Audio Download – Part 1

 

Audio Download – Part 2

 

The Spiritual Meaning of Circumcision From Abraham’s Covenant to Christ’s Fulfillment

[Studies Aired October 28 and November 4, 2025]

Introduction

When we come upon the subject of circumcision in Scripture, we often limit our understanding to a physical ritual performed upon Abraham’s descendants. Yet this sign, established in Genesis 17, carries spiritual significance that reaches far beyond the physical act itself. The Lord designed circumcision as a sign pointing to spiritual realities—realities that would find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ and the transformation He accomplishes in those who believe.

(Colossians 2:10-11) “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”. These words from Paul reveal that circumcision was never merely about physical flesh, but about a spiritual transformation that only Christ can accomplish. The physical sign given to Abraham foreshadowed a spiritual reality that would be made available to all nations through the faith of Jesus Christ.

Throughout Scripture, we discover that circumcision represents the cutting away of the flesh, the removal of that which is opposed to God, and the consecration of life to the Lord. From its institution with Abraham, through its exposition by Moses, to its fulfillment in Christ, this sign traces a redemptive arc that illuminates God’s eternal purpose. The physical act performed on the eighth day of a male child’s life pointed prophetically to the resurrection day—the day when Christ would rise and make possible a circumcision not made with hands.

As we explore this subject, we will trace circumcision from its covenantal origins through its spiritual meanings revealed in both Testaments, ultimately discovering how this ancient sign finds its complete fulfillment in the work of Christ. We will examine the Hebrew and Greek terminology, consider the typological significance of the eighth day, and understand how the New Testament reveals circumcision’s true spiritual purpose. Through this journey, we will see how God’s wisdom spans the ages, using physical signs to point us toward eternal spiritual realities centered in His Son.

The Establishment of Circumcision: Abraham’s Covenant

The Covenantal Context

The first mention of circumcision was to Abram (later Abraham) in an encounter with the Lord recorded in Genesis 17. This chapter marks a pivotal moment in God’s unfolding plan, for He was establishing an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. (Genesis 17:7) “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee”. Within this covenant framework, the Lord commanded circumcision as a sign.

(Genesis 17:10-11) “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you”. The Hebrew word for “token” here is ‘owth (H226), meaning a sign, mark, or ensign—something visible that represents an invisible reality. Throughout Scripture, God establishes signs to testify to His covenant promises: the rainbow for Noah, circumcision for Abraham, and the Sabbath for Israel. Each sign points beyond itself to spiritual truths.

The timing of this command is significant. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, and Ishmael was thirteen. The number ten throughout Scripture represents completeness and testing—the ten commandments given at Sinai, the ten plagues upon Egypt, the ten days of testing in Daniel and Revelation. One hundred (10×10) thus signifies the fullness of the flesh’s capability. God was about to promise the birth of Isaac, the son of promise, through whom the covenant would continue. The covenant sign would mark the distinction between those who belonged to God’s covenant people and those who did not. Yet even from the beginning, this physical mark was meant to correspond to an inward reality. (Romans 1:20) “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made”.

Abraham at ninety-nine years—one short of complete human capability—testifies that human completion falls short; the flesh, however mature, cannot accomplish spiritual purposes without heavenly enablement. “And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb” (Romans 4:19). Isaac’s birth would require supernatural intervention, just as spiritual circumcision requires godly power beyond human capability.

Ishmael’s age of thirteen marked him as born of fleshly reasoning. Scripture records rebellion in the thirteenth year (Genesis 14:4), and Ishmael himself—born of Hagar rather than through faithful waiting—represents the flesh’s attempt to fulfill God’s promise through carnal means. That both Abraham and Ishmael received circumcision on the same day (Genesis 17:26) proclaimed a vital truth: the flesh in all its manifestations—whether aged maturity or youthful strength—must be cut away for those who would walk in covenant with the Almighty.

The Eighth Day Ordinance

God’s instructions included specific timing: “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed” (Genesis 17:12). The eighth day carries rich typological significance throughout Scripture. In the biblical week, the seventh day represents completion and rest, as God rested on the seventh day of creation. The eighth day, then, represents a new beginning—a day beyond the complete week, pointing to resurrection and new creation.

We see this pattern confirmed in Christ rising on the first day of the week, the day of new beginnings, which represents the eighth day—the day beyond sabbath rest pointing to resurrection life. “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre” (Matthew 28:1). The eighth day thus becomes associated with resurrection life and the new creation that Christ inaugurated.

The Feast of Tabernacles also highlights the eighth day. After seven days of dwelling in booths, commemorating Israel’s wilderness journey, “on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you” (Leviticus 23:36). This eighth day was separate from the seven, pointing to something beyond Israel’s earthly pilgrimage—the eternal rest and new creation that Christ brings. Therefore, performing circumcision on the eighth day testified prophetically that this covenant sign pointed toward resurrection, new beginnings, and spiritual transformation.

The Spiritual Intent from the Beginning

Even in the Old Testament, God revealed that circumcision was never intended to be merely physical. Moses himself proclaimed: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked” (Deuteronomy 10:16). The Hebrew word for “foreskin” is ‘orlah (H6190), referring literally to the prepuce of flesh, but here applied metaphorically to the heart. This demonstrates that even in Moses’ time—before Israel entered the land—the Lord was teaching that the physical sign must correspond to a spiritual reality—a heart devoted to Him, with all obstacles to obedience removed.

Moses further declared: “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Here we see a prophetic promise: God Himself would perform a circumcision of the heart. This could not be accomplished by human effort or physical ritual. It required His intervention, which would ultimately come through Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.

The prophets continued this theme. Jeremiah warned: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings” (Jeremiah 4:4). He also rebuked those who trusted in physical circumcision while their hearts remained unchanged: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart” (Jeremiah 9:25-26).

These passages reveal that even under the old covenant, God’s purpose for circumcision transcended the physical. The cutting away of flesh symbolized the removal of all that separates us from God—the sinful nature, the stubborn will, the hardened heart. This spiritual circumcision could only be accomplished by God Himself, pointing forward to the work Christ would accomplish in putting away sin. Paul reveals the universal scope of this transformation: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The circumcision of the heart promised through Moses will ultimately be performed for all mankind, culminating when Christ has put all enemies under His feet and “God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Circumcision and the Flesh: Spiritual Symbolism

The Flesh as Opposition to God

Throughout Scripture, “the flesh” represents more than the physical body; it signifies humanity’s natural condition opposed to God’s Spirit. Paul wrote extensively about this conflict: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17). The Greek word for “flesh” here is sarx (G4561), which can mean physical flesh but often denotes the sinful nature or the unregenerate human condition.

The act of cutting away the foreskin thus becomes a powerful symbol of removing the flesh—that aspect of our created nature that resists God and requires transformation. Just as the physical foreskin is unnecessary and must be removed according to the covenant, so our natural earthly nature must be cut away for us to walk in newness of life. This is not a gradual improvement of the flesh but a radical removal, a putting to death of the old Adamic nature.

Paul declares: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:5-7). The flesh, in its created earthly state, cannot please God and must be dealt with decisively. Circumcision, as a sign, testified to this truth centuries before Paul penned these words.

The Seed and the Promise

Circumcision was performed on the organ of generation, the means by which seed is passed from one generation to the next. This is deeply significant, for God’s covenant with Abraham centered on his seed. “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” (Genesis 13:16). Yet the promise extended beyond natural descendants to a singular Seed.

Paul reveals this mystery: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). The covenant promises ultimately pointed to Christ, the promised Seed through whom all nations would be blessed. Circumcision performed on the generative organ testified that God’s covenant purposes would be fulfilled through a specific seed line culminating in Christ, and that this fulfillment required dealing with the natural earthly condition passed down through physical generation.

