Misunderstandings about circumcision are not new. Even in ancient Israel, many struggled to grasp its true meaning as a covenant sign. Instead of recognizing it as a symbol pointing to Christ, some viewed it as a mark of ethnic pride or a ritual for personal merit. Today, various factors contribute to similar misunderstandings about circumcision’s role as a covenant sign. To truly understand circumcision, we must explore its origins and theological significance.
One factor contributing to confusion is the Apostle’s seemingly negative stance on circumcision in their teachings. This was primarily because of the Judaizers, false teachers who insisted that circumcision was essential for salvation (Acts 15:1, 5; Galatians 2; 5:3; 6:11–15). The Apostles strongly refuted this false gospel, emphasizing that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to ritualistic laws like circumcision. However, it’s crucial to note that the Apostles also used “circumcision” metaphorically to describe the spiritual regeneration experienced by both Jews and Gentiles in Christ (Colossians 2:11–13), highlighting a deeper, symbolic meaning beyond the physical act.
Another reason for contemporary misunderstandings is a lack of teaching on circumcision’s typological function within redemptive history. To understand “when the first Jews learned of circumcision,” we must go back to Abraham. After promising Abraham profound covenant blessings, God commanded him to circumcise all males in his household on the eighth day (Genesis 17:11–14). Significantly, God refers to circumcision as “My covenant” (Genesis 17:10), underscoring its direct link to the covenant promise.
God instructed Abraham to apply this sign to the male reproductive organ because spiritual corruption, originating from Adam, is passed down through procreation. Circumcision, therefore, became a symbolic act addressing this inherited corruption and God’s promise of renewal through a “cutting away.” In this context, circumcision was a type, foreshadowing the gospel promises.
The typological nature of circumcision as a gospel sign is revealed in its dual message of promise. While initially given to Abraham, circumcision was integrated into the Mosaic covenant, connected to the law’s blessings and curses. Therefore, circumcision represented God’s covenant promise of both judgment and blessing. Firstly, it signified judgment for covenant breakers. Rejecting circumcision meant rejecting the Covenant Lord and incurring divine judgment. The “cutting away” of the foreskin symbolized God’s promise to cut off covenant violators from His presence, His people, and His blessings.
Simultaneously, circumcision symbolized the removal of the impurity of fallen human nature. This was the gospel promise of covenant blessing. When covenant demands were met, God pledged to cut away the sin of His people. The promise of spiritual renewal was intertwined with the symbolism of circumcision. The command to perform it on the eighth day for male offspring further emphasized this aspect of new creation. In a seven-day week, the eighth day mirrors the first, representing new beginnings and creation. John Calvin proposed that “the number seven designated the course of the present life. Therefore the eighth day might seem to be fixed upon by the Lord, to prefigure the beginning of a new life.”
Like the Passover, circumcision was also a blood sign of the gospel. Blood needed to be shed for God to justly remove the corruption of human sin. This prefigures the blood of Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of what circumcision symbolized in the Old Covenant. Circumcision pointed to the necessity of Jesus’ bloodshed. Remarkably, Jesus first shed blood during his circumcision on the eighth day (Luke 2:21). This event is integral to the redemptive-historical significance of circumcision, indicating the very purpose for Christ’s coming. As John Owen noted, “Every act almost of Christ’s obedience, from the blood of his circumcision to the blood of his cross, was attended with suffering,—so that his whole life might, in that regard, be called a death.” Jonathan Edwards further suggested that “in his circumcision, what [Christ] suffered . . . had the nature of satisfaction, the blood that was shed in his circumcision was propitiatory blood; but as it was a conformity to the law of Moses it was part of his meritorious righteousness.”
On the cross, Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to atone for the sins of His people (Colossians 2:11–14). The sins of the elect were imputed to Him, and He bore the full force of God’s wrath as the object of covenant curses. Jesus was “cut off from the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8). The covenant curse symbolized by the “cutting off” in circumcision was enacted upon Jesus at Calvary. Through His sacrifice, Jesus “cuts off” the defilement of our sin. Christ became a curse for us so that we might receive covenant blessings through faith in Him (Galatians 3:10–14).
In conclusion, the first Jews, starting with Abraham and his household, learned of circumcision directly from God’s command as recorded in Genesis 17. However, understanding circumcision goes far beyond simply knowing when it began. Its profound significance lies in its role as a covenant sign, foreshadowing the gospel and pointing to the redemptive work of Christ. It is a powerful symbol of both judgment against sin and the promise of spiritual renewal and blessing through faith in the Messiah.
This article is part of the Signs of the Covenant collection.
