Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Circumcision » Abrogated
in his own flesh he put an end to the feud of the Law with its code of commands, so as to make peace by the creation of a new Man in himself out of both parties,
In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere.
These men who are keen upon you getting circumcised are just men who want to make a grand display in the flesh ??it is simply to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisaic party got up and said, "Gentiles must be circumcised and told to observe the law of Moses." The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. read more.
The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are." So the whole meeting was quieted and listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting the signs and wonders God had performed by them among the Gentiles. When they had finished speaking, James spoke. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name. This agrees with the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent, its ruins I will rebuild and erect it anew, that the rest of men may seek for the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, saith the Lord, who makes this known from of old. Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but write them injunctions to abstain from whatever is contaminated by idols, from sexual vice, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from tasting blood; for Moses has had his preachers from the earliest ages in every town, where he is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath." Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood. They conveyed the following letter. "The apostles and the presbyters of the brotherhood to the brothers who belong to the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greeting. Having learned that some of our number, quite unauthorized by us, have unsettled you with their teaching and upset your souls, we have decided unanimously to select some of our number and send them to you along with our beloved Paul and Barnabas who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally. The holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any extra burden on you, apart from these essential requirements: abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye."
The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are." So the whole meeting was quieted and listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting the signs and wonders God had performed by them among the Gentiles. When they had finished speaking, James spoke. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name. This agrees with the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent, its ruins I will rebuild and erect it anew, that the rest of men may seek for the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, saith the Lord, who makes this known from of old. Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but write them injunctions to abstain from whatever is contaminated by idols, from sexual vice, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from tasting blood; for Moses has had his preachers from the earliest ages in every town, where he is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath." Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood. They conveyed the following letter. "The apostles and the presbyters of the brotherhood to the brothers who belong to the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greeting. Having learned that some of our number, quite unauthorized by us, have unsettled you with their teaching and upset your souls, we have decided unanimously to select some of our number and send them to you along with our beloved Paul and Barnabas who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally. The holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any extra burden on you, apart from these essential requirements: abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye."
Well then, there is one God, a God who will justify the circumcised as they believe and the uncircumcised on the score of faith.
Now is that description of bliss meant for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? Abraham's faith, I repeat, was counted to him as righteousness. In what way? When he was a circumcised man or an uncircumcised man? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised. He only got circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which belonged to his faith as an uncircumcised man. The object of this was to make him the father of all who believe as uncircumcised persons and thus have righteousness counted to them,
Was a man circumcised at the time he was called? Then he is not to efface the marks of it. Has any man been called when he was uncircumcised? Then he is not to get circumcised. Circumcision counts for nothing, uncircumcision counts for nothing; obedience to God's commands is everything.
But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised. There were traitors of false brothers, who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus; they did aim at enslaving us again.
Here, listen to Paul! I tell you, if you get circumcised, Christ will be no use to you. I insist on this again to everyone who gets circumcised, that he is obliged to carry out the whole of the Law. You are for justification by the Law? Then you are done with Christ, you have deserted grace, read more.
for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth? That sort of suasion does not come from Him who called you! (A morsel of dough will leaven the whole lump.) I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is. I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth!
for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth? That sort of suasion does not come from Him who called you! (A morsel of dough will leaven the whole lump.) I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is. I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth!
Remember, then, that once upon a time you Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'the Uncircumcision' by that so-called 'Circumcision' which is itself the product of human hands in the flesh ??12 remember you were in those days outside Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the Promise, devoid of hope and God within the world.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision,
Legalism » Liberty being threatened by legalism
with the freedom for which Christ set us free. Make a firm stand then, do not slip into any yoke of servitude. Here, listen to Paul! I tell you, if you get circumcised, Christ will be no use to you. I insist on this again to everyone who gets circumcised, that he is obliged to carry out the whole of the Law. read more.
You are for justification by the Law? Then you are done with Christ, you have deserted grace, for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth? That sort of suasion does not come from Him who called you! (A morsel of dough will leaven the whole lump.) I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is. I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth! O that those who are upsetting you would get themselves castrated! Brothers, you were called to be free; only, do not make your freedom an opening for the flesh, but serve one another in love.
You are for justification by the Law? Then you are done with Christ, you have deserted grace, for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth? That sort of suasion does not come from Him who called you! (A morsel of dough will leaven the whole lump.) I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is. I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth! O that those who are upsetting you would get themselves castrated! Brothers, you were called to be free; only, do not make your freedom an opening for the flesh, but serve one another in love.