Circumcision: Division In The Early Church

It all began in the covenant with Abraham, God promised many things to him. God promised numerous descendants, land, and a relationship with him. God’s first blessing would provide Abraham with numerous descendants, which in turn would become a great nation. His second blessing would provide him and his family with a place to call home. His third blessing states that Abraham will have a relationship with God. This means that, anyone who blesses Abraham will be blessed by God, anyone that curses him will be cursed. In return for all of these promises, Abraham and all of his male members and descendants were circumcised to let God know that they belong to him.

In Galatians 2:1-3, Paul describes going to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. The chapter of Galatians describes an agreement, which states that the Gentiles, including Titus does not need to be circumcised. Paul, James, Peter and John agree that Gentiles should not need to be circumcised. However, people continue to disagree with them on this particular issue. In the ESV Study Bible, it says, “Paul regards the imposition of circumcision on Gentile Christians as a slavery producing betrayal of the freedom Christ has given.” With all of this being said, the chapter of Galatians proves that it is a completely different event than in Acts. There are undeniable similarities between the chapters, but it is proven that this specific event did not occur at the same time as the Jerusalem Council. In Galatians 2, this event takes place in 47

Description: Male circumcision is an old traditional practice where the foreskin of the penis is removed by surgical means. The practice also has religious significance in a number of communities. The practice is less common in the West because of a poor awareness of the medical benefits. Recent research has shown that male circumcision significantly lowers the risk of infections and sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS in particular. However, male circumcision surgeries are expensive because of limited support in public health care programs.Â

Throughout the early history of Christianity, disputes broke out over mosaic law, particularly in the mid first century when the issue of circumcision, cutting off the foreskin of a man’s penis, was a heavily debated and a recurring issue among different churches and members of the church. Many Christians believed that following the mosaic law, which included the act of circumcision, was no longer required for salvation as having faith and accepting Jesus as the messiah would be enough. Others, on the other hand, believed that requirements set forth in the mosaic law were still necessary to be saved. These people were negatively branded with the name Judaizers (those who believed that all Christians should follow the Law of Moses), and were often criticized for being discriminatory and elitist. A meeting was then held to discuss the whether the application of the mosaic law to new members of the Christian community, particularly focusing on if those trying to convert, were obliged undergo circumcision to be accepted into, and become part of, the Christian community. The apostolic decree of the council of Jerusalem moved away from its

female circumcision, neonatal circumcision was chosen as a point of interest as it also relates to the specialization of sex therapy with the overall goal of clinical counseling. Darby (2015) discussed the effects that circumcision has on males who grow up to resent their condition. Male clients could seek therapy for the physical and psychological scars caused by the unwanted circumcision.

As stated earlier, circumcision remains to be one of the most commonly completed procedures around the world. The surgery is usually carried out in infancy after informing the parents of the procedure, any possible health complications, and various statistics regarding the benefits. Shortly after, newborn children are secured to an operating table and local anesthetic is applied to the genitalia. Then, the surgeon uses one of three common techniques to remove the foreskin and “recreate” the aesthetics of the head of the penis. This procedure doesn’t necessarily take place in the sanitary environment of an operating room, as the procedure is often done

This wasn’t meant for our culture. In certain archaic tribes and religion this is practiced and commonly used. That however, doesn’t justify its purpose or make it okay. This is a problem and we should finish what we started, and fix it. Even with is being such a norm in our society we still need to get rid of it. Its origins consist of cultural traditions and religious rites. I don’t support the trimming of the penis for tradition, nor do I practice any religion. This has got to go. Circumcision has no significant purpose in our current society, however, it once had some use; “Although its origins are unknown, earliest evidence of the practice dates from Egypt (2300BC). Where it is thought to have been used original to mark male slaves” Okay,

The main issue of the Council of Jerusalem was whether or not you could be accepted as a member of God’s church and be saved without being circumcised. There were many questions and debates on where they should draw the line. One side of the debate was that salvation was being offered to everyone regardless of heritage or the keeping of the “customs of Moses”. Paul conveyed the great signs and wonders that had been done among the Gentiles (English Standard Version, Acts 15:12-13). Peter also testified that God had shown him that the Gentiles would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:8). If you have already been called by God, repented of your sins, and have the Holy Spirit then why would you need to be circumcised in order to be saved? The other

Paul’s argument does not conclude here, however, as he continues in Romans 2 that Jews, alongside Gentiles, are just as sinful. Paul here claims that Jews reject God and the Law when they fail to perfectly uphold the Law, yet brag that they are saved (2:23). This chapter also furthers Paul’s argument in Romans 1, claiming that Gentiles have a “natural law” that they can, but often do not, follow, rendering them unrighteous (2:14-15). Jews have the law and the sign of circumcision, but fail to uphold it in the way that they preach and, as such, are equally condemned; it is evident in these passages that to Paul, sin comes from a person’s inability to uphold the law – either the Law that was given through God’s covenant, or the natural law that the Gentiles possess (Ortlund, 2009). Alone, these chapters simply appear to shame, or even exclude, certain groups in the early Christian communities.

Thomas Lea and David Black states that these Judaizers were considered false teachers and promoted “legalism.” F.F. Bruce shares that they were “trouble-makers,” imparting unto their hearers what they stated was the true knowledge of God, which Paul fervently protested (Ga1 4:9). According to Carson, “the false teachers saw Christianity as a modified Judaism; they were teaching that to be in covenant relationship to God means to submit to the requirements of the law.” They wanted to compel the Gentile Christians to practice circumcision, obey Mosaic Law and certain festivals, and promoted an interest in being “sons of Abraham”. The Judaizers remarked, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts

Have you ever wondered if circumcision hurts your newborn? A research by Practice Application of Research was done to identify which analgesia was more effective. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the glans penis (Razmus, 2004). It is a procedure that usually does not take a long time. This procedure was done at the hospitals with no analgesia, but pain was still present when the newborn was getting circumcise. This procedure has become more popular than it was before in the United Stated (Razmus, 2004), but yet not all risk and benefits were clear. Some authors have reported that it decrease the number of urinary tract infections, it protected against penile cancer, against HIV infection and HPV (Razmus, 2004). Complications

ABI: Jesus died not just for the Jews, but also for the gentiles. Circumcision is not required of the gentiles, for it is by grace we are saved and not by works.

Paul believes that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross frees Gentiles from the Torah requirements, stating, “Through the law, I died to the law,” (Harris, 2015). Meaning that, Gentiles are justified in not following the laws of the Torah, including circumcision, because Jesus death freed them from those requirements. It was their belief that allowed them to receive the spirit, not by following the law. Paul uses Abraham as an example, stating that Abraham's faith in God was counted to him as righteous.

Paul makes it clear in Romans and then again in Acts, that just because you are a Christian, and have accepted Christ and come to salvation, does not mean you can break the law. Paul is clear in Romans to the Jews that they are not to break the old ways or Mosaic Laws. In our text you will read that a person born to a Jewish woman is considered a Jew. So Timothy who had a Jewish mother, but a Greek father, would have been considered a Jew. Paul was not being hypocritical because the Jerusalem Council had come to these rules and written the letter to the Gentiles. Timothy was not by any standards a Gentile. He was considered a Jew because of his mother’s heritage. Paul would have wanted Timothy circumcised as a Jew should have been. Not to be circumcised in this matter would have been

Gal. 2:9 “when James and Cephas and John, vwho seemed to be apillars, perceived the bgrace that was given to me, they cgave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised”.