SHOULD CHRISTIANS OBSERVE JEWISH RITUAL CIRCUMCISION, SABBATH AND DIETARY LAWS?
By Ezekiel Kimosop
This question has always propped up in Christian conversations or forums, especially during the season of festivities. Should Christians observe each set of Jewish religious law to the letter? Should we for instance observe the Jewish Sabbath and if so, why do some worship on Sunday? What about the dietary laws observed by Jews? Are these laws binding on Christians and if so, to what extent?
My view is that Christians have been freed from the bondage of Jewish ritual laws. They are however bound to observe the moral laws that God prescribed for His people and whose value is timeless.
Christians are however not bound by Jewish circumcision law or the Sabbath worship or dietary laws, except as outlined below.
I am persuaded from my study of New Testament Scripture that there is no legal or religious obligation for Christians:
1. To worship on the seventh day or on any other day of the week including Saturday or Sunday (Colossians 2:11-23). A Christian community is at liberty to choose a day of worship that is convenient for them. Whether we worship on Saturday or Sunday is immaterial in my view. What is significant for us is the focus of our worship.
2. To perform or submit to ritual circumcision. Gentile believers are not bound by Jewish circumcision law. They are spiritually complete in the eyes of God without being circumcised. Paul rebuked the Galatians for giving in to the whims of radical Jews on ritual circumcision (Galatians 3). Ethnic Galatians never circumcised their males.
I must however place a caveat at this point. It is not my intention to teach that African Christians or any other society that culturally observes male ritual circumcision should avoid the rite altogether! Male circumcision is not repugnant per se. Believers should modify aspects of the traditional rite in order to exclude anything that offends our Christian faith.
Believers from communities that do not practice the circumcision rite are not bound to observe it either.
3. To observe ritual dietary laws. Gentile believers are not bound by the extensive Jewish dietary laws. They are however forbidden from knowingly consuming food offered to idols and eating ritual blood. This was affirmed under the resolutions of the Jerusalem Council that involved Jewish and Gentile Christian leaders (see Acts 15:22-29).
Christians are therefore at liberty to consume whatever food is appropriate for their nutrition and health. Any foods or substances that are harmful to our bodies are forbidden. God places high premium on our souls and our bodies and so should we (see 1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
Finally, believers should abstain from any secular rituals or revelries or celebrations that do not glorify God and have the potential of negatively impacting on their Christian witness and moral standing. Wisdom is required here. Believers, and particularly Christian young men and women, should refrain from secular "End-of-Year" bashes or celebrations that can lead them into moral disobedience.
God has called us out from this sinful world so that we may glorify Him in our lives (1 Peter 2:9). The Bible exhorts "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, NKJV).
We cannot live as the world does without dimming our gospel light. We are the salt and the light of the world; the bearers of moral etiquette in Christ Jesus wherever we are (Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 3:1-7).
We have been purchased by Christ through His sinless blood that He shed at Calvary for our redemption. We are His Bride, betrothed and set apart for Him until the day of His coming (Acts 20:28-29; Titus 2:11-14).
We should therefore keep our garments free from moral stains.
Shalom.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022
