Rom 15:8, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Here, we find that Jesus Christ is a minister to the circumcision and not to those who are uncircumcised.
Rom 2:25, For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26, Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Rom 2:27, And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29, 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.
However, here, we find that those who are circumcised are those who are circumcised spiritually, and that this can apply to Jew or Gentile; even to those who are not physically circumcised, outwardly in the flesh.
Because true circumcision is something that takes place on the inside, in the heart of a man.
Col 2:11, 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:
Col 2:12, 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.
Col 2:13, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14, 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;
Col 2:15, And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Here, we find that real circumcision has to do with a putting away of the body of the sins of the flesh. And that those who are thus circumcised are not under the law; but the handwriting of ordinances that was against them has been blotted out and taken out of the way, having been nailed to the cross. Their sins have been forgiven. But most importantly is what we find in the NLT of the same passage:
Col 2:11, When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
The sinful nature has been cut away in the one who has been spiritually circumcised.
If this has happened to you, then Jesus is a minister to you and you are to heed His words in the gospels, Acts, and Revelation.
Phl 3:2, Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Phl 3:3, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Here, Paul tells us that he is not of the concision...those who mutilated the flesh of Gentiles in order to make them Jewish as a prerequisite to being "in the faith" by their estimation...for they said that physical circumcision was a requirement for salvation.
But, he does say that he and his cohorts are of the "circumcision"...that is, those who have been spiritually circumcised and who preach spiritual circumcision as a requirement.
However, Paul makes it clear in the following passage that circumcision is not a requirement in order to have righteousness imputed to you:
Rom 4:11, And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
How then is spiritual circumcision a requirement? Only in that it is written in the Old Testament that we need to circumcise our hearts:
Jer 4:3, For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Jer 4:4, 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.
That Gentiles can be circumcised in such a manner is evident in Romans 2:25-29, already quoted.
I would say that we are in fact to seek to be circumcised spiritually if we have not yet received such a blessing; but that if you have not yet received such a blessing, you can rest assured that if you have faith in Jesus Christ, righteousness has been imputed to you.
But it goes back to the old teaching about how we have an identity in Christ that is unshakable, that we are counted as righteous even if we blow it (Romans 4:5).
Therefore, if you have faith in Jesus Christ, you are counted as righteous; and this is your identity, that you are the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is your identity, that you are righteous even as He is righteous; and this identity is yours even if you should do something ungodly (Romans 4:5).
Now that you have this unshakable identity, go and live like your new identity (1 John 3:7, Romans 5:19, Matthew 5:6).
It is when you begin to live like your identity that you will discover that you have been circumcised of heart. At that point, righteousness will not be merely imputed to you any longer; it will have been imparted.
For if you are living a Romans 7:14-25 lifestyle (as one who has the righteousness of the Lord imputed but not yet imparted), the thing that should characterize your attitude is a discontentedness with your current state (see Romans 7:24).
It is such a discontentedness that will be a deciding factor in your graduating from being a Romans 7:14-25 Christian to living in Romans 8.
It will mean going from uncircumcised spiritually to being spiritually circumcised.
Once spiritually circumcised, remember that Jesus is a minister to the circumcision.
Here, we find that Jesus Christ is a minister to the circumcision and not to those who are uncircumcised.
Rom 2:25, For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26, Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Rom 2:27, And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29, 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.
However, here, we find that those who are circumcised are those who are circumcised spiritually, and that this can apply to Jew or Gentile; even to those who are not physically circumcised, outwardly in the flesh.
Because true circumcision is something that takes place on the inside, in the heart of a man.
Col 2:11, 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:
Col 2:12, 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.
Col 2:13, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14, 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;
Col 2:15, And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Here, we find that real circumcision has to do with a putting away of the body of the sins of the flesh. And that those who are thus circumcised are not under the law; but the handwriting of ordinances that was against them has been blotted out and taken out of the way, having been nailed to the cross. Their sins have been forgiven. But most importantly is what we find in the NLT of the same passage:
Col 2:11, When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
The sinful nature has been cut away in the one who has been spiritually circumcised.
If this has happened to you, then Jesus is a minister to you and you are to heed His words in the gospels, Acts, and Revelation.
Phl 3:2, Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Phl 3:3, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Here, Paul tells us that he is not of the concision...those who mutilated the flesh of Gentiles in order to make them Jewish as a prerequisite to being "in the faith" by their estimation...for they said that physical circumcision was a requirement for salvation.
But, he does say that he and his cohorts are of the "circumcision"...that is, those who have been spiritually circumcised and who preach spiritual circumcision as a requirement.
However, Paul makes it clear in the following passage that circumcision is not a requirement in order to have righteousness imputed to you:
Rom 4:11, And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
How then is spiritual circumcision a requirement? Only in that it is written in the Old Testament that we need to circumcise our hearts:
Jer 4:3, For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Jer 4:4, 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.
That Gentiles can be circumcised in such a manner is evident in Romans 2:25-29, already quoted.
I would say that we are in fact to seek to be circumcised spiritually if we have not yet received such a blessing; but that if you have not yet received such a blessing, you can rest assured that if you have faith in Jesus Christ, righteousness has been imputed to you.
But it goes back to the old teaching about how we have an identity in Christ that is unshakable, that we are counted as righteous even if we blow it (Romans 4:5).
Therefore, if you have faith in Jesus Christ, you are counted as righteous; and this is your identity, that you are the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is your identity, that you are righteous even as He is righteous; and this identity is yours even if you should do something ungodly (Romans 4:5).
Now that you have this unshakable identity, go and live like your new identity (1 John 3:7, Romans 5:19, Matthew 5:6).
It is when you begin to live like your identity that you will discover that you have been circumcised of heart. At that point, righteousness will not be merely imputed to you any longer; it will have been imparted.
For if you are living a Romans 7:14-25 lifestyle (as one who has the righteousness of the Lord imputed but not yet imparted), the thing that should characterize your attitude is a discontentedness with your current state (see Romans 7:24).
It is such a discontentedness that will be a deciding factor in your graduating from being a Romans 7:14-25 Christian to living in Romans 8.
It will mean going from uncircumcised spiritually to being spiritually circumcised.
Once spiritually circumcised, remember that Jesus is a minister to the circumcision.
Last edited:
rich or poor, tall or short. makes no difference. 
