True Circumcision: Jesus’ Baptism with the Holy Spirit Fulfills Every OT Ritual

[FlyingDove]

Scripture define its own categories. Once the Jewish purification framework is laid out, the New Covenant shift from water washing to Spirit purification becomes impossible to miss

Mosaic Law required numerous ceremonial water purification rituals (ablutions): washing hands, feet, bodies, garments & sacred vessels. Jewish law recognized 3 primary forms: hand washing, hand & foot washing & full‑body immersion in a mikveh (JewishEncyclopedia.com). On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was required to wash his hands & feet 10 times each & full body immersion 5 times. Other priestly duties required additional purifications (Ex 30:19–21; Lev 6:27; 14:8–9; 15:16; 16:4, 24; 22:6)

Every Mosaic observant Israelite understood these washings. A full mikveh immersion expressed: I acknowledge I'm unclean, I'm turning from that state, I'm returning to covenant faithfulness, I'm restoring my ritual status before God and the community
(Sources: Jewish Virtual Library; Sefaria; Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch)

The pattern was always the same:
Unclean > immerse > clean - Impure > immerse > pure - Out of fellowship > immerse > restored. But these immersions never removed sin. They restored ritual purity, not spiritual regeneration

Israel was ordered to wash themselves before meeting the Lord at Sinai (Ex 19).

John the Baptist prepared Israel to meet the Lord (Mal 3:1; Matt 3:3; Mark 1:2–3; Luke 3:4).

John's baptism of repentance was a traditional Jewish purification immersion. They confessed their sins, acknowledging they had strayed & were living outside covenantal markers & immersion restored their ritual standing before God & the community.

John's baptism prepared Israel for the Messiah, through whom remission of sins would come (Acts 19:4). John operated entirely under Mosaic Law & did not baptize Gentiles (Matt 3:1). In Hebrew/Aramaic, repent means "return to the Lord your God." (Strongs H7725 (שׁוּב, shuv). John's baptism did not save or remit sin.

Acts is a transitional book, mapping the shift from the Old Covenant's physical circumcision (Gen 17:1–14; Acts 7:8) to the New Covenant's spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). Pentecost occurred on the Temple Mt & the categories in Acts 2 are entirely Jewish. Archaeologists have documented more than a hundred mikva’ot around the Temple Mount, especially at the Southern Steps where Acts 2 unfolded.

John 3:25 records a dispute about purification, not forgiveness. This is how Jews interpreted immersion. John & Jesus' disciples practiced a baptism of repentance. A ceremonial purification preparing Israel to return to & meet the Lord

Acts 19:4 confirms this: John's baptism was preparatory, pointing people to Christ. None of Israel’s ceremonial washings, including water baptism, remitted sin or granted eternal life. They restored ritual purity, not spiritual regeneration.

Under the New Covenant, Scripture consistently attributes true cleansing, washing, sanctifying & purifying to the Holy Spirit, not to water.

Titus 3:5, the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit - 2 Thes 2:13, sanctification by the Spirit - Rom 15:16, sanctified by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor 6:11, washed-sanctified-by the Spirit of our God - 1 Pet 1:2, in the sanctification of the Spirit - Acts 15:9, purifying their hearts by faith

Across multiple authors, Paul, Peter & Luke the pattern is identical: The Spirit is the purifier. Water is the symbol

And the major lexicons agree: Sanctification = purification & purification is the Spirit's work.
BDAG: to purify, cleanse from moral defilement - TDNT: cleansing, removal of impurity, purification - Louw–Nida: to purify, to cleanse, to make holy

So when the Spirit fell in Acts 10, the purifier Holy Spirit/Himself acted. Water follows, it never causes.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit remits sin, purifies the heart, grants eternal life & brings a person into the New Covenant. This baptism is performed by Jesus alone (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). No human hands, no ritual water. NEW COVENANT FULFILLMENT: Holy Spirit Baptism as the True Purifier!

Through Jesus' Holy Spirit baptism, believers are placed into the body of Christ- by one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). This is the New Covenant counterpart to the Old Covenant's physical initiation rite. Paul calls it - the circumcision made without hands & the spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). It is the inward purification of the heart (Rom 2:29), the very thing Israel's external washings symbolized but could never accomplish.

Jesus Holy Spirit baptism is also His eternal salvation seal:
The Spirit abides FOREVER (Jn 14:16) - Believers are SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13–14) - SEALED unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30) - the Holy Spirit is God's earnest/DOWN PAYMENT guaranteeing our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5) - the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts is the assurance of God's love (Rom 5:5) the Holy Spirit guards the salvation entrusted to us (2 Tim 1:14)

When Jesus immerses & SEALS a believer with/by/in the Holy Spirit, He accomplishes what every mikveh, every ablution, every priestly washing, every purification rite & John's baptism of repentance symbolized

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the New Covenant fulfillment of all Israel's Old Covenant purification rituals. Water rituals pointed to it. The Spirit performs it. Jesus alone administers it.

From Moses to John to Jesus to Peter to Paul, the pattern never changes: Water symbolized purification.

It's Christ's Holy Spirit baptism that truly purifies, forgives & grants eternal life.
Through the Holy Spirit baptism, believers are placed into the body of Christ- by one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). This is the New Covenant counterpart to the Old Covenant's physical initiation rite. Paul calls it - the circumcision made without hands & the spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). It is the inward purification of the heart (Rom 2:29), the very thing Israel's external washings symbolized but could never accomplish.

This Spirit‑given baptism is also God’s eternal salvation seal:
The Spirit abides FOREVER (Jn 14:16) - Believers are SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13–14) - SEALED unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30) - the Holy Spirit is God's earnest/DOWN PAYMENT guaranteeing our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5) - the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts is the assurance of God's love (Rom 5:5) the Holy Spirit guards the salvation entrusted to us (2 Tim 1:14)

When Jesus immerses & SEALS a believer with/by/in the Holy Spirit, He accomplishes what every mikveh, every ablution, every priestly washing, every purification rite & John's baptism of repentance symbolize

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the New Covenant fulfillment of all Israel's Old Covenant purification rituals. Water rituals pointed to it. The Spirit performs it. Jesus alone administers it.

