Baptism (part 7) - The Circumcision of Christ
Introduction. One of the last things Jesus did before ascending into heaven was command His apostles to preach the gospel in all nations and to the whole creation. For those who believed in the gospel, Jesus commanded that they be baptized to become disciples and to be saved (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15). There is no doubt Jesus expected baptism to be an important part of preaching the gospel. When we compare what Paul said about the gospel he preached (“Jesus died for our sins, was buried and raised on the third day” - 1Cor. 15:1-4) with the baptism Paul commanded (“crucified with Him,” “buried with Him in baptism into death,” “baptized into His death,” “raised up with Him” – Rom. 6:3-8; Col. 2:12-13), it is obvious why the two must go together. While under the water, we are crucified with Him, we die and are buried with Him and raised from the dead with Him!
Without baptism this crucial component has been omitted. Can we be saved without it? The two figures, signs and antitypes given to describe baptism we have seen already clearly say NO! Baptism is the antitype of Noah’s ark, saving us just as the ark saved him and his family. Israel passing through the Red Sea with Moses delivered them from Egypt and saved them from Pharaoh and in the same way baptism delivers and saves us from sin. Just as only those on the ark were saved and just as only those who passed through the Red Sea were delivered, so also only those who are baptized will be saved and delivered.
In Colossians, Paul added another type/antitype for us to consider and apply to baptism. Baptism is “the circumcision of Christ:”
Why does the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to use circumcision here? This is obviously a revelation on the power of baptism since only in baptism does this circumcision occur. We need to carefully look at the covenant that God gave to Abraham and all his descendants and consider its purpose. Once we see what it did for them, we will better understand what baptism does for us.
Abram was 75 years old when God called him out of Haran, and 99 when God revealed: “I will make My covenant between Me and you.” Yet it was not simply to be for Abraham: “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” So, circumcision was designed to be an everlasting covenant between God, Abraham, and his descendants and had to be performed in order for God to be God to them.
The details of man’s part in this covenant were: “every male child among you shall be circumcised.” This was not an option, but an essential part of the covenant. It was required of every male child. For God to tie this to baptism in this way shows that baptism also is essential. After circumcision, the cut off body part became “a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Without the removal of the foreskin, there was not sign of a covenant because in fact, there was no covenant. “The uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” When Abraham received this command, he considered it to be a matter of the utmost urgency. Twice it is said that Abraham was circumcised “that very same day.” (Gen. 17:23, 26). These are powerful facts! Since baptism is the circumcision of Christ, God is revealing that it too is a covenant and a sign of a covenant. He also revealed that without it, the covenant is broken and the individual is cut off. Since the type was an everlasting covenant between God, Abraham and all his descendants, what about the antitype of baptism? What parts of baptism correspond to the conditions and promises of circumcision?
First, only in baptism can we even become Abraham’s descendants (seed). All who hear the gospel are invited to enter into this covenant and become the descendants of Abraham. Once again, only baptism can do this: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:28). So, baptism makes each of us a child of Abraham just like Isaac was! It is amazing that the power to make us a circumcised child of Abraham has been placed within the command to be baptized. If we have not been baptized, we are not a child of Abraham like Isaac was and we are still uncircumcised.
Second, in circumcision a small portion of skin was removed and that remained a “sign” that they were in covenant with God. Baptism does exactly the same thing in a much more powerful way. Instead of a small piece of flesh, this circumcision removes the entire “body of flesh.” After God performs the circumcision of Christ on us in baptism, we are forever marked with the “sign” of our covenant with God. Since all who have been baptized have been circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, it is not of this creation, and only those with spiritual eyes can see it. This “antitype” circumcision is far more powerful than the type given to picture it.
Third, anyone who was not circumcised under the type was cut off since they had broken the covenant. What about baptism? Paul said that “the circumcision of Christ” is “the putting off of the body of the flesh.” Can we be saved if we still have our “body of flesh?” Paul answered this question in Romans. After asking them if they knew when they were baptized into Christ they were baptized into His death, Paul gave the application: “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Rom. 6:6). In the same baptism where we died with Him, the old man was crucified with Him and the body of sin was done away with. The old man must be removed and the body of sin must be done away, or we are still slaves to sin.
