Galatians6:11-18 [Burdened with the Cross]

£±¡¥Circumcision and Salvation

Paul wrote a lot of letters to the Churches, each of which had different problems. For example in the Church in Rome there was a schism between offenders and defenders regarding consumption of meat, which came at that time, generally from gentile temples and sacrificial offerings.
Another instance was in the Church at Corinth where two factions were in conflict, one supported Apollo¡Çs thinking and the other supported Peter’s teaching. This kind of confrontation within the Church was undesirable because it caused disappointment and division among the believers. However these confrontations have in fact resulted in blessings, because Paul wrote his letters about these issues. They are now a part of scripture, which gives us an insight into the early church. From these readings we can learn how to turn human miserable discords into forms of blessings.
Today we are reading from, Galatians 6:11-18. This section is the conclusion of Paul¡Çs letter to the Galatians. First, we will take an overview of the problem which occurred among the Galatians. The oppressive theology of certain Jewish legalizers were causing the believers in Galaticia to trade their freedom in Christ for bondage to the law.
It concerned two ways of thinking about circumcision. Though the Church in Galatia has been founded by Paul’s own preaching, other traveling preachers, sent by the Church of Jerusalem, came after Paul’s departure. They taught that converted gentiles could not become real Christians without circumcision.
Paul writes this forceful epistle to do away with the false Gospel of works, and demonstrate the superiority of justification by faith. “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” ( Galatians 2:21).
And he continues: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” ( Galatians 3:1-3)
Moreover, Paul went to the extreme by saying this; ¡ÈMark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all” (Galatians 5:2). He severely accused the preachers who were promoting circumcision (legalism). “As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! ” (Galatians 5:12).
Jews were obligated to be circumcised because God ordered Abraham to do so: “You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:11-13). From that time, all new-born Jewish males were circumcised on the 8th day after their birth.

2. Why they insist on the circumcision so strictly ?

Here Paul said, “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11). It seems that Paul wanted to emphasize this matter by commencing to write in large letters, because this passage was of such great importance. ¡ÈThose who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ “(Galatians 6:12).
Paul is making two points here:
1.These preachers make the people feel obliged to become circumcised, in order to be approved by other believers for efficient preaching, but their purpose is not for the Galatians’ own salvation or benefit. A similar tendency might be observed in today’s society and Church. Too often leaders estimate the degree of success by their preaching ability, or by counting the number of baptized persons, and by going so far as to compel new believers to receive the baptism, even if they are not yet ready to do so. Such baptism is no longer an act of God, but of human making, becoming a type of church-business.

2. The judaizers intention was to avoid conflict with the Jewish Church by observing the respected laws of the Torah, the Jewish Bible. The preachers from the Church of Jerusalem had naturally their own arguments. They thought it would be better to stay away from useless conflicts with Jewish traditional churches. They could not understand why receiving circumcision would be such a non-christian act. Because, after all, it was a law written in the Torah.
The same argument was taken by Japanese christians during the world war II in saying: “We must remain good Japanese by respecting our Emperor, because we are Japanese before we are christians. The Church must collaborate with the nation to realize the ideal of prosperity throughout the zone of the Far East.” And so they contributed to the belligerent Japanese policy.
Perhaps its the same for the American christians vis à vis war in Afghanistan, or in Iraq. They might think their support will help their government, who is seeking to create a more peaceful world. However, this way of thinking for christians is totally false, for our nationality is of the Kingdom of God - we are first and foremost Christians.
Paul said: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world “(Galatians 6:14). We must not do anything which is inappropriate to God’s teaching even in order to avoid persecution or oppression from the secular world. We must bear the Cross, and seek for the glory of God, who resurrected Jesus Christ. Only the teaching of God, not human’s, can save us.

3. The Foolishness of God and the Burden of the Cross

We chose 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 as today’s verses of invocation. “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength¡É.
God had His unique Son crucified in order to save us, which represents God’s love to us. God will not save us for what we have done or what we have not done, but He showed clearly His will for our salvation through the Cross. What we need is not circumcision, nor strict observation of laws, but faith to live as a newly created human.
Paul insists on that when he says: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” (Galatians 6:14-15).
If we refuse God’s offer of salvation, we always remain what we are. But when we accept this invitation, our way of life will be changed. A newly created human might be exposed to this earthly world when expressing a different opinion. But, concessions to false teachings in a secular society will not set us upon the path to a new life in Christ
However, in order to avoid conflict with others, we could keep our faith inside of the Church, and remain contented to attend Sunday services.
But, by doing that we might loose our relationship with the real world, which will not please God anyway, and Jesus might accuse us at the Last Judgement by saying: “¡ÇHe will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’¡É (Matthew 25:45).
Even though we do not look for trouble or disagreements with the secular world, we must act when it becomes necessary. For example:
Against wars, we might feel the necessity to declare that there is no such thing as a righteous war. But, when we take this pacifist stand we might become at risk to ridicule and abuse, which could well be for us the ‘marks of Jesus’. About this, Paul says: “Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” ( Galatians 6:17).
This letter closes with a contrast between the Judaizers - who are motivated by pride and a desire to avoid persecution - and Paul, who has suffered for the true gospel, but boasts only in Christ. May we be encouraged to learn from Paul’s writings, as we endeavor to live the life of a Christian.

—–