In part eight of this series, Tim Roots walks us through Genesis 17 and the importance of circumcision, not just of the body but also of the heart, in relation to God’s covenant with Abraham.
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April 9, 2021
Dear Brother Wilson:
I fully agree with you about your spiritual analogy that physical circumcision points toward spiritual circumcision of the heart in the new covenant. You mentioned several things about the Lord cutting away sin out of our lives (true circumcision of the heart) with which I fully agree. However, there is a marked difference between the OLD covenant and the NEW covenant and the fact that PHYSICAL circumcision under the OLD covenant became SPIRITUAL circumcision of the heart under the NEW covenant.
Are you aware of the fact that Christians in the United States are the ONLY Christians in the entire world who practice routine physical circumcision? In fact, in the late 1800s, persons like John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of Corn Flakes, began teaching that circumcision was a cure for masturbation. That teaching was the beginning of Christians beginning to circumcise after over 1,800 years of practically no Christians anywhere in the world practicing circumcision. And one important FACT you might not have ever realized is that the original circumcision given to Abraham did not cut nearly as much skin off as later on in about 140 A.D. when Jewish rabbis changed their method to the “laying bare of the glans.” They admit this in the Jewish Encyclopedia itself!
The Apostle Paul uses the Greek word katatome when he calls the Jews pushing circumcision dogs and he says to beware of the katatome (Philippians 3:1-2). The King James version translates this word as concision, but many modern versions properly translate this word as mutilation. In fact, that word katatome is also used in the Greek Septuagint in Leviticus where God’s people are forbidden from making any cuttings on their body. Quite a paradox that Paul uses this terminology, but he was actually using that phrase on purpose to show how he now felt about physical circumcision.
Right or wrong, Paul encouraged Timothy to get circumcised precisely because he felt he could minister to the Jews better, but it is pretty apparent that they made an adult choice and this cannot be used as a proof text that he put any kind of approval on physical circumcision being continued for our non-consenting infant children. Otherwise, his many other statements about circumcision would be extremely contradictory. My study indicates his thinking enlarged and matured on the subject.
When the Apostle Paul says things like “…if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing,” and so much more (Galatians 5:2), I think we have to ask ourselves – do we really believe the Bible or only what we want to believe with our pre-conceived notions? We all have them. I was brought up as a Sabbatarian, so I am probably more keenly aware now about the differences between the covenants, etc.
Anyway, I felt so strongly about most Christians missing the mark on this that I have written a Bible commentary on the subject – CIRCUMCISION – Ancient Blood Sacrifice.
I cover EVERY verse in the entire Bible which references circumcision or foreskin. I hope you will read it. It is available on Amazon as an ebook and it costs a mere $1.44. Then after you have read it, I would very much welcome you to dialog with me about what you believe on the subject and if my book opened up any additional information to you that you were not aware of.
God bless your ministry, Here’s a link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CIRCUMCISION-Ancient-Sacrifice-Gerald-Boor/dp/B08NDVHX9P/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=circumcision+ancient+blood+sacrifice&qid=1617941731&sr=8-1
Sincerely,
Gerald E Boor
920 John R Road
Apartment 900
Troy, MI 48083
586.749.3618
JerryBoor@gmail.com