The “body of sin” and “body of the flesh” had to be removed because it is the reason we are dead in our trespasses. As long as we are in this body, “the uncircumcision of our flesh” has not been removed. Only in baptism can this uncircumcised flesh be removed. Once cut away in the circumcision of Christ, God made us alive and forgave us all our trespasses. We are then a new creation (2Cor. 5:17). God has now circumcised our heart in fulfillment of prophecy given long ago.
Without baptism this crucial component has been omitted. Can we be saved without it? The two figures, signs and antitypes given to describe baptism we have seen already clearly say NO! Baptism is the antitype of Noah’s ark, saving us just as the ark saved him and his family. Israel passing through the Red Sea with Moses delivered them from Egypt and saved them from Pharaoh and in the same way baptism delivers and saves us from sin. Just as only those on the ark were saved and just as only those who passed through the Red Sea were delivered, so also only those who are baptized will be saved and delivered.
In Colossians, Paul added another type/antitype for us to consider and apply to baptism. Baptism is “the circumcision of Christ:”
- In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (Col. 2:11-13)
Why does the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to use circumcision here? This is obviously a revelation on the power of baptism since only in baptism does this circumcision occur. We need to carefully look at the covenant that God gave to Abraham and all his descendants and consider its purpose. Once we see what it did for them, we will better understand what baptism does for us.
Abram was 75 years old when God called him out of Haran, and 99 when God revealed: “I will make My covenant between Me and you.” Yet it was not simply to be for Abraham: “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” So, circumcision was designed to be an everlasting covenant between God, Abraham, and his descendants and had to be performed in order for God to be God to them.
The details of man’s part in this covenant were: “every male child among you shall be circumcised.” This was not an option, but an essential part of the covenant. It was required of every male child. For God to tie this to baptism in this way shows that baptism also is essential. After circumcision, the cut off body part became “a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Without the removal of the foreskin, there was not sign of a covenant because in fact, there was no covenant. “The uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” When Abraham received this command, he considered it to be a matter of the utmost urgency. Twice it is said that Abraham was circumcised “that very same day.” (Gen. 17:23, 26). These are powerful facts! Since baptism is the circumcision of Christ, God is revealing that it too is a covenant and a sign of a covenant. He also revealed that without it, the covenant is broken and the individual is cut off. Since the type was an everlasting covenant between God, Abraham and all his descendants, what about the antitype of baptism? What parts of baptism correspond to the conditions and promises of circumcision?
First, only in baptism can we even become Abraham’s descendants (seed). All who hear the gospel are invited to enter into this covenant and become the descendants of Abraham. Once again, only baptism can do this: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:28). So, baptism makes each of us a child of Abraham just like Isaac was! It is amazing that the power to make us a circumcised child of Abraham has been placed within the command to be baptized. If we have not been baptized, we are not a child of Abraham like Isaac was and we are still uncircumcised.
Second, in circumcision a small portion of skin was removed and that remained a “sign” that they were in covenant with God. Baptism does exactly the same thing in a much more powerful way. Instead of a small piece of flesh, this circumcision removes the entire “body of flesh.” After God performs the circumcision of Christ on us in baptism, we are forever marked with the “sign” of our covenant with God. Since all who have been baptized have been circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, it is not of this creation, and only those with spiritual eyes can see it. This “antitype” circumcision is far more powerful than the type given to picture it.
Third, anyone who was not circumcised under the type was cut off since they had broken the covenant. What about baptism? Paul said that “the circumcision of Christ” is “the putting off of the body of the flesh.” Can we be saved if we still have our “body of flesh?” Paul answered this question in Romans. After asking them if they knew when they were baptized into Christ they were baptized into His death, Paul gave the application: “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Rom. 6:6). In the same baptism where we died with Him, the old man was crucified with Him and the body of sin was done away with. The old man must be removed and the body of sin must be done away, or we are still slaves to sin.
The “body of sin” and “body of the flesh” had to be removed because it is the reason we are dead in our trespasses. As long as we are in this body, “the uncircumcision of our flesh” has not been removed. Only in baptism can this uncircumcised flesh be removed. Once cut away in the circumcision of Christ, God made us alive and forgave us all our trespasses. We are then a new creation (2Cor. 5:17). God has now circumcised our heart in fulfillment of prophecy given long ago.
- “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” (Deut. 30:6)
- “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezek. 36:26)
- for we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: (Phil. 3:3)