Judging by the topics discussed in the epistles, almost every congregation had to deal with the problem brought into the church by those whose past religion demanded that for one to be saved he had to be circumcised. The problem really surfaced when uncircumcised Gentiles became members.
At first the church was entirely Jewish, but when Saul/Paul led the persecution of the saints, they were scattered to Gentile cities (Acts 8:4). Many of them fled north and came to Antioch in Syria. At first, they taught only the Jews in this Gentile city, but there were Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene (in north Africa) who began teaching Gentiles, and soon many were led to the Lord (Acts 11:19-21). It did not happen immediately, but by the time when Paul returned after his first missionary journey (where he led hundreds, perhaps thousands of Gentiles into the church without demanding circumcision), the problem was magnified.
Certain Jews from Judea came to Antioch and stirred up the situation teaching, “Unless you are circumcised…you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Read the rest of this chapter to see how the matter was handled, but those who believed this false teaching spread it into almost every congregation as they began. The Bible clearly affirms circumcision is meaningless.
“Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters” (1 Cor. 7:19). “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). The doctrine was completely false. It is nothing. It does not avail anything.
However, there is another circumcision which does matter and unless you are circumcised you cannot be saved. It is not a physical removal of part of the human anatomy from the body, but a circumcision, a cutting away, of sin from the heart.
God clearly affirms that one is not one of God’s chosen people because of physical circumcision, but an inward one. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart” (Rom. 2:28-29).
Moses prophetically described the church, saying, “And the Lord, your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deut. 30:6). Have you had this circumcision? You must have it!