God commanded circumcision in Genesis 17. Did you ever wonder why?
Verse 11 does give us an idea ... "it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you". Any Jew who was not circumcised by either refusal or by willful neglect was to be cut off from the covenant of grace altogether. (verse 14).
Circumcision obviously mattered a great deal to God, as far as the Hebrew nation was concerned.
Romans 4:9-10 expands on this though. It explains that salvation was not dependant on circumcision, but rather on the grace of God mediated to the guilty sinner through his acceptance and faith on the promises of God.
Circumcision, showed the people of Israel, as well as the surrounding nations that a covenant relationship existed between them and God. It did not however form the basis for the covenant relationship.
God's righteousness was reckoned to Abraham BEFORE He was circumcised (see Genesis 15:6, Genesis 17:23-24), and was based on his faith, not his circumcised state.
God made His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12 and in Genesis 17, and then he ordained/commanded that circumcision would be the outward sign of that covenant relationship.
But then Paul states why circumcision was required. it was to be a seal of the righteousness he had BY FAITH whilst still uncircumcised. It would show Abraham as the Father of the circumcised nation Israel, but also of those who are also God's children by faith and remain uncircumcised... but who also walk in the faith of our father Abraham had BEFORE he was circumcised.
Circumcision was intended as a sign and a seal of a covenant relationship between the believer and God. It was intended as a blood-sealed testimonial that believer had turned his life over to God and to live in dependance on His grace for the rest of his earthly life. Basically, circumcision was the seal of ownership by God on the life of the OT believer. (remember also, that God already had his side of the covenant relationship prepared.. it was the promise of the Messiah")
Now look at Colossians 2:11-13
In Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of your sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 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.
Circumcision to the OT believer is what baptism is to the NT believer. An acceptance or adoption into the family of the redeemer. The benefits of faith in Christ's future atonement was imparted to the circumcised believer prior to the cross, even as they are now available to the New Testament believer.
Faith comes first for both the Old Testament circumcised believer, and for the New Testament baptised believer. Faith produces regeneration, but the command to be baptised follows faith. Notice that not all circumcised jews will go to heaven, even as not all baptised "christians" will. It's not the act of being circumcised or baptised that bought the adoption into the family of God.. it was faith, but the command to be baptised and to be "sacramentally sealed with the outward sign of faith" is very much part of our Christian responsibility and obedience to God.
So why did Peter command Baptism?
Notice the two fold part of the command here in Acts 2:36... Repent and be baptised. This was the command of the Great Commission.. "as you are going, make disciples of all nations, and baptising them..." Peter called people to repentance (to turn righatout face from their sinful ways and cofess faith in Jesus as their Messiah) and be baptised (the public evidence of the repentant spirit).
In the early church, unlike in most churches today, there was no delay between be coming a Christian and being baptised. A person repented, and were baptised immediately and received the Holy Spirit as their spiritual baptism which is for all believers as the inward seal of their faith.. a promise of what is to come.
In our churches today, many wait before they are baptised.. it should be an immediate response to conversion, and even when a person does want to be baptised, many denominations require months of instruction in church doctrine before baptism takes place. This is why the separation and discussion of the importance of baptism in the conversion experience has probably taken place. The early church saw the two events happening together, the latter day church doesn't see it, and some like you preacherintraining correctly ( I believe) question that delay.
But, never see Baptism as a requirement of salvation, or you create a Gospel of works.. as well as Grace and that is not in line with all other scriptures on how we are saved. Remember, scripture must back up scripture for our interpretations to be upheld.
Comments?
Carol