One Law For All: How The Apostles Guided Gentiles Into The Covenant

The apostles expected Gentiles to grow into the covenant. Circumcision of the heart and the flesh each serve a purpose. When Gentiles came to believe in Yahusha, the apostles did not create a new religion. They were bringing them into the same covenant Yahuah made with Israel. The Torah had already established this rule: “One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you” (Numbers 15:15–16). That principle never changed. What did change was how Gentiles would be brought in. The apostles gave them a starting point but never released them from the obligation to grow into obedience.

Acts 15 shows a process, not a rejection of the law

In Acts 15, some former Pharisees insisted that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the whole law of Moses in order to be saved (Acts 15:5). The apostles disagreed. They ruled that new believers should first follow four basic commands: avoid food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat from strangled animals, and blood (Acts 15:20). These were minimal requirements for table fellowship and community purity.

However, James explained that the Gentiles would continue to learn. He said, “For Moses has been preached in every city from ancient generations and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21). This shows the plan. Gentiles were not expected to remain at the entry point. They were expected to hear Moses taught every week in the Synagogues and grow in obedience as they understood the law.

Circumcision of the heart is the starting point

Yahuah always required more than just outward actions. In Deuteronomy 10:16, He commanded Israel to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. This command was repeated by the prophets and explained by Paul in Romans 2:28–29. Circumcision of the heart means turning away from rebellion and submitting inwardly to Yahuah. It is the work of the Spirit in those who truly believe.

This inner transformation is what brings someone into the covenant. Without it, outward rituals have no meaning. A man who is circumcised in the flesh but still disobedient has not kept the covenant. He has only worn the symbol without living the reality.

Circumcision of the flesh is the physical sign of covenant

Even so, physical circumcision remains the visible mark of the covenant. In Genesis 17:11, Yahuah said, “You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” This was given to Abraham and his descendants forever. Circumcision never made anyone righteous. It showed that a man had accepted the responsibilities of the covenant.

Today, the same principle applies. Circumcision is not required to be saved. But for those who want to fully embrace their identity as part of Israel, it is the sign of their place in the covenant. Like a wedding ring, it does not create the relationship but reflects it. It testifies that the man wearing it belongs to Yahuah and is keeping His commands.

This is why Paul circumcised Timothy in Acts 16:3. Timothy’s mother was an Israelite and his father was a Greek. Paul knew the Jews in the area would not accept Timothy as part of Israel unless he bore the sign of the covenant. Circumcision did not save Timothy, but it affirmed who he was and avoided confusion.

Paul and the charges in Acts 21

In Acts 21, Paul was accused of teaching Jews to abandon the law of Moses and not circumcise their children. The apostles denied this and told Paul to prove otherwise by joining in purification rites at the temple. Paul agreed, showing he still walked according to the law. If Paul truly believed the law had been abolished, he would not have gone along with this. He did it because the accusation was false.

Galatians and the warning against trusting in the flesh

In Galatians 5:2–4, Paul said, “If you become circumcised, Messiah will profit you nothing.” This statement has been misunderstood. Paul was not saying circumcision is wrong. He was warning Gentiles who were being told they needed circumcision to be saved. That teaching replaced faith with ritual. If a man believed that circumcision would justify him, he had rejected the true foundation of salvation which is Yahusha.

Paul was not against obedience. He was against false confidence. The Torah never taught that circumcision saves. It was always a sign for those already in the covenant. Paul made the same distinction. He opposed circumcision when it was treated as a substitute for faith. He supported it when it reflected someone’s identity and obedience within Israel.

Is physical circumcision optional?

It is not required for salvation. That was the heart of the Acts 15 decision. New believers should not be forced into it immediately. But once someone has learned the law, come to understand their place in Israel, and accepted the responsibilities of the covenant, circumcision is expected. It is the natural step for those who are serious about obedience. It is not optional for those who claim to live fully as part of Israel as a citizen of the Kingdom. It simply must follow heart circumcision and not precede it.

When done with the wrong mindset, it becomes empty ritual. When done in faith and understanding, it becomes a powerful testimony of belonging.

Conclusion

The apostles did not cancel the law or teach lawlessness. They gave Gentiles time to learn and grow. Circumcision of the heart must come first, followed by the sign in the flesh. This pattern mirrors the story of Abraham, who believed first and was counted righteous, then later received circumcision as a seal of that faith. The same order applies today. Faith brings us into covenant, and obedience confirms it. Circumcision of the flesh remains a sign that we accept Yahuah’s covenant and choose to walk in it.