What is the "Circumcision of the Messiah"?

Looking at Colossians 2:11-12

Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash

Here's my literal translation of Col. 2.11-13: "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision done without human hands, in the putting off of the body of flesh in the circumcision of the Messiah. Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the operation of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with him, having forgiven us all of our trespasses".

What is the ‘circumcision of the Messiah’?

A number of commentators see the circumcision of the Messiah as referring to Jesus’s death. This kind of makes sense given that Paul refers to union with the Messiah in circumcision, burial, and resurrection in vv. 11-13.

I do wonder though if “circumcision” is really a metaphor for “crucifixion”? Yes, there is some “cutting up” in both, but normally circumcision is a metaphor related to a consecrated heart, a correlation of heart and behaviour, and covenantal fidelity.

I think this “circumcision” is a circumcision of the heart performed by the Messiah upon his people!

Hence the CEB translation glosses the text in the right direction:

“In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by human hands. The circumcision of Christ is realized in the stripping away of the whole self dominated by sin.”

Accordingly, I would maintain that:

(1) circumcision of the Messiah is coordinate to putting off of the body of flesh and is the opposite of the uncircumcision of your flesh in v. 13. The content of v. 11 then does stand not for the indicative (the death of Jesus) and then the imperative (putting off evil deeds) elements, but underscores the transformative power of being in-Messiah. Paul is giving a messianic recasting to the Jewish exhortation to have a ‘circumcision of the heart’.

(2) The actual indicative aspect of Paul’s exhortation is provided in vv. 12-15, while v. 11 states the reality that is created by Jesus’ triumphant death.

(3) There seems to be a two-stage scheme of participation based on baptism/burial (= death) and resurrection in vv. 12-13, so there is no wooden imitation of the pattern in Romans 6.

I would paraphrase this text as follows:

¹¹ In the Messiah, you were given a spiritual circumcision, not a cutting off of flesh, but putting off fleshly desires, when you shared in the cuts given to the Messiah upon the cross. ¹² You were dipped and dyed into the Messiah at your baptism, and rising up out of the water testifies to the fact that you were raised with him through faith in the operation of God, who brought him back from the dead.