In John’s gospel, we read Jesus’ words: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). Natural birth, the transmission of physical seed, produces only flesh—the earthy, mortal nature inherited from Adam. Spiritual birth, accomplished by the Spirit, produces spirit—the heavenly, immortal nature from Christ. “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49). Circumcision, placed on the organ of natural generation, symbolized that the flesh profits nothing and that God’s promises would be fulfilled not through natural descent but through spiritual regeneration in Christ.

The Reproach of Egypt

An intriguing passage in Joshua connects circumcision with removing reproach. After Israel crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land, God commanded Joshua to circumcise the generation born in the wilderness: “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time” (Joshua 5:2). After this was accomplished, the Lord declared: “This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you” (Joshua 5:9).

The phrase “the second time” carries profound typological weight, pointing to two distinct spiritual realities that must be addressed in God’s redemptive work. The first circumcision, performed on Abraham and continued through Isaac and Jacob’s descendants, represented the initial cutting away—the physical sign of covenant relationship established by divine promise. Yet this first circumcision proved insufficient, for a generation arose in the wilderness who bore no mark of the covenant despite being Abraham’s seed. The second circumcision at Gilgal testified that even covenant people require a renewed cutting away, a fresh application of what the sign represents. This pattern foreshadows the two births spoken of in John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Natural birth into Abraham’s line (the first reality) cannot substitute for spiritual birth into Christ (the second reality).

Paul captures this progression from natural to spiritual, from earthy to heavenly, in his discourse on resurrection: (1 Corinthians 15:42-49) “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

Egypt, throughout Scripture, represents the world system and bondage to sin. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, and even after their physical deliverance, they carried the mark of that bondage. Circumcision, performed as they entered the land of promise, signified the complete removal of Egypt’s reproach—the final cutting away of their identification with that former bondage.

This event foreshadows our experience in Christ. We are delivered from the “power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Yet the complete removal of the old life’s reproach—the full putting off of the body of sin—is accomplished through spiritual circumcision in Christ. Just as Israel could not inherit the Promised Land while bearing the reproach of Egypt, we cannot fully experience our inheritance in Christ while still identified with our old, uncircumcised nature.

Christ: The Fulfillment of Circumcision

Born Under the Law

The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day: “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21). Though Christ took true human flesh yet never yielded to the carnal mind’s demands and remained without sin because—”God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34)—He was submitted to circumcision to fulfill the law and to identify completely with those He came to save. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). By being circumcised, Christ entered fully into the covenant requirements binding upon Abraham’s descendants. He experienced every limitation of human existence while remaining without sin, thus qualifying Him to perform the true circumcision—the cutting away of the carnal mind—that the physical sign could never accomplish.

Paul explains: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Christ was born under the law, subject to its requirements, including circumcision. He fulfilled every demand of the covenant, representing the perfect circumcised Israelite, so that He might redeem us from the curse of the law and grant us the spiritual reality that circumcision foreshadowed.

The eighth day of Christ’s circumcision points prophetically to His resurrection on the eighth day—the first day of the new week. Just as He bore the sign of the covenant in His flesh, He would bear in His body the marks of crucifixion, and through death and resurrection, He would accomplish the spiritual circumcision that the physical sign had always anticipated.

The Circumcision Made Without Hands

The apostle Paul provides the clearest revelation of circumcision’s fulfillment in Christ: “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

The Greek word translated “made without hands” is acheiropoietos (G886), meaning not made by human hands—divine in origin. This spiritual circumcision is fundamentally different from the physical act performed by human hands. It is a work of God accomplished through Christ’s death and resurrection. When Christ died, He took our old nature—”the body of the sins of the flesh”—to the cross with Him. The Greek phrase apekdusis soma (putting off the body) suggests a complete stripping away, like removing a garment.

This circumcision of Christ refers both to Christ’s own death (His ultimate cutting off in crucifixion) and to the spiritual operation He performs in us. When we are united with Christ by his faith, we participate in His death and resurrection. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). The old man is being cut away, put to death, buried with Christ. Then, being raised with Him, we walk in newness of life—the eighth-day reality of resurrection.

