Circumcision Verily Profiteth
The Sapphire Review Vol. 1 | No. 21 • October 11, 2024
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
THE COUNCIL AT JERUSALEM
At first glance, this passage can generate some confusion. This is Paul writing after all, the same Paul who “had no small dissension and disputation” with men who were teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation.1 After this disagreement, Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders of the church over this issue.2
After much disputing3 and deliberation at this council in Jerusalem, Peter stood up to speak and referred to circumcision and the law of Moses as being an unbearable yoke:
“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 15:10)
The conclusion of the matter was that the church had given “no such commandment”4 regarding the requirement of circumcision and that Gentile believers were free from this yoke. This conclusion was joyfully received by the Gentile believers in Antioch and was a source of great encouragement to them.5
EVERLASTING COVENANT
So how can Paul, who clearly stood against the requirement of circumcision, write in a public letter that circumcision was beneficial in any way? He is after all addressing actual physically circumcised Jews in this section of his letter.
Before we answer this question, we first need to take a look at the everlasting covenants in the Old Testament. An everlasting covenant is a covenant that has no point of termination. It continues forever, and thus is distinct from other covenants which served only for a certain period of time. We find that there are 5 (five) everlasting covenants mentioned in the Old Testament:
NOAH
Literal (Gen 9:8-17)
The everlasting covenant with Noah11 pertained to God’s promise to never again cut off all flesh by the waters of a flood.12 The rainbow was given as the sign of this covenant.13 This covenant is literal, as God will literally never flood the earth again. The rainbow serves as a regular reminder of this promise.
DAVID
Literal (2 Sam 23:5, 7:12-16)
God made an everlasting covenant with David14 whereby He gave unto David the promise of his throne and his kingdom remaining forever. This is literally fulfilled through Jesus Christ our Lord, who came from the line of David.15 When the new earth is established and sin has been purged forever, His reign in this kingdom will be without end.
SABBATH
Literal (Exo 31:13-18)
The words of the ten commandments are referred to as the “words of the covenant”16 which were given unto Moses on the “tables of the covenant.”17 Thus it is fitting that the most disregarded and abused of these ten commandments, the Sabbath, would be referred to as a “perpetual [everlasting] covenant.”18 The last days remnant are referred to as a people who keep the commandments of God. Their observance of the everlasting covenant of the Sabbath day is a distinguishing mark of this group of people in the days leading up to the second advent of Christ.
BREAD OF THE TABERNACLE
Typical (Lev 24:5-8)
The bread in the tabernacle being exchanged on every Sabbath day is referred to as being part of an “everlasting covenant.”19 The old bread was eaten by the priests on this day after they placed new bread upon the table. Unlike the previous three covenants, this covenant was typical for the Israelite priest who served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.”20 Now the true bread of heaven, Jesus Christ, has been given.21 Thus the anti-type of this everlasting covenant finds its place in the believer’s observance of the Sabbath day, where they devote themselves to taking in the Word of God and gaining a deeper experience with their Creator than they do on any other day of the week.
ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
Literal & Typical (Gen 17:7-14)
Now that we have seen that four out of five of the everlasting covenants are indeed everlasting and without end, we will take a look at the covenant given to Abraham, which involves circumcision, and discover how this ties in with Paul’s writing in our verse this week.
THE TERMS
In God’s covenant to Abraham He promised to make many nations from him, to be a God unto him and his descendants, and to give them “the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.”22 Unlike the covenants with Noah and David, Abraham and his descendants had a very important obligation to maintain as their part of the terms of this covenant. Every male that was to be part of this covenant had to be circumcised.23 As the rainbow serves as the sign of the everlasting covenant with Noah,24 circumcision serves as the sign of the everlasting covenant that God made with Abraham.25 This sign was so serious and so permanent, that God said any male who was not circumcised was to be “cut off from his people” for “he hath broken my covenant.”26
STILL STANDING (EVERLASTING)
Here is where understanding and a deeper study of scripture is needed. The covenant with Abraham has not ended. It is just as everlasting as the other four. If Abraham’s covenant still stands today, then the provision regarding circumcision must also stand or the entire covenant would have to be rewritten. This is why Paul writes that “circumcision verily profiteth.” Circumcision profits because it is the essential requirement for being a partaker of the Abrahamic covenant.
TYPICAL (Shadow)
The next very important part to understand is that some of the provisions within the Abrahamic covenant are typical and have an anti-typical counterpart on this side of the cross. Note the following:
Seed (Descendants)27
We find in Galatians 3:16, 29 that Christ is the ultimate fulfilment of this provision, along will all of those who are in Him.
The Land of Canaan
In type, the physical land of Canaan was inherited by the physical Israelites.28 This land was filled with sin, corruption, and idolatrous groups of people. If Israel kept God’s commands, He promised to drive out the wicked before them.29
In the anti-type, the land of Canaan represents the new earth, which will be purged of sin and all the idolatrous people, and given as an inheritance to all of those who are in Christ.30
Circumcision
IF THOU KEEP THE LAW
Prior to establishing the covenant with Abraham, God tells him to “be thou perfect.” A similar description is given of both Noah36 and Job.37 Scripture also tells us that Abraham kept the commandments of God (which would include the moral law of the ten commandments), long before the law of Moses was established.38
So even with Abraham, there is a connection with keeping God’s law and circumcision. In the same way, we do indeed find that today there is also benefit of circumcision (of the heart) IF we keep the law of God (ten commandments).
HOW IS IT PROFITABLE?
Circumcision must be important (as Paul says) because he goes to the trouble of writing about how physical circumcision can still be counted as uncircumcision,39 and how physical uncircumcision can be counted as circumcision.40
If circumcision were not important, there would be no point in Paul writing about the uncircumcised Gentiles having their keeping of the ten commandments count for them as circumcision.
So, why then is this important?… It is important because circumcision was the token (sign) of the everlasting covenant that God made with Abraham. Being circumcised was the people’s part of the covenant. Without circumcision, they would be cut off from the covenant and its promises.41
There still remains a promise of land given unto the people of God through the everlasting Abrahamic covenant. As stated above, this land to be inherited by the saints of God is the new earth. The land of Canaan served as the type, pointing to the eventual fulfillment of the new earth as the anti-type.
CONCLUSION
We must all be circumcised (in heart) in order to be partakers of the Abrahamic covenant. This is extremely important because it is only by being partakers of this covenant that we inherit the promised land of Canaan (the new earth).42
Without circumcision (in heart) we are cut off from this covenant and will thus perish with the wicked.
So truly, as Paul has said, “circumcision profiteth.” But that circumcision which benefits us is the circumcision of the heart. The circumcision of the flesh gained the physical Israelites entrance into the physical land of Canaan, for they were all circumcised before their conquest began.43 The circumcision of the heart will gain us entrance into the new earth.
However, this circumcision only profits if the law of God is kept - the ten commandments. In fact, it is by keeping God’s law, out of our love for Him,44 that true circumcision (of the heart) is placed upon the individual.45
PRAYER
May God help us to stay strong until the end and through the coming trials, that we may faithfully keep His commandments and stand amongst those who are circumcised in heart. May He equip us and prepare us now to be partakers of the Abrahamic covenant that we may dwell in His presence forever upon the beautiful earth when it is made new.
God Bless,
Charles
Beautifully written and shared, thank you Charles.
A wonderful exposition, of the benefit of circumcision (of the heart), for followers of Christ. Thank you and God bless you brother Charles.