創世記17:9-14

17:9 上帝又對亞伯拉罕說：「你和你的後裔必世世代代遵守我的約。
17:10 你們所有的男子都要受割禮；這就是我與你並你的後裔所立的約，是你們所當遵守的。
17:11 你們都要受割禮【原文是割陽皮；14，23，24，25節同】；這是我與你們立約的證據。
17:12 你們世世代代的男子，無論是家裡生的，是在你後裔之外用銀子從外人買的，生下來第八日，都要受割禮。
17:13 你家裡生的和你用銀子買的，都必須受割禮。這樣，我的約就立在你們肉體上作永遠的約。
17:14 但不受割禮的男子必從民中剪除，因他背了我的約。」

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. ¹⁰ This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹ You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. ¹³ Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴ Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

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     亞伯拉罕與上帝立盟約，不只是改名字，更是要受割禮。而割禮的範圍，不只是亞伯拉罕本人，還包括在亞伯拉罕的僕人和子孫。正如上帝所說：「你和你的後裔必世世代代遵守我的約。你們所有的男子都要受割禮；這就是我與你並你的後裔所立的約，是你們所當遵守的。」

    割禮是什麼呢？就是男子將包皮割掉，使受割禮的知道自己和上帝是有關係的，而且是有可見得記號。正如去買牲畜時，為了確認牲畜是有主人所有的，就會在牠們的身上烙印一個記號。上帝和亞伯拉罕的後裔立永約的記號，就是割禮！

    到新約時代雖然非猶太人不需要受割禮，只要因信就可以蒙上帝拯救，但是保羅確將外在的割禮延伸至心靈的割禮。正如腓立比書3章3節：「因為真受割禮的，乃是我們這以上帝的靈敬拜、在基督耶穌裡誇口、不靠著肉體的。」