Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 19

Paul Declares these Colossian Beleivers Spiritually Circumcised by Christ

Colossians 2:11-12 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: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. KJV

Having completed his discourse to these Colossian believers detailing, describing, and documenting the only truth of who Jesus Christ was then, is now, and will forever be (God manifested in Bodily or Human form), Paul now declares to these believers in Colosse and we believers today and for all times what faith in Christ Jesus our Lord has done for us and to us by saying, "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:" (Colossians 2:11) (KJV). When Paul says here that "ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands", he means that redeemed believers in Jesus Christ have had an internal circumcision and not that which is external. Christ Jesus our Lord through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit has cut away the believers 'love for sin' and replaced it with 'love for Jesus', however, this does not mean that any true redeemed believer in Christ lives out the rest of their lives perfect and sinless, but what it does mean is that a true believer can never accept sin as his or her normal way or pattern of life and living and with power and grace from God the Holy Spirit, they endeavor to see sin cut away rather than accepting sin as we did before Christ.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this 'spiritual circumcision' even as it pertained to the Jews (he being a Jew himself) when he wrote these words to the believers in Rome, "For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly {and} publicly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God." (Romans 2:28-29) (Amplified Bible). This is likewise true of the Christian, he or she is a true Christian only if they have been circumcised in their inner man or inner woman by the Holy Spirit of God period, no amount of good deeds or religious observances or water baptism only or any other things can make a sinner a saint but this miraculous, merciful, and mighty act of God upon the soul.

The English phrase 'putting off' Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word apekdusis (used this one and only time in the New Testament) meaning to strip off or take away or to divest or dispose of something; it denotes a seperation or reversal; to unclothe. In other words, every sinner that has yet to be redeemed by the 'Blood of Jesus' the 'Blood of the Lamb' wears sin as a garment regularly with no ability or power to ever take off or put off that garment by their own strength or power, however, when the 'Blood of Jesus' has been applied to a sinners sinful soul, then and only then can that sinner now (by the power of the Holy Spirit) put away or put off or take off that garment of sin that is a part of the 'old nature' through the grace of God as Paul declared to the believers in Rome when he wrote these words, "For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy]. What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor {and} mercy? Certainly not! Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed {and} to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action). I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification." (Romans 6:14-19) (Amplified Bible).

This circumcision was also the result of our being raised or resurrected from spiritual death; spiritual death simply meaning to have no communication with God or to be cut off from Him spiritually, therefore, Paul now says this to these believers in Colosse that they were, "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12) (KJV). The English phrase 'buried with' is translated by the Greek word sunthapto (used only twice in the New Testament) and here it means to enter in company with, that is, (figuratively) to assimilate spiritually (to Christ by a burial as to sin): - bury with. In other words, in the water Baptism ceremony every sinner is declaring their personal spiritual resurrection by the work and power of the Holy Spirit and that this water Baptism is symbolic of their death to sin and new life in Christ as the Apostle Paul declared it to the Roman believers with these words, "Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live {and} behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the Cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective {and} inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin." (Romans 6:3-6) (Amplified Bible).

"All that was designed by circumcision, literally performed, is accomplished in them that believe through the Spirit and Power of Christ. It is not a cutting off of a part of the flesh, but a putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ; He having undergone and performed this, and all other rites necessary to qualify Him to be a mediator between God and man; for, being made under the law, He was subject to all its ordinances, and every act of His contributed to the salvation of men." Adam Clarke

"By a firm belief on the agency of God in raising Him up; that is, a belief of the fact that God has raised Him from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is often represented as the foundation of all our hopes; and, as He was raised from the grave to die no more, so, in virtue of that we are raised from the death of sin to eternal spiritual life. The belief of this is shown by our baptism, whatever be the mode in which that ordinance is performed, and as well shown in one mode as another." Albert Barnes

"At the conversion or regeneration or the new birth of every sinner to faith in Jesus Christ, there is an invisible spiritual circumcision that God the Holy Spirit performs upon that sinful soul (John 3:8) changing them from the 'love for sin' to the 'love for God' and immediately the appetites become new and different and as the Apostle John says, 'we love him because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19), but from that moment forward in the believers 'walk of faith' it is their responsibility to keep themselves in the 'love of God' (Jude 1:21) and we are to be constantly striving to do as Paul declared to the Ephesian believers, 'Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts {and} desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.' (Ephesians 4:22-24) (Amplified Bible)." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…