Question for Christians, Mormons, people who feel the need to voice their opinions period!?

Question

In the old testament, where it says that Abraham and all his seed after him should get circumcised, why did they need to get circumcised? What's the point? Also is that rule still in effect today or was that just in that time period?

Answer 1

They needed to be circumcised because God commanded it as an outward observance of the covenant. A covenant is where a God asks a person to make a promise, and God makes promises in return. God keeps his side of the bargain if the human does their part.

The need for circumcision as part of the covenant was replaced with "circumcision of the heart" when Jesus came - in other words, purity of heart.

Other covenants are in effect today, such as "the new and everlasting covenant" - eternal marriage - which is similar to the promise given in the Abrahamic covenant, that through us all the nations and families of the earth would be blessed.

Answer 2

All Old Testament rules had a physical and spiritual benefit.

Paul the Apostle explained that circumcision is a spiritual sign of Man changing from the natural state (as born) into the spiritual state (reborn).

If you will look around the Internet, you will see the many medical benefits of a healthy circumcision.

God is like Father who is watching out for the best interests of His Children. Because of Sin, He knows that this is a dangerous would, and He protecting us from danger.

The Old Testament or Old Contract under Moses was conditional. It was based upon the obedience or disobedience of the children of Jacob.

The New Testament is an Unconditional Contract. It is completely based upon what Jesus Christ did, is doing, and will do. It does not nullify the Old Contract. Instead, He, Jesus fulfilled the Old Contract as a representative of mankind (the second Adam).

The Apostle James said that even one disobedience of the Old Contract made it null and void. No one in the history of mankind ever fulfilled this law. All attempts to do so were exercises in futility. Those who try to do so today for Spiritual benefit are just deceiving themselves. The situation was hopeless until the Messiah was born.

So now we are at liberty to live. All the Old Covenant rules do not apply to us today, but they serve as guiding principals in physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Answer 3

The circumcision was a sign in the flesh that there was a covenant between God and the believer. The circumcision represented a cutting away of the "bad" and leaving the "new" regenerated man. Alot of things done in the Old Testament sometimes were done symbolically and were a shadow of things to come. But now that Christ has come and fulfilled the Law, God only requires that you be circumsized in your heart. Because you can have the physical circumcision in your flesh and still not belong to God.

Answer 4

God told Abraham to be circumcised in the foreskin as a token that Abraham and all his seed after him (through Christ) will inherit the land God would later give them. All newborn Hebrew males were to be circumcised at 8 days old.

Nowadays the ritual is no longer required to get into a covenant relationship with God. It has been replaced with faith toward Jesus and obedience toward God. As a matter of fact, if anyone insists on getting circumcised, then that person must keep ALL the OT laws!

Incidentally, this is one of the rituals that medical science has seen to benefit man as a whole, since cutting off the male foreskin reduces the incidence of carrying certain diseases.

Answer 5

In the New Testament it is compared to circumcision of the heart, which appears to mean unity of heart, or integrity (like integrated). I think it would be pointing attention to the fact that the male penis can be used to compromise integrity. Some people seem to think that the ability to decide questions of justice based on "how much" needed to be punished is more to the point when it comes to integrity. (I don't know how this relates to the Greek idea of the music of the spheres where each area of life has its own rules that are then integrated. This is similar to Islam so that one-minute marriages can be incorporated into the same belief system as submission to God.)

This interest in recognising the combination of the organic basis for behaviour and the symbolic, rather than the societal and symbolic, is also reflected in the true seven deadly sins in the Bible. Rather than the made-up list including greed, avarice etc. the Bible lists in Proverbs 6:17-19:
"Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up dissension in the community."

Answer 6

Circumcision was symbolic in ancient times of being part of the lineage of Abraham. Being a descendant of Abraham was important because the ancient Israelites believed that as his descendants they were chosen as the people of God, above other nations. The "Abrahamic Covenant," according to the Old Testament, was a promise made by God to Abraham that he would have countless descendants through whom God would bless the whole world.

According to the New Testament it is no longer necessary to circumcise baby boys anymore. This means that for Muslims and Jews circumcision is still in effect, but for Christians (including Mormons) it is not.

Many people still practice circumcision because of religious reasons and health reasons. Recent studies have shown that uncircumcised men are far more susceptible to the virus that causes HIV/AIDS than men who have been circumcised.

Answer 7

Circumcision as defined in the Old Testament (Genesis 17) was a symbolic act of Covenant with God by which a Jewish male was entered into covenant with God. It required the participants in this covenant to accept and obediently follow sanctions and strict commandments. Circumcision became the "badge of membership" within the Covenant Community. It became the distinguishing mark of being a Jewish male.


And as far as I know yes circumcision is still performed as part of a religious ceremony when the baby boy is 8 days old, the ceremony is called a "bris"

Answer 8

ABRAHAM AND ALL HIS SEED WERE CIRCUMCISED IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S REQUEST; THIS WAS ALSO A VISIBLE MARK ON EACH JEWISH MAN, A MARK OF FAITH MADE ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF LIFE. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN CIRCUMCISION WAS POSTPONED, SUCH AS THE 40 YRS WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS; AT THE END OF THE TREK ALL THE MEN UNDERWENT THE CEREMONY ON THE SAME DAY. IT IS STILL A RULE TODAY AND PRACTICING JEWS GENERALLY TURN THE OCCASION INTO A CELEBRATION!

Answer 9

Old Testament tradition...

Circumcision was a symbol of obedience to God and a way to distinguish the Hebrews from surrounding peoples...

Answer 10

It was done as a sign of faith and to set apart the chosen people from the rest. The Apostle Paul (Saul) made it very clear that upon Christs death that and other ordnance's like the sacrifice of Animals were done away with by the higher law of Jesus.