The Cross as Ultimate Circumcision

The cross represents the ultimate circumcision—the complete cutting away of sin’s power and the flesh’s dominion. Paul declares: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

Notice the progression: we were dead in the “uncircumcision of [our] flesh”—our natural earthly state under sin’s dominion. But Christ made us alive together with Him. This quickening, this making alive, coincides with spiritual circumcision. The handwriting of ordinances (including the requirement for physical circumcision as a covenant sign) was nailed to the cross. Christ fulfilled what the ordinances foreshadowed, and in Him, we receive the reality.

The tearing of Christ’s flesh on the cross accomplished what no physical circumcision could: the complete removal of sin and its condemnation. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4). Through Christ’s torn flesh, our flesh is dealt with conclusively. The veil of the temple—representing Christ’s flesh (Hebrews 10:20)—was torn from top to bottom, signifying that access to God now comes through Christ’s sacrificial death, not through human effort or fleshly ordinances.

The New Covenant Reality: Circumcision of the Heart

Jew and Gentile Made One

One of the most significant implications of spiritual circumcision in Christ is the breaking down of the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. Physical circumcision had marked the distinction between God’s covenant people (Israel) and the nations (Gentiles), but in Christ, this distinction is abolished.

Paul writes: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). The ordinance of circumcision, which separated Jew from Gentile, is fulfilled and superseded in Christ. Now, both Jew and Gentile are made one in Him through spiritual circumcision—the circumcision of the heart.

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:28-29). True membership in God’s covenant people is determined not by physical descent or outward ritual but by the inward work of the Spirit. The Greek word for “heart” is kardia (G2588), representing the center of one’s being—the seat of will, emotion, and intellect. Circumcision of the heart means the complete consecration of our innermost being to God.

This truth is revolutionary: Through the faith of Christ, both Gentiles and Jews receive the spiritual reality that circumcision represented, while physical circumcision without faith profits nothing. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). The sign has given way to the substance; the shadow has been eclipsed by the reality. God’s purpose extends to all humanity—Jew and Gentile alike—“for He has concluded them all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all” (Romans 11:32). The spiritual circumcision accomplished in Christ will ultimately be applied to every person, fulfilling God’s promise that in Abraham’s Seed all nations would be blessed.

The True Israel of God

This leads to understanding the “Israel of God.” Paul writes: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15-16). The true Israel consists of those who are new creatures in Christ, who have experienced spiritual circumcision, regardless of their ethnic heritage.

Abraham is called the father of all who believe: “And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised” (Romans 4:12). Abraham believed God before he was circumcised, and his faith was counted for righteousness. Circumcision was a seal of the righteousness he already possessed by faith. Similarly, we who believe are Abraham’s true children through faith, possessing the spiritual circumcision that the physical sign foreshadowed.

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). The promise to Abraham finds its fulfillment in Christ and extends to all who are united with Him through faith. Spiritual circumcision marks us as covenant children, heirs of the promise, members of the true Israel of God. God’s covenant promise to Abraham was that in his Seed all nations would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). Through Christ, both Jew and Gentile receive the spiritual reality that physical circumcision foreshadowed, becoming one new man in Him.

Walking in the Spirit

Spiritual circumcision has practical implications for daily living. Having been freed from the dominion of the flesh through Christ’s circumcision, we are called to walk in the Spirit. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The circumcision of Christ has severed the flesh’s power, enabling us to live according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:19-23. The works of the flesh—adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and the like—represent the old, uncircumcised nature. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance—manifests the new nature created in Christ. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). The crucifixion of the flesh is accomplished through spiritual circumcision in Christ.

This is not self-improvement or moral reformation. It is the result of a radical transformation: the old Adamic nature cut away, the new nature implanted. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed(ing) away; behold, all things are become(ing) new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are called to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11), living out the reality of the circumcision we have received in Him.

