The last distinction spoken of in Colossians is the distinction between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. This speaks of the distinction of outward marks of piety. We know that the Jews are circumcised with a mark on their bodies, indicating that they belong to God, that they fear God, and that they deny the flesh. In doing so they put themselves under God’s covenant and become a part of God’s covenant.
Many people (specifically the Jews) love circumcision. They think that only those who are circumcised are under God’s covenant, while those who are not circumcised are not under His covenant. A Jew cannot marry an uncircumcised person. Acts 15 says that even the believing Gentiles were forced to be circumcised. The Jews paid much attention to this mark of piety in the flesh.
Today we can fall into the same pitfall as the Jews, paying too much attention to external signs. For example, I may be baptized by immersion while a certain brother may be sprinkled instead of immersed. God’s Word tells us that we should be baptized by immersion. It is true that a brother should be baptized by immersion. However, if I consider myself to be better than my brother, who is not baptized by immersion, then I have made baptism by immersion a mark of piety. I have, in effect, claimed that in one thing in the flesh I am better than my brother. If I consider my brother wrong in the eyes of the Lord because he has not gone through an outward immersion, I have made baptism by immersion a cause of separation.
Head covering carries a spiritual significance to the sisters. However, it can become a mark in the flesh. The breaking of bread has a spiritual significance. But it can also become a mark in the flesh. The laying on of hands has a spiritual significance, but it can become a mark in the flesh as well. These things indeed carry much spiritual significance. But if they are used to separate God’s children, they will lose their spiritual significance and become mere marks of the flesh. In reality they will become something similar to circumcision.
Please do not try to misunderstand me. Instead, try to understand what I am saying. Do not think that we disagree with baptism by immersion, the breaking of bread, the head covering, or the laying on of hands. I am trying to show you that once you separate God’s children by these things, you are making distinctions according to the flesh. In Christ there is no circumcision and uncircumcision. Physical symbols must not be used to separate God’s children. In Christ we are one. The life that is in Christ is one. It is good for something with spiritual reality to have a physical symbol as well. However, if a person has the spiritual reality of something but is unconcerned about its physical symbol, we should not isolate him because of this. In short, God’s children should not allow physical symbols to damage the oneness that they have in Christ.
It is true that some of God’s children do not have an accurate view concerning certain things. But as long as they have the spiritual reality, we should be satisfied with our spiritual oneness and should not insist on the symbols. For example, a sister may be very submissive before the Lord and before the brothers; she knows where she stands before the Lord and before the brothers. If she is short only of a sign on her head, we should not ostracize her. The moment we separate God’s children, we damage the oneness.
Paul stated quite clearly that circumcision is not for the purification of fleshly blemishes but for the removal of fleshly activities. In the eyes of God, what counts is the inward reality, not the outward things. If the inward revelation is the same, one should not make separations based on outward differences. If a person has neither the inward reality nor the outward sign, that is not our concern. If a sister does not take the place of submission, or if a brother’s baptism is not a separation from the world or a burial and resurrection with the Lord, he or she is too far off from the truth. In such cases the responsibility does not rest on us. But if a person sees baptism as one’s burial and resurrection with Christ, yet holds a slightly different view in the matter of the outward signs, we cannot damage the oneness because of this slight difference. You cannot set yourselves apart from others just because you are obedient to the Lord with respect to certain physical symbols. It is wrong to separate God’s children according to these things.
We are all brothers and sisters. In Christ we are a new man. We are fellow members in the Body. In the church we have annulled all distinctions outside of Christ. Everyone stands on a new ground. Everyone is in the one new man that the Lord has established and in the one Body which the Lord has created. We must see that all of God’s children are one. We cannot look upon anyone with a special frame of mind. We must thoroughly eradicate denominationalism and sectarianism from our heart. If we do this, we will have taken another step forward.