Why is the importance of circumcision stressed in Acts 15?

Why is circumcision the major topic of discussion in Acts 15? Why is there such a big debate over who is circumcised and who is not? This was the source of much dispute in the book of Acts. There are numerous places where the discussion of circumcision divides people, but the importance of this action is not completely explained in all of its entirety. The positive or negative opinion of circumcision will vary depending on which group of people are probed about the act. The act of circumcision is important to some, and this act is frowned upon by others. Circumcision was seen as an important requirement of men under the Jewish law. I chose this question for my Acts blog because the Old Testament stresses the importance of circumcision, but I found it interesting that in Acts of the New Testament, circumcision is not required of the Gentiles. The protesters in Acts 15 allowed their beliefs on actions that are not required for salvation to dictate who they thought were worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit.

The act of being circumcised is very integral to certain religious groups as a sign of commitment and dedication to their doctrine of choice. The Jewish use circumcision as a tool that extracts them from the world and makes them unique. Circumcision is seen as a good act as well as a bad act: “For the Jew, circumcision was one of a handful of important boundary markers which set them apart from the rest of the world.  For the Gentile, circumcision was a strange mutilation of the flesh”. I can understand why the Gentiles viewed circumcision as a peculiar action, because it is literally changing one’s physical appearance for a spiritual purpose. Peter defended the Gentiles against circumcision in Acts 15. He informed the crowd that even though they were not circumcised that the Lord had filled them with the Holy Spirit as well. Although circumcision was very vital to the Jewish peoples’ ideas of upholding their law, clearly one can still receive the Holy Spirit without being circumcised.

The symbolism of circumcision is the key component that is so dynamic to the principles of the standard that the Jewish try to uphold. Circumcision, among other tasks, were expected from those who proclaimed to maintain the Jewish laws. A lot of these Jewish standards did not have an effect on one’s religious status: “Circumcision has absolutely nothing to do with your salvation”. This act has no major impact or anything to do with salvation, and yet it is the topic of discussion and disagreement in Acts 15. The meaning of circumcision goes beyond tradition: “Circumcision is given as a sign of the Covenant of Abraham in Genesis 17, yet the ritual itself did not confer “spiritual blessing” as a sign of the covenant”. A covenant is a promise or oath between two or more beings, and this oath originated from prior generations. If getting circumcised does not get one into heaven, then why go through the pain of enduring it? The meaning of circumcision seems to only be elevated as a Holy practice because of the traditions that the Jewish ancestors set forth.

After I did a little research on circumcision and what it stands for, I deduced that the protesters against the Gentiles in Acts 15 were completely at fault. The absence of circumcision did not stop the Gentiles from being filled with the Holy Spirit, and the things that are insignificant when it comes to having salvation should not be present. Jesus taught a message contrary to the Jewish law for circumcision: “Jesus' teaching on circumcision was also consistent with the Acts of the Apostles, where the ancient food laws and the restrictions on mixing with Gentiles were overthrown”. Jesus’ teachings overthrew many customs that the Jewish people held near and dear, and it proved to be difficult for them to accept a transformation of what they had been taught. In general, it takes the human race awhile to adjust to change, and the Jewish people were not exempt from this character flaw.

In conclusion, I have come to the conclusion that the traditional aspect of circumcision is the major reason that it is so widely accepted in the Jewish religion. Circumcision has absolutely no influence on one’s standpoint with salvation. Sometimes, our ancestors made the mistake of allowing non-essential things deter people’s acceptance of Jesus as the Savior. That same mistake is being made today, when Christians banish people who do not necessarily fit the “perfect Christian” mold. The amount of encumbrance that is placed on the act of circumcision is quite frankly pointless, because both the circumcised and uncircumcised were able to receive the Holy Spirit.