Typological Patterns: Old Testament Foreshadowing New Testament Fulfillment

Passover and the Eighth Day

The Passover celebration provides another layer of typological significance. The Passover lamb was selected on the tenth day of the first month and sacrificed on the fourteenth day. “In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house” (Exodus 12:3). Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Interestingly, the sons of Israel who entered the Promised Land were circumcised at Gilgal, and then they kept the Passover: “And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho” (Joshua 5:10). Circumcision preceded Passover observance, just as spiritual circumcision precedes our participation in Christ’s redemptive work. We must have the flesh cut away—the old nature dealt with—to truly partake of the Lamb.

Moreover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began on the fifteenth day (the day after Passover), lasted seven days, with the seventh day being a holy convocation. The day after the seventh day—the eighth day—would mark a new beginning. Christ rose on the first day of the week, the eighth day from the previous first day, fulfilling the pattern embedded in the feasts. His resurrection accomplished the spiritual circumcision, bringing us into eighth-day newness of life.

The Tabernacle and the Veil

The Tabernacle’s design also points to circumcision’s spiritual meaning. The Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelt, was separated from the Holy Place by a veil. This veil represented the barrier between God and humanity caused by sin and the flesh. “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:51). When Christ died, the veil was torn, signifying that the barrier was removed.

Hebrews explains: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20). The veil represented Christ’s flesh. The tearing of His flesh—His death—opened the way into God’s presence. This is the ultimate circumcision: the flesh torn away so that we might enter the holiest place, not by our works or rituals, but by His blood.

Just as circumcision removed a covering of flesh, Christ’s death removed the veil of flesh that separated us from God. We now have direct access to the Father through the Son, not because we have performed rituals but because Christ has accomplished the spiritual reality those rituals foreshadowed.

Joshua and the Conquest

Joshua’s name in Hebrew (Yehoshua, H3091) is the same as Jesus in Greek (Iesous, G2424)—both mean “Yahweh is salvation.” Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, and one of his first acts was to circumcise the new generation. This act symbolically removed the reproach of Egypt and prepared Israel to conquer the land.

Jesus, our true Joshua, leads us into the promised rest of God (Hebrews 4:8-11). Through spiritual circumcision—the putting off of the body of sin—He prepares us to possess our inheritance in Him. The battles Israel fought in Canaan represent the spiritual warfare we engage in, not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). Having been circumcised in Christ, we are equipped to stand and to overcome, not in our own strength but in His.

The conquest of Jericho followed immediately after the circumcision at Gilgal. The walls fell not by Israel’s might but by faith and obedience to God’s command. Similarly, the strongholds in our lives fall not through fleshly effort but through the power of God working in us because the flesh has been dealt with through Christ’s circumcision.

The Warning Against False Circumcision

The Judaizers and Legalism

In the early church, a significant controversy arose concerning circumcision. Certain Jewish believers, known as Judaizers, taught that Gentile converts must be circumcised according to the law of Moses to be saved. “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). This teaching threatened to undermine the gospel of grace. Here are the actions of the meeting.

“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:2-10).

The Jerusalem Council addressed this issue decisively. Peter declared: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11). The apostles and elders concluded that Gentile believers should not be burdened with the requirement of circumcision or other ceremonial laws. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works of the law.

Paul was particularly vehement in opposing this false teaching. In his letter to the Galatians, he wrote: “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing” (Galatians 5:2). To seek justification through physical circumcision is to fall from grace, to reject Christ’s finished work. It is to trust in the flesh rather than in the Spirit’s operation through faith.

The Greek word for “profit” here is opheleo (G5623), meaning to be useful or beneficial. If we seek to establish our own righteousness through fleshly ordinances, Christ’s righteousness becomes of no use to us. Isaiah declared of such efforts: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We cannot mix grace and law, faith and work, spiritual circumcision and physical ritual. “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

Boasting in the Flesh

The temptation to trust in physical circumcision was, at its root, a temptation to boast in the flesh. Paul warned: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). True circumcision—spiritual circumcision—results in worshiping God in spirit, rejoicing in Christ alone, and placing no confidence in fleshly credentials.

