Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

The rite of circumcision made by human hands was an external sign of an inward state of faith and grace. (Deut. 10:16; 30:6.) It was an external sign by which Abraham showed his faith and reliance on God. This sign was to distinguish all men of Israel and pointed to Israel's commitment to God and obedience to all His requirements. 

The circumcision received by the Colossians was not an external sign in the flesh - it was an inward change of heart and life symbolized by their baptism (Col 2:12).

June 14 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that the verse cited in the question is likening the placement of faith in Christ for salvation to the ritual of circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14) in the respect that, as circumcision involves physical removal of a portion of the flesh, faith in Christ spiritually "cuts away" at the individual's former fleshly (that is, sinful) nature, and replaces it with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, marking the individual as a Christian in the same way that physical circumcision identified an Israelite as a descendant of Abraham.

June 14 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair

I concur with Aurel Gheorghe who discussed Deuteronomy (Deut. 10:16; 30:6.) See his remark above. 

Furthermore, frequently in the Old Testament, God cautioned His people to abandon their transgressions and experience circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 6:10; Ezek. 44:7). I.e., it had profound importance. It implied purification of the heart, internal circumcision effected by the Spirit (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Ezek. 44:7; Acts 7:51; Rom. 2:28; Col. 2:11). 

The phrase "human hands" is the theological key that unlocks my Pastor Rossello's point about idolatry. Get this.

In the quote from scholar David Pao that Pastor Rossello shared, the accusation of worshipping false gods is directly tied to the fact that physical circumcision is a ritual performed by "human hands." (David Pao is a recognized expert on Colossians. He holds a PhD from Harvard and chairs the New Testament Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School(where I took 1 class). He authored the Colossians and Philemon commentary in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary series and wrote Thanksgiving: An Investigation of a Pauline Theme. His work has received positive reviews for being careful and reliable, and he is considered a scholar who represents evangelical scholarship well.)

This connection is so significant because throughout the Old Testament, idols are consistently described as things made by "human hands." For example, Psalm 115:4 says of idols, "They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see," and Isaiah 2:8 condemns Israel for bowing down "to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made." The biblical pattern is clear: trusting in anything crafted or accomplished by human effort, rather than trusting in God alone, is the very essence of idolatry.

By emphasizing that spiritual circumcision is "not performed by human hands," Pastor Rossello drew a direct parallel. He explained that relying on physical circumcision or any external religious ritual as the basis for righteousness means placing trust in human achievement. This commits the same error as idolatry, trusting the work of human hands instead of God's work. True circumcision of Christ is a work only God can do, so substituting a human ritual is a fundamental betrayal of faith. This is why Paul contrasts circumcision made with hands with the circumcision of Christ, and why Pastor Rossello used this contrast to warn against the subtle idolatry of religious self-reliance.

June 15 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Gerald E Boor Supporter

There is no question that PHYSICAL circumcision under the old covenant became SPIRITUAL circumcision of the heart under the new covenant. Many, many passages of scripture attest to this truth. In fact, Exodus 4:24-26 describes physical circumcision as a BLOOD SACRIFICE for sin..

What I would like to add here is that it is not enough to acknowledge that circumcision is no longer required of Christians. We Christians should also be teaching that it is contrary to the teaching of the new testament to continue to routinely circumcise our children. The Apostle Paul states in Philippians 3:2 that circumcision is MUTILATION (the word CONCISION used in the King James version is shown to mean mutilation in Strong's Concordance). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul states in Galatians 5:2 "If you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing."

No Christians practiced circumcision for over 1,800 years until the late 1800s when quackery theologians and physicians such as John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of Corn Flakes, began teaching that circumcision was a cure for masturbation. God bless!

June 15 2020 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report