How does Colossians 2:11 describe spiritual circumcision compared to physical circumcision? Setting the Scene • Paul is writing to believers who were being pressured to add human rituals to their faith in Christ. • Circumcision—commanded under the Law for Israel—had become a litmus test for spiritual status in some circles. • Paul reorients the Colossians to what God has already done for them “in Christ.” The Verse at the Center “In Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of your sinful nature, with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.” (Colossians 2:11) Physical Circumcision: Covenant Sign • Instituted with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11) as an outward mark of belonging to God’s covenant people. • Involved literal cutting away of flesh by human hands. • Pointed forward to deeper heart realities but, by itself, could not remove sin. • Became a boundary marker that some confused with saving faith (Acts 15:1). Spiritual Circumcision: Heart Transformation • “Performed without hands” — God alone accomplishes it. • “Removal of the body of the flesh” — the decisive break with the controlling power of sin. • Takes place “in Him” — union with Christ is the arena where this happens. • Described as “the circumcision of Christ” — His death and resurrection secure the believer’s inward cleansing. • Has no need for repeat; it is complete and final. Key Differences in Paul’s Description • Source – Physical: human priests or parents. – Spiritual: God Himself. • Substance Removed – Physical: a small piece of flesh. – Spiritual: the entire dominion of the sinful nature. • Sphere of Operation – Physical: external body. – Spiritual: inner person/heart. • Covenant Sign vs. Covenant Reality – Physical: pointed to belonging. – Spiritual: actually grants liberation and belonging through Christ. Why This Matters for Believers Today • Confidence rests in Christ’s finished work, not human ritual. • Freedom from sin’s mastery is a present possession, not a future hope. • Identity is rooted in what God has accomplished internally, guarding against legalistic pressure. • Assurance grows as we reckon the “old self” cut off and live in newness of life (Romans 6:6-7). Supporting Scriptures • Deuteronomy 10:16 — “Circumcise your hearts…” (call for inward change). • Deuteronomy 30:6 — God promises to circumcise hearts so His people will love Him. • Jeremiah 4:4 — warning to remove heart-level “foreskins” of rebellion. • Romans 2:28-29 — true circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. • Philippians 3:3 — “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.” Living Out the Reality • Count on the fact: the old sinful authority has been cut away. • Present yourself to God as one alive from the dead (Romans 6:13). • Walk by the Spirit; the flesh that has been “removed” no longer dictates terms (Galatians 5:16-17). • Rejoice that every believer—male or female, Jew or Gentile—is equally marked by this inward work (Galatians 3:28). |
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