A Biblical Theology of Circumcision

Dr. Alastair Roberts addresses the topic of circumcision and its place in the biblical story in this short clip from a lecture he delivered during our course on Theology of the Sexes. Enjoy!

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[paulhewitt]

He can theologise circumcision as much as he wants, it is still genital mutilation - a very strange and weird sign of the covenant...

[jessewallaceable]

I do not understand in the slightest how circumcising the penis can have anything to do with God. You gave no explanation whatsoever.

[michelhaineault]

Circumcision was of the flesh but the true circumcision is from the heart. We have receive a new heart trough being born from the most high. The promess of the covenant to Abraham was that ALL NATIONS WILL BE BLESS TROUGH HIM ! This is the circumcision of the heart not of the flesh....

[xaindsleena]

I'm baffled that the most enlightened, most intelligent, and most benevolent being in the Universe required his followers to cut off the tips of their wiIIies. The bible also says that God got so angry with Moses because he didn't circumcise his son, that he tried to kill him. Do people really believe this stuff? What am I missing here?

[mburst]

Thank you for explaining it so clearly and eloquently. Finally a wise answer to a confusing act that now makes sense.

[fizanthony]

I have come back to help end circumcision. So it is said, so it is done.

[jamesburdette]

So why is it that God judges the city of Hamor and Shechem by the hand of Levi when all of the males were circumcised as recorded in Genesis 34?

[junedewar]

Ishmael was circumcised. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives were Syrian (Deuteronomy 26:5). Abraham married an Arabian called Keturah and had six sons (Genesis 25:1-3) these came to be the sons of Rechab who have the promise there will always be a man of Rechab standing before my Elohim forever Jeremiah 35:19. Why don't you take serous note of Exodus 32:10 when God told Moses to let him be that he would exterminate the whole of Israel for they were a stiff necked people and make a kingdom from Moses and Zipporah his Arabian wife whose progeny served as chieftains over the stores and over the treasures of the things made holy to Yahveh my God as appointed during the reign of King David 1 Chronicles 26:24-26.

Is it because you are stiff necked still that you always want to speak disparagingly of Ishmael whose mother Hagar represents mount Sinai in Arabia which corresponds with the Jerusalem today.

PS God forgive me I hate organised religion..

[libidinousbear]

Not only did you not give any actual reason why god would tell us to circumcise ourselves, you conveniently forgot the period between 0 A.D. and ~1850 A.D. where Christians being circumcised wasn’t common practice at all, it was left to the Jews and Muslims.

[amandadangerfieldpiano]

The law of circumcision was not intended to last forever. The Savior said: “The law of circumcision is done away in me.”

[bradwalton]

I found this difficult to follow. In what way is circumcision a "battening down of the hatches" before God's arrival? Does circumcision make a man "ship-shape" so to speak?

[junedewar]

The Son of God Yehoshua told the Pharisees of his day "Moses has given you the circumcision-- Not that it is from Moses, but that it is from your forefathers.. So it was not from Moses or from the Most High God but from your FOREFATHERS... I always wondered why my Elohim would order that to be done..

[suzanamalavasic]

The problem for most people is that they look at everything in the Bible as a single statement, event or teaching. That is because the movement of Life in our postmodern time has been away from community and tradition, toward individualism and uniqueness. We are totally incapable of seeing the Big Picture. The word of God imparted to Israel “Hear, O Israel, the LORD your God is ONE” is eternal. From The Beginning with Creation, in a great continuum of Time and Space, the Act of God is ONE. The LORD said LET THERE BE, and that BEING has continued without interruption. There is only One Covenant, One Promise, One Lord and Savior of us All. The Chosen People of God are the Israelites AND those who have become One in the Body of Christ. Circumcision is a part of the Mystery of Faith. This video sheds some light on the mystery, and I appreciate that.

[scottpardee]

Wait! The Egyptians had circumcision as well. The idea was that it was a matter of cleanliness. Otherwise men would be troubled with infections.

[danamcreynolds]

After reading several comments here, I see I'm not the only one for whom this presenter's discussion is incoherent. It's obvious this is not the beginning of his talk. Perhaps the groundwork happens before this point in his presentation.

If not, you need to work on this, brother.

[bronsonleach]

God doesn't recognize the circumcision of the flesh. Yehweh has no respect for those that harm children. This is why circumcision outside of medical necessity is forbidden in Christianity. Paul spoke very clearly on the matter.

[lukeaaron]

At no point have you said why.
Quoting scriptures and perspectives shows you don't know why and are just coming up with reasons.
If god made man in his image, would he really tell you to remove a piece of himself?
You've been sold a lie, all you've done is removed your ability to repent.
Who do Catholics make their sacrifices too?

[jamesbarker]

The psychological damage to a boy because of circumcision can be profound and lasting. This lecturer is spouting gibberish

[AmericanByGrace]

You didn’t explain it very well. Seems like you were grasping for straws

[jamesbarker]

I enjoying the total gibberish this fool is spouting