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whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but dung, that I may gain
Christ, and be found in Him; not having my own righteousness of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Phil. 3: 4-9).
This quotation from Philippians presents a very comprehensive view of true spiritual
circumcision, and the utter repudiation of the flesh so far as righteousness is concerned.
The law referred to here is the law of Moses as a means of attaining righteousness.
The epistle to the Colossians supplements this passage by giving another point of
view, showing once again the utter repudiation of the flesh, and setting aside all the
ceremonial observances that militated against "worshipping".
"Ye are complete in Him . . . . . 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 . . . . . ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of
God, Who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead to your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you
all trespasses: blotting out the handwriting of the decrees that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross . . . . . Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon,
or of the sabbaths: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ"
(Col. 2: 10-17).
Eph. 2:, with its references to being dead to sins, to circumcision in the flesh, and to
the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, should also be read.
We must not omit here a reference to the epistle to the Galatians, for in that epistle the
Jewish fortress of circumcision is carried by storm. Titus, who was not compelled to be
circumcised, though present at the Jerusalem conference, is cited as a test case (Gal. 2: 3).
Peter's defection was due to his fear of them which were of the circumcision (Gal. 2: 12).
Paul now solemnly testifies:--
"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye submit to circumcision (pres. subj.--not the
state of being already circumcised, for this would include Paul, but of submitting to
circumcision after having heard the gospel) Christ will profit you nothing. And I repeat
my testimony to every man who submitteth to circumcision, that he is debtor to do the
whole law" (Gal. 5: 2, 3).
That this question of circumcision had a direct bearing upon the matter of justification
by faith is shewn by the next verse:--
"Ye are undone from Christ whosoever ye be, who are seeking justification by law;
ye are fallen from grace . . . . . for in Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor
uncircumcision, but faith working by love" (Gal. 5: 4-6). Or as Gal. 6: 15 has it, "But a
new creation".
Circumcision is connected in its abuse and misrepresentation with "a fair show in the
flesh" and "boasting in the flesh" (Gal. 6: 12, 13), whereas, as Phil. 3: most definitely
states, it rightfully indicates no confidence in the flesh and, according to Col. 2:,
repudiates the body of the flesh. The spiritual circumcision of Christ took place at the