Circumcision

September 8, 2021

Circumcision (Phil. 3:3)

“We are the circumcision.

We worship

In the spirit of God.

We boast

In Christ Jesus.

We put no confidence

In human flesh.”

ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,

Paul said, “We are the circumcision (ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή).  We worship (λατρεύοντες) in the Spirit of God (οἱ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ).  We boast (καὶ καυχώμενοι) in Christ Jesus (ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ).  We put no confidence (καὶ οὐκ πεποιθότες) in human flesh (ἐν σαρκὶ).”  Only the Pauline letters use this word καυχώμενοι, that means to boast, glory, or proudly say.  Paul maintained that the Christians had the real circumcision that was not of human flesh.  Paul said that the early gentile Christians worshiped in the Spirit of God.  They boasted about Jesus Christ, not a physical mutilation.  They had no confidence in human flesh.  They trusted in the Spirit of God.  Do you boast about Jesus Christ or your human body?

July 7, 2021

Circumcision (Gal. 6:12)

“It is those

Who want to make

A good showing

In the flesh

That try

To compel you

To be circumcised.

They do that

Only in order

That they may not be

Persecuted

For the cross

Of Christ.”

Ὅσοι θέλουσιν εὐπροσωπῆσαι ἐν σαρκί, οὗτοι ἀναγκάζουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι, μόνον ἵνα τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μὴ διώκωνται.

Paul said “It is those who want (Ὅσοι θέλουσιν) to make a good showing (εὐπροσωπῆσαι) in the flesh (ἐν σαρκί) that try to compel you (οὗτοι ἀναγκάζουσιν ὑμᾶς) to be circumcised (περιτέμνεσθαι).  They do that only in order that they may not be persecuted (μὴ διώκωνται) for the cross (ἵνα τῷ σταυρῷ) of Christ (τοῦ Χριστοῦ).”  This is the only time that the word εὐπροσωπῆσαι, that means to be of good countenance, to look well, make a fair show, or a good outward appearance, is used in the Greek biblical literature.  Paul made clear to the Galatians.  These Judaizers were trying to have the new gentile Christians become circumcised.  Thus, they would look good among their fellow Jewish people.  They wanted to show that Christianity was a mere sect of Judaism, not another way of religious belief.  They wanted to look good and at the same time avoid persecution from their fellow Jewish believers who were not following Jesus Christ.  For many of the Jewish people the Torah was the most important thing with circumcision.  The cross of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, was considered folly or foolishness.  These Judaizer Christians were not acting out of conviction but fear from their fellow Jewish believers.  Do you act out of fear or conviction?

January 21, 2021

Circumcision (1 Cor. 7:18)

“Was any one

At the time of his call

Already circumcised?

Let him not seek

To remove

The marks of circumcision.

Was any one

At the time of his call

Uncircumcised?

Let him not seek circumcision.”

περιτετμημένος τις ἐκλήθη; μὴ ἐπισπάσθω· ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κέκληταί τις; μὴ περιτεμνέσθω.

Paul then asked, “Was any one at the time of his call already circumcised (περιτετμημένος τις ἐκλήθη)?  Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision (μὴ ἐπισπάσθω).  Was any one at the time of his call uncircumcised (ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κέκληταί τις)?  Let him not seek circumcision (μὴ περιτεμνέσθω).”  Only the Pauline letters used this word ἐπισπάσθω, draw over, become as uncircumcised, and the word ἀκροβυστίᾳ, that means the prepuce, foreskin, or uncircumcision.  Paul made a big deal about circumcision because of the Jewish tradition and the importance of circumcision as a sign of God’s chosen ones.  Due to Corinthian public baths and playing games in the nude, circumcision or non-circumcision would be known to other people.  Paul said that if they were circumcised when they got the call to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then they should not try to undo their circumcision, which would be difficult anyway.  However, at the same time, he pointed out that those who got the call to follow Jesus Christ who were not circumcised, did not need to be circumcised.  Basically, he was saying that the Jewish Christians should remain circumcised, but that the gentile Christians did not need to be circumcised, because circumcision had nothing to do with Christian faith or belief.  Do you care about circumcision?

September 30, 2019

Circumcision (Jn 7:22-7:22)

“Moses

Gave you

Circumcision.

It is not from Moses,

But from your ancestral fathers.

Thus,

You circumcise

A man

On the Sabbath.”

διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὴν περιτομήν, — οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων, — καὶ ἐν σαββάτῳ περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον.