From Moses to John to Jesus to Peter to Paul, the pattern never changes: water symbolized purification, but the Holy Spirit performs it. When Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, every Old Covenant washing finds its fulfillment. Water follows & never causes eternal life or sin remittance.

Finally, Jesus commanded partaking in communion & water baptism. Every believer should partake as a public act of obedience, commitment & identification with Jesus death & resurrection & communion that looks back at what He did & forward to His return.

 

[NightTwister]

Water baptism is the NT equivalent of circumcision. It marks one as being in the Covenant (which is different than being saved).

 

[FlyingDove]

Water baptism is the NT equivalent of circumcision. It marks one as being in the Covenant (which is different than being saved).

Hello, water baptism is not the NT equivalent of circumcision. Scripture keeps those categories separate: physical circumcision of the foreskin was the Old Covenant's initiation rite (Abram-Gen 17:1–14). A foreshadow of the Spiritual circumcision to come.

Water immersion was the Old Covenant's purification rite (Ex 30; Lev 14–16; 22). John's baptism was a Jewish purification immersion preparing Israel to return to covenant faithfulness (Mal 3:1; Matt 3:3; Acts 19:4), not an initiation rite & not a salvation rite.

The New Covenant fulfillment to (Gen 17) circumcision is Jesus' Holy Spirit's baptism (1 Cor 12:13) inward work, "the circumcision made without hands," the "circumcision of Christ," (Col 2:11) "of the heart, by the Spirit" ( Rom 2:29). Scripture consistently attributes true cleansing, washing, sanctifying, purifying, sealing & new covenant‑entry to the Holy Spirit' baptism, not to water (Titus 3:5; 1 Cor 6:11; 2 Thes 2:13; Acts 15:9; Eph 1:13–14).

Water symbolizes purification; the Holy Spirit performs it. Spirit baptism—performed by Jesus alone (Matt 3:11). Is the New Covenant initiation that places believers into the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Water baptism publicly identifies the believer with jesus death & resurrection, but it never initiates, purifies, remits sin or saves.

 

[NightTwister]

Hello, water baptism is not the NT equivalent of circumcision. Scripture keeps those categories separate: physical circumcision of the foreskin was the Old Covenant's initiation rite (Abram-Gen 17:1–14). A foreshadow of the Spiritual circumcision to come.

Water immersion was the Old Covenant's purification rite (Ex 30; Lev 14–16; 22). John's baptism was a Jewish purification immersion preparing Israel to return to covenant faithfulness (Mal 3:1; Matt 3:3; Acts 19:4), not an initiation rite & not a salvation rite.

The New Covenant fulfillment to (Gen 17) circumcision is Jesus' Holy Spirit's baptism (1 Cor 12:13) inward work, "the circumcision made without hands," the "circumcision of Christ," (Col 2:11) "of the heart, by the Spirit" ( Rom 2:29). Scripture consistently attributes true cleansing, washing, sanctifying, purifying, sealing & new covenant‑entry to the Holy Spirit' baptism, not to water (Titus 3:5; 1 Cor 6:11; 2 Thes 2:13; Acts 15:9; Eph 1:13–14).

Water symbolizes purification; the Holy Spirit performs it. Spirit baptism—performed by Jesus alone (Matt 3:11). Is the New Covenant initiation that places believers into the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Water baptism publicly identifies the believer with jesus death & resurrection, but it never initiates, purifies, remits sin or saves.

Hello, water baptism is the NT equivalent of circumcision. We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[FlyingDove]

OT Abrahamic Covenant Of Circumcision Initiation Was Physical

Gen 17:11 The Lord tells Abraham you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin & it shall be a token of the covenant between me &you. (Abram-Gen 17:1–14). A foreshadow of the Spiritual circumcision to come.

NT Circumcision Covenant Initiation Is Spiritual

Jesus' Holy Spirit's baptism (1 Cor 12:13) is "the circumcision made without hands" - "the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11) "of the heart, by the Holy Spirit." (Rom 2:29, Duet 30:6)

 

[Soyeong]

Scripture define its own categories. Once the Jewish purification framework is laid out, the New Covenant shift from water washing to Spirit purification becomes impossible to miss

Mosaic Law required numerous ceremonial water purification rituals (ablutions): washing hands, feet, bodies, garments & sacred vessels. Jewish law recognized 3 primary forms: hand washing, hand & foot washing & full‑body immersion in a mikveh (JewishEncyclopedia.com). On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was required to wash his hands & feet 10 times each & full body immersion 5 times. Other priestly duties required additional purifications (Ex 30:19–21; Lev 6:27; 14:8–9; 15:16; 16:4, 24; 22:6)

Every Mosaic observant Israelite understood these washings. A full mikveh immersion expressed: I acknowledge I'm unclean, I'm turning from that state, I'm returning to covenant faithfulness, I'm restoring my ritual status before God and the community
(Sources: Jewish Virtual Library; Sefaria; Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch)

The pattern was always the same:
Unclean > immerse > clean - Impure > immerse > pure - Out of fellowship > immerse > restored. But these immersions never removed sin. They restored ritual purity, not spiritual regeneration

Israel was ordered to wash themselves before meeting the Lord at Sinai (Ex 19).

John the Baptist prepared Israel to meet the Lord (Mal 3:1; Matt 3:3; Mark 1:2–3; Luke 3:4).

John's baptism of repentance was a traditional Jewish purification immersion. They confessed their sins, acknowledging they had strayed & were living outside covenantal markers & immersion restored their ritual standing before God & the community.

John's baptism prepared Israel for the Messiah, through whom remission of sins would come (Acts 19:4). John operated entirely under Mosaic Law & did not baptize Gentiles (Matt 3:1). In Hebrew/Aramaic, repent means "return to the Lord your God." (Strongs H7725 (שׁוּב, shuv). John's baptism did not save or remit sin.

