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Circumcision Prevents some Cancers and Diseases   (PDF - Adobe 6.0)

Abraham and Joshua act as Surrogate Fathers of Faith.

God also said to Abraham: "On your part, (1) you and (2) your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you that you must keep: (1) every male among you shall be circumcised. Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the mark of the covenant between you and me. Throughout the ages, (2) every male among you, when he is eight days old, shall be circumcised, including houseborn slaves and those acquired with money from any foreigner who is not of your blood. Yes, both the houseborn slaves and those acquired with money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting pact. If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if the flesh of his foreskin has not been cut away, such a one shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." [Gn. 17:9-14]

December 14, 2006
Circumcision Halves H.I.V. Risk, U.S. Agency Finds
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

        Circumcision appears to reduce a man's risk of contracting AIDS from heterosexual sex by half, United States government health officials said yesterday, and the directors of the two largest funds for fighting the disease said they would consider paying for circumcisions in high-risk countries.
        The announcement was made by officials of the National Institutes of Health as they halted two clinical trials, in Kenya and Uganda, on the ground that not offering circumcision to all the men taking part would be unethical. The success of the trials confirmed a study done last year in South Africa.

As seen above, the covenant was divided into two parts:

1. The initial binding of the covenant wherein Abraham circumcised himself and all males associated with him.
2. The father's acceptance of the covenant of faith was to be found in the flesh of his sons.

       The concern that exists can be seen in the last sentence (v. 14) which is underlined above. The common, but mistaken interpretation is that the uncircumcised male was to be cut off from his people. The problem should readily be seen. If separation from his people was to take place, when was it to occur? On the ninth day following birth?

       It should be easily understood that the guilty party was the boy's father. It was he who was to be cut off from his people because he had demonstrated by his failure to circumcise his son that he was not a person of faith. While it might well be true that the son, and indeed the whole family, was in fact cut off (separated from the community of faith) because of the sin of the father, it would be erroneous to say that guilt lay upon the person not circumcised.

COMMENT:  While it is acknowledged that the original Scriptures are free from error, it must be recognized that the originals no longer exist. What remains is reliable, but it must be accepted that parts or sections most assuredly have either been lost or deliberately not carried forward over the millennia. However, sufficient of the Sacred Scriptures remain so that, coupled with sound reasoning, the basic content has not been lost. The validity of the position taken above is affirmed in a subsequent passage.

When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded. [Gn. 21:4]

On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon Moses and would have killed him. But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son's foreskin and, touching his person, she said, "You are a spouse of blood to me." Then God let Moses go. At that time she said, "A spouse of blood," in regard to the circumcision. [Ex. 4:24-26]

       As can be seen from the above passage it was the father of the boy, in this case Moses, who was to be held accountable for not having circumcised his son. Except for the intervention of Moses' wife, who circumcised the boy as "A spouse of blood," Moses would have been killed by God Himself.

If any aliens living among you wish to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, all the males among them must first be circumcised, and then they may join in its observance just like the natives. But no man who is uncircumcised may partake of it. [Ex. 12:48]

       Here the prescription clearly only refers to aliens desiring to partake in the Passover.

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked. For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. [Dt. 10:16-19]

       Here the prescription clearly refers to the cutting off of desires of the flesh.

On this occasion the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite nation for the second time." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth, under these circumstances: Of all the people who came out of Egypt, every man of military age had died in the desert during the journey after they left Egypt. Though all the men who came out were circumcised, none of those born in the desert during the journey after the departure from Egypt were circumcised. Now the Israelites had wandered forty years in the desert, until all the warriors among the people that came forth from Egypt died off because they had not obeyed the command of the LORD. For the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land flowing with milk and honey which he had promised their fathers he would give us. It was the children whom he raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, for these were yet with foreskins, not having been circumcised on the journey. [Joshua 5:2-7]

For the sake of the LORD, be circumcised, remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem; Lest my anger break out like fire, and burn till none can quench it, because of your evil deeds. [Jer. 4:4]

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, [Lk. 1:59]

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Lk. 2:21]

       When the practice of a rabbi performing the right of circumcision was established is unknown to me, but was not the original intention of the Lord. It is probable that Joseph, as foster father of Jesus, performed the circumcision on Jesus and was therefore bonded to Him in a special way.

