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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).
Tim Maas
Supporter
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.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
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.
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!
Jeffrey Johnson
Supporter
What does circumcision refer to in Colossians 2:11?
ESV - 11 "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ."
In Colossians 2:11, circumcision refers to a spiritual, inward transformation performed by Christ, not the physical ritual performed on the body. Paul uses the term metaphorically to describe the cutting away of the "old self" so believers can live a new life in Him.
He is deliberately contrasting physical circumcision (Jewish ritual) with spiritual circumcision (Christian transformation).
The phrase "not performed by human hands" makes the point unmistakable:
This is God's work, not a human ritual.
Paul uses circumcision to symbolise:
Removal of the sinful nature ("putting off the body of the flesh")
Breaking from the old way of life
Entering into a covenant relationship with God
Receiving a new identity in Christ
In other words, it is a metaphor for conversion—the inner change that happens when someone becomes united with Christ.
Why does Paul use this metaphor?
Circumcision was the sign of belonging to God's covenant people in the Old Testament.
Some teachers in Colossae were insisting that Christians needed physical circumcision or other rituals to be "complete."
Paul's response is sharp and theological:
You already have the real circumcision—Christ's.
The physical ritual was only a shadow.
Paul explains it in two ways:
1. It is done "in Christ," Not by human hands, not by law, not by ritual.
2. It happens through union with Christ's death and resurrection
He immediately connects it to baptism (2:12), showing the parallel:
Circumcision = cutting away the old self
Baptism = burial and resurrection with Christ
Together they describe the same spiritual reality: the believer's old life ends, and a new life begins.
Paul is doing more than redefining circumcision.
He is redefining membership in God's people.
Circumcision once marked who belonged to Israel.
Now, Paul says, Christ Himself is the marker.
This is why he uses the phrase "the circumcision of Christ"—not meaning Christ's own circumcision as a baby, but the circumcision He performs on believers.
It is a radical shift: Identity is no longer based on ritual but on spiritual transformation.
Conclusion
Circumcision in Colossians 2:11 refers to:
A spiritual transformation
Performed by Christ, not humans
Involving the removal of the old sinful nature
Marking believers as God's covenant people
Expressed through union with Christ's death and resurrection
It is Paul's way of saying, "You do not need physical circumcision."
You already have the real thing—Christ has changed your heart.
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