Abraham's faith and circumstance(Rom.4:8-12)

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Abraham's faith and circumcision (Rom 4:8-12)

Looking back, in the early days of my life of faith, it was an obstacle to consider Jerusalem as a holy place and the old site of the 7 churches in Asia Minor as a holy place.

Archaeological research helps us understand the background of the Old Testament, and it is of great help to look back at the new covenant in which God's work was accomplished through Christ.

However, it is a hurdle of faith that delays for a while due to the nuance that Judaism is the origin of Christianity and Catholicism is the older brother of Christianity.

Things that express Jesus Christ in words, pictures, or images of pilgrimage to the Holy Land become stumbling blocks on the way to Jesus Christ and cause stagnation.

The Jews are in charge of the law and the temple, and are called the chosen people, but because of the law and the temple, they rejected Jesus and hung him on the cross, becoming a serious criminal and wandering around for 2,000 years and being slaughtered.

They barely established a nation according to the Bible and reached today.

Even now, they are weeping and praying earnestly for the so-called Third Temple.

If you follow the footsteps of Abraham and David's faith, even though it is simple, it is not for them.

It is because it is God's decision and providence to first save the Gentiles and then save Israel (Romans 11:25).

Even now, they are obsessed with circumcision, which has nothing to do with salvation.

Q. Does the blessing of being righteous have anything to do with circumcision?

“Comes this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.” (Romans 4:9)

A. The forgiveness of sins, the blessing of being righteous, has nothing to do with circumcision.

This blessing is literally a blessed person, a person who has become blessed.

Psalm 1 says that the one who is one with the blessing is the righteous.

But does this blessing only come to those who are circumcised? That's not it.

Paul himself is a Jew among circumcised Jews, but he is saying that circumcision does nothing to justify.

When the word of God comes, if you receive the word, you will be righteous and blessed.

 If you receive the word as it is, you will becomes righteous, and it has nothing to do with circumcision.

The Bible says that Abraham was counted as righteousness by faith.

Those who have the righteousness of God are the blessed people who have received the remission of their sins.

Q. Was Abraham's faith first? Circumcision first?

"How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or uncircumcision?  Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.” (Romans 4:10)

A. Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised.

Since the righteousness of Abraham's faith was fulfilled in Genesis 15 and circumcision was received in Genesis 17, circumcision was accomplished far later.

He was circumcised to mark that faith came in before circumcision and that he was justified by that faith.

Even now, you am not saved by being baptized, since you have received salvation, it is the same principle as being sealed with baptism.

For example, a marriage can be legally established by merely registering the marriage.

But a wedding is like declaring your marriage in front of everyone.

So, “He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that  believe, though they be not circumcised;  that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:” (Rom 4:11)

Speaking of the new covenant, Abraham is the first person, who is hidden man in the heart, a newly created man, sealed man with the Holy Spirit, and guaranteed man by the Holy Spirit.

The father of faith means that he was the first person to be justified by faith.

This is the first case of justification by faith. Since Abraham was the first to be justified by faith, he became our father by faith.

Faith is accepting the Word of God, and that Word becomes faith again.

When  faith comes into us, that faith becomes the ability to lead faith into faith.

That is why it is said that the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.(Romans 1:17)

Q. Why is Abraham the father of faith and circumcision?

“And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”(Romans 4:12)

A. Abraham is a model of faith to be followed by both circumcised and uncircumcised people.

Indeed, Abraham is the first man of faith and he is the father of faith.

He believed the word of God, so he was the first man to obtain righteousness (Genesis 15:6) and also became an ancestor who received circumcision, a sign of God's covenant (Genesis 17:10)

We call Abraham the father of faith because we was baptized to die with Christ and rose again with Christ, clothed in Christ, became Christ's and became a descendant of Abraham through that faith. (Galatians 3:27-29)

There is no distinction between men and women here, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free men.

There is only one way to be justified by faith, which is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is why Paul says that baptism is a circumcision made without hands, the circumcision of Christ who takes off the body of the sins of the flesh. (Colossians 2:11-12)

Also, Paul declares that in Christ Jesus, circumcision or uncircumcision is nothing, but only a new creation is important. (Galatians 6:15) 

Paul is declaring that the acts of the flesh or any rituals performed on the flesh are nothing, but count only the new creations born again in Christ.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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