"because of it. Moses gave you circumcision--not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs--and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. [Jn. 7:22]

Stephen said, "Then he gave him (Abraham) the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, as Isaac did Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs." [Acts 7:8]

       These are clear and direct statements that a father of faith performed the act of circumcision himself.

While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the (uncircumcised) Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?" He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. [Acts 10:44-48]

       God clearly here showed no partiality for the circumcised over uncircumcised children and adults.

But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law." [Acts 15:5]

       The covenant of circumcision was not of Mosaic origin. There is no evidence that Moses himself ever performed a circumcision. While Moses did teach the continuation of the covenant of circumcision there is no explanation as to why he did not see to it that those of warrior age upon leaving Egypt did not circumcise their sons. In the Book of Deuteronomy he directly taught circumcision of the heart on at least two occasions.

After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, "My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they." [Acts 15:7-11]

       Here Peter is referring to the yoke of law (following the letter of the law for the sake of the law) in preference to living a life of faith. Clearly more are saved through faith than through law.

'It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.' " [Acts 15:28-29]

They have been informed that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to abandon Moses and that you are telling them not to circumcise their children or to observe their customary practices. [Acts 21:21]

       This was an accusation made against St. Paul that was without foundation. It was not repeated or otherwise dealt with.

Circumcision, to be sure, has value if you observe the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Again, if an uncircumcised man keeps the precepts of the law, will he not be considered circumcised? Indeed, those who are physically uncircumcised but carry out the law will pass judgment on you, with your written law and circumcision, who break the law. One is not a Jew outwardly. True circumcision is not outward, in the flesh. Rather, one is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not the letter; his praise is not from human beings but from God.        What advantage is there then in being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much, in every respect. (For) in the first place, they were entrusted with the utterances of God. [Rom. 2:25-3:2]

       The reason why God used circumcision of the flesh is not stated in Scripture even though St. Paul here attributes value to it. Modern psychological analysis however should reveal the answer. Reflecting on our present era it is clear to see that there is little attachment between many fathers and their sons. While some association naturally occurs between fathers and daughters, because of the nature of daughters, there is no comparable association with sons. It seems probable that God chose circumcision as the best method of establishing a meaningful bond between a father and a son.

"for God is one and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith." [Rom. 3:30]

"Does this blessedness apply only to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? Now we assert that "faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness." Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or not? He was not circumcised, but uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal on the righteousness received through faith while he was uncircumcised. Thus he was to be the father of all the uncircumcised who believe, so that to them (also) righteousness might be credited, as well as the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but also follow the path of faith that our father Abraham walked while still uncircumcised." [Rom. 4:9-12]

"For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs," [Rom. 15:8]

"Was someone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was an uncircumcised person called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God's commandments." [1 Cor. 7:18-19]

       Circumcision of an older child or of an adult serves no useful purpose in regard to salvation.

Moreover, not even Titus, who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, [Gal 2:3]

It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised that he is bound to observe the entire law. [Gal. 5:2-3]

For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. [Gal. 5:6]

It is those who want to make a good appearance in the flesh who are trying to compel you to have yourselves circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those having themselves circumcised observe the law themselves; they only want you to be circumcised so that they may boast of your flesh. [Gal. 6:12-13]

For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. [Gal. 6:15]

For we are the circumcision, we who worship through the Spirit of God, who boast in Christ Jesus and do not put our confidence in flesh, [Phil. 3:3]

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. [Col. 2:11]

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. [Col. 3:11]

       There is no indication that the covenant of circumcision of eight day old sons has ever been abrogated.

       Additional question:  Are there other possible reasons for the practice of circumcision other than bonding between father and son?

Fr. David C. Trosch
Memorial of Pope Callistus I
14 October 1998

        Circumcision Prevents some Cancers and Diseases

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