1. Circumcision was not a part of the Mosaic covenant, but of the Abrahamic covenant. It had a much larger application than the former.
I read all your posts and I believe Scarlet has most ably responded and demonstrated your position is erroneous. However, I will comment on your post.
In the above artificial distinction you have made there is a big problem. Abraham, not Moses is regarded by the Jews as the father of Israel. Circumcision therefore to all his household, including Ishmael and Esau is consistent with the promise of a nation from his own loins. So the idea that it is "much larger application than the former" is simply incorrect.
It was closely connected with justification by faith and the promise of the coming Savior.
The connection is made crystal clear. It's only connection, its only value is an external "sign" of "the faith" already in possession. Colossians 2:12 makes it clear that it is a sign of a REGENERATED BELIEVING heart. Even the Old Testament (as you quoted) makes it clear it is the sign of a REGENERATED believing heart. It is not a sign of faith not yet received but faith already received. This leads us to infant male circucmision and I will make that point next.
2. The circumcision of Abraham, according to Paul in Romans 4:11, was a seal of the righteousness of faith that he had before he was circumcised. God told Abraham to give this seal to his children/infants so that God could make them partakers of the privileges of His covenant in their early infancy.
What you don't seem to grasp is that a "sign" is a figure and the writer of hebrews claims that there were many such signs under the Old Covenant. For example, sacrifices are called a "shadow" and such sacrifices preceded both the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants did they not (Gen. 4)??? Yes, they did. But they are still but a "shadow." A "shadow" only provides FORM but does not provide SUBSTANCE (Heb. 10:1) and the "FORM" cannot obtain anything much less literally remit sins (Heb. 10:4). The substance is found only in what casts the shadow - which is Jesus Christ (Col. 2:16-17) and it as in circucumcision, such "signs" avail only those whose faith is ALREADY in the substance - Acts 10:43.
Circumcision of infant males at 8 days old is simply a more expanded "shadow" or type even under the Old Covenant. Remember, jesus told Nicodemus that he must be "BORN AGAIN" as an old man? Regardless of the age when faith embraces the substance of shadows there is a BIRTH of a SPIRITUAL CHILD. The circumcision of 8 day old Jewish male infants pictures the very exact same thing as the circumcision of Abraham. The doctrine of the sign is expounded in Abraham whereas the more expanded doctrine is visualized in the infant circumcision which can be directly applied also to Abraham, because when Abraham was spiritually transformed from a Heathen idolatrous worshipper in Ur of the Chaldees to a believer in the promise of a coming redeemer "seed" (Gal. 3:17) he was at that precise moment of transformation became a spiritual infant in the kingdom of God needing to grow and mature spiritually from that point forward.
If you have not understood what I have said, then let me say it clearly - infant circucmison is a "shadow" of new birth experienced at the point of conversion from unbelief to belief and so infant circumcision is merely a more expanded "sign" of the very same truth.
3. Is there any connection between circumcision and baptism? The apostle Paul says that there is, in Colossians 2:11: “ In whom (Christ) you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein you were also raised with him through faith.”
The problem with your interpretation is that it is based upon jerking this text out of its overall context. Look at the scriptures that precede it as well as follow it.
The preceding context sets the stage for the reader to realize the COMPLETENESS in Christ by faith without ADDITIONS -
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Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Beginning in verse 11 to verse 17 that completeness is without the "shadow" of the Old Testament ceremonial laws including circumcision as the substance (Christ and his completed work on the cross) makes the "shadow" obselete:
11 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:
12 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.
13 ¶ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
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Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Verses 11-13 deal particular with both circumcision and baptism and the one thing they have in common with each other as signs and that is the death or cutting off the flesh and new life. Both externally are signs of the cutting off of the sinful nature - the old flesh in regard to the NEW LIFE of the INWARD MAN.
Note his langauge in verse 11 as he introduces the new inward cirucumcision made without hands - meaning something only God can do as no human hands can accomplish this internal miracle of God. Romans 4:11 proves this work without hands does not occur simeltaneous with the external act. The external was a picture of what only God can do and
thus the external NEVER accomplished what it pictured and neither does baptism.
What accomplishes this is "faith" that had to precede both circucmision and baptism as demonstrated in Abraham and so like circumision, baptism follows this internal act of God.
12 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.
13 ¶ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Baptism like circumcision externally signifies identification with Christ's death to sin and His resurrected regenerative life but it is "through" internal "faith
of (subjective genitive - produced by) the operation of God" from which our spiritual life originates and from which we actually obtain remission of sins, rather than from external acts of baptism or circumcision. The same power (operation) of God that raised Jesus from the grave is the same power behind our faith which results in spiritual life and remission of sins.
Or let me paraphrase it this way. It is through baptism and circumcision that we SIGNIFY identification with death to sin and spiritual life, but it is through faith produced by the power of God, (the same power that literally raised Jesus from the Grave) we are quickened (made alive/born again) together with him and by which we literally receive remission of sins.
Paul cannot mean that faith produces eternal life and remission of sin CONTEMPORANEOUS with the act of circumcision or baptism as Romans 4:11 debunks that interpretation as false. Only that both FOLLOW inward conversion as an external "sign" of something already "had" previous to the ceremonial act. Both outwardly IDENTIFY the believer with the substance of faith - Christ - Acts 10:43 - and salvation obtained by the power of God not through shadows.
