Читать книгу Bible Nuts and Bolts: Key Bible Topics Simply Explained - Brian Bailie - Страница 14

This was a sensitive subject of great significance to the early Christians; they relied on Paul’s enlightened wisdom to clarify the matter.

Men are born with a protective hood of skin that covers the end of their penis; circumcision is the removal of this loose skin so that the end is left permanently exposed. In some cultures circumcision is still practiced, traditionally performed on baby boys at eight days old.

About 1,900 years before the birth of Christ, God made a covenant with Abraham. God told Abraham that he would make him the ancestor of many, many people, and that the whole land of Canaan would be an everlasting possession to Abraham’s descendants.

God told Abraham that, “Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.” (Genesis chapter 17 verses 10 and 11 - NIV)

However, the New Testament delivers a new covenant, and a completely new relationship with God. Circumcision had been practiced by God’s chosen people ever since the time of Abraham; but Jesus Christ changed all that.

People no longer needed to be Jewish to be God’s chosen people: now anyone could become one of God’s chosen people when they asked God for forgiveness; the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross has allowed God to forgive our sins.

The Jewish converts to Christianity were already circumcised when they were babies; when non-Jews became Christians the Jewish converts demanded that these non-Jewish converts should also be circumcised.

They thought they had a reasonable argument, but Paul made everything perfectly clear: ‘For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.’ (Galatians chapter 5 verse 6 - NIV)

If you are a male Christian: relax.

You do not need to be circumcised.

We are not identified as children of God by a physical change that we make to our body: we are identified as children of God by the change in our heart.

Jesus Christ was sacrificed so that we can all be included in God’s family; if we could include ourselves in God’s family simply by cutting off a little skin, it would mean that Christ’s sacrifice was meaningless.

‘When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.’ (Colossians chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 - NLT)