Circumcision based on the word of God - Part 2

A continued study by Danny Bunn


Galatians 5
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 FOR IN JESUS CHRIST NEITHER CIRCUMCISION AVAILETH ANY THING, NOR UNCIRCUMCISION; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

(Blue color and All CAPS EMPHASIS MINE not in God's pure word the KJV)

         Paul tells us that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails BUT faith which worketh by love.
         ALL of the typologies in the OT to show a truth have been fulfilled under the new covenant. If the old covenant worked there would have been no need for a new covenant but we have one. The law served its purpose, now Jesus Christ has come to make us new creatures by his blood. NOW we are his temple, God does not dwell in temples made with hands anymore. The old testament temples were a type of the reality, that being his people are his temples and he does not dwell in man made temples any more, he dwells in God made temples, the people whom he created who have accepted him as Lord and Saviour. Circumcision served as an outward sign of a needed inward change, that being a circumcised heart, a new man.
         Keep in mind as we continue that faith in God made Abraham righteous in God's eyes and that was about 430 years before the law was given.

Check Gen 15::6
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
         Faith supersedes the law since it came first and we CANNOT please God without faith. As I keep telling people that faith in Jesus' finished work is what makes us NEW creatures and NOW the Lord lives in us to do as he wants us to do. So the law such as meat eating, circumcision, sabbaths, and the like were temporary since they served their purpose and the law with its demands are NOW brought under the law of love being led by his Spirit continually is God's perfect will for our lives. Certain laws are repeated in under the new testament, covenant, such as not killing, committing adultery or fornication, stealing, lying and the like since they have everything to do with the law of love based on the 10 commandments. IF we are walking in the law of love as Jesus laid it out then we would be doing to and for others as they SHOULD do for us. God made it so easy a child can understand that.

Rom 2
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Rom 3
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE THAT A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
(Blue color and ALL CAPS EMPHASIS MINE)
         I stopped with Paul saying that the uncircumcised and the circumcised are justified the same way, that being by and through faith. "yea, we establish the law." Paul talks about he law of love a lot just as Jesus Christ did in Matt 7:12 and in John 13:34,35. That is why 9 commandments were repeated in the New Testament and one was left out and NOT only was it left out, it was negated all through the new testament as we have seen and will see more of this truth. The type of the sabbath day was Jesus Christ being our true Sabbath, our Rest, our hope, our righteousness NOT one day being that so it was fulfilled in him.

Romans 4
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 HOW WAS IT THEN RECKONED? WHEN HE WAS IN CIRCUMCISION, OR IN UNCIRCUMCISION? NOT IN CIRCUMCISION, BUT IN UNCIRCUMCISION.
11 AND HE RECEIVED THE SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION, A SEAL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE FAITH WHICH HE HAD YET BEING UNCIRCUMCISED: THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FATHER OF ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE, THOUGH THEY BE NOT CIRCUMCISED; THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS MIGHT BE IMPUTED UNTO THEM ALSO:
12 AND THE FATHER OF CIRCUMCISION TO THEM WHO ARE NOT OF THE CIRCUMCISION ONLY, BUT WHO ALSO WALK IN THE STEPS OF THAT FAITH OF OUR FATHER ABRAHAM, WHICH HE HAD BEING YET UNCIRCUMCISED.
13 FOR THE PROMISE, THAT HE SHOULD BE THE HEIR OF THE WORLD, WAS NOT TO ABRAHAM, OR TO HIS SEED, THROUGH THE LAW, BUT THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH.
14 FOR IF THEY WHICH ARE OF THE LAW BE HEIRS, FAITH IS MADE VOID, AND THE PROMISE MADE OF NONE EFFECT:
15 BECAUSE THE LAW WORKETH WRATH: FOR WHERE NO LAW IS, THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION.
16 THEREFORE IT IS OF FAITH, THAT IT MIGHT BE BY GRACE; TO THE END THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED; NOT TO THAT ONLY WHICH IS OF THE LAW, BUT TO THAT ALSO WHICH IS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM; WHO IS THE FATHER OF US ALL,

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
(Blue color and ALL CAPS EMPHASIS MINE NOT IN God's pure word the KJV that way.)
         There is a lot of meat for the soul in this chapter but right now I am only dealing with circumcision so I will not talk about other things in here that negates the law. The law is hard core and it was meant to be hard core until Jesus Christ should come and make us new creatures in him. The word makes it plain if the old covenant was for all time there would have been no need for a new covenant BUT we most definitely have one. So keep in mind from what you are reading that Abraham is the father of the faith NOT the father of the circumsicised BUT the father of the faith whether circumcised or not.

