THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And speak to the house of Israel that oppresses Me, thus says the Sovereign Lord: You have experienced enough of your iniquities, O house of Israel, for you have brought in the children of outsiders, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, into My sanctuary, thereby polluting My temple. You have presented My bread, My sacrifices, and My blood, and have violated My covenant through your numerous evils. You have failed to observe the decrees of My sanctuary and appointed unsuitable guardians for My service within My temple. When He states, “You have had enough of all your evils,” He calls us to turn from our past transgressions to avoid compounding our sins and not prepare ourselves for the fires of judgment.
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We ought to heed the warning of Isaiah: “Woe to those who draw sin upon sin,” as noted in Isaiah 5:18. The initial offense was their introduction of foreign sons, uncircumcised both in heart and flesh, into God's sanctuary, thus defiling His house. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump, as affirmed in 1 Corinthians 5:6, and in certain Proverbs it states, “Do not allow the wicked to enter the dwelling of the righteous.”
In this context, we face objections from those who adhere to physical circumcision, such as the Jews and Ebionites: how can we understand the uncircumcised in heart and flesh, and what does it mean to interpret the circumcision of the flesh spiritually? Yet, Paul tells us, “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision: he is obligated to keep the whole law,” as found in Galatians 5:2-3. Jeremiah further states, “Behold, your ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot listen,” as seen in Jeremiah 6:10. In Exodus, Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips,” (Ex. 6:12). The Septuagint renders it as “Yet I am speechless,” but the Hebrew is more accurately described as “I am uncircumcised of lips.” Thus, let us challenge them, or rather, require that they circumcise their ears and sever their lips to fulfill the Scriptures. If they interpret the circumcision of the ears as refraining from hearing anything shameful or disgraceful, and the circumcision of the lips as avoiding unseemly speech, then we must apply this same interpretation to both the heart and body. We circumcise the heart with God's blade by ridding it of evil thoughts, such that it can no longer be said of us, “the heart of this people is hardened and their ears are deaf” (Isaiah 6:10; Acts 28:27).
Similarly, the flesh must be circumcised by avoiding earthly desires that arise from the body's natural urges—such as eating, drinking, sleeping, and dressing—not indulging for pleasure, extravagance, or laziness, but rather fulfilling them out of necessity for the sustenance of the body. He who drinks a bit of wine for health and frequent complaints (1 Timothy 5) and abhors drunkenness has circumcised his flesh. One who sleeps according to nature’s allowance will find reassurance in Solomon's words: “If you sit, you will be untroubled; if you sleep, you will slumber sweetly; and you will not fear sudden terror” (Proverbs 3:24-25). He who avoids fornication and fulfills his obligations to his wife, seeking to evade temptation from the adversary (1 Corinthians 7), hears with the people of Israel, “Today I will take away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Numbers 5:9). He will don attire that protects from the cold, rather than clothing that, due to its thinness, exposes the body's nakedness. The body that is subdued through fasting and disciplined through abstinence escapes the disgrace of the Egyptians, who indulged in excess, and can declare, as referenced in various translations, “My flesh was weary in a dry and barren land; in the holy place, I appear before You” (Psalm 62:2-3).
Thus, if we ever seek to bring outsiders into God’s temple, we must ensure they have circumcised their ears, lips, hearts, and all their senses, so that we may perform all things with reverence for God and understanding. Let bishops, presbyters, and all members of the church take heed, and refrain from welcoming the sons of strangers, who are uncircumcised in heart and flesh, lest they enter the sanctuary of God and desecrate His house. For if they do so, the consequence applies to them: they bring My offerings into all churches and across the earth, originating from one Bread—not only the offerings but also the sacrifice written as, “They shall be nourished by the fat of the wheat” (Psalms 80:17), alongside the blood that was poured out in Christ's suffering. This should guide our understanding and approach: When you bring into My sanctuary children from abroad, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, and defile My house by daring to offer holy bread, fat, and blood, you fail to comprehend that you have transgressed My covenant through your many evils. You have not adhered to the decrees of My sanctuary, nor appointed rightful guardians for My service within My sanctuary. Rather, this admonition is directed at those who ignore the apostolic exhortation, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor share in the sins of others” (1 Timothy 5:22). Alternatively, it may be understood this way: You have violated My covenant through all your iniquities, failing to maintain the regulations of My sanctuary, and daring to appoint unworthy and foreign ministers for My service, thereby implying they serve you, not Me. Their service defiles My holy place solely for your comfort.