Acts is a transitional book, mapping the shift from the Old Covenant's physical circumcision (Gen 17:1–14; Acts 7:8) to the New Covenant's spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). Pentecost occurred on the Temple Mt & the categories in Acts 2 are entirely Jewish. Archaeologists have documented more than a hundred mikva’ot around the Temple Mount, especially at the Southern Steps where Acts 2 unfolded.

John 3:25 records a dispute about purification, not forgiveness. This is how Jews interpreted immersion. John & Jesus' disciples practiced a baptism of repentance. A ceremonial purification preparing Israel to return to & meet the Lord

Acts 19:4 confirms this: John's baptism was preparatory, pointing people to Christ. None of Israel’s ceremonial washings, including water baptism, remitted sin or granted eternal life. They restored ritual purity, not spiritual regeneration.

Under the New Covenant, Scripture consistently attributes true cleansing, washing, sanctifying & purifying to the Holy Spirit, not to water.

Titus 3:5, the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit - 2 Thes 2:13, sanctification by the Spirit - Rom 15:16, sanctified by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor 6:11, washed-sanctified-by the Spirit of our God - 1 Pet 1:2, in the sanctification of the Spirit - Acts 15:9, purifying their hearts by faith

Across multiple authors, Paul, Peter & Luke the pattern is identical: The Spirit is the purifier. Water is the symbol

And the major lexicons agree: Sanctification = purification & purification is the Spirit's work.
BDAG: to purify, cleanse from moral defilement - TDNT: cleansing, removal of impurity, purification - Louw–Nida: to purify, to cleanse, to make holy

So when the Spirit fell in Acts 10, the purifier Holy Spirit/Himself acted. Water follows, it never causes.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit remits sin, purifies the heart, grants eternal life & brings a person into the New Covenant. This baptism is performed by Jesus alone (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). No human hands, no ritual water. NEW COVENANT FULFILLMENT: Holy Spirit Baptism as the True Purifier!

Through Jesus' Holy Spirit baptism, believers are placed into the body of Christ- by one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). This is the New Covenant counterpart to the Old Covenant's physical initiation rite. Paul calls it - the circumcision made without hands & the spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). It is the inward purification of the heart (Rom 2:29), the very thing Israel's external washings symbolized but could never accomplish.

Jesus Holy Spirit baptism is also His eternal salvation seal:
The Spirit abides FOREVER (Jn 14:16) - Believers are SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13–14) - SEALED unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30) - the Holy Spirit is God's earnest/DOWN PAYMENT guaranteeing our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5) - the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts is the assurance of God's love (Rom 5:5) the Holy Spirit guards the salvation entrusted to us (2 Tim 1:14)

When Jesus immerses & SEALS a believer with/by/in the Holy Spirit, He accomplishes what every mikveh, every ablution, every priestly washing, every purification rite & John's baptism of repentance symbolized

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the New Covenant fulfillment of all Israel's Old Covenant purification rituals. Water rituals pointed to it. The Spirit performs it. Jesus alone administers it.

From Moses to John to Jesus to Peter to Paul, the pattern never changes: Water symbolized purification.

It's Christ's Holy Spirit baptism that truly purifies, forgives & grants eternal life.
Through the Holy Spirit baptism, believers are placed into the body of Christ- by one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). This is the New Covenant counterpart to the Old Covenant's physical initiation rite. Paul calls it - the circumcision made without hands & the spiritual circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). It is the inward purification of the heart (Rom 2:29), the very thing Israel's external washings symbolized but could never accomplish.

This Spirit‑given baptism is also God’s eternal salvation seal:
The Spirit abides FOREVER (Jn 14:16) - Believers are SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13–14) - SEALED unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30) - the Holy Spirit is God's earnest/DOWN PAYMENT guaranteeing our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5) - the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts is the assurance of God's love (Rom 5:5) the Holy Spirit guards the salvation entrusted to us (2 Tim 1:14)

When Jesus immerses & SEALS a believer with/by/in the Holy Spirit, He accomplishes what every mikveh, every ablution, every priestly washing, every purification rite & John's baptism of repentance symbolize

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the New Covenant fulfillment of all Israel's Old Covenant purification rituals. Water rituals pointed to it. The Spirit performs it. Jesus alone administers it.

From Moses to John to Jesus to Peter to Paul, the pattern never changes: water symbolized purification, but the Holy Spirit performs it. When Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, every Old Covenant washing finds its fulfillment. Water follows & never causes eternal life or sin remittance.

Finally, Jesus commanded partaking in communion & water baptism. Every believer should partake as a public act of obedience, commitment & identification with Jesus death & resurrection & communion that looks back at what He did & forward to His return.

In Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses, which is the same way to tell for a Jew (Deuteronomy 10:12-16), so someone having a circumcised heart only refers to them being a doer of the Law of Moses while someone having an uncircumcised heart only refers to them not being a doer of the Law of Moses (Jeremiah 9:25, Acts 7:51-53). Paul said that circumcision has no value and that what matters is obeying the commands of God (1 Corinthians 7:19), that circumcision has much value in every way (Romans 3:1-2), and that circumcision conditionally has value if we obey the Law of Moses (Romans 2:25), so the issue is that circumcision has no inherent value and that its value is entirely derived from whether we obey the Law of Moses. Physical circumcision is a sign of having a circumcised heart and only has value insofar as what it is a sign of is true.

In Deuteronomy 30, it forms the basis for the New Covenant by prophesying about a time when the Israelites would return from exile, God would circumcise their hearts, and they would return to obedience to the Law of Moses and Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak in regard to the fulfillment of this prophecy. In Jeremiah 31:33, the New Covenant involves God putting the Law of Moses in our minds and writing it on our hearts, and in Ezekiel 36:26-27, it involves. God taking away our hearts of stone, giving us hearts of flesh, and sending His Spirit to lead us in obedience to the Law of Moses, so the baptism of the Spirit does not involve departing from it. The Bible repeatedly calls for us to be holy as God is holy and the way to do that is not by ceasing to follow God's instructions for how to do that.

 

[Charlesiii]

Hello, water baptism is the NT equivalent of circumcision. We'll have to agree to disagree.

