As Christian: To Be Or Not To Be Circumcised
Circumcision in the Philippines
Circumcision in the Philippines is big deal. Every summer, all young men who turned 12 or thirteen or at any age before going to high school, seek a doctor for circumcision. Some organisations even conduct medical outreach pegged as "Operation Tuli" offering free circumcisions for men of any age especially in remote areas where doctors are scarce; thus preventing young men to approach non-medical practitioners who offer circumcision using traditional ethnical method.
Filipinos view and accepted circumcision as both cultural and traditional that were passed since the Spaniards converted filipino ethnical gentiles to Christianity. In a way, early Spaniard Christians evangelised circumcision as religious and a sign of baptism for Christ.
Should Christians Be Circumcised
In Galatians, Paul viewed circumcision as unnecessary for Gentiles, strongly believing that converted Gentiles need not be a Jew in order to follow Christ. For the Jews, circumcision is a law.
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✂️ Was Circumcision a Jewish Tradition?
Yes — circumcision was a central covenant sign in Judaism long before Christianity began. But it wasn’t merely a “tradition.” It was considered a **command directly from God**.
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📜 When Did Circumcision Begin?
1️⃣ It Started With Abraham
The command first appears in **Genesis 17**. God made a covenant with Abraham and said: “Every male among you shall be circumcised… it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”
At that time:
- Abraham was 99 years old.
- He was circumcised.
- Ishmael (13 years old) was circumcised.
- Every male in his household was circumcised.
This happened centuries before Moses and the Law of Sinai. So circumcision predates the Mosaic Law.
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🔥 What Was Its Purpose?
In Genesis 17, circumcision was:
1️⃣ A Sign of the Covenant
It marked someone as belonging to God’s covenant with Abraham. Like a physical seal.
2️⃣ A Mark of Identity
It distinguished Abraham’s descendants from surrounding nations.
3️⃣ A Sign of Promise
It symbolized participation in:
- The promise of land
- The promise of descendants
- The promise that through Abraham all nations would be blessed
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🏛️ What About the Law of Moses?
Later, under Moses (around Exodus–Leviticus period), circumcision became part of the Law. It was required:
- On the **8th day after birth** (Leviticus 12:3)
- For participation in Passover (Exodus 12:48)
So by Jesus’ time, circumcision was:
- Religious
- National
- Covenant identity
- A boundary marker between Jews and Gentiles
To be uncircumcised was to be outside the covenant community.
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✝️ So Why Did Paul Say It Was Not Necessary?
This is where Galatians becomes powerful. In **Galatians**, Paul argues: Gentiles do NOT need to become Jews to follow Christ. Some Jewish Christians were teaching: “If you want to follow the Messiah, you must be circumcised.” Paul strongly disagreed. His reasoning:
1️⃣ Abraham Was Declared Righteous Before Circumcision
Paul points out:
- Abraham believed God in Genesis 15.
- Circumcision happened later in Genesis 17.
So faith came first — circumcision came after.
2️⃣ Christ Fulfilled the Covenant
Paul taught that:
- The true covenant sign is now faith in Christ.
- The Spirit replaces the physical mark.
- What matters is a “circumcision of the heart” (a phrase already used in Deuteronomy).
In Galatians 5:6 he writes:
“In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”
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⚖️ So Was Circumcision Wrong?
No.
Paul never says it was wrong. He says it is no longer required for salvation.
For Jews: It remained part of their ethnic identity.
For Gentiles: It was never required to begin with.
The early church officially settled this at the **Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)**: Gentile believers did not need to be circumcised.
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🌍 A Bigger Picture
Circumcision originally marked:
➡️ Physical descent from Abraham.
Paul says the new covenant marks:
➡️ Spiritual descent through faith.
That’s why Galatians feels so radical — Paul is redefining covenant identity around Christ rather than ethnicity.
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🧠 One More Interesting Historical Note
Circumcision was not unique to Israel. Ancient Egyptians also practiced it. But Israel gave it a unique theological meaning: It was tied specifically to God’s covenant with Abraham.
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Something you might wonder:
- Whether Jesus himself was circumcised (He was, according to Luke)
- Why Paul circumcised Timothy but refused to circumcise Titus
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Circumcision of the Heart
Paul talks about “circumcision of the heart.” But here’s something beautiful:
👉 Paul did not invent the idea. It actually comes from the **Old Testament**. Let’s walk through it.
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📜 1️⃣ The Idea Started in the Torah
The phrase appears first in:
- Deuteronomy 10:16** – “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart…”
- Deuteronomy 30:6** – “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart…”
And also in:
- Jeremiah 4:4
In these passages, “circumcision of the heart” meant:
➡️ Removing stubbornness
➡️ Loving God fully
➡️ Inner obedience, not just outward ritual
So even in the Hebrew Scriptures, God was already emphasizing inward transformation over mere physical marking.
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✝️ 2️⃣ Yes — Paul Explicitly Mentions It
Paul directly uses the phrase in **Romans**:
📖 Romans 2:28–29
“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly…
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit…”
Here Paul says:
- True covenant identity is inward.
- The Spirit performs the real circumcision.
- It is not merely a physical act.
This is one of Paul’s boldest redefinitions of identity.
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🔥 What Paul Is Doing Theologically
Paul is not rejecting circumcision’s history. Instead, he is arguing:
- Physical circumcision was always meant to point to something deeper.
- The prophets already emphasized inner transformation.
- In Christ, that inward renewal happens through the Spirit.
So in his thinking:
Old Covenant sign → physical circumcision
New Covenant sign → the Spirit transforming the heart
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🧠 Why This Matters in Galatians
When Paul opposes requiring circumcision for Gentiles, he isn’t dismissing Abraham.
He’s saying:
The promise was always about faith and heart transformation.
That’s why in **Galatians 6:15** he writes:
“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.”
That phrase “new creation” parallels “circumcision of the heart.”
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🌿 A Beautiful Continuity
Notice this:
- Moses said: “Circumcise your hearts.”
- Jeremiah said: “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord.”
- Paul says: “The Spirit circumcises the heart.”
There is continuity — not contradiction.
Paul sees himself as fulfilling what the Torah and Prophets were already pointing toward.
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To explore next time:
- What “new creation” means in Paul
- Whether Paul still saw himself as Jewish
- Or how Jewish interpreters read those Deuteronomy passages
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