INDUCTIVE BIBLE TOPIC STUDY

OVERVIEW OF CIRCUMCISION

By Dennis Schmidt 8/2011

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This paper discusses circumcision. Circumcision is an Israelite rite representing spiritual purification of the heart that every Jewish boy must do. Abraham was the father of faith for all nations first before the law of circumcision. Circumcision does not precede faith. All scriptures are from the King James' Bible.

INDUCTIVE COMMENTS:

THEME:God wants men to worship Him in truth and with a right spirit. God does not want a fleshly attempted to keep the laws of Moses.

Philippians 3:3 God does not want a fleshly attempted to the law, but a faithful person who believes as Abraham, the father of faith.

PURPOSE: There is a parallel to baptism and circumcision of having a pure heart.

Romans 6:3-6

KEY VERSE:

Philippians 3:3 God wants men to worship Him in truth and with a right spirit. God does not want a fleshly attempted to the law, but a faithful person who believes as Abraham, the father of faith.

WHO: God written mostly by Bible authors Moses, Luke, John, and Paul

TO WHOM: Elected Christians

WHAT: God wants a circumcision of the heart and not of the flesh.

Ephesians 2:11

WHY: The grace of God through faith has saved the believer, not the fleshly keeping of laws.

Acts 15:5-11 Peter answers that God made the Gentile believers without the law.

WAY: God wants a circumcision of the heart and not of the flesh

Romans 2:25-29 The same circumcision, of the heart is found in Deuteronomy 10:16-19 also.

WHEREAS:

Romans 6:3-6 Having a purification to your heart.

WHERE: on earth

WHEN: On the eight day after birth the males are to be circumcised.

Genesis 21:4 Abraham followed the law Genesis 17:10-14

WHILE: Jewish people observe circumcision law of Moses.

Genesis 17:10-14 Circumcision is an everlasting covenant to the Jewish nation.

PAPER OUTLINE:

I) GOD'S COMMANDS CIRCUMCISION AS TOKEN OF COVENANT:

II) ABRAHAM & ISHMAEL CIRCUMCISION:

III) ISAAC CIRCUMCISION:

IV) MOSES WAS GOING TO BE KILLED BY GOD FOR NOT CIRCUMCISING HIS SONS:

V) GOD WILL DO A CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART:

VI) CIRCUMCISION OF HEART TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL HEART AND NEIGHBOR:

VII) PROPHETS TEACH WE ARE TO HAVE A CIRCUMCISION OF HEART:

VIII) JOSHUA CIRCUMCISED MALES BEFORE THEY WENT INTO PROMISE LAND:

IX) JESUS CIRCUMCISION:

X) NEW TESTAMENT CIRCUMCISION TEACHINGS:

XI) JESUS TEACHING VALUE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS VERSUS CIRCUMCISION LAW:

XII) DISAGREEMENT, IN EARLY CHURCH, OF GOSPEL OF JESUS TO THE GENTILES:

XIII) DISAGREEMENT, IN EARLY CHURCH, OF GENTILES BEING CIRCUMCISED:

XIV) EARLY CHURCH TEACHING GENTILES DO NOT NEED TO BE CIRCUMCISED:

XV) PAUL HAD ONE GENTILE DISCIPLE CIRCUMCISED TO APPEASE JEWS:

XVI) JEWISH BELIEVERS FALSELY CLAIM PAUL TEACH JEWS NOT TO CIRCUMCISE:

XVII) JEWISH BELIEVER LEADERSHIP TOLD PAUL TO SHOW HE OBSERVES MOSES LAW:

XVIII) JEWS FALSELY CLAIM PAUL TOOK GENTILES IN TEMPLE:

XIX) PAUL'S TEACHING ON CIRCUMCISION TO GENTILES:

XX) JEWS SHOULD NOT BECOME GENTILES NOR GENTILES BECOME JEWS:

XXI) PAUL MINISTRY IS TO GENTILES & PETER'S MINISTRY TO JEWS:

XXII) TRUE CIRCUMCISION IS OF THE HEART:

XXIII) PAUL'S CIRCUMCISION AND WHY HE DOES NOT TEACH GENTILE CIRCUMCISION:

XXIV) GOD'S CIRCUMCISION, IS OF THE HEART, TO BELIEVERS IN CHRIST JESUS:

XXV) CIRCUMCISION AND BAPTISM PARALLELS AS SEEN IN COLOSSIANS 2:11-2:12:

I) GOD'S COMMANDS CIRCUMCISION AS TOKEN OF COVENANT:

Genesis 15:5-6 God's promises are to Abraham for Jewish people of faith.

Genesis 17:10-14 Circumcision is an everlasting covenant to the Jewish nation.

II) ABRAHAM & ISHMAEL CIRCUMCISION:

Genesis 17:23-24

III) ISAAC CIRCUMCISION:

Genesis 21:4 Abraham followed the law.

IV) MOSES WAS GOING TO BE KILLED BY GOD FOR NOT CIRCUMCISING HIS SONS:

Exodus 4:24-26 Moses' Gentile wife circumcised their son since Moses did not. This stopped God from killing Moses for disobeying the law of circumcision.

