Galatians 6:12
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Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Contrast between his zeal in their behalf, implied in Gal 6:11, and the zeal for self on the part of the Judaizers. make a fair show-- (Co2 5:12). in the flesh--in outward things. they--it is "these" who constrain you--by example (Gal 6:13) and importuning. only lest--"only that they may not," &c. (compare Gal 5:11). suffer persecution--They escaped in a great degree the Jews' bitterness against Christianity and the offense of the cross of Christ, by making the Mosaic law a necessary preliminary; in fact, making Christian converts into Jewish proselytes.
Open source ↗This chapter chiefly consists of two parts. In the former the apostle gives us several plain and practical directions, which more especially tend to instruct Christians in their duty to one another, and to promote the communion of saints in love (Gal 6:1-10). In the latter he revives the main design of the epistle, which was to fortify the Galatians against the arts of their judaizing teachers, and confirm them in the truth and liberty of the gospel, for which purpose he, I. Gives them the true character of these teachers, and shows them from what motives, and with what views, they acted (Gal 6:11-14). And, II. On the other hand he acquaints them with his own temper and behaviour. From both these they might easily see how little reason they had to slight him, and to fall in with them. And then he concludes the epistle with a solemn benediction.
Open source ↗6:12-13 For all of their theological reasoning, the false teachers’ motivation was self-serving: They felt pressure from non-Christian Jews and were more concerned with their own reputation than with honoring God.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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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.
Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”