I remember my dad saying to me that sometimes the very best way to deal with a problem was to approach it head on. Often we try to finesse our way around problems and never confront them directly. It is interesting to see how the early church dealt with the issue of the Jews binding circumcision on the Gentiles who had just become Christians.
The Holy Spirit first clarified the nature and the history of circumcision. The Jews failed to understand that it was not the covenant, but a sign of the covenant (Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11). God gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant never to flood the earth again. The rainbow was not the covenant, but a reminder of that covenant. We do not glorify the rainbow. However, the Jews had glorified the physical act of circumcision and not the covenant.
Paul described how the Jews had glorified this sign in Galatians chapter six. He said the Jews “…desire to make a good showing in the flesh…only that they may not suffer persecution…they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh” (vs. 12-13). He also showed that the covenant was made when Abram was uncircumcised (Rom. 4:10).
In three places, the Holy Spirit addresses this problem by simply stating the truth and confronting it directly. Hear His words to the church at Corinth. “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing” (1 Cor. 7:19). Whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, it does not matter! The rest of the verse shows that what does matter is simply stating honest truth. The important issue is “…keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” Simple truth confronted head on!
This language of direct confrontation is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (5:6). Circumcision mattered before the cross, but now it is a Christian’s faith motivated by love that matters. Circumcision avails nothing! What matters is faith that does what Jesus says.
Circumcision was a sign to the Jews under that old covenant but that has all changed. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (6:15). Christianity was not a modification or an amendment to the Old Testament. It was far different. Judaism was replaced by a new way where Jews became an entirely new creation. The same was true of the Gentiles. Their devotion to the covenants of their gods did not matter. What mattered was that God’s new plan made a new creature of every man of every nation.
It is so revealing how God dealt with the Jews teaching about circumcision and simply confronted it head on!