According to the Bible men are to be circumcised, why is this and is it a real sin not to be according to the?

Answer 1

Nope read Galatians... It does not matter after Christ.

Answer 2

The circumcision is a physical symbol of the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people. It is a constant reminder of what the Jewish mission entails (a reminder which men need more than women). Let's look at its details:

If circumcision is what G-d wants, why aren't we born circumcised? G-d created the world imperfect, and gave us the mission to perfect it. G-d created wheat, humans make bread. G-d created a jungle, humans create civilization. The raw materials are given to us, and we are to use our ingenuity to improve on the world that we were born into. This is symbolized by the bris -- we are born uncircumcised, and it is up to us to "finish the job". This is also true metaphorically. We each have instincts and natural tendencies that are inborn, but need to be refined. "I was born that way" does not excuse immoral behavior -- we are to cut away any negative traits, no matter how innate they may seem.

Why on earth would G-d choose circumcision to represent something sacred? Jewish spirituality is about making the physical world holy. The way we eat, sleep, work and procreate should be imbued with the same holiness as the way we pray; our homes should be as sanctified as our synagogues. We find G-d on earth just as much (and perhaps more) than in the heavens. So we put a sign on the most physical and potentially lowly organ, to say that it can and should be used in a holy way. In fact, it is in sexuality that we can touch the deepest part of our soul, when we approach it with holiness.

Why circumcise a baby? Wouldn't the statement be more powerful if it were made by a mature adult? The circumcision is performed when a child is still not aware of what is happening. This is because the Jewish connection to G-d is intrinsic -- whether our minds believe in G-d or not, whether our hearts love G-d or not, our souls know G-d. We can join the covenant with G-d even without being consciously aware of Him, because subconsciously we already know Him.

Why specifically on the eighth day? The number seven represents nature - seven days of the week, seven colors of the rainbow, seven musical notes (doh re mi etc); the number eight is the number that surpasses seven, and thus represents the miraculous, what is beyond nature. We do the bris on the eighth day because the Jewish people survive on miracles. Our history defies the laws of nature. We welcome a new Jewish child into this miraculous existence on the eighth day of his life, as if to say, "Expect miracles!"

Answer 3

It was requested by God to Abraham and his descendants to set themselves apart from everyone around them. Romans 2: 25-29. Notice it talks about Christians having an inward circumcision. As Christians, we are no longer under the Law of Moses (Romans 7:6) do not have to have to be circumcised look at Acts 15. We are joined to the promise of Abraham because the promise was before the circumcision, Romans 4:9-13. Circumcision was a means to set the Jews apart from everyone else, this is no longer required for Christians.

Answer 4

this is about a covenant with God. The Jews to this day are STILL circumcised but Jesus going to the cross rewrote the covenant so that ALL would be made holy just by virtue of the fact that entering into salvation by confessing Jesus to be Lord and Savior and vowing to live as His discple invalidates the mandatory need for circumcision. The Jews however reject Jesus as the messiah and Son of God. They simply don't realize they are looking for God's son. They think they are looking for a leader to restore the temple in Jeruselum. I could go in depth but the bottom line on your question is that Circumcision is the outward symbolism of a covenant to walk with God for a jewish male. However the relationship with God is open for EVERYONE. not just gentiles but Jews too. a gentile is anyone who is not jewish, which means arabs as well are also gentiles. The orginal plan was for the Jews to recieve the Good News and to accept it and spread it to the rest of the world. However this did not happen. Paul is the jewish ambassador to the Gentiles even though he originally persecuted Jews and Chrstians so nomatter where you are in life and what you have done, God love you and don't ever give up! God can take your lemons that you have made of your life and make the tastiest lemonade if you ask!

Answer 5

Genesis Chapter 17 : Circumcision is a sign of the covenant between Jehovah and the Jews. Not being circumcised breaks the ( old ) covenant with Jehovah. Being circumcised is not going to stop Christians from getting into heaven , but not being circumcised might stop them from entering Heaven!

The Christians , being mostly Gentile , non Jews , decided they didn’t like their foreskin removed . Peter was condemned by the council in Jerusalem on this point and Paul / Saul confronted Peter on this issue ( Galatians 2:11-14 ). The issue of foreskin removal is one of many divides between Jews and Christians , such divisions have lead to over 30,000 Christian variations on Judaism.