Paul himself had every reason to boast in the flesh if such boasting had value. “Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). Yet he counted all these things as loss for the excellency of knowing Christ. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).

The Greek word translated “dung” is skubalon (G4657), meaning refuse or excrement—something utterly worthless. This is Paul’s assessment of fleshly righteousness, including physical circumcision performed as a means of justification. All such things are refuse compared to knowing Christ and being found in Him, having the righteousness that comes through the faith of Christ.

The Concision

Paul uses a striking term to describe those who insisted on physical circumcision for justification: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision” (Philippians 3:2). The Greek word for “concision” is katatome (G2699), meaning a cutting off or mutilation. Paul contrasts this with true circumcision (peritome, G4061). Those who trust in physical circumcision and reject Christ’s spiritual circumcision are merely mutilating the flesh; they are not experiencing the true circumcision of the heart.

This is a sobering warning. Any religious practice, however biblical its origin, becomes dangerous when we trust in it rather than in Christ. The ordinance that God gave as a sign pointing to spiritual realities becomes an idol when we make it an end in itself. True circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, and results in worship that glorifies Christ alone.

Conclusion: The Consummation in Glory

As we have traced the spiritual meaning of circumcision from Abraham to Christ and through the New Testament church, we see a consistent pattern: God’s purpose has always been the transformation of the heart, the putting away of the flesh, and the consecration of His people to Himself. The physical sign given to Abraham was a shadow, a type, pointing forward to the substance found in Christ.

The eighth day, on which circumcision was performed, pointed prophetically to the resurrection day when Christ would rise, making spiritual circumcision available to all humanity which produces life—“for as in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Through His death and resurrection, Christ accomplished the circumcision made without hands, cutting away the body of sin and making us alive together with Him. This is the gospel reality: in Christ, we are freed from the dominion of the flesh, delivered from the reproach of our former bondage, and made new creatures.

The apostle Paul’s words encapsulate this truth beautifully: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4). Our old nature is being cut away; we are dying to sin and living to God in earnest. Our life is hidden with Christ, and when He appears, we will be fully conformed to His image, bearing His glory.

The future consummation will reveal the complete fulfillment of what circumcision foreshadowed. John writes: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). The transformation begun through spiritual circumcision will be completed in glorification. Every vestige of the flesh will be removed; we will be fully conformed to the image of God’s Son, bearing the heavenly nature as we have borne the earthy (1 Corinthians 15:49).

In the New Jerusalem, described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22, there will be no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. There will be no need for physical ordinances or signs, for we will dwell in the immediate presence of God. “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). The mark on our foreheads will not be physical but the name of God Himself—we will bear His character, His nature, His glory.

The spiritual reality that circumcision anticipated—the removal of all that separates us from God and the complete consecration of our being to Him—will be fully realized. We will be a people wholly devoted to the Lord, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; holy and blameless before Him in love (Ephesians 5:27).

This glorious consummation encompasses all humanity. God’s covenant promise to Abraham—that in his Seed all nations would be blessed—finds its ultimate fulfillment when every person experiences the spiritual circumcision foreshadowed by the physical sign. The day approaches when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11)—not under compulsion but through transformed hearts, hearts circumcised by the power of God. Then shall be fulfilled the ultimate promise: “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Let us, therefore, walk in the reality of the circumcision we have received in Christ. Let us put no confidence in the flesh but rejoice in Christ Jesus, worshiping God in the Spirit. Let us reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, living as new creatures who have been raised with Christ. We experience now the firstfruits of what God will accomplish in all creation. Let us look forward with eager anticipation to that day when Christ appears and all are fully transformed into His likeness, experiencing the complete consummation of all that God promised to Abraham and fulfilled in His Son.

This is the God who works all things according to the counsel of His will—the God who has purposed to reconcile all things to Himself through the blood of Christ’s cross. To our God belong all praise and glory: “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).