Philippians 3:2 “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
The Apostle again refers to the “dogs”, the “evil workers” calling them “the concision”. Literally, “concision” means the senseless mutilation of the flesh. The “concision” is contrasted to the “circumcision” (cutting away of the flesh) which was a holy Commandment, given by God to the Children of Israel as a key part of the Old Testament Law Service. But, our merciful and gracious Lord fully satisfied and ended that Law when He Sacrificed Himself to pay the sin-debt for His Children. He used this word to emphasize how foolish it was for the Jewish leadership to cling to the Old Testament Ceremonial Law service when it was no longer necessary or required. Not only did they continue to require “circumcision”, but they senselessly burdened the people with severe laws that they called “the tradition of the elders” (Matthew 15:2). The Lord asked them, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3) and told them “ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Matthew 15:6) and “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9); thus, ye make “the word of God of none effect through your tradition” (Mark 7:13). Paul further warns them and us: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8). In contrast to “the concision”, “the tradition of the elders” our Lord lovingly exhorts and comforts us, telling us that “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30); that is, it is not necessary to so mutilate your lives with such burdensome laws; for, by His death, He freed us from such bondage. So called, ‘religious leaders’ still impose burdensome laws and traditions upon the people, teaching that there are things that must be done to either obtain or to secure Eternal Salvation. But the truth is that, by His Sacrificial Death, our Lord completely and finally “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9)!