In the New Testament, the apostle Paul and Luke (who wrote the book of Acts) refer to a sect called “The Circumcision”.  This was a group of religious zealots who believed circumcision was necessary for salvation.  This article takes a deeper look at this. 

Roots

The roots of “The Circumcision” sect go back to Genesis when God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants to be their God and to give them the land of Canaan.

Gen 17:7  And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
Gen 17:8  Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Gen 17:9  And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Notice that it was an everlasting covenant for Abraham and his descendants. 

Gen 17:10  This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
Gen 17:11  and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

The sign of this covenant was circumcision.

Gen 17:12  He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
Gen 17:13  He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14  And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Notice that the everlasting aspect of the covenant was emphasized and that those who rejected this covenant were to be cut off from the nation.  This likely played a part in the thinking of those in “The Circumcision” sect.

And so, Abraham circumcised himself, his household, his son Ishamel (Genesis 17:23), and later his son Isaac (Genesis 21:4).

Circumcision was a requirement to be able to keep Passover, a very important annual ceremony.

Exo 12:43  And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it.
Exo 12:44  But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it.
Exo 12:45  A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it.
Exo 12:46  In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones.
Exo 12:47  All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
Exo 12:48  And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

The determining factor for being able to keep Passover wasn’t a person’s nationality or ethnicity, but whether a person was circumcised or not.  This also may have played a part in the thinking of those in “The Circumcision” sect.

Beliefs

Let’s now look at the New Testament to see what “The Circumcision” sect believed.

Act 10:44  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
Act 10:45  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

Some (perhaps all) of “The Circumcision” believed in Jesus Christ.

Act 11:1  Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
Act 11:2  And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him,
Act 11:3  saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

From this passage it’s clear that “The Circumcision” sect believed they should keep themselves separate from the uncircumcised, to the extent of not eating with them.

We find more information in Acts 15 which describes a confrontation between Paul and Barnabas and those who taught circumcision.

Act 15:1  And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.“
Act 15:2  Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
Act 15:3  So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.
Act 15:4  And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.
Act 15:5  But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.“

Those contending with Paul and Barnabas were of the “sect of the Pharisees”, which clearly is “The Circumcision” sect as they were preaching circumcision.  We see two more things that they believed.

• Circumcision was required for salvation.
• The law of Moses should be kept.

The law of Moses was all the laws Moses wrote about—all the laws in the first five books of the Bible—which included laws for offerings and sacrificing animals.

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren wrote a letter explicitly stating that these two teachings, (“You must be circumcised and keep the law”), were definitely not taught by the church.

Act 15:23  They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
Act 15:24  Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law“—to whom we gave no such commandment—

There is an important distinction between “the law of Moses” and “the law”.  The apostle Paul taught that love is the fulfillment of “the law”.

Rom 13:8  Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9  For the commandments, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” “YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,” “YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,” “YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,” “YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Rom 13:10  Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Paul listed some of the Ten Commandments to show what he meant by “the law”.  Paul taught that we should keep “the law” but he never taught that we should keep “the law of Moses”.

Paul clearly taught that we are justified (declared innocent or righteous) by faith in Jesus Christ.  That is we attain salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works of the law.

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:29  Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
Rom 3:30  since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Gal 2:16  knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Since “The Circumcision” sect taught that circumcision (which is a work of the law) was required for salvation, it is clear that “The Circumcision” sect taught justification by the works of the law, and thus Paul had to address this heresy.

Troublers

“The Circumcision” sect also troubled the brethren.

Act 15:24  Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—

Gal 5:10  I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.
Gal 5:11  And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
Gal 5:12  I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

“Would even cut themselves off”, is clearly a play on what circumcision is.  These are strong words indicating that “The Circumcision” sect was a serious problem.

Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

More strong words from Paul who labelled (physical) circumcision as mutilation.

Tit 1:10  For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
Tit 1:11  whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Here “The Circumcision” sect is identified as idle talkers and deceivers, teaching falsehoods for dishonest gain.

Rationale for Beliefs

Why would those of “The Circumcision” sect think the way they did?  We have already touched on a couple of possible reasons.  One was that the circumcision covenant God made with Abraham was everlasting, and thus, in their thinking, is still required.  Another reason was that circumcision was a requirement to be able to keep the Passover, and thus, in their thinking, required for the New Covenant equivalent (which is the partaking of the New Covenant symbols of the bread and wine).  However, Paul gave another reason, which was to avoid persecution. 

Gal 6:12  As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

It appears that those who accepted Jesus Christ could dodge persecution if they believed in the necessity of circumcision.

Conclusion

We have covered “The Circumcision” sect in some detail, but in summary, “The Circumcision” sect was a sect of the Pharisees who had accepted Jesus Christ but taught the following.

• Circumcision was required for salvation.
• The law of Moses should be kept.
• Justification is attained by works of the law (which is the reason for the above two points).
• They should keep themselves separate from the uncircumcised.

They were (for the most part) idle talkers and deceivers, teaching falsehoods for dishonest gain.  No wonder Paul had nothing good to say about them.