Chapter 26
BEWARE OF FALSE CIRCUMCISION
(EXTERNAL OBSERVANCES)
(Galatians 6:12-13)
Before we begin this study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father we ask that You would please open our ears, our eyes and our heart so we can better understand Your Grace and Mercy. Help us, oh Lord, to stand firm in Jesus Christ and live our lives in the tremendous freedom You gave us through Him.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin by reading the Scriptures from which we will take the theme of this study.
Galatians 6:12-13
"[12] Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. [13] Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh."
BACKGROUND
To more fully appreciate this subject we will first review some background material with respect to: (1) circumcision and (2) The Judaizers.
We begin with,
CIRCUMCISION
To better understand how and why circumcision was instituted we begin by refreshing our memories of the promise God gave to Abraham. The Scriptures of interest are in,
Genesis 17:1-8
"[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. [2] I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." [3] Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, [4] "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. [5] No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. [6] I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. [7] I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. [8] The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.""
Let us notice the following verses,
4 Abram was going to be the father of many nations.
5 Thus, God renamed Abram to be Abraham, which means the father of a multitude.
7 God promised that He would be God to Abraham and to his descendents.
8 God also promised Abraham that He would give him and his descendents the land of Canaan for their very own land to dwell in.
As a sign of acceptance of the above promise, Abraham was to circumcise himself and all of his male descendents. To see let us continue our reading in,
Genesis 17:9-14
"[9] Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. [10] This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11] You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. [13] Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. [14] Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.""
Let us notice the following verses,
11 Circumcision was to be a sign of acceptance for the promise. This was much like the sign of a rainbow, which is to remind us that God promised to never again flood the earth (Genesis 9:8-7).
12 The sign of circumcision was to be for all the generations of the nation of Israel. Even the foreigners living with the Israelites were to be circumcised.
13 Circumcision was to be a sign, made in the flesh, of God's covenant.
14 Any male who would not accept the sign of circumcision was to be cut off from the Israelites. In other words, during the Old Testament days, the male who rejected the sign of circumcision was in effect rejecting God's covenant. Consequently, this person was cut off from them.
What is interesting to note is that the sign of circumcision was only for the males. God did not require any sign to be placed in the flesh of the females.
Let us now read a snapshot of,
THE ATTITUDE OR BELIEF OF THE JUDAIZERS
To begin it is helpful to note that the Judaizers were a group of people who, according to Webster's New World Dictionary, wanted to have the people conform to Jewish morality, traditions and ceremonies.
In fact the Judaizers believed that to be saved a person had to be circumcised. To see this let us read from,
Acts 15:1
"[1] men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.""
As one can see from this belief the Judaizers missed the whole point of circumcision. All the Old Testament ordinances that God gave to the Israelites were established to teach the people about Him, the coming Messiah and their relationship to Him. In other words, God was using physical acts to teach spiritual truths (see Spiritual Foundations, Volume II Old Testament Foreshadowings). The spiritual truth of circumcision is provided to us in,
Romans 2:28-29
"[28] For he is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. [29] No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."
With the above background let us now explore,
THE TEACHING FROM GALATIANS 6:12
We begin by reading the first half of,
Galatians 6:12
"[12] Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised..."
The Judaizers were attempting to convert the Galatians to submit to the ritual of circumcision. The reason for this was because the rulers and teachers of the Mosaic Law mistakenly took the outward or physical ritual of circumcision to be reflective of a person's salvation or being one of Gods chosen people. As we saw in the background for this letter to the church in Galatia, the Judaizers also believed that to be saved it was necessary for the Christian to follow the traditions, rituals and ceremonies of Judaism. Thus, the more people the Judaizers converted to Judaism, via circumcision, the more favorable they were in the eyes of the rulers and teachers of the Mosaic Law. To see this let us read the following passage of Galatians.
Galatians 6:13
[13] Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh."
As we read the teachings of Jesus Christ we discover that Jesus had some very harsh words about this practice. They are recorded in,
Matthew 23:15
""[15] Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."
This brings us to the second half of Galatians 6:12.
Galatians 6:12
"[12] ... The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ."
Notice, in addition to looking good in the eyes of the rulers and teachers of the Mosaic Law, the Judaizers, to avoid persecution, were also attempting to convert the people over to the traditions and ceremonies of Judaism.
As we discovered earlier, many of the rulers and teachers of the Mosaic Law believed that circumcision along with the other traditions and ceremonies of Judaism was necessary for salvation. Thus, if anyone would preach or teach that salvation was solely based upon Gods Mercy and Grace that He extended through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that person not only received great persecution but was often put to death. To see this let us look to,
THE EXAMPLE OF STEPHEN
We begin by noting that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit did mighty miraculous acts through him. This is recorded in,
Acts 6:8
"[8] Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."
Because of his teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ, Stephen was arrested. To read what occurred we continue our reading from Acts and go to,
Acts 6:9-15
"[9] Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, [10] but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. [11] Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." [12] So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. [13] They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. [14] For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." [15] All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel."
Let us notice the following verses,
10 Those who opposed the Gospel could not stand up against the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit speaking through Stephen.
11 These men believed that Stephen was speaking against the Laws, traditions and ceremonies given through Moses. In other words, these people could not grab a hold of the fact that in Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament laws and ceremonies.
14 This is a reference to the time when Jesus said that this temple was going to be destroyed and in three days He would rebuild it. They could not see or understand that Jesus was talking about His very own body, which was His death and resurrection.