I don't think those becoming Israelites in the Old Testament got circumcised in front of the whole congregation, as is customary with baptism. So it does make sense to me that baptism publicly identifies the believer with Jesus' death and resurrection, while circumcision something else.

 

[NightTwister]

I don't think those becoming Israelites in the Old Testament got circumcised in front of the whole congregation, as is customary with baptism. So it does make sense to me that baptism publicly identifies the believer with Jesus' death and resurrection, while circumcision something else.

It's only customary in churches that practice "believer's baptism." A very large number of Christians do not. You assume that which you must prove.

 

[Charlesiii]

It's only customary in churches that practice "believer's baptism." A very large number of Christians do not. You assume that which you must prove.

Coming from the aforementioned, this was not immediately obvious to me until you stated it, but I concede your point does make sense.

 

[FlyingDove]

Coming from the aforementioned, this was not immediately obvious to me until you stated it, but I concede your point does make sense.

OT Abrahamic Covenant Of Circumcision Initiation Was Physical

Gen 17:11 The Lord tells Abraham you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin & it shall be a token of the covenant between me &you. (Abram-Gen 17:1–14). A foreshadow of the Spiritual circumcision to come.

NT Circumcision Covenant Initiation Into The Body Of Christ Is Spiritual

Jesus' Holy Spirit's baptism (1 Cor 12:13) is "the circumcision made without hands" - "the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11) "of the heart, by the Holy Spirit." (Rom 2:29)

 

[Soyeong]

OT Abrahamic Covenant Of Circumcision Initiation Was Physical

Gen 17:11 The Lord tells Abraham you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin & it shall be a token of the covenant between me &you. (Abram-Gen 17:1–14). A foreshadow of the Spiritual circumcision to come.

NT Circumcision Covenant Initiation Into The Body Of Christ Is Spiritual

Jesus' Holy Spirit's baptism (1 Cor 12:13) is "the circumcision made without hands" - "the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11) "of the heart, by the Holy Spirit." (Rom 2:29)

Someone having a circumcised heart only refers to them being a doer of the Law of God (Deuteronomy 10:12-16) while someone having an uncircumcised heart only refers to them not being a doer of the Law of God (Jeremiah 9:25). In Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of God and circumcision of the heart is a matter of the Spirit, which is in contrast with Acts 7:51-53, where those who have uncircumcised hearts resist the Spirit and do not obey the Law of God.

 

[Charlesiii]

Someone having a circumcised heart only refers to them being a doer of the Law of God (Deuteronomy 10:12-16) while someone having an uncircumcised heart only refers to them not being a doer of the Law of God (Jeremiah 9:25). In Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of God and circumcision of the heart is a matter of the Spirit, which is in contrast with Acts 7:51-53, where those who have uncircumcised hearts resist the Spirit and do not obey the Law of God.

Huh? Physical circumcision is linked to works - indeed, it was usually the first work. Spiritual circumcision is linked to faith - believing in the work of God, who can make one righteous by faith. Foreskin prevented males from entering into God's covenant with Abraham in the same way a foreskin of the heart prevents one from trusting in the completed work of Christ for salvation.

Deut 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

 

[FlyingDove]

Someone having a circumcised heart only refers to them being a doer of the Law of God (Deuteronomy 10:12-16) while someone having an uncircumcised heart only refers to them not being a doer of the Law of God (Jeremiah 9:25). In Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of God and circumcision of the heart is a matter of the Spirit, which is in contrast with Acts 7:51-53, where those who have uncircumcised hearts resist the Spirit and do not obey the Law of God.

A circumcised heart under Moses meant covenant obedience within the Law, but Paul is not using Moses' law category. Paul contrasts Spirit vs. letter, not ""good Law‑keepers vs. bad Law‑keepers."" In Deut 10, Jer 9 & Acts 7, ""uncircumcised heart"" describes disobedient Israelites resisting Moses; but in Col 2:11 & Rom 2:29, Paul defines a new circumcision: ""made without hands,"" ""of the heart,"" ""by the Spirit,"" not produced by Torah observance. If you import the Mosaic meaning into Paul, you force Rom 2 to teach salvation by Law‑keeping, which Paul immediately denies in Romans 3–4 (by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified). Paul's (Col 2:11) ""circumcision of Christ"" is the Spirit's regenerating act that places believers into Christ (1 Cor 12:13), the New Covenant initiation that replaces physical circumcision—not human obedience. Your reading collapses 2 covenants into one category making Paul contradict Paul.

 

[Soyeong]

A circumcised heart under Moses meant covenant obedience within the Law, but Paul is not using Moses' law category. Paul contrasts Spirit vs. letter, not ""good Law‑keepers vs. bad Law‑keepers."" In Deut 10, Jer 9 & Acts 7, ""uncircumcised heart"" describes disobedient Israelites resisting Moses; but in Col 2:11 & Rom 2:29, Paul defines a new circumcision: ""made without hands,"" ""of the heart,"" ""by the Spirit,"" not produced by Torah observance. If you import the Mosaic meaning into Paul, you force Rom 2 to teach salvation by Law‑keeping, which Paul immediately denies in Romans 3–4 (by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified). Paul's (Col 2:11) ""circumcision of Christ"" is the Spirit's regenerating act that places believers into Christ (1 Cor 12:13), the New Covenant initiation that replaces physical circumcision—not human obedience. Your reading collapses 2 covenants into one category making Paul contradict Paul.

You have no grounds for making an exception for Colossians 2:11 when all of the other uses in the Bible of someone having an circumcised or uncircumcised heart refers to whether or not they are a doer of the Law of Moses. In Deuteronomy 30:1-10, it prophesies about a time when the Israelites will return from exile, God will circumcise their hearts, and they will return to obedience to the Law of Moses, which is the basis for the New Covenant, and which is what Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27 are in regard to where God will put the Law of Moses in our minds and write it on our hearts, and where God will take away our hearts of stone, give us hearts of flesh, and send His spirit to lead us in obedience to the Law of Moses. The fact that the New Covenant still involves obeying what God has commanded along with all of God's previous covenants does not collapse them, but is in accordance with them being eternal and cumulatively valid. Again Romans 2:25-29 says that the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses, so he is not defining something new. Circumcision of the heart has always been "made without hands", "of the heart", and by "by the Spirit" and not produced by Torah observance.

