Circumcision or Not? That is the Question

I have been continued to read the second half of the New Testament. One of the issues at divided the early Christians centered on the conversion of Jews and non-Jews. The question was this: should a non-Jew before converting to Christianity first have to become a Jew by circumcision or can a gentile directly become a Christian bypassing circumcision?

In Acts 15:1-2 it says, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” Why were Paul and Barnabas so upset?

We can find the answer in Galatians. In this epistle, Paul is writing about this very question. Other Christian proselytizers had come to the people or place of Galatia after Paul had already taught them. These other Christians, as Paul writes, “pervert the gospel of Christ” and “called... unto another gospel (Galatians 1:6-7).” Later Paul writes in chapter 4, “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth his Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

The other Christians were teaching that Christ was not powerful enough to make a gentile a Christian. Rather, converts first had to become a Jew then a Christian to be saved. This angered Paul. These Christians in a sense were saying that the Atonement of Jesus Christ had only power to save Jews. This is completely untrue! These teachers were cheapening and lowering the sacrifice of Christ. Paul taught that God sent forth his Son, Jesus Christ, who saves men and makes them sons of God. Paul testified and knew the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How is this important in our lives? Do we forgive others? If we don’t, are we not in a sense saying that the Atonement of Christ is not powerful enough to make someone perfect? Do we forgive ourselves? If we don’t, are we not in a sense saying that the Atonement of Christ is not powerful enough to make us perfect? How do we feel about the Savior of the World?