What was the general understanding of circumcision in Corinth?

Status
Not open for further replies.

chuckd

Puritan Board Junior
1 Cor. 7:18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

This was after the question in Acts 15 regarding the Gentiles being circumcised was answered.

Is this passage addressing two groups?
1. Converted Jews who understood that circumcision obligated them to the Mosaic law. (Gal. 5:3) They concluded they must remove the circumcision in order to obligate them to the law of Christ.
2. Converted Greeks who were under the impression that circumcision was still the initiation into the covenant (so to speak).

Or was there a third understanding among the Corinthians that this passage is addressing?
 
Jews were likely trying to gain entrance into Gentile areas, such as sports. One typically was naked and that would out them as Jews.
 
Some Jews probably submitted to epispasm because they shared the common Greek and Roman revulsion toward circumcision. Even if they did not, however, societal institutions and attitudes exerted strong pressure against remaining circumcised. Jews of means naturally wanted to participate in gymnasium and bath. Not only were these a chief means of recreation, they also functioned as hubs for business. If Jews exercised or bathed while circumcised, they offended their gentile neighbors and submitted themselves to incredulous ridicule; if they did not attend, everyone knew why—and talked about it. Either way their business would suffer.
 
Jews were likely trying to gain entrance into Gentile areas, such as sports. One typically was naked and that would out them as Jews.
I'm not sure that makes sense in the passage. It seems they were wanting to remove their circumcision in order to please God. Paul responds that having it or not did not matter, but rather keeping the commandments.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top