CHAPTER 15  Identity of the New Testament Jews

There is a difference between the national Jew of the Old Testament and the spiritual Jew of the New Testament.  This principle is taught in Rom. 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 men, but of God.”  The above teaches us facts about the true New Testament Jew as follows: 

         1.  The true Jew is not an outward Jew but an inward Jew.

         2.  True circumcision of the New Testament Jew is not a circumcision of the flesh, but a circumcision of the heart.

    3.  The true circumcision of the New Testament Jew is not by the letter of the law but by the spirit.

    4.  The true New Testament Jew does not receive his praise (the word Jew means praise) from men but receives his praise from God. 

The significance of this is found in the ordinance of circumcision given by God to Abraham in Genesis 17:9 “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.“   

     From the above we learn the following things:

         1.  Circumcision was a token of the covenant that God made with Abraham.

         2.  Circumcision was to be done to the male children when they were eight days old.

         3.  Circumcision identified the descendants of Abraham with the covenant God made with Abraham.

         4.  Circumcision involved a cutting away of a portion of the flesh.

         5.  Circumcision involved pain and the shedding of blood. 

         6.  Those who were not circumcised were not associated with the covenant God made with Abraham.   

The spiritual circumcision of the heart can be compared to the natural circumcision of the flesh.  The means of the spiritual circumcision of the heart is spelled out for us in Col. 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:” Now we can make the comparison between spiritual circumcision of the heart with natural circumcision:

    1.  Spiritual circumcision is not performed by the hands of men, but is a direct operation of Jesus Christ upon the heart.

    2.  Spiritual circumcision of the heart, like natural circumcision identifies those so circumcised with a covenant people:

a. Natural circumcision identified one with the covenant God made with Abraham and confirmed with Isaac, and Jacob. 

b. Spiritual circumcision of the heart identifies one with the covenant God made before the world began and plainly set forth for us in Rom. 8:29, 30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Spiritual circumcision of the heart takes place when a person is born of the Spirit and identifies us with those whom God “called” above.

    3.  Spiritual circumcision of the heart involved a putting off, similar to natural circumcision involved a cutting off of some of the flesh.  Through the above covenant of redemption the body of sins of the flesh is put off.

    4.  Natural circumcision was to be performed when the male child was 8 days old.  The bible number 8 is associated with new beginnings throughout the scriptures.  Spiritual circumcision of the flesh involves a new beginning for those who are born again by the effectual calling of God.  They immediately go from being dead in trespasses and sins to possessing eternal life in their soul and spirit. 

    5.  Natural circumcision involved pain and the shedding of blood.  In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, Christ suffered the horrible agony of the cross and shed his blood to redeem his people from their sins. 

    6.  It is in the evidences of the new or spiritual birth that we can identify ourselves as being embraced by the covenant of redemption.  Since we cannot look upon the lamb’s book of life to see if our names are written there, our assurance that God elected us, predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his son, justified us, and glorified us is that he called us and that we have the evidence of that calling to spiritual life.  Our love for God and for his children, our belief of the gospel, our desire to please God, our fear of God, and our faith in our God are a few of the many evidences that we have been born again and thus have experienced the spiritual circumcision of the heart and subsequently are embraced by the covenant of redemption.  This identifies us as the true New Testament Jews regardless of our nationality.