cross, and was attested and sealed at His glorious resurrection. The knowledge of Christ

after the flesh is opposed to a new creation in II Cor. 5: 16, 17, and to a perfect

righteousness of God in Him (verse 21).

With this added light we return to Rom. 4: to learn the true meaning of circumcision

It must have come as a startling revelation to the prejudiced Jew that Abraham was

justified by faith while he was, we may say, a Gentile. "How was it then reckoned unto

him? . . . . . not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision" (Rom. 4: 10). The absurdity of

attempting to exclude the believing uncircumcised Gentile from the full benefits of faith

in Christ becomes apparent immediately this fact is remembered. Circumcision was but

an external "sign" and "seal" of the righteousness of faith which he had being yet

This, argues the apostle, enables us to see that Abraham can be the spiritual father of

all them that believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised: "That righteousness might

be imputed unto them also." Abraham is not only the father of the circumcision by

virtue of lineal descent, but "the father of circumcision to them who are not of the

circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,

which he had being yet uncircumcised". To the same effect are the words of the Lord in

John: "They answered and said unto Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,

If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham" (John 8: 39).

John the Baptist taught the same truth: "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance,

and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father" (Matt. 3: 8, 9).

We shall meet the same argument in Rom. 9: 6-8 where the apostle states: "They

are not all Israel, which are of Israel, neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are

they all children, but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the

children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise

are counted for the seed."

Whether it be in the Gospels or the Epistles, written before or after Acts 28:, this

truth remains constant--true circumcision means the utter repudiation of the flesh.

The meaning of this rite becomes more striking when we see how the apostle has

linked it with Gen. 15: 6, and balanced it with Rom. 4: 19. Let us seek this lesson.

The complaint of Abraham in Gen. 15: 2 is that he is childless and without an heir.

The promise of God is that Abraham shall have a son, and in order that we may be

impressed with the physical side of this promise, God says: "This shall not be thine heir

(referring presumably to Eliezer); but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels