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the uncircumcision

 

Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

 

  • uncircumcision

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The chapter titled, "the circumcision", deals with the LORD beginning to form a peculiar people unto Himself. In Genesis 12, the LORD swore to Abraham that land would be inherited by his seed, for an everlasting possession. This is again confirmed in Genesis 15, as well as in chapter 17. However, a condition was now put in place on males, that they must be circumcised, which would differentiate them from other nations. Under the OT, the household fell under the responsibility and spiritual welfare of the father and thus was this rite placed upon the male.

 

In this chapter, clear distinction will be made between the circumcision and the uncircumcision, in identifying who the uncircumcision are in Romans 3:30, who God justifies ‘through faith’.

 

Circumcision served two purposes. It was both an identifier and a separator at same time. The identifier is obvious and the separating element is explicitly described in Ephesians.

 

Gentiles Called Uncircumcision by the Circumcision

 

Ephesians 2:11-12 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

 

  • ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh

  • who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands

  • at that time ye were without Christ

  • being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

  • and strangers from the covenants of promise

  • having no hope

  • and without God in the world

 

Though the time-line (time past) of this passage is fine tuned in chapters entitled, "Gentiles" and "uncircumcision justified through faith", a trend is shown that can be traced from the foundation of the world.

 

‘Good’ is the word used throughout the opening chapter of Genesis regarding God’s creation. However, because of the free will nature given to both angels and man, this ‘good’ constantly got interrupted. A select group of rebellious angels were excommunicated from heaven. Because of disobedience, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden . A world was drowned out, at the time of Noah, because of evil. Then, as the world once again rebelled against the ‘good’ way of God, the LORD began another attempt to give instruction in the ways of righteousness. This begins with Abraham being given the covenant of circumcision, which was both a sign of identification as well as separation.

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The Covenant of Circumcision

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Genesis 17:13-14 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

 

  • the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised

  • that soul shall be cut off from his people

  • he hath broken my covenant

 

This covenant of circumcision was part of a series of covenants, put in place by the LORD through the fathers, that paved a path of righteousness to be lived out through a seed that would inherit promises. The Gentile, as described as the uncircumcision, by the circumcision made by hands in the flesh, was not recipients of these covenants of promise! Let it be clear that the covenants of promises, made by the LORD through the fathers, were NOT made to Gentiles! Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world…

 

When the Lord Jesus Christ arrived on the scene, He was a minister of the circumcision, confirming promises made to the fathers, which excluded the uncircumcision.

 

Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

 

  • Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision

  • for the truth of God

  • to confirm the promises made unto the fathers

 

Usages of the Word ‘uncircumcised’ in the Bible

 

The word ‘uncircumcised’, has different usages giving different connotations. Obviously, it is used in a physical sense along with destination of a certain group of people. In all reality, one could divide the world into two classifications… the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Then there is a symbolic application that discerns between righteousness and unrighteousness. The following outline and passages give illustration of each.

 

A. Physical Sense

 

Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

 

  • the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised

 

Genesis 34:14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

 

  • We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised

 

Exodus 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

 

  • let all his males be circumcised

  • for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof

 

Joshua 5:7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

 

  • them Joshua circumcised

  • for they were uncircumcised

  • because they had not circumcised them by the way

 

Jeremiah 9:25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;

 

  • with the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 44:7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.

 

  • uncircumcised in flesh

 

B. Gentiles/Nations/Heathen

 

Judges 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

 

  • wife of the uncircumcised Philistines

 

Judges 15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

 

  • fall into the hand of the uncircumcised

 

1 Samuel 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

 

  • let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised

 

1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

 

  • for who is this uncircumcised Philistine

 

1 Samuel 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

 

  • this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them

 

1 Samuel 31:4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

 

  • lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through

 

2 Samuel 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

 

  • lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph

 

Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

 

  • there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 28:10 Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

 

  • Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 31:18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

 

  • thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.

 

  • and be thou laid with the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

 

  • they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword

 

Ezekiel 32:24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

 

  • which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth

 

Ezekiel 32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.

 

  • all of them uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

 

  • all of them uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

 

  • the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

 

  • thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

 

  • they shall lie with the uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

 

  • they lie uncircumcised

 

Ezekiel 32:32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

 

  • he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised

 

C. Symbolic

 

Exodus 6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

 

  • who am of uncircumcised lips

 

Exodus 6:30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

 

  • I am of uncircumcised lips

 

Leviticus 19:23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.

 

  • then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised

  • three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you

 

Leviticus 26:41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

 

  • if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled

 

Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

 

  • their ear is uncircumcised

 

Jeremiah well described the spiritual condition, of his time, regarding both the nations around about and Israel within.

 

Jeremiah 9:26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

 

  • for all these nations are uncircumcised

  • and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart

 

Romans 3:30 Context

 

In conclusion to this chapter, it brings us back to who are the uncircumcision of Romans 3:30... "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision 'through faith'."

 

It has been shown that, generally speaking, they are the Gentiles falling outside of the covenant promises made to the fathers, having no hope and without God in the world. Specifically, the context in which we find Paul stating that God is justifying the uncircumcision ‘through faith’, is from Paul’s perspective and ministry as God’s apostle to the Gentiles, after his conversion.

 

1 Timothy 2:6-7 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

 

  • Who gave himself a ransom for all

  • to be testified in due time

  • Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle

  • a teacher of the Gentiles

 

Ephesians 3:6-7 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

 

  • the Gentiles should be fellowheirs

  • and of the same body

  • and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel

  • Whereof I was made a minister

 

In other words, until Paul’s ministry and gospel, Gentiles were not justified ‘through faith’, in becoming fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God, which encompasses now both earthly and heavenly hopes and callings!

 

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

 

  • ye are no more strangers and foreigners

  • but fellowcitizens with the saints

  • and of the household of God

 

When and how, these Gentiles are saved, are found in chapter titled, "uncircumcision justified through faith".

 

the circumcision

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