1 Corinthians 7:19

 1 Corinthians 7:19

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

a. ASV:  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: The circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing -- but a keeping of the commands of God.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: For circumcision is nothing and counts for nothing, neither does uncircumcision, but [what counts is] keeping the commandments of God. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: For circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the LORD's commandments is everything. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV: For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

1. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”

a. [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

b. Circumcision [Strong: 4061 peritomḗ, per-it-om-ay'; from G4059; circumcision (the rite, the condition or the people, literally or figuratively):—X circumcised, circumcision.]

c. is [Strong: 2076 estí, es-tee'; third person singular present indicative of G1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:—are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, × dure for a while, + follow, × have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, × must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

d. nothing [Strong: 3762 oudeís, oo-dice'; from G3761 and G1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:—any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

e. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

g.  uncircumcision [Strong: 203 akrobystía, ak-rob-oos-tee'-ah; from G206 and probably a modified form of πόσθη pósthē (the penis or male sexual organ); the prepuce; by implication, an uncircumcised (i.e. gentile, figuratively, unregenerate) state or person:—not circumcised, uncircumcised (with G2192), uncircumcision.]

h. is [Strong: 2076 estí, es-tee'; third person singular present indicative of G1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:—are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, × dure for a while, + follow, × have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, × must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

i. nothing [Strong: 3762 oudeís, oo-dice'; from G3761 and G1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:—any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

j. but [Strong: 235 allá, al-lah'; neuter plural of G243; properly, other things, i.e. (adverbially) contrariwise (in many relations):—and, but (even), howbeit, indeed, nay, nevertheless, no, notwithstanding, save, therefore, yea, yet.]

k. [the] keeping [Strong: 5084 tḗrēsis, tay'-ray-sis; from G5083; a watching, i.e. (figuratively) observance, or (concretely) a prison:—hold.]

l. [of the] commandments [Strong: 1785 entolḗ, en-tol-ay'; from G1781; injunction, i.e. an authoritative prescription:—commandment, precept.]

m. [of] God [Strong: 2316 theós, theh'-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Spiritual aspect of Old Covenant Circumcision

 

a). Israel’s responsibility: Deuteronomy 10:16 “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”

 

b). God's responsibility: Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

 

c). Both God and Israel had a part in the spiritual aspect of the Old Covenant circumcision, and there was a limited [limited in the sense of comparison to New Covenant circumcision]work that was done in the heart. A work, enabling them “to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”, (Deuteronomy 6:5). I believe that this work that was done in Israel’s heart was part of the reason they continued as a people for thousands of years without being born again.

 

d). What ever the work done in their heart, it was far short of the New Covenant circumcision. Romans 8:3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,…”

 

e). The law could not give “life”. Galatians 3:21 “…for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” They could not be born again. The weaknesses of the Old Covenant have already been mentioned, but a very powerful witness to that was preached by the Apostle Paul in Pisidia Antioch.

 

(1) Acts 13:38, 39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

 

(2) Spiros Zodhiates Complete Word Study of the New Testament: “In Acts 13:39, dikaioo, the Greek word for “justified” is used with the preposition apo – from, referring to all those things from which the Mosaic Law could not liberate us. In this instance as well as in Romans 6:7 where apo is used with the word “sin”, it refers to our liberation from something, i.e., sin which holds a man a prisoner, a slave…thus dikaioo does not mean the mere declaration of innocence, but the liberation from sin which holds man a prisoner.”

 

2). New Covenant Circumcision

 

a). The New Covenant Circumcision is a spiritual circumcision: Romans 2:25-29.

 

(1) Romans 2:25-29 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

2:29 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.

 

b). The spiritual circumcision spoken of in Romans is the new birth, the born again experience. Paul wrote about it in Colossians 2:11, “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.”

 

c). The “body of the sins of the flesh”, in Colossians 2:11 is the same as the “body of this death”, in Romans 7:24. It is “the law of sin and death”, in Romans 8:2.

 

d). The spiritual circumcision of the Old Covenant was not as effective or complete as the spiritual circumcision under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the effect was, “…to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” Deuteronomy 6:5, while the effect under the New Covenant is, “…putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” Colossians 2:11.

 

e). We are under a better Covenant, a better Covenant! Under the old Covenant they did not have the authority we have, they did not have the power to break free from the bondages of sin that we have in Christ. Acts 13:39 says it right: “…and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”