While Paul denied in Romans 4:1-5 that we can earn our righteousness even as the result of having perfect obedience to the Law of Moses, he also said in Romans 2:13 that only the doers of it will be declared righteous, so there is a reason why our righteousness requires us to choose to be doers of the Law of Moses other than in order to earn it a a wage, namely faith insofar as the faith by which was are declared righteous apart from those works also upholds the Law of Moses (Romans 3:28-31). We become someone who has faith, someone who will be declared righteous, and someone who is a doer of the Law of Moses all at the same time and anyone who is not one of those is also not the others, but we do not earn our righteousness as the result of our obedience to it. The Law of Moses was never given as a way of becoming righteous but rather it is what we are getting to become a doer of by being given the gift of righteousness through faith.

 

[Soyeong]

Huh? Physical circumcision is linked to works - indeed, it was usually the first work. Spiritual circumcision is linked to faith - believing in the work of God, who can make one righteous by faith. Foreskin prevented males from entering into God's covenant with Abraham in the same way a foreskin of the heart prevents one from trusting in the completed work of Christ for salvation.

Deut 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

The Bible frequently connects our works with our faith such as with James 2:17-18 saying that faith without works is dead and that he would show his faith by his works, so you creating a false dichotomy. Again, in Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses and circumcision of the heart is a matter of the Spirit.

We can't earn our righteousness even as the result of having perfect obedience to the Law of God because it was never given as a way of earning our righteousness in the first place (Romans 4:1-5), but rather it was given to describe the life of someone who is righteous as it describes the life of Christ, so it is what we are becoming a doer of when we are given the gift of righteousness through faith. The one and only way to become righteous is through faith apart from works but what it means to become righteous is to become a doer of righteous works in obedience to the Law of God (1 John 3:4-7), so it would be contradictory for someone to become righteous apart from becoming a doer of righteous works.

While it is true that Abraham was declared righteous because he believed God (Genesis 15:6), it is also true that he was a doer of righteous works because he believed God (Genesis 18:19) and that he obeyed the command to offer Isaac because he believed God (Hebrews 11:17), so the same faith by which he was declared righteous was also embodied through his works, but he did not earn his righteousness as the result of his works (Romans 4:1-5). In James 2:21-24, Abraham was declared righteous by his works when he offered Isaac, his faith was active along with his works, and his faith completed his works, so he was declared righteous by his works insofar as they embodied his faith but not insofar as they were earning it as a wage.

 

[FlyingDove]

You have no grounds for making an exception for Colossians 2:11 when all of the other uses in the Bible of someone having an circumcised or uncircumcised heart refers to whether or not they are a doer of the Law of Moses. In Deuteronomy 30:1-10, it prophesies about a time when the Israelites will return from exile, God will circumcise their hearts, and they will return to obedience to the Law of Moses, which is the basis for the New Covenant, and which is what Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27 are in regard to where God will put the Law of Moses in our minds and write it on our hearts, and where God will take away our hearts of stone, give us hearts of flesh, and send His spirit to lead us in obedience to the Law of Moses. The fact that the New Covenant still involves obeying what God has commanded along with all of God's previous covenants does not collapse them, but is in accordance with them being eternal and cumulatively valid. Again Romans 2:25-29 says that the way to recognize that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses, so he is not defining something new. Circumcision of the heart has always been "made without hands", "of the heart", and by "by the Spirit" and not produced by Torah observance.

While Paul denied in Romans 4:1-5 that we can earn our righteousness even as the result of having perfect obedience to the Law of Moses, he also said in Romans 2:13 that only the doers of it will be declared righteous, so there is a reason why our righteousness requires us to choose to be doers of the Law of Moses other than in order to earn it a a wage, namely faith insofar as the faith by which was are declared righteous apart from those works also upholds the Law of Moses (Romans 3:28-31). We become someone who has faith, someone who will be declared righteous, and someone who is a doer of the Law of Moses all at the same time and anyone who is not one of those is also not the others, but we do not earn our righteousness as the result of our obedience to it. The Law of Moses was never given as a way of becoming righteous but rather it is what we are getting to become a doer of by being given the gift of righteousness through faith.

When Christ preforms the New Testament Holy Spirit baptism it's a spiritual/circumcision & it's done without hands

Matt 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
(NOTE: John the Baptist made clear that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit)

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(NOTE: Translators capitalized Spirit to identify when referring the Holy Spirit. Only Christ baptizes with/in the Holy Spirit.)

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision "made without hands", in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
(NOTE: The Old Testament covenant of circumcision in Gen 17 was a PHYSICIAL, flesh‑cutting ritual performed by human hands. The circumcision of Christ, "made without hands." is the inward, SPIRITUAL work of the Holy Spirit & not the physical ritual of water baptism.

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
NOTE: A circumcision of the heart, in the spirit & NOT of the LAW)

Jn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(NOTE: It's the baptism of Jesus Holy Spirit that QUICKENS > gives born again spiritual life. Not any physical act one does)

 

[Soyeong]

When Christ preforms the New Testament Holy Spirit baptism it's a spiritual/circumcision & it's done without hands

Indeed, and someone having a circumcised heart done by Spirit and without hands only refers to them being a doer of the Mosaic Law in accordance with what Christ taught and in accordance with what the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey.

Matt 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
(NOTE: John the Baptist made clear that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit)

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(NOTE: Translators capitalized Spirit to identify when referring the Holy Spirit. Only Christ baptizes with/in the Holy Spirit.)

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision "made without hands", in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
(NOTE: The Old Testament covenant of circumcision in Gen 17 was a PHYSICIAL, flesh‑cutting ritual performed by human hands. The circumcision of Christ, "made without hands." is the inward, SPIRITUAL work of the Holy Spirit & not the physical ritual of water baptism.

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
NOTE: A circumcision of the heart, in the spirit & NOT of the LAW)

Again, in Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that someone has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses.

