11 Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!

13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Adam Davies

“Why stop at circumcision, just keep cutting things off down there…” Gosh, Paul, is that really what you’re saying in verse 12? Whoever these people insisting on circumcision are, they must be really leading people into something terrible!

But I guess that’s been Paul’s point in this chapter, right? If Paul was really still preaching circumcision, then the cross would be done away with and pointless. If we have been set free from the slavery of relying on works for salvation, to wholly relying on God’s grace through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and then we try to insist on something else being essential for our salvation, that makes the cross pointless, and we go back to slavery of works which cannot save. If verse 12 is anything to go by, Paul seems pretty serious about this!

Maybe it caused the Galatians to fight with each other about whether circumcision counted for anything, and the arguments were tearing them apart. Even with those who realised they had everything in Christ and that circumcision counted for nothing, maybe they weren’t using their freedom to care for and serve each other but seemed to be hurting each other! I wonder if it can be hard for us as well, when we’re trying to encourage people to let go of things they are relying on to get into God’s good books and instead to wholly trust in Christ for salvation. I wonder if I am ever high and mighty about it when chatting to someone who is scared about letting go of an unhelpful or ungodly tradition, instead of gently loving and leading them towards the truth of Christ? I pray that I can both be firm about salvation by grace through faith alone, and yet can correct and encourage people in a way that uses my freedom in love and service of others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.