Since Peter and Paul were in disagreement at Antioch ( in Turkey ) , it is fair to say that even after Jesus died , The Christians were still being circumcised and that only after protests by the Gentile Jews some 20 years after Jesus died , did the circumcision start to fade out for Christians.

Christians use Jesus and the new covenant as an Excuse not to have circumcision . At no point does Jesus say ‘ Don’t get circumcised as sign of the ( new) covenant ‘.

Personally , I tend to think that Christian men don’t want to be circumcised either because they do not want to be identified with Jews or they are only superficial about their intentions. Many Christians wax and wane about their belief and commitment to Jesus. Circumcision is too permanent a reminder if they change their mind , even worse than getting a tattoo !

Answer 6

According to the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants, JEWISH MEN are to be circumcised; Gentile men are not required to do so.

Circumcision was considered by God to be a physical sign and reminder to the Jews of their covenant with God.

However, the Mosaic Covenant was made up of laws which were largly (but not exclusively) symbolic in nature. It is the Christian position that circumcision was God's way of symbolically demonstrating two things to those who follow Him:

1) we are to be identifiably different from the rest of society;
2) we are to remove that which is unhelpful to us from ourselves; to a Christian, this process involves turning our lives over to Him completely and slowly, over time, becoming transformed into His image. This process is sometimes very painful indeed, so hopefully you can see the association there.

EDIT: Jack B, that DEFINATELY falls into the "TMI" category, lol.

Answer 7

It is not required or even recommended for health or hygiene or any other reasons (they don't understand this in America though) nor is it required under the New Testament, only Jews do it under the Old Testament, read Paul's letters I think Galatians it says circumcision is not necessary and actually warns against it.

Answer 8

Old school rules that don't apply any more. I believe that many orthodox religions still practice the tradition. I say if God wanted it removed, he would remove it himself.

We could trade "facts" all day, but there are no health differences significantly between those who are circumcised, or those who aren't. Maybe these myths are propogated among those with the lighter penises? Hmmmm? LOL

Answer 9

Although some religions still advocate circumcision, it was part of the Mosaic Law Covenant, and is not necessary for Christians.

Answer 10

Jesus died and cam e back to life so that people wouldn't have to make sacrifices, or circumcision etc... to be close to God. We can be next to God now, because Jesus died for us.

Circumcisions are no longer necessary. That is the Old Testament. We are now living in the New Testament.

Answer 11

You misunderstand what the Bible says. It says the chosen people of the Lord, the ones who were to be his covenant (promised) people were to as a sign of their promise perform circumcism on their male children. So it was to be sign if you were part of the people who were to be the servents of God. See that was the choosing. God was going to set up a people who would be an example to the world how God wanted us to live. This group of people, the decendants of Abraham (who had two sons, Ishmael - the father of the Arab world, and Isaac, the father of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel that had 12 sons) who becomes the father of the twelve tribes of Isreal of which only ONE tribre remains identified today - Judah or the Jews, meaning you could be of the tribe of Dan or of Naptali as far as we can tell or some other tribe - actually I am of the tribe of Joseph through his son Ephraim, but this is an aside - but all of these people were to be message givers of God's ways, the reason they were to be chosen. Now coming back to your question, only if one is willing to be part of the people of God should it be important whether one circumcises your sons. When Christ came he came to fulfill the law of moses. He came to tell the chosen people they had forgotten their promise as they were not living as they had promised to live to be the message givers to all the people of the earth of God's ways. He through his Apostle Paul revealed that it was not time for ALL people to become chosen. All people were to live by the words Jesus taught, which were mostly the same that had been said before, but forgotten. Well, Paul asked the question whether the new coverts to the way to be circucised in their adult hood, and the revelation was NO. So circumcision was done away. It was not longer needed to mark those who were of the chosen group, as ALL mankind was now to be chosen, to be part of the ways Christ taught. Therefore, only if one holds to the old traditions need circumsicion be done. It is not a sin not to be. It is not required. However, if one still holds that you want your sons to see themselves as special in the eyes of God, go ahead. If you were not, don't worry. It is not required for you to become circumcised in your adulthood if it was not done as an infant. It has been fulfilled and ended as a marking of your being brought into the ways of God. I hope I have been clear.