Circumcision (the best explanation I've seen yet) - Colossians 2:11-17

2:11 - Maybe it’s because the concept of circumcision was such a prominent topic back in Paul’s day that he brings it up over and over again. Maybe by always bringing it up and then attaching circumcision to another non-physical concept, he can either help the gentile converts understand why they don’t have to do it, or head it off for when the Jewish Christian converts come up from Jerusalem and try to sew discord among the newly converted gentiles. Referring to “Christ… which is the head of all principality and power,” Paul tells his newly converted audience that they are “circumcised with the circumcision made without hands.” This is pretty clear in stating that Christ doesn’t want them to be subject to the physical law of circumcision, but spiritually “in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” The article on this chapter from gospeldoctrine.com quotes Bruce R. McConkie as stating, “(Here Paul refers to a) spiritual circumcision, which consists in accepting Christ and living his gospel, of cutting away, not a part of the body, but one’s whole carnal nature. The contrast is with carnal or literal circumcision, which had in times past been a symbol of conformity of the law of carnal commandments which God gave Moses to remind Israel of her duties.” So anciently, the law of circumcision was given to by a physical reminder to Israel to be obedient to the physically based law of Moses. Now that Jesus had performed the atonement, the law of physical circumcision was done away, but spiritual circumcision was instated where we are to spiritually rid ourselves of the natural man. That’s the best explanation I’ve heard of concerning physical vs. spiritual circumcision. 2:12-15 - Paul continues that we are not only to be spiritually circumcised, but also “buried with (Christ) in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” There are a couple of quotes in the article that talks about the beauty of the ordinance of baptism, what our former, sinful selves die and are buried in the water of baptism and when we are brought out of the water, we are new beings. The article quotes Theodore M. Burton as noting, “Repentance precedes baptism, and baptism is the ordinance by which former sins are washed away. The washing in water symbolizes the purification of our soul… But baptism symbolizes something more. It is the beginning of a new life. Just as the resurrection purges the dross and imperfections of mortality and renews and perfects the body, so baptism cleanses the soul from sin and prepares a person to lead a better, more perfect life in the future. We can see how apt Pauls’ similar was in which he compared baptism with death and the resurrection.” Paul reminds the people that we are “dead in your sins.” This refers to spiritual death that separates us from God, but Christ “hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Even though we are spiritually dead, through Jesus’ atonement, he forgives us and allows us to be alive again. He does this by “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it our of the way, nailing it to his cross.” The article says that even though Moses came down from Sinai with 10 commandments, over time Moses “revealed many statues and judgments which the children of Israel were bound to keep.” Paul says that Christ “blotted out” the other laws “that were against us,” which means that he didn’t say they didn’t need to be kept, he just forgave them for not keeping them perfectly. There is a big difference between saying, “you don’t have to do it at all” and “you’re attempt to do it was acceptable, though imperfect.” The IM has an interesting explanation for “nailing it to his cross” saying, “In Paul’s day it was customary for Romans to write on a placard the crimes committed by a condemned person When the wrongdoer was crucified, the placard was also nailed to the cross for all passersby to see. Paul used this imagery in verses 13-15 to teach the Colossians that they had been forgiven. It was as though a list of all of the spiritual charges and accusations against the Colossian Saints, including their sins and infractions against the ordinances of the law of Moses, were placed on a placard and nailed to the cross. Through the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, these were erased or blotted out. Through His Atonement and Resurrection, Jesus Christ triumphed over all earthy powers and authorities.” Even though it’s difficult to understand “HOW” the atonement works, this is an excellent way to help us visualized the rudimentary explanation and help us internalize it a little bit better. 2:16-17 – There were a few unique problems that the Colossian saints encountered that other congregations did not and that was not only having Christian Jews try to convince the gentile converts to keep the law of Moses but they also had a hodge podge other cultures have opinions about how these converts kept the new Christian law. According to Paul these had to do with what the people ate, drank, which holidays they celebrated, and which days they considered holy. Paul basically said not to worry about what other people thought and just keep the commandments, or as the article paraphrases, “faith in Christ is all that matters.” The word “judge” in verse 16 is cross-referenced with Romans 14:1-3 where Paul tells his audience to stop nit-picking at each other for what they are eating and drinking saying, “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” So just kind of “mind your own business” type of advice here. At this point it doesn’t seem like there is much emphasis on the dietary guidelines of the gospel. Anciently, the law of Moses had some pretty serious restrictions and of course we have the word of wisdom today, but I think maybe at this point there are many other more pressing issues that the people need to fully grasp first before other guidelines can come in. It’s hard for us to have the word of wisdom and look back not thinking that there was also that restriction for them as well, but I don’t really remember Paul or even Jesus for that matter saying too much about what people should eat or drink. More so I remember them saying that it doesn’t matter what goes into your mouth as much as what comes out of it.