The Dynamic and Important Word Circumcision in the King James Bible

Circumcision in the beginning
The word circumcision is a very important and dynamic word. It is important because it is a critical part of God’s promise to us and covenant with us. The word circumcision appears ten times in ten different verses of the King James Version of the Bible. The first appearance of the word occurs in Genesis 17 when God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself as a sign of the new covenant with him. This cutting off of the flesh is symbolic of giving your life over to God and repenting from sin. Abraham was justified by faith and therefore he was granted redemption by God. The act of circumcision was also a symbol of this redemption and justification.

Moses also commanded his people of Israel to be circumcised when they were freed from the bondage of Egypt. This act of circumcision became a part of the Mosaic Law that the Jews were commanded to follow for the rest of their lives (see Deuteronomy 10:16). These people, being of Abraham’s seed, were now God’s people. By cutting off their flesh they were signaling to God that the bondage of Egypt was finally gone and that they were God’s chosen people. This act of circumcision became a custom of the Jews for two thousand years until the time of Jesus Christ.

Long after Moses
The prophet Jeremiah called for the people to “take away the foreskins of their heart” (see Jeremiah 4:4). By repenting from sin and turning once again toward the LORD, one would save himself and “circumcise” himself. Jeremiah reminds us that circumcision was a gift of God and came after being chosen and not the other way around. A person is circumcised because he chosen and not vice versa. Being circumcised seemed to be just something that the people did out of habit. It didn’t matter to them any more how they were living. They had it in their minds that they were circumcised and hence were one of God’s chosen people, and could act however they wanted. Jeremiah preached to the people to change their ways and once again act as God’s chosen people.

Time of Christ
In the time of Christ, circumcision was still a custom and the Jews felt proud of this custom because it defined them as God’s chosen people. Jesus taught that it was more important to be circumcised in the heart than in the flesh. The people were so concerned about breaking the Mosaic Law that they forgot what was really important. Being circumcised was a promise to God that one would cease from sin and live to please God, and according to his laws. Jesus’ point was that just because one was circumcised that did not make him one of God’s people. It was more important to act according to God’s laws, and be circumcised in your heart, than actually being circumcised in the flesh (see John 7:22, 23).

After Jesus
Even after Jesus died the religious leaders were attempting to uphold the Mosaic Law. They even went as far as to say that if a person wasn’t circumcised then they couldn’t be saved (see Acts 15: 1). The apostles preached that it was not by circumcision that one would be saved but by grace. It is only a person’s faith in Jesus Christ which justifies him (see Acts 15:11). The apostle Paul wrote that it was more important to be a doer of the law then to be circumcised. He even said that following God’s commandments made a person to be circumcised inwardly which overshadowed the outward circumcision (see Romans 2: 28). Paul went on to describe that the new sign of circumcision was in fact Jesus Christ himself who was sent by God to save the world from sin (see Romans 15:8). Instead of religious customs, we have the saving grace of Jesus Christ which redeems and justifies.

Conclusion
Circumcision was a sign of God’s love for us and became something that people depended upon for salvation. It took the teaching of Jesus and his apostles to make the people realize that it weren’t the religious customs that saved a person but the following of the law and faith in Jesus Christ. These customs were symbols of the promise of God towards the people and the people’s promises to God.