Jn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(NOTE: It's the baptism of Jesus Holy Spirit that QUICKENS > gives born again spiritual life. Not any physical act one does)

In 1 John 3:4-10, those who are not doers of righteous works in obeisance to the Law of Moses are not born again as children of God, and in Romans 8:4-14, Paul contrasted those who are born of the Spirit with those who have minds set on the flesh who are enemies of God who refuse to submit to the Law of Moses.

 

[FlyingDove]

Indeed, and someone having a circumcised heart done by Spirit and without hands only refers to them being a doer of the Mosaic Law in accordance with what Christ taught and in accordance with what the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey.


Again, in Romans 2:25-29, the way to recognize that someone has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses.


In 1 John 3:4-10, those who are not doers of righteous works in obeisance to the Law of Moses are not born again as children of God, and in Romans 8:4-14, Paul contrasted those who are born of the Spirit with those who have minds set on the flesh who are enemies of God who refuse to submit to the Law of Moses.

You keep trying to drag the New Covenant back under Moses, but Paul, John, Peter & Jesus all contradict the framework you're pushing. Romans 2 is not a description of Spirit born believers, it's Paul's prosecution of Jews who rely on the Law while breaking it. If Romans 2 were your TEST for recognizing the born again, Paul wouldn't immediately conclude in Romans 3:9–20 that NO ONE does good, NO ONE keeps the Law & NO FLESH will be justified by it. You're using Paul's hypothetical standard of judgment as if it were his doctrine of regeneration. It's not. It's the trap he uses to shut every mouth.

Your reading of 1 John 3 is just as off. John doesn't say ""born again = Mosaic Law‑keeper."" He says ""born again = not living in unrepentant rebellion because God's seed abides in them."" That's a regeneration category, not a Torah category. John defines sin as lawlessness (ἀνομία), not ""failure to keep Moses."" You're importing a definition John never uses.

Romans 8 doesn't rescue your view either. Paul says the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in us, not by us (Rom 8:4). And he says believers are ""not under the Law"" (Rom 6:14 & Gal 5:18) & have ""died to the Law"" (Rom 7:4). If the Spirit's job were to lead believers back under Moses, Paul's entire argument in Galatians becomes nonsense.

And your claim that ""circumcision of the heart"" is recognized by Mosaic obedience is the exact opposite of Paul's words. Romans 2:29 says it is ""of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter."" The LETTER is Paul's term for the Mosaic Law (Rom 7:6). Paul literally says the thing you claim IS the sign of heart circumcision IS NOT the sign of heart circumcision.

Acts 15 destroys your position completely. Peter says God purified Gentile hearts by faith (Acts 15:9), not by Torah observance. And the Jerusalem Council explicitly rejects the idea that Gentiles must obey the Law of Moses to be recognized as God’s people. Your interpretation requires the apostles to be wrong.

The New Covenant sign is the Holy Spirit Himself (Eph 1:13–14), not Mosaic obedience. The Holy Spirit purifies (Acts 15:9), regenerates (Titus 3:5), sanctifies (2 Thess 2:13) & seals (Eph 4:30). Water symbolized purification; the Holy Spirit performs it. And the Holy Spirit's fruit is love, joy, peace not Torah observance (Gal 5:22–23).

Your entire system collapses because you're treating Moses as the definition of righteousness while Paul treats the Holy Spirit as the source of righteousness. That's why every verse you quote ends up contradicting the very author who wrote it.

 

[Soyeong]

Paul, John, Peter & Jesus all contradict the framework you're pushing.

Jesus and the Apostles quoted from the OT hundreds of times in order to support what they were saying, so it doesn't work for you to interpret them as speaking against following what they considered to be an authoritative source. For example, Jesus quoted three times from Deuteronomy in order to defeat the temptations for Satan, which included saying that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, so he affirmed God as being an authoritative source and I don't see good grounds for interpreting Jesus or the Apostles as contradicting Jesus.. In Deuteronomy 13, the way that God instructed to determine that someone is a false prophet is if they speak against obeying what He has spoken, so it is either incorrect to interpret Jesus and the Apostles as doing that or they were false prophets, but either way we should still live by every word that God has spoken.

Romans 2 is not a description of Spirit born believers, it's Paul's prosecution of Jews who rely on the Law while breaking it. If Romans 2 were your TEST for recognizing the born again, Paul wouldn't immediately conclude in Romans 3:9–20 that NO ONE does good, NO ONE keeps the Law & NO FLESH will be justified by it.

In Isaiah 45:17, it says that all Israel shall be saved, which has led some to hold to the position that all Gentiles need to do to become saved to become circumcised (convert to being Jews), which is a position that Paul referred to as "works of the law" and which he was strongly opposed to. In Romans 2:17-29, Paul addressed those who who were calling themselves Jews, but who were not obeying the Mosaic Law and he was making the point that being a Jew is not just about being physically circumcised but also about having a circumcised heart, which is evident by our obedience to the Mosaic Law. There are many people who are described as being righteous in the Bible, such as with Noah (Genesis 6:8-9) and Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-6), so Paul was not deny that anyone is righteous or anyone keeps the law, but rather Romans 3:10 is quoting from Psalm 14:1-3, which says that there is no one who is righteous among those who say that there is no God.

Your reading of 1 John 3 is just as off.

Do you think that God neglected to teach the Israelites what sin is? How else do you think that the Israelites were taught what sin is if not through the Mosaic Law? What other options are there for what lawlessness could refer to if not being a doer of the Law of Moses? In 1 John 3:10, it says that whoever does not practice righteousness is not a child of God, so are you denying that the Law of Moses teaches how to practice righteousness?

Romans 8 doesn't rescue your view either. Paul says the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in us, not by us (Rom 8:4). And he says believers are ""not under the Law"" (Rom 6:14 & Gal 5:18) & have ""died to the Law"" (Rom 7:4).

