Believer's BaptismBeliever's Baptism
Response to comment [from a Christian]: [Agree with John MacArthur?] "You know what? Those two things just don't go together ever in the Bible. Scripture never makes that connection. There is not a verse they could point to. There's not a passage they could point to, either by explicit terms or by implicit. There's not one place in the Bible where baptism is ever connected to circumcision, period...no place (Page 12)."
MacArthur made the points:
"We are a spiritual community. There’s a big, big difference. Circumcision was the sign of ethnic identity...
...Not all Israel is Israel. What did God say? Circumcise your—hearts...
...But, in the new covenant, there are only those who believe, there are only those who have come by repentance and faith. This is not the same at all. There is absolutely no connection. All in the new covenant are believers. All in the new covenant know God. Now, if the early church thought that baptism was a replacement—baby baptism was a replacement for circumcision—why isn’t that in the New Testament?" Full text: A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism by John MacArthur
We are to be baptized when we come to a saving faith. It is our first act of obedience as a new Christian. Infant baptism (as taught by Roman Catholics) is not biblical.
See:
No Assurance in Infant Baptism
Response to comment: "Rev. MacArthur was very emphatic in his sermon that there is no passage from Scripture that connects circumcision and baptism."
Bob Enyart states: "Israel was required to circumcise in compliance with their "everlasting covenant...[T]he Gentiles in the body of Christ are not required to circumcise (The Plot, Enyart, pg. 69)..."
"...[T]he plot of the New testament includes:
* Christ went to Israel.
* Christ rose to save Israel.
* Israel rejected the risen Christ.
* God cut off Israel.
* God is not working with the Gentiles.
* God will work again with Israel.
Another way to look at this same information is:
* Christ was circumcised.
* Christ rose to save the Circumcision.
* The Circumcision rejected the risen Christ.
* God "cut off" the Circumcision.
* God is now working with the Uncircumcised.
* God will work again with the Circumcision (pg. 65)."
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "Does Col. 2:11-12 teach about the relationship, if any, between circumcision and baptism? Perhaps Bob Enyart has some specific commentary on this passage that can be helpful here. Can someone bring some good information to the table on this particular passage?
The way I understand it is, we are to baptize not circumcise. "Paul circumcised Timothy, then, to avoid offending the Jews [1 Cor. 10:32; Acts 15:19-21] he wanted to reach: [Paul] Circumcised him [Timothy] because of the Jews who were in that region...Acts 16:3." Enyart, pg. 111.