John uniquely indicated that Jesus said that Moses (διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς) gave them (δέδωκεν ὑμῖν) circumcision (τὴν περιτομήν).  However, he quickly added that it was not from Moses (οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν), but from their ancestral fathers (ἐστὶν ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων).  Thus, they circumcise a man (περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον) on the Sabbath (καὶ ἐν σαββάτῳ).  This would be true if it is the eighth day after the birth of the male child.  They wanted to follow Leviticus, chapter 12:3, that on the eight day after birth, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.  Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the human male penis.  This circumcision was and is a main feature of Jewish male life.  Although it goes back to the time of Abraham and his covenant with Yahweh in Genesis, chapter 17:10, it was also part of the Mosaic Levitical law.  Thus, Moses did not institute the practice of circumcision.  However, sometimes today circumcision is used as a treatment for certain medical conditions or for preventative reasons.  An estimated one-third of all males worldwide are presently circumcised today.  This procedure is most common among Muslims and Jews and parts of Southeast Asia, and Africa.  However, it is rare in Europe, Latin America, parts of Southern Africa, and most of Asia.  In the United States, rates of circumcision have decreased to 58% in 2010.  The oldest documented evidence of circumcision comes from ancient Egypt, around 3,000 BCE, although it was even practiced among many indigenous tribes throughout the world.  Various theories have been proposed as to its origin including as a religious sacrifice, as a rite of passage marking a boy’s entrance into adulthood, or as a way to identify a captured slave.  However, here it was part of the religious law in Judaism.  However, circumcision is also found in Islam, as well as among Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.  According to Luke, chapter 2:21, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day at the Temple in following the Jewish law.  Thus, circumcision on the eighth day was more important than the Sabbath rest.  Do you know anybody that has been circumcised?

December 26, 2018

The purification (Lk 2:22-2:22)

“When the time came

For their purification,

According to the law

Of Moses,

They brought him up

To Jerusalem

To present him

To the Lord.”

 

Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ,

 

Luke said that when the time or the days were completed (Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι) for their purification (τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν), according to the law of Moses (κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem (ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα) to present him to the Lord (παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ).  What is this purification and is it different than circumcision.  The story of John did not have this purification ritual.  Strictly speaking, this was a purification of the mother to take place 40 days after the birth of a child that had made her unclean as described in Leviticus, chapter 12:1-8.  The presentation of the child and the father were not part of this purification ritual.  There was no law or custom about the presentation of a child, other than the presentation of the first born as in Exodus, chapter 13:2 and 13:16.  Women were considered unclean after childbirth because of the blood discharge that took place with birthing.  If a male was born, the woman was unclean for 7 days, like menstruation, so that on the 8th day the male child could be circumcised.  There were 33 more days of blood purification for the male child.  During her unclean period, this new mother could not touch any holy thing, or go into the sanctuary.  Thus, the purification ritual took place on the 40th day, a symbolic number based on the 40 years of the Israelites in the desert wilderness.

December 19, 2018

The try to talk to Zechariah (Lk 1:62-1:62)

“Then they began

Motioning

To his father

To find out

What name

He wanted

To give him.”

 

ἐνένευον δὲ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι καλεῖσθαι αὐτό.

 

Luke indicated that that the people at the circumcision began making signs or motioning to Zechariah, the father of the child (ἐνένευον δὲ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ), to find out what name he wanted to give or wished to call his son (τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι καλεῖσθαι αὐτό).  The father of the child had the final say as to the name of the child.

December 19, 2018

No one in your family with that name (Lk 1:61-1:61)

“They said to Elizabeth.

‘None of your relatives

Has that name.’”

 

καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὅτι Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου ὃς καλεῖται τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ.

 

Luke remarked that the people at the circumcision said to Elizabeth (καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτὴν) that none of her relatives (ὅτι Οὐδείς ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου) had been called with the name of John (ὃς καλεῖται τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ).  First, they wanted to name the child after the father.  Then they noted that none of their relatives had that name of John either, although it was a common name.

December 18, 2018

The naming of the child (Lk 1:59-1: 59)

“They were going

To name him

Zechariah,

After his father.”

 

καὶ ἐκάλουν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ζαχαρίαν.

 

Luke said that they were going to name him (καὶ ἐκάλουν αὐτὸ) Zechariah (Ζαχαρίαν), after the name of his father (ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ).  The naming of the child was not associated with the circumcision until later.  Christians often call the baptizing of their infants Christening when they give a Christian name to the child, after infant baptism became popular in the early Middle Ages.  Interesting enough, the Hispanic or Sephardic Jews name their children after their parents, while the Ashkenazic or Eastern European Jews name their children after dead relatives or grandparents.  However, today, naming a Jewish boy and circumcision take place at the same time.  For girls, it had become usual to name the girl at a Torah reading on the Sabbath.

April 18, 2015

The renegades accept the gentile customs (1 Macc 1:11-1:15)

“In those days, certain renegades came out from Israel. They misled many, saying.

‘Let us go and make a covenant with the gentiles around us.

Since we separated from them,

Many disasters have come upon us.’

This proposal pleased them. Some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the gentiles. Thus they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to gentile custom. They removed the marks of circumcision. They abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.”

During this time, around 175 BCE, there was a movement in Jerusalem to assimilate into the Hellenistic Greek culture that was all around them. This movement was led by the so-called Jewish renegades, the lawless ones, or non-followers or compromisers of the Law of Moses. This will be the Jewish group that opposes the Maccabees. These renegades began to follow the Greek, gentile or pagan practices. They built a Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem which was a center for politics, culture, and sports. They tried to cover up their circumcision. They abandoned the Mosaic covenant, as they made a new covenant with the Greek gentiles to increase business with the Syrians.