|
Baptism and Circumcision
Q. What could baptism ever have to do with circumcision? They would be as likely to have anything to do with each other as a baptistry would have anything to do with baby booties.
A. As with the matter of baptism having anything to do the Abrahamic covenant, in order to know whether there is any connection here it will be necessary to have a good understanding of the entire Bible, both the Old and New Testament. Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. Covenant theology believes the Abrahamic covenant continues through the New Testament. Covenant theology sees baptism as not just an initiatory rite into the Christian church, it is now the New Testament sign of the Abrahamic covenant. This may sound quite foreign to anyone reading it for the first time. All things considered, what is actually true and Biblical will be determined by a good, thorough examination of the facts in God's Word.
* * * * * * *
Q Circumcision was a rite for Old Testament Israel. What does it have to do with the church?
A When one considers the physical rite of circumcision one will notice parallels to the physical sign of baptism. Baptism is a symbol of the washing away of sins. Circumcision was also a symbol of purification. In this connection Jeremiah 4:4, as one example, reads: 4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done - burn with no one to quench it. In this passage God, through the prophet Jeremiah, tells the Israelites that they must purify themselves of the evil they have done. The word He uses to mean purify is to circumcise themselves, circumcise their hearts.
* * * * * * *
Q Wasn't circumcision just a physical ceremony, what did it have to do with spiritual matters? Baptism has to do with spiritual salvation.
A Circumcision also represented the need for spiritual purification. This is evident in the above passage of Jeremiah 4:4.
Zwingli's Grossmünster
|
