he would be free to avoid eating pork for health or personal reasons.

2. But he is not under obligation by the word of God to be circumcised, abstain from pork, or keep any other part of the law of Moses that was not repeated in the New Testament.

3. Neither is he forbidden by the scriptures to be circumcised.