Gentiles Adopted Through Circumcision for Passover - Genesis 12:48

We next need to move to Exodus 12:48, which is a Passover scripture. This is another key subject. Exodus 12:48 shows that even as early as this, God's relationship with Abraham under the circumcision covenant of Genesis 17: was NEVER designed to be exclusive. It is a most amazing and incredibly underrated scripture, because arguably it holds the key to understanding the single most contentious issue affecting the entire New Testament church. This subject is not only the central subject of Galatians but a vitally important component of Romans, and was the reason that the Jerusalem council of Acts 15: was called - just to sort it out.

This ONE VERSE in Exodus 12: verse 48 became DYNAMITE for the New Testament church. In fact, the amount of page space in the New Testament given to this one verse eclipses all other (so called) doctrinal disputes.

We'll see why Exodus 12:48 was so contentious later, but for now let's read it but starting in verse 43:

Exodus 12:43 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: 44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 AND WHEN A STRANGER (a non-Israelite) SHALL SOJOURN WITH THEE, AND WILL KEEP THE PASSOVER TO THE LORD, LET ALL HIS MALES BE CIRCUMCISED, AND THEN LET HIM COME NEAR AND KEEP IT; AND HE SHALL BE AS ONE THAT IS BORN IN THE LAND: FOR NO UNCIRCUMCISED PERSON SHALL EAT THEREOF.

That's a big deal. God is saying: My covenant with Abraham will not be exclusively be ONLY with Abraham's descendents. Anyone can participate in it. And that's not all, by becoming circumcised HE SHALL BE AS ONE THAT IS BORN IN THE LAND.

We read earlier that circumcision to a descendent of Abraham was like a passport. Here God is offering gentiles who want to convert the opportunity to become naturalised citizens of Israel. That's amazing.

Here we get a first glimpse that God is planning to expand his work to the gentiles, (a gentile, like Titus was, is someone who isn't a descendent of Abraham). BUT the same contractual obligation applies as we read in Gen 17. Males need to be circumcised.

What's remarkable, is that this opening of the door to gentiles, didn't happen in the New Testament, it happened thousands of years before, even before God revealed (or re-revealed if you like) the ten commandments at Sinai. That made this scripture a VERY VERY important piece of legislation, and let's be clear, legislation is what it is. It is part of the laws of the nation of Israel, which then split into the nations of Israel and Judah. The covenant of circumcision between God and Abraham is one of the foundational pieces of legislation for those nations. And that's why the single most contentious issue for the New Testament church was when God showed the New Testament church that the Passover legislation in Ex 12:48 was only designed to be TEMPORARY.

Under the Old Covenant The Circumcision of Gentiles Was Temporary

If you read Exodus 12: there is absolutely no clue that this was going to be the case. From Exodus 12:48 alone , it looks as though the need for gentiles to be circumcised is a permanent one. That is UNTIL the point that we're now about to get to; where this was thrown completely on its head because following a revelation from God Cornelius (a gentile) was baptised without being circumcised in Acts 10.

Does Paul in Galatians really say the Torah law is " done away"? especially if he kept Nazirite vows & offered sacrifices at the temple, after the crucifixion as many christian theologians believe?