Col 3:10 And have put on the new man. (11) Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision but Christ is all and in all. Gal 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation is what matters.
[Circumcision or uncircumcision] speaks of the distinction of outward marks of piety. The Jews paid much attention to this mark of piety in the flesh. Today we can fall into the same pitfall as the Jews, paying too much attention to external signs. For example. It is true that a brother should be baptized by immersion. However, if I consider myself to be better than my brother, who is not baptized by immersion, then I have made baptism by immersion a mark of piety. I have made baptism by immersion a cause of separation Head covering, breaking of bread, laying on of hands, These things indeed carry much spiritual significance. But if they are used to separate God's children, they will lose their spiritual significance and become mere marks of the flesh. In reality they will become something similar to circumcision. Please do not try to misunderstand me. Do not think that we disagree with baptism by immersion, the breaking of bread, the head covering, or the laying on of hands. I am trying to show you that once you separate God's children by these things, you are making distinctions according to the flesh. In Christ there is no circumcision and uncircumcision. Physical symbols must not be used to separate God's children. In Christ we are one. The life that is in Christ is one. It is good for something with spiritual reality to have a physical symbol as well. However, if a person has the spiritual reality of something but is unconcerned about its physical symbol, we should not isolate him because of this. In short, God's children should not allow physical symbols to damage the oneness that they have in Christ.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, Messages for Building Up New Believers, pp. 128-129. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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