In this post, we examine 1 Corinthians 7:19—“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God”, through the lens of first-century Judaism, where “circumcision” often referred not just to the physical act but to a man-made ritual of proselyte conversion that changed a Gentile’s ethnic and covenantal status to “Jew.” Drawing from historical sources like Josephus and rabbinic traditions, we clarify that Paul was rejecting the requirement of this ritual for salvation, not the biblical command itself. Instead, he affirmed that faith in Messiah, not ethnic transformation, grants inclusion in God’s covenant people while upholding obedience to God’s commandments.
In this post, we uncover the profound significance of circumcision as the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, revealing it as a declaration of God’s miraculous intervention in salvation history. Far from a mere cultural or health practice, circumcision points to the supernatural birth of Isaac and, ultimately, to the virgin birth of the Messiah, removing human procreation from the equation to emphasize God’s sovereign plan. Through this sign on the male organ, believers proclaim that the Seed promised to Abraham—Jesus—would come to redeem all nations, fulfilling the Gospel before it was fully revealed.
