The sacrifice of the Messiah as “the circumcision of the Gentiles” in the thought of Paul the Apostle
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2026-1-12-29
Abstract
Throughout his apostolic ministry Paul had to explain the meaning of the crucifixion of the Messiah. Another problem for him was the circumcision of the Gentiles. Paul was not only against forcing gentiles to be circumcised, he was also against the voluntary circumcision of Gentiles. The belief in the existence of a rigid barrier between the people was probably behind this. The article explores the possible Jewish roots of Paul’s argument. It is shown that in Jewish tradition there was a connection between the blood of circumcision and the blood of sacrifice. Building on this, Paul describes the crucifixion of the Messiah as the collective circumcision of Gentile converts. Paul views the community of Jesus’ followers as the Jerusalem temple where the actualization of the crucifixion and the eating of Christ as the Passover lamb takes place. The attempted Gentile circumcision is seen by him as a denial that Gentiles are already circumcised in the Messiah on the cross. The article is written in the light of the new paradigm «Paul within Judaism». Within this paradigm, Paul’s messages are seen as addressed predominantly to non-Jews and are not universalized. Paul’s message is a form of «Judaism for Gentiles» and is not a departure from the Torah. The crucified Messiah-Mohel is a Jewish hero for the Gentiles, joining them to the family of Abraham. The result of the cross is the opportunity to draw near to the God of Israel and receive eschatological salvation. The temple cult in Jerusalem, on the other hand, is God’s gift to the Jewish people and the way of salvation for Israel. For Paul, the crucifixion of Christ does not cancel or replace it.
About the Author
R. A. Popkov
ITMO University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Roman A. Popkov, Cand. of Sci (Physics and Mathematics)
bldg. A, bld. 49, Kronverksky Av., Saint Petersburg, 197101
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Review
For citations:
Popkov R.A. The sacrifice of the Messiah as “the circumcision of the Gentiles” in the thought of Paul the Apostle. Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2026;(1):12-29. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2026-1-12-29
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