But Paul was talking about spiritual things, comparing the physical circumcision of the Jew to our "spiritual circumcision" as Christians.. he was saying that
just being circumcised qualified you to be "Jewish".... but that now, it takes a spiritual circumcision.... a marking of our hearts to be considered a "new
Jew", or Christian. Just a physical act won't cut it.... that is also a very bad pun....
Paul was a Pharisee... he would have NEVER said that circumcision for Jews was only a mental/spiritual state of being....