Is circumcision required for salvation?

The Bible describes 2 different religious rituals of circumcisions. The first is the physical circumcision as a visible sign of the Old Testament covenant between God and Abraham (and all of Abraham’s descendants), which is not required for salvation. The second is a spiritual circumcision, which was preached, prophesied, and practiced in the Hebrew scriptures. Spiritual circumcision is required for salvation. If you are surprised or offended, I hope you will be like the Noble Berean’s, who “received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

The covenant of physical circumcision

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised ^[H4135]. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised ^[H4135] on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.” (Genesis 17:9-14)

H4135 mul

Verb: a primitive root; to cut short, i.e. curtail (specifically the prepuce, i.e. to circumcise); by implication, to blunt; figuratively, to destroy:—circumcise(-ing), selves), cut down (in pieces), destroy. Used of physical circumcision of the penis, spiritual circumcision of the heart, mowing grass, destroying enemies, and cutting off arrows to make them blunt.

The allegory of spiritual circumcision

The Hebrew word used for circumcision in the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures does not mean just the male physical circumcision of the penis; therefore, it is important to consider the context. The word by itself just means to cut short. The word by itself does not indicate what is being cut short, or how it is being cut short, those have to be indicated by the context. In some cases, the context is specified, such as “the flesh of the foreskin” in Genesis 17:10 above. In other cases, the context is understood, like Genesis 17:12 above.

And now, Israel,  what does the LORD your God require of you,  but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S your God, the earth also, with all that is in it. Only the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their descendants after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.  Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.   (Deuteronomy 10:12-16)

 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart,  you 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)

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
 Whose sin is covered! 
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit! (Psalm 32:1-2)

The Greek words used for circumcision in the New Testament Greek scriptures are not limited to just the physical circumcision of the male penis; therefore it is important to consider the context. The word by itself just means to to cut around. The word by itself does not indicate what is being cut, or how it is being cut, those have to be indicated by the context. In some cases the context is specified, such as “made without hands” In Colossians 2:11 below. In other cases, the context is understood, such as “something that happens in a person’s heart” in Romans 2:28 below.

He is the head over all rule and authority; … and in Him you were also circumcised ^[G4059] with a circumcision ^[G4061] made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision ^[G4061] of Christ; (Colossians 2:10-11 NASB)

G4059 peritémnō

Verb: to cut around: [literally] to cut off one’s prepuce (used of that well-known rite by which not only the male children of the Israelites, on the eighth day after birth, but subsequently also ‘proselytes of righteousness’ were consecrated to Jehovah and introduced into the number of his people; [figuratively] the verb is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins. —Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

G4061 peritomḗ

Noun: [properly] the act or rite of circumcision; the circumcised, they of the circumcision, used of Jews and of Christians gathered from among the Jews; the state of circumcision. [metaphorically] of Christians: separated from the unclean multitude and truly consecrated to God, the extinction of the passions, and the removal of spiritual impurity. —Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

A person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision a matter of how the body looks. Rather, a person is a Jew inwardly, and  circumcision is something that happens in a person’s heart.  Circumcision is spiritual, not just a written rule. That person’s praise will come from God, not from people. (Romans 2:28-29)

Look out for the dogs [the Judaizers, the legalists], look out for the troublemakers, look out for the false circumcision [those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation];  for we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision,  who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh (Philippians 3:2-3 AMP)

Have you been spiritually circumcised?

If you have not come to Christ for the spiritual circumcision of your heart through the cutting away of your sinful nature, you are none of his and still in the flesh; therefore, you cannot please God. I plead with you to take a moment to ask Jesus Christ into your heart and receive the blessing of a new life in Christ and the guarantee of eternal life.

 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,  but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.  If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:5-11)