Circumcision dates back to the time of Abraham. It was “a token of the covenant” between God and Abraham. All male descendants of Abraham were to be circumcised (Gen. 17). This custom became a part of the law of Moses as well (Lev. 12:3; John 7:22). When the church began, some Jewish brethren tried to bind circumcision on Gentile Christians. They said, “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.” The Jerusalem conference met to discuss this matter (Acts 15). Paul in writing to the Galatian brethren said, “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law…. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Gal. 5:2-6.)
In writing to the church at Colosse Paul used circumcision in a metaphorical or figurative sense to refer to baptism. He called it “the circumcision made without hands.” To the Roman saints Paul said, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom. 2:28-29.) So, Paul refers to a spiritual circumcision. Just when and where does that spiritual circumcision take place? Paul tells us:
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. (Col. 2:9-13)
The above passage teaches that when one experiences the circumcision of Christ (i.e., the baptism which Christ requires - Mark 16:16; Acts 10:48), his sins are forgiven. Prior to one’s experiencing this circumcision without hands (baptism), he is dead in his sins, and the un-circumcision of the flesh. The circumcision made without hands involves being buried with Christ and being raised together with him. This is the operation of God. What occurs in that operation? One is forgiven all trespasses. When one submits to the circumcision made without hands (baptism), he experiences the operation of God, which is the forgiveness of all trespasses.
So, we gather from the above that it follows that in baptism:
1. The “body of the sins of the flesh” is put off.
2. One is made alive, or “quickened together with him.”
3. One is “forgiven all trespasses.”
The following syllogisms based on Colossians 2:11-13 are worthy of your consideration:
Major Premise: Circumcision of the heart is to put off the body of sins of the flesh (Rom. 2:29;
Col. 2:12).
Minor Premise: But this circumcision of the heart takes place in baptism (Col. 2:12).
Conclusion: Therefore, the body of the sins of the flesh is put off in baptism.
Major Premise: We are forgiven all trespasses when raised with him (Col. 2:12-13).
Minor Premise: But we are raised with him in baptism (Col. 2:12).
Conclusion: Therefore, we are forgiven all trespasses in baptism.
Major Premise: Circumcision of the heart is an operation of God (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:12).
Minor Premise: But this operation of God takes place when we are buried and raised with Christ
Conclusion: Therefore, circumcision of the heart takes place in baptism.
Major Premise: Circumcision of the heart takes place in baptism.
Minor Premise: Circumcision of the heart removes sin (Col. 2:11).
Conclusion: Therefore, sins are removed in baptism.
Major Premise: There is no removal of sin without faith in the operation of God (Col. 2:12).
Minor Premise: But the operation of God takes place in baptism (Col. 2:12).
Conclusion: Therefore, there is no removal of sin without baptism.
Major Premise: We are “quickened together with him” – made alive with him – when
Minor Premise: We are raised with him in baptism (Col. 2:12-13).
Conclusion: Therefore, we are quickened together with him - made alive with him - in baptism.
In the past some have tried to defend infant baptism by attempting to parallel circumcision with water baptism. I will give some thoughts on that in a future article. Most of the material in this article came from debate notes of Roy Hearn and Curtis Porter.