Christ, The True Circumcision

One important rule for understanding the Bible is that we should read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. Our text from Sunday, Colossians 2:11–12, helps us understand what circumcision really means. Some Christians believe that circumcision was replaced by baptism. Because circumcision was given to Abraham’s children, they believe baptism should be given to believers and their children. But in Colossians 2:11–12, Paul shows us that circumcision was actually pointing to and fulfilled in Christ. In this blog, I want to explain how we should think about circumcision based on Paul’s teaching.

Before we look at Colossians, we need to understand that circumcision was a covenant sign. In the Bible, God deals with people through covenants. A covenant is a special relationship between God and man. In a covenant, God makes promises, gives commands, and sets blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. God also gives signs to show and remind His people of His promises. Some covenant signs in the Bible are the tree of life, the rainbow, circumcision, Passover, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God and could not fix the problem on their own. But in Genesis 3:15, God gave the first promise of the gospel. He promised that one day a child would come who would defeat the serpent and crush evil. From that point on, the Old Testament focuses on this promised “seed.” Galatians 3:16 tells us clearly that this promised seed is Christ.

After the first gospel promise, God chose Abraham and promised that through his family the Savior would come (Genesis 12:1–3). In Genesis 17, God gave Abraham a sign of this promise. That sign was circumcision. Circumcision was the removal of the foreskin of every male in Abraham’s family on the eighth day. Anyone who refused this sign was cut off from the covenant community.

Circumcision was given to show who belonged to God’s covenant people. It was given to every male child in Abraham’s family and even to the servants in the household. But not all of those who received the sign truly believed in God. Israel was made up of both believers and unbelievers. That’s why Paul said that “not all Israel is Israel” (Rom. 9:6). So, circumcision showed outward membership in the covenant nation, but it did not guarantee that someone had a changed heart.

Circumcision also had deeper meaning. It pointed to the promised seed from Genesis 3:15. It was placed on the male organ of procreation to show that God’s promise would come through a descendant of Abraham. It also showed the need for cleansing. The cutting away of flesh pictured the need for sin to be removed. Even in the Old Testament, God said that people needed “circumcision of the heart” (Deut. 10:16; 30:6).  That means they needed an inner change that only God could give. Circumcision also warned of judgment, because those who refused the sign were cut off from the covenant.

But most importantly, circumcision pointed to Christ. Jesus was circumcised under the law, and later He was “cut off” on the cross for His people. He took the punishment we deserved. This is what Paul is highlighting in Colossians 2. In verse 11, Paul says believers have received a “circumcision made without hands.” This means believers receive the spiritual change that circumcision pointed to (regeneration) because Christ was “cut off” as a sacrifice for our sins. Through faith in Him, our old sinful nature is put off and we are given new life. Baptism is the new covenant sign that shows this reality. That is why it is only to be administered to those who believe. It points to our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Circumcision was always meant to point forward to Jesus. It revealed the need for a Savior, and Christ is that Savior.