The way that the righteous requirement of the Law of Moses is fulfilled in us is by obeying it and Jesus freed us from the law of sin so that we could be free to obey it. In Romans 7-8:2, Paul said that the Law of God is good, that he wanted to do good, that he delighted in obeying it, and that he served it with his mind in contrast with the law of sin, which was working within his members in order to cause him not to do the good that he wanted to do, which he served with his flesh, which held him captive, and which the Law of the Spirit has freed us from. So verses that refer to something that would be absurd for Paul to delight in doing should not be interpreted as referring to the Law of God while verses that refer to a law that is sinful, that causes sin to increase, or that hinders us from doing the good that we want to do of obeying the Law of God should be interpreted as referring to the law of sin.

For example, Romans 6:14 describes the law that we are not under as being a law where sin had dominion over us, which does not describe the good of obeying the Law of God want Paul delighted in doing, but rather it is describing a law that was hindering us from doing the good that we want to do. In Romans 6:15, being under grace does not mean that we are permitted to sin, and Romans 7:7, the Law of God is not sinful but how we know what sin is, so we are still under the Law of God. In Romans 6:16, Paul contrasted these two directions by saying that we are slaves to the one that we obey, either the law of sin, which leads to death, or obedience to the Law of God, which leads to righteousness. In Romans 7:4, we do not need to die to God's instructions for how to bear fruit for Him in order to be free to bear fruit for Him, but rather we need to die to a law that was hindering us from bearing fruit for God, namely the law of sin.

In Galatians 5:16-23, Paul contrasted the desires of the flesh with the desires of the Spirit and everything that he listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against the Law of God while all of the fruits of the Spirit are aspects of God's character traits that His law was given in order to teach us to embody. Moreover, the desires of the flesh causing us not to do the good that we want to do is how Paul described his struggle with the law of sin in Romans 7, which is what the Law of the Spirit has freed us from (Romans 8:2), so that is the law that we are not under when we are led by the Spirit. The Law of God was given by God and the Spirit is God, so it would be contradictory to interpret Galatians 5:18 as referring to the Law of God as if we are not led by God when we are led by God.

The LETTER is Paul's term for the Mosaic Law (Rom 7:6).

If the letter referred to correctly obeying what God has instructed and that leads to death (2 Corinthians 3:6), then that would mean that God would be misleading us and that He shouldn't be trusted. Rather, there are many verses that repeatedly say that the New Covenant involves following the Law of God, that the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey it, and that obedience to it brings life, so what the Bible says about the letter needed to understood in a way that is in accordance with the rest of the Bible rather than a way that overturns it, so there must be something deficient about following the letter that causes it to lead to death rather than life.

Acts 15

Christ spent this ministry teaching his followers to obey the Torah by word and by example and the topic that they were debating in Acts 15 was not whether followers of Christ should follow Christ, but whether salvation is by grace (Acts 15:11) or by circumcision (Acts 15:1). In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and the Mosaic Law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel message, which is the Gospel that Peter argued that Gentiles had heard and believed in Acts 15:6-7, so he was coming down on the side of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5) against the men from Judea (Acts 15:1). In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God will take away our hearts of stone, give us hearts of flesh, and send His Spirit to lead sin obedience to the Torah, which is in accordance with what Peter argued in Acts 15:8-9 that Gentiles had received the Spirit and had their hearts cleansed. In Psalm 119:29-30, he wanted to put false ways far from him, for God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey the Torah, and he chose the way of faith by setting it before him, so this has always been the one and only way of salvation by grace through faith, which is in accordance with what Peter argued in Acts 15:10-11 that Gentiles are saved by grace just as we are.

The New Covenant sign is the Holy Spirit Himself (Eph 1:13–14), not Mosaic obedience.

In 1 John 2:6, those who are in Christ are obligated to walk in the same way that he walked, so verses that refer to those who are in Christ like Ephesians 1:1-14 are only referring to those who are following his example of walking in obedience to the Torah. God has not commanded anything that is not in accordance with walking in the Spirit, but rather the purpose of the Torah is to teach us how to embody His character traits and His character traits are the fruits of the Spirit, which is why the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey it. For example, love is one of the fruits of the Spirit and everything in the Torah is either in regard to how to love God or how to love our neighbor.

Your entire system collapses

In Romans 7:12, Paul said that the Torah is holy, righteous, and good, so how could those traits accurately describe the Torah if it were not God's instructions for how to embody those traits? The Torah was never given a away of becoming righteous even as the result of perfect obedience, but rather it was given to describe the life of someone who embodies righteousness as it describes the life of Christ, so the Torah is what we get to experience being a doer of by being given the gift of righteousness through faith. I'm the one taking the position that followers of Christ should follow his example of obedience to what God has commanded while you are interpreting the Bible in a way that contradicts that.

 

[FlyingDove]

Jesus and the Apostles quoted from the OT hundreds of times in order to support what they were saying, so it doesn't work for you to interpret them as speaking against following what they considered to be an authoritative source. For example, Jesus quoted three times from Deuteronomy in order to defeat the temptations for Satan, which included saying that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, so he affirmed God as being an authoritative source and I don't see good grounds for interpreting Jesus or the Apostles as contradicting Jesus.. In Deuteronomy 13, the way that God instructed to determine that someone is a false prophet is if they speak against obeying what He has spoken, so it is either incorrect to interpret Jesus and the Apostles as doing that or they were false prophets, but either way we should still live by every word that God has spoken.


In Isaiah 45:17, it says that all Israel shall be saved, which has led some to hold to the position that all Gentiles need to do to become saved to become circumcised (convert to being Jews), which is a position that Paul referred to as "works of the law" and which he was strongly opposed to. In Romans 2:17-29, Paul addressed those who who were calling themselves Jews, but who were not obeying the Mosaic Law and he was making the point that being a Jew is not just about being physically circumcised but also about having a circumcised heart, which is evident by our obedience to the Mosaic Law. There are many people who are described as being righteous in the Bible, such as with Noah (Genesis 6:8-9) and Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-6), so Paul was not deny that anyone is righteous or anyone keeps the law, but rather Romans 3:10 is quoting from Psalm 14:1-3, which says that there is no one who is righteous among those who say that there is no God.


