circumcision

The Acts of the Apostles 7:51 (NABRE) contains the end of the speech in which Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church, accuses the Jews of being uncircumcised in heart and ears. Circumcision is the sign by which a man is marked as a participant in the Old Covenant. It involves cutting of the foreskin.

The English word circumcision comes from the Latin roots circum, meaning “around” and caedo, meaning “I cut.” Circumcision, then, literally means “cutting around.” The Greek word ἐπιτομή (epitome) likewise comes from roots meaning a “cutting on” or “incision.” The Hebrew origin is also from a word meaning “cut.” Circumcision in the biblical languages, then, is named for the cutting.

When Stephen talks about being circumcised in heart and ears, what is his message? Christians have not adopted the practice of cutting their ears or their hearts, so it seems that the word has shifted in meaning. Circumcision ultimately marked people as belonging to God. What do you think it looks like to circumcise our hearts and ears?

related topics: baptism; born from above

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