GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
The circumcision of the man was a way that God established his relationship with the Jewish people in a tangible way. (Genesis 17: 10-12) It signified the difference between the Jewish people and the gentiles. It was not however a permanent rule because God in his divine providence knew that in order to reconcile mankind to Himself, he would have to send his Son to the world to become a man and die for our sins. Just as Christ became “sin” for us through his death and resurrection, (2 Cor. 5:21) so also, he became “circumcision” for us. So, no longer was it necessary for a man to have circumcision as an outwardly sign of a relationship with God; it was now only necessary that the heart of a person be made right with God and through the heart there would be a development of a strong relationship with God, leading to life a of prayer, fasting, love for others, peace, joy, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and devotion to the Sacraments. (Galatians 5: 22-23)
St. Paul was the champion of uncircumcision. In the council of 75 A.D. (Acts 15) he came into staunch disagreement with the Apostle James; but eventually the council agreed that circumcision was not necessary for gentiles to become Christian. So how was it then that St. Paul who was such a great champion of uncircumcision said that, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails but Christ alone.?” Answer: for St. Paul to be uncircumcised was still an outwardly manifestation of one’s inwardly love for God. To him it did not matter if it was circumcision or uncircumcision. What mattered was a true relationship with God. Now, for Paul it didn’t end there either, for a Christian had to have the outworking of the transformative life, that is, love, patients, mercy, grace, forgiveness had to be present; otherwise, it simply pointed to a person boasting in works rather than boasting in Christ.
In the Orthodox, especially in the Indian Orthodox Church, we have the circumcised and the uncircumcised, not physically but in a spiritual way.
Circumcision: this is the group that places greater emphasis on the rituals and traditions of the Church. They are much about participating in the church but the transformative change of the Holy Spirit has not occurred in their life. The Church is a system--an organization. In this, one must adhere to the precepts and principles of the faith but there is little emphasis on a relationship with Christ. This group is only partially correct because anything without love for God is dead works.
Uncircumcision: this group focuses on the relationship with God but deemphasizes the Sacramental practices of church. Attending church and taking part in the sacraments are done based on convenience. The idea is that since a personal relationship with God is present, all other practices are secondary. Again, this group is only partially correct but lacks the outworking of faith. Because faith without works is dead.
Christ Alone: this phrase “Christ alone” has been severely abused in the protestant and evangelical groups. For them it signifies that nothing other than Christ is necessary for salvation. That is, simply confessing his name in public or by writing it down in a Bible is sufficient for salvation. For St. Paul, his intention for saying, “Christ alone” cannot be taken out of context. Indeed, salvation comes by Christ alone but it must be followed by evidence of faith. For example: one cannot say, I am a Christian yet seldom attend Qurbana. One cannot say, I am a Christian and have no appetite for God’s Word. One cannot say, I am a Christian and be satisfied with a prayerless life. One cannot say, I am a Christian and be unforgiving toward others. One cannot say, I am a Christian and hate or be prejudiced against others. One cannot say, I am a Christian and love money. This seems harsh. But in St. Paul’s theology, faith must have an outworking of actions and deeds, otherwise it is dead. Further, why would St. Paul write about the Fruits of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. Then again, why would he go to great lengths and write so much about how to live a holy life. But this is not without the understanding that we as Christian’s struggle and go through periods and episodes of spiritual despair and even spiritual darkness. Nonetheless, Christ, who is our “first love,” is never forgotten and we come back to him because we yearn for Him, as a new born child yearns for his mother.