I Cor 7
18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
         What Paul is saying here by the Spirit of God is important since there are those who claim to be Christians and are seeking to put others under the law in regards to things that God has ruled out NOW such as circumcision. He did not rule out the laws that he repeated in the new testament (covenant) such as don't commit adultery, or lie, don't kill others, etc. After you are born again into the life of God then follow him, walk in the law of love and you will fulfill the law of God or as Jesus Christ put it in Matt 7:12 which is what we call the Golden Rule. "12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." The outward types are done away with now such as circumcision, sabbath days, not eating certain meats. Believe God whether it lines up with your preconceived thoughts or not.

Gal 5
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
         It is NOT Jesus Christ PLUS ANYTHING ELSE, believe and repent, you receive his life in your life and he empowers you to do that which is right, clean, pure. He will give you the right desires, the correct focus as you submit to him and resist the devil.
         Let's get it more in context dealing with the first 14 verses where Paul is tying together those who are going to try it the law way and he brings circumcision into the picture and it doesn't look good for those who are being circumcised to try and keep the whole law. In other words Paul is saying that those who are circumcised are in bondage to keep the WHOLE law and it won't happen. I keep telling people the law is a collective whole, if you have broken any part of it, you broke the law. Sure it is good to want to keep the law and you should try to do so but the law was given to lead us to Christ Jesus so he moves into our lives and gives us the strength to obey the law as we look to him and that is a day to day experience, trusting him on a second to second victory. We are in a war zone and Satan and his devils are doing all they can to bring us down, defeat us, kill us AND our victory is always looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Galatians 5
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
         Paul is telling us to stand fast in the liberty where Christ made us free and NOT to go back to bondage and he brings the law into the picture dealing with circumcision which was a type of the real circumcision of the heart. A man cutting the skin off his penis has nothing to do with the heart. God instituted it as a typology and that type has been fulfilled in Jesus, he circumcises our heart by making us new creatures in him.
         Once you jump on the law wagon, you will get deeper into seeking to please God by YOUR fleshly works NOT what he has done for you in Christ Jesus. In verse 9 he is showing the leaven is the law. NOW Jesus takes us a lot further and deeper in his ways BY his Spirit NOT by the law. He wants a close relationship with his people, something the law could never do. NOW he does it by having a friendship, kinship, and communion with his people, keeping them on the straight and narrow as they spend time with him.
         ` In
verse 14 Paul sums in up. "FOR ALL THE LAW is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(ALL CAPS Emphasis mine)
         IF we walk as Jesus Christ walked in love, we will be fulfilling the law of God, the ultimate law, the law of love. Everybody is hungering for it and they do not know what they are looking for and it is the God of love who created them.
         AND I have said many, many times over that God's love without his justice is wishy washy and God's justice without his love is too hard, there is a balance in God and he knows the perfect balance and Jesus will keep us on that balance as we walk in his Spirit. Then we will walk not only in love but is truth and righteousness.

My Closing comments for now:
         A Hebrew Chrirstian or Messianic Jew, whatever he wants to be called keeps telling me that God CAN NOT change his law. What happened to adulterers, homosexuals under the law in the old covenant? How about those who did not keep the Sabbath? Worked on the Sabbath? What happened to them? If God can't change his law he cannot change the penalty for breaking his law. Based on the guy's logic I was debating which is totally illogical. But he did change his law. Jesus told the adulteress who was caught in the very act of adultery that she was forgiven and to go and sin no more. BUT the God of the OT said they are to die by stoning and Jesus is the God of the OT, I think something CHANGED and it wasn't God. Let me give an illustration, God has always been, never had a beginning and will never have an ending. This universe is around 6,000 years old. So when God created it not long ago, he did something DIFFERENT. God DID NOT change JUST because he did something different but my Hebrew Jewish Messianic friend seems to think he did. I will be going a lot deeper in the near future.

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