Today I want to discuss the concept of a circumcised HEART. This study reveals the internal consistency of God’s character and scriptural statements across both the Old and New Testaments.
The texts I’ll use are:
- Romans 2
- I Corinthians
- Jeremiah 4 and 9
- Deuteronomy 10 and 30
As usual, in my OT quotes, I’m using the LXX (Orthodox Study Bible). New Testament quotes will be the King James Version.
New Testament: Heart Circumcision
Romans 2:28-29 “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 me, but of God.”
Paul is saying that circumcision is an INWARD ACT, not an outward act. It’s done via the spirit, not the physical realm. For more details, let’s look at I Corinthians 7:18-19:
18 Is any man called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
This is basically saying that circumcision of the heart is loving God and keeping his commandments. Paul expands later in the chapter that this includes following your calling from God.
Paul is de-emphasizing the physical aspect of it and emphasizing the spiritual part. This de-emphasis of rituals is the same type of thinking we find in the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. God longs for our hearts and for us to obey; he isn’t looking for some outward show, especially if our hearts aren’t right.
Truly, Paul illustrates well how little importance the PHYSICAL act of circumcision is for believers. I’m sure this caused quite a stir in the beginning. However, he was only teaching what God had already said, as we’ll soon find out:
Consistency of Scripture
These statements in the NT aren’t some new concept. We can go all the way back to Deuteronomy for these two quotes (KJV):
Deut 10: 16- “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.”
Deut 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.”
Once again, circumcise the HEART. Stiff-necked means to be stubborn, prideful, and disobedient.
Notice in Deut 30 who it says will circumcise your heart. It says the LORD will (this is done via the spirit of the Lord). It takes place in the spiritual realm and not the physical realm.
What will happen if your heart is circumcised? You will love God with all your heart and soul. What is so touching here is we’ve come full circle back to Jesus’ own words when he was asked what the most important commandments were.
Love the Lord thy God with all your heart.
Many people miss all of these beautiful parallels between the two testaments.
Let’s continue to the Book of Jeremiah:
Jeremiah Chapter 4
From the Old Testament:
“Circumcise yourselves to God, all you men of Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem, and circumcise the hardness of your heart, lest My anger come forth like fire and burn, and there should be no one who quenches it, because of the presence of your evil practices.”- Jeremiah 4:4 “Scripture taken from the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint™. Copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”)
The men of Judah and Jerusalem continue to work evil, and we see what God has in store for them if they continue. God is literally crying out for them to stop the wickedness and give their hearts to him. He isn’t asking for physical sacrifices or rituals (a theme found throughout the book of Jeremiah). He wants them to take the parts of their heart that’s causing sin and infection and cast it off.
The other important verse:
Jeremiah 9:25: “…For all these nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their heart.” “Scripture taken from the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint™. Copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”)
This foreshadows the state of Gentiles after Jesus and the things Paul discusses in Romans chapter two. Gentiles = uncircumcised but now able to come to God through the circumcision of Jesus Christ:
Colossians 2:11-“putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
The internal CONSISTENCY of God’s statement and characteristics is so amazing across these books written hundreds of years apart.
Closing Remarks
The New Testament writers only directly quote the book of Jeremiah five times. However, when you only count direct quotes, you miss how influential Jeremiah was on the New Testament authors. We’ve just shown how Paul uses the idea of the circumcised heart to reach his readers. We will soon see how the “fountain of living waters” imagery used in Jeremiah is also used by John in his writings as well.
My studies of the Book Of Jeremiah continue over the next month, so stay tuned for more Old and New Testament parallels.