Do you think that God neglected to teach the Israelites what sin is? How else do you think that the Israelites were taught what sin is if not through the Mosaic Law? What other options are there for what lawlessness could refer to if not being a doer of the Law of Moses? In 1 John 3:10, it says that whoever does not practice righteousness is not a child of God, so are you denying that the Law of Moses teaches how to practice righteousness?


The way that the righteous requirement of the Law of Moses is fulfilled in us is by obeying it and Jesus freed us from the law of sin so that we could be free to obey it. In Romans 7-8:2, Paul said that the Law of God is good, that he wanted to do good, that he delighted in obeying it, and that he served it with his mind in contrast with the law of sin, which was working within his members in order to cause him not to do the good that he wanted to do, which he served with his flesh, which held him captive, and which the Law of the Spirit has freed us from. So verses that refer to something that would be absurd for Paul to delight in doing should not be interpreted as referring to the Law of God while verses that refer to a law that is sinful, that causes sin to increase, or that hinders us from doing the good that we want to do of obeying the Law of God should be interpreted as referring to the law of sin.

For example, Romans 6:14 describes the law that we are not under as being a law where sin had dominion over us, which does not describe the good of obeying the Law of God want Paul delighted in doing, but rather it is describing a law that was hindering us from doing the good that we want to do. In Romans 6:15, being under grace does not mean that we are permitted to sin, and Romans 7:7, the Law of God is not sinful but how we know what sin is, so we are still under the Law of God. In Romans 6:16, Paul contrasted these two directions by saying that we are slaves to the one that we obey, either the law of sin, which leads to death, or obedience to the Law of God, which leads to righteousness. In Romans 7:4, we do not need to die to God's instructions for how to bear fruit for Him in order to be free to bear fruit for Him, but rather we need to die to a law that was hindering us from bearing fruit for God, namely the law of sin.

In Galatians 5:16-23, Paul contrasted the desires of the flesh with the desires of the Spirit and everything that he listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against the Law of God while all of the fruits of the Spirit are aspects of God's character traits that His law was given in order to teach us to embody. Moreover, the desires of the flesh causing us not to do the good that we want to do is how Paul described his struggle with the law of sin in Romans 7, which is what the Law of the Spirit has freed us from (Romans 8:2), so that is the law that we are not under when we are led by the Spirit. The Law of God was given by God and the Spirit is God, so it would be contradictory to interpret Galatians 5:18 as referring to the Law of God as if we are not led by God when we are led by God.


If the letter referred to correctly obeying what God has instructed and that leads to death (2 Corinthians 3:6), then that would mean that God would be misleading us and that He shouldn't be trusted. Rather, there are many verses that repeatedly say that the New Covenant involves following the Law of God, that the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey it, and that obedience to it brings life, so what the Bible says about the letter needed to understood in a way that is in accordance with the rest of the Bible rather than a way that overturns it, so there must be something deficient about following the letter that causes it to lead to death rather than life.


Christ spent this ministry teaching his followers to obey the Torah by word and by example and the topic that they were debating in Acts 15 was not whether followers of Christ should follow Christ, but whether salvation is by grace (Acts 15:11) or by circumcision (Acts 15:1). In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and the Mosaic Law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel message, which is the Gospel that Peter argued that Gentiles had heard and believed in Acts 15:6-7, so he was coming down on the side of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5) against the men from Judea (Acts 15:1). In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God will take away our hearts of stone, give us hearts of flesh, and send His Spirit to lead sin obedience to the Torah, which is in accordance with what Peter argued in Acts 15:8-9 that Gentiles had received the Spirit and had their hearts cleansed. In Psalm 119:29-30, he wanted to put false ways far from him, for God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey the Torah, and he chose the way of faith by setting it before him, so this has always been the one and only way of salvation by grace through faith, which is in accordance with what Peter argued in Acts 15:10-11 that Gentiles are saved by grace just as we are.


In 1 John 2:6, those who are in Christ are obligated to walk in the same way that he walked, so verses that refer to those who are in Christ like Ephesians 1:1-14 are only referring to those who are following his example of walking in obedience to the Torah. God has not commanded anything that is not in accordance with walking in the Spirit, but rather the purpose of the Torah is to teach us how to embody His character traits and His character traits are the fruits of the Spirit, which is why the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey it. For example, love is one of the fruits of the Spirit and everything in the Torah is either in regard to how to love God or how to love our neighbor.


In Romans 7:12, Paul said that the Torah is holy, righteous, and good, so how could those traits accurately describe the Torah if it were not God's instructions for how to embody those traits? The Torah was never given a away of becoming righteous even as the result of perfect obedience, but rather it was given to describe the life of someone who embodies righteousness as it describes the life of Christ, so the Torah is what we get to experience being a doer of by being given the gift of righteousness through faith. I'm the one taking the position that followers of Christ should follow his example of obedience to what God has commanded while you are interpreting the Bible in a way that contradicts that.

You keep asserting ""Law of God"" means ""Law of Moses,"" but Paul, John, Peter & Jesus never make that equation. Paul says believers died to the Law of Moses (Rom 7:4), are not under it (Rom 6:14 & Gal 5:18) * that the letter—his term for the Mosaic Law—kills (2 Cor 3:6). John never uses LAW to mean Moses & defines righteousness by new birth, not Torah. Peter says God purified Gentile hearts by faith, not Torah (Acts 15:9). Jesus inaugurates a new covenant that replaces the old (Luke 22:20; Heb 8:13). Your entire system collapses because you treat the Sinai covenant as eternal when Scripture treats it as temporary, preparatory & fulfilled in Christ.

'Saying ""the Law of Moses is eternal because it reflects God’s eternal character"" may sound plausible to babes still on milk, but it collapses under three simple distinctions: God's character is eternal. God's moral will is eternal. The Sinai covenant is NOT eternal. These three things are NOT the same category. The moral core (love God, love neighbor) is eternal because it flows from who God is. The Sinai code (circumcision, food laws, festivals, priesthood, sacrifices) is NOT eternal because it was tied to a specific covenant with a specific people for a specific time. Hebrews 7–10 is written precisely to make that distinction unavoidable.