V) GOD WILL DO A CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART:

Deuteronomy 30:6 Jesus first commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul & might.

VI) CIRCUMCISION OF HEART TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL HEART AND NEIGHBOR:

Deuteronomy 10:16-19 Jesus second commandment is to love your neighbor as our self.

VII) PROPHETS TEACH WE ARE TO HAVE A CIRCUMCISION OF HEART:

Jeremiah 4:4 A pure heart towards God of He will punish the Jew as well as the Gentile who does evil.

Jeremiah 9:25

VIII) JOSHUA CIRCUMCISED MALES BEFORE THEY WENT INTO PROMISE LAND:

Joshua 5:2-5

Joshua 5:7 New start for Jews.

IX) JESUS CIRCUMCISION:

Luke 2:21

X) NEW TESTAMENT CIRCUMCISION TEACHINGS:

XI) JESUS TEACHING VALUE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS VERSUS CIRCUMCISION LAW:

John 7:22-24 Jesus teaches men to do the spiritual right thing of following the law.

XII) DISAGREEMENT, IN EARLY CHURCH, OF GOSPEL OF JESUS TO THE GENTILES:

Acts 11:2-4 Peter was told by God to allow Gentiles to become Christians. Prior to this, only Jews were allowed to become Christians.

XIII) DISAGREEMENT, IN EARLY CHURCH, OF GENTILES BEING CIRCUMCISED:

Acts 15:1-2 The question is if the Gentile believer needed to follow the laws of Moses.

Acts 15:5-11 Peter answers that God made the Gentile believers without the law.

XIV) EARLY CHURCH TEACHING GENTILES DO NOT NEED TO BE CIRCUMCISED:

Acts 15:15-20

XV) PAUL HAD ONE GENTILE DISCIPLE CIRCUMCISED TO APPEASE JEWS:

Acts 16:1 Paul did not circumcise every disciple. See Titus example below.

Acts 16:3

Galatians 2:3 Paul did not circumcise Titus.

XVI) JEWISH BELIEVERS FALSELY CLAIM PAUL TEACH JEWS NOT TO CIRCUMCISE:

Acts 21:21 The statement was not true. Paul's ministry was to the Gentiles who were not required to follow the laws of Moses or be circumcised.

XVII) JEWISH BELIEVER LEADERSHIP TOLD PAUL TO SHOW HE OBSERVES MOSES LAW:

Acts 21:21-25 Paul goes to the temple and observes the Jewish law on vows with Jewish believers.

XVIII) JEWS FALSELY CLAIM PAUL TOOK GENTILES IN TEMPLE:

Acts 21:27-30 Paul was innocent of these statements.

XIX) PAUL'S TEACHING ON CIRCUMCISION TO GENTILES:

Romans 2:25-29 The same circumcision, of the heart, found in Deuteronomy 10:16-19.

Romans 3:1-2 Jews are the only people to have the Bible, temple & revelation of the one true God, but each Jew must have his heart circumcised, which is a desire to serve God.

Romans 3:30 God word teaches faith as the means of pleasing God which is true to Abraham and the Gentile as well.

Romans 4:9-12 Faith is means for righteousness came to Abraham before he was circumcised.

Romans 15:8-12 Paul shows, from scriptures, Gentiles can be saved.

XX) JEWS SHOULD NOT BECOME GENTILES NOR GENTILES BECOME JEWS:

1 Corinthians 7:18-20 Jew & Gentile should remain in their calling of faith.

Galatians 5:2-6 Gentiles should not keep the laws of Moses.

Galatians 6:13-16 Jewish believers should not try to make Gentiles keep the law.

XXI) PAUL MINISTRY IS TO GENTILES & PETER'S MINISTRY TO JEWS:

Galatians 2:7-9 Jewish believers can continue to circumcise their children as heirs of Abraham.

XXII) TRUE CIRCUMCISION IS OF THE HEART:

Ephesians 2:11

XXIII) PAUL'S CIRCUMCISION AND WHY HE DOES NOT TEACH GENTILE CIRCUMCISION:

Philippians 3:4-9 Just as Abraham believed God and He counted this as righteous.

XXIV) GOD'S CIRCUMCISION, IS OF THE HEART, TO BELIEVERS IN CHRIST JESUS:

Colossians 2:11-17 Circumcision, for believers should not be observed as a law, since Jesus completed the law through the cross.

Colossians 3:10-11 What is of most importance is having a relationship with Jesus.

XXV) CIRCUMCISION AND BAPTISM PARALLELS AS SEEN IN COLOSSIANS 2:11-2:12:

Both baptism and circumcision are rites representing spiritual purifications of the heart. Baptism, in the name of Jesus, clearly is a identification with every act of Jesus. This is shown in the Romans 6:3-6.

Romans 6:3-6 Having a purification to your heart.

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This page is maintained by Dennis Schmidt. Please send your questions or comments to (dennisaschmidt1@gmail.com).