Circumcision versus the Cross
Gal 6:11-18
6-10-07
In closing his letter to the Galatians, Paul summed up his argument against circumcision and adherence to the law after a person trusts Christ. Basically, the teachers that were trying to get the Galatians to follow the law after their salvation were men who could not bear the reproach of simple faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary. To keep the law abiding Jews from troubling them like they troubled Paul [Acts 14:19; Acts 17:4-5, 13], these teachers gave in to the pressure to conform their “converts” to the law [Acts 21:20-24]. And when they were able to convince Christians to abide by the law, they considered themselves to be successful in their advancement of what they believed was the true gospel [Gal 1:7-9]. They had something about which they could boast and of which they could be proud. Paul was totally against their teaching because it minimized the true saving work of Calvary and would only lead to religious self righteousness in the end.
When comparing circumcision to the true saving work of the cross, Paul concluded the following.
Circumcision after salvation:
1. Drew attention to the flesh – 12 – Rom 2:28-29, it doesn’t make any difference what you do in the flesh; if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you are not going to heaven and if you have trusted him, circumcision isn’t going to get you there any faster or any more assuredly. For this reason, Paul wouldn’t circumcise Titus [Gal 2:3] just to satisfy the Jews.
2. Prevented persecution – 12 – the Jews wouldn’t tolerate the preaching of the cross to other Jews or even to Gentiles [1 Thes 2:14-16]. Thus they persecuted those who preached the simplicity of salvation in Jesus Christ just like Paul did before he got saved [Acts 8:1-4; 22:4]. Now, if they circumcised their converts, the Jews would leave them alone [Acts 15:1, 5].
3. Glorified the preacher – 13 - the fact that a teacher or preacher was able to convince true believers to go back under the law was an accomplishment that boosted the reputation of the preacher. But that same preacher could not keep the very law he was attempting to get his followers to keep [Matt 23:3; Rom 2:21-25]. This is the same problem with all religious hypocrisy.
4. Availed nothing – 15 – considering salvation through Jesus Christ, circumcision accomplishes absolutely nothing [Gal 5:6]. Circumcision in Gen 17 was the token of a covenant God made with Abraham and we get in on the inheritance promised by that covenant when we trust Jesus as our Savior [Rom 4:11-13].
The cross of Christ, on the other hand:
1. Crucifies the world to you – 14 – When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he won a victory over the world that will have its ultimate culmination at the second coming of Jesus Christ, when the kingdoms of this world will become his [Rev 11:15] and when the god of this world will be chained in the bottomless pit for a thousand years [Rev 20]. In the meantime, we enjoy victory over the world because of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary [Col 2:14-15; 1 Jn 5:4-5, 4:4].
2. Crucifies you to the world – 14 – my nature is drawn to the world and its lusts. When I trusted Jesus, the Holy Spirit essentially crucified me on his cross [Gal 2:20] and killed me so that the sin of the world [1 Jn 2:15-17] would not continue to draw me away from Christ [Rom 6:6-7, 11-12].
3. Makes you a new creature – 15 – 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 4:22-24, neither circumcision nor any other outward demonstration in the flesh can make you a new creature in Christ. Frankly, being a new creature in Christ is all that matters as far as salvation and the Christian life are concerned.
4. Gives you peace with God – 16 – Col 1:20-21 by his cross we have been reconciled to God and thus we are at peace with him. This something circumcision cannot do [Judas was circumcised] and was never intended to do.
5. Provokes persecution – 17, 12 – Col 1:24; 2 Cor 11:23-25; Phil 1:29-30 it only stands to reason that if a self righteous, religious hypocrite is depending upon some outward show in his flesh to convince you that he is righteous, he will try to destroy you if you preach that simple faith in Christ will save you and that his religious system will send you to hell.
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