Is Any Man Called Being Circumcised? 1 Corinthians 7:18

“As God has distributed to every man, as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk” according to Paul the apostle, and he “ordained” this idea“in all churches”. In chapter seven and verse eighteen of First Corinthians, Paul asked the church members “is any man called being circumcised?” where we read:

Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.

Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

The verse begins, “Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.” Paul began with the words, “Is any man” which means “is there any certain man” “called” or “uttered in a loud voice, invited and saluted by one” “being circumcised” which means “cut off one's prepuce (used of that well known rite by which not only the male children of the Israelites, on the eighth day after birth, but subsequently also "proselytes of righteousness" were consecrated to Jehovah and introduced into the number of his people)”? “let him not become uncircumcised” or “do not permit, demand or allow him to become uncircumcised”. If any of the men in the church of Corinth were “circumcised”, they were not to be as they were “uncircumcised”.

The verse goes on to say, “Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.” Paul added the words, “Is any called” which means “if any man was uttered in a loud voice, invited and saluted by one” “in uncircumcision” or “not having been circumcised” “let him not be” which means “do not permit, allow or demand that he be” “circumcised” which means “cut off one's prepuce (used of that well known rite by which not only the male children of the Israelites, on the eighth day after birth, but subsequently also "proselytes of righteousness" were consecrated to Jehovah and introduced into the number of his people)”. In the same manner, if any of the men were “uncircumcised” when they became Christians, they were not to feel compelled to be “circumcised”. If any of the men in the church of Corinth were “uncircumcised” when they became Christians, they were not to be demanded or to feel compelled to be “circumcised”.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, upon first glance, we may wonder why he felt the need to discuss “circumcision” and “uncircumcision”. It will help us to realize there were among the church members a group called the “Judaizers” who believed that a person could not be a Christian until they also followed Jewish law including “circumcision”. God first introduced the idea of “circumcision” to Abraham in Genesis chapter seventeen and verse ten, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you.” Judaizers believed every male who came to Jesus as “Savior and Lord” were also to be “circumcised”, and Paul addressed that issue. Those who were “circumcised” were not to become as “uncircumcised” nor were “uncircumcised” to become “circumcised”. We shall learn more about Paul's instruction in this area in the next few verses.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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