Interpretations of Abraham's circumcision in Early Christianity and Genesis Rabbah

Abstract

I will review these texts in their chronological compositional order starting with the letters of Paul, which are dated to the middle and late 50s and early 60s. Following Paul, there seem to be six threads of Christian interpretations of Abraham’s circumcision and the consequent Israelite circumcision. First, the early second-century Epistle of Barnabas and the Gospel of Philip distinguish between Abraham’s circumcision and Israelite circumcision by suggesting that Abraham circumcised himself as a joyful response to foreseeing the coming of Christ. The Gospel of Philip does not offer an explanation for the practice of Israelite circumcision, but the Epistle of Barnabas posits that the Israelites err in maintaining this practice and that it contains no particular significance. The second-century writers Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian offer a different approach. While they also distinguish between Abraham’s circumcision and the Israelite practice of circumcision, they argue that the former highlights Abraham’s complete faith in God whereas Israelite circumcision forecasts the Jews’ accursed state and permanent exile from both the present Jerusalem and the kingdom of heaven. Third, the third-century theologian Origen interprets Abraham’s circumcision as a sign of his faith in God and argues that, because circumcision should be understood allegorically, the Israelite practice of circumcision is an egregious misinterpretation. Fourth, John Chrysostom, writing in the fourth century, presents circumcision as a physical shackling of the Jews as means of reminding them to control their naturally lustful tendencies. Fifth, the Syriac fathers Aphrahat and Theodoret, living in the turn of the fourth century in Persia and early fifth century in Cyrrhus respectively, maintain that circumcision was meant to ensure that Jews would not intermarry with pagans. Finally, the fourth-century Syrian writer Ephrem offers a unique interpretation of circumcision by attributing to it some positive value, but at the same time marginalizes its theological significance.