The Spiritual Circumcision Of The Heart (Deuteronomy 10:16)

5 min readMar 15, 2022

“You must now circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and stop being so stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16)
“He also gave him a covenant of circumcision, and he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the 12 family heads” (Acts 7:8)

This circumcision covenant was to be the distinctive mark of the People of God, in that the earthly Israel. It has a spiritual meaning, which is spelled out in the farewell speech of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy: “You must now cleanse your hearts and stop being so stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10: 16). The circumcision in the flesh means what corresponds to the heart, being itself a source of life, obedience to God: “Above all the things that you guard, safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

(The obedience to God and to his Son Jesus Christ, through an exact knowledge of their will, written in the Bible (Psalms 1: 2,3))

(The obedience to God and to his Son Jesus Christ, through reaching, the spiritual maturity)

The disciple Stephen, in his speech that preceded his execution by stoning, had understood this important biblical teaching. He made it clear to his hearers who had no faith in Jesus Christ, though circumcised physically, they were spiritual uncircumcised of the heart: “Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the holy spirit; as your forefathers did, so you do. Which one of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? Yes, they killed those who made announcement in advance concerning the coming of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, you who received the Law as transmitted by angels but have not kept it” (Acts 7:51–53). Such brave reproach cost him his life, which was a confirmation that these assassins were spiritual uncircumcised of the heart.

(The spiritual uncircumcision is disobedience to God and His Son Jesus Christ by voluntarily practicing sinful behavior forbidden in the Bible (Part 2))

The spiritual heart is the spiritual inner part of a person, made of reasoning, words and actions (good or bad). Without using the expression of spiritual circumcision, Jesus Christ explained what makes a person pure or impure, because of the state of his spiritual heart: “However, whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and those things defile a man. For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man; but to take a meal with unwashed hands does not defile a man” (Matthew 15:18–20). In this case, Jesus Christ describes a human being in a condition of spiritual uncircumcision, with his “foreskin of the heart”, with his bad reasoning that makes him impure before God and not fit for life (see Proverbs 4:23): “The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things” (Matthew 12:35). In the first part of Jesus Christ’s statement, he describes a human being who has a spiritually circumcised heart.

The Apostle Paul also understood this important biblical teaching explained by Moses, and then by Jesus Christ. The Spiritual Circumcision is obedience to God and then to his Son Jesus Christ: “Circumcision is, in fact, of benefit only if you practice law; but if you are a transgressor of law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If, therefore, an uncircumcised person keeps the righteous requirements of the Law, his uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision, will it not? And the physically uncircumcised person will, by carrying out the Law, judge you who are a transgressor of law despite having its written code and circumcision. For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people” (Romans 2: 25–29).

The Faithful Christian is no longer under the application of the Law transmitted to Moses, and therefore he is no longer obliged to practice physical circumcision, according to the apostolic decree which is written in Acts 15: 19,20, 28.29. It became confirmed by what has been written under inspiration by the Apostle Paul: “The Apostle Paul also understood this important biblical teaching explained by Moses, and then by Jesus Christ. The Spiritual Circumcision is obedience to God and then to his Son Jesus Christ: “For Christ is the end of the Law, so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness” (Romans 10: 4). “Was any man called circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has any man been called in uncircumcision? Let him not get circumcised. Circumcision does not mean a thing, and uncircumcision means not a thing, but observance of God’s commandments does” (1 Corinthians 7:18,19).

(We are no longer under the authority of the Law given by God to Moses, but this Law has a prophetic value that is fulfilled in Christ, in the Christian congregation, and will be fulfilled in the future earthly paradise, according to Hebrews 10: 1, Colossians 2:17 and Ezekiel 40–48)

Henceforth, the Faithful Christian must have the spiritual circumcision of the heart, he must obey Jehovah God and have faith in the sacrifice of Christ (John 3:16,36).

Just as the one who wanted to participate in the Passover should be circumcised (in the flesh), so the Faithful Christian (whatever his hope (heavenly or earthly)) must have the spiritual circumcision of the heart before eating the unleavened bread and drink the cup of the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ: “First let a man approve himself after scrutiny, and only then let him eat of the loaf and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28 Compare with Exodus 12:48 (Passover)).

(We must commemorate the death of Jesus Christ every year, and all faithful Christians (regardless of hope (heavenly or earthly), are required to take the emblems of the Memorial of the Death of Jesus Christ, according to John 6:48–58)

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