15 In other words, the brilliance of the Holy Spirit was shinning through Stephen.
Let us now move on to read Stephen's defense from,
Acts 7:1-2
"[1] Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" [2] To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran."
From this point on Stephen provided to the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jewish faith, a short review of Jewish history. For this study let us skip to the end of this history and read what the Holy Spirit through Stephen said to this ruling body.
Acts 7:44-53
"[44] "Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. [45] Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, [46] who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. [47] But it was Solomon who built the house for him. [48] "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: [49] "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? [50] Has not my hand made all these things?' [51] "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! [52] Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- [53] you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.""
Let us notice the following verses,
47-49 God does not live in physical houses, temples, sanctuaries or buildings. As Jesus taught Nicodemus, God the Holy Spirit wants to live within His people. In other words, God the Holy Spirit lives inside the born again believer. To refresh our memory of this incredible truth let us read from,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
Let us return to Stephen's defense and notice the following verses,
51-52 In other words, their hearts were hardened to the Words and Ways of God. In fact, their hearts were so hardened that they actually put to death the prophets God sent to save them. Their hearts were so numb and hardened that not only did they murder the prophets of God but they also put to death the very Messiah they longed for.
53 Stephen then pointed out that they themselves did not obey the Law they so cherished.
This defense by Stephen was more than the Pharisees and Sadducees could bear. Consequently, they put Stephen to death. This is recorded in,
Acts 7:54-60
"[54] When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. [55] But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [56] "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." [57] At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, [58] dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. [59] While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [60] Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep."
Let us pay particular attention to verse,
60 Stephen was so filled with the Holy Spirit and His love for the lost that he actually asked God to forgive those who were stoning him to death.
The martyrdom Stephen suffered for his faith in Jesus Christ is not uncommon. In the book titled: "By Their Blood" by James and Marti Hefley we discover the in the twentieth century alone approximately 119 million Christians suffered martyrdom.
In addition to martyrdom there were and are various other forms of persecution that a person may suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ. For example, in the Bible we discover that persecution for faith in Jesus Christ can also come in the form of: (1) confiscation of ones goods (Hebrews 10:32-34), (2) loss of former friends (1 Peter 4:1-4), (3) shunned by the family (Luke 12:49-53), (4) expelled from the synagogue (John 3:22) and (5) ridiculed (John15:18-20).
It was these types of persecution the Judaizers were attempting to avoid. Consequently, to be accepted by their families and fellow members of the Jewish faith they rejected true faith and belief in the Messiah Who came to save them.
What about us? What about you and me? To be accepted or remain in good standing with our family, friends and relatives have we compromised pure and simple faith in Jesus Christ with some non New Testament traditions, ceremonies and rituals? If so, let us repent and return to our first love.
Before we move on to the message of this study, let us not forget that if we are persecuted for our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us, we should rejoice. The reason we should rejoice is because we are blessed and our reward in Heaven will be great.
Matthew 5:10-12
"[10] Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
So what is the message? What is the point of this study?
THE MESSAGE FOR YOU AND ME
We are to stand firm in pure and simple faith in Jesus Christ and thankfully accept His glorious Grace and Mercy. To see this let us read the following exhortation that was written to the church in Colosse,
Colossians 2:4-8
"[4] I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. [5] For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. [6] So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. [8] See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
Let us notice the following verses,
4 This exhortation was written so that we would not be deceived into believing a Gospel that is not consistent with the true Word of God.
6-7 As we first received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we should continue to live our life in Him.
8 We must be diligent to not be led astray from our faith by manmade deceptive philosophies, traditions or principles (for a more in depth discussion of this issue see chapters 4 and 5).
To help us stand fast in our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did to save us from the penalty of our sins, let us briefly review,
THE REASON FOR OUR FAITH
To do this we go to,
Colossians 2:9-15
"[9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. [13] When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Let us notice the following verses,
9-10 Jesus Christ was and is the one and only Son of God who came to this earth as a man. As it is translated in the New King Version of the Bible (NKV), in Him we have been made complete, that is made righteous.
11 In Jesus Christ we have been circumcised. However, this circumcision is not of the flesh but a circumcision of the heart.
13-14 In Jesus Christ the born again believer has been made spiritually alive. In addition, He has forgiven us for all our sins.
15 The born again believers have also been set free from the power of sin and Satan. In other words, by the power of the Holy Spirit living within them they are free to live a life pleasing to God.
This brings us to,
THE WARNING OR EXHORTATION
To read the message for us, we go to,
Colossians 2:16-23
"[16] Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. [19] He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. [20] Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: [21] "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? [22] These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. [23] Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
Let us notice the following verses,
16-17 Since in Jesus Christ the born again believers have been made righteous and holy, please do not compromise your faith with various Jewish traditions and ceremonies. We must remember that these festivals, traditions and rituals were foreshadowings intended to lead us to the Mercy and Grace of Jesus Christ.
18-19 Please do not lose sight of the goal by delighting in false humility and the worship of angels or saints. We must cling to Jesus Christ. We are to grow and mature in our faith and trust in Him and in Him only.
20-23 All these things, that is ceremonies, festivals, worship of angels, self imposed abasement, various manmade traditions, etc, appear to make one righteous but in reality are of NO value. They have NO power over the indulgence of the flesh. They have NO power over sin or Satan. It is only the power of God the Holy Spirit working through the born again believer that has power over the devil and our sinful nature.
CONCLUSION
Before we close this study let us prayerfully read the following exhortation
Colossians 3:1-4
"[1] Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Shall We Pray?