December 11
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FIGHT FOR THE TRUE GOSPEL
3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 Yet it was a concern because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them, even for an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. – Galatians 2:3-5________________________________________
In the Mosaic law, a Gentile convert must be circumcised. Paul addresses this issue in this part of his letter to the Galatians. A commentary says that Paul’s point is that the leadership in Jerusalem accepted Titus (a Gentile convert) even though he was not circumcised in accord with the Mosaic Law. This shows that the Jerusalem leadership accepted the gospel of grace as Paul understood it. The circumcision of Titus was a potential issue because circumcision – the cutting away of the male foreskin – was the sign of initiation into the Jewish faith and the Mosaic covenant. If a Gentile man wanted to become a Jew, he would have to be circumcised as an adult. Jewish men were circumcised as babies. Since all Jewish men were circumcised and most all Gentile men were not, it was an easy way to refer to “those who are part of the covenant” and to “those who are outside of the covenant of Moses.” According to Luther, “Paul did not condemn circumcision as if it were a sin to receive it. But he insisted, and the conference upheld him, that circumcision had no bearing upon salvation and was therefore not to be forced upon the Gentiles.”
In verse 4, Paul confronts this issue of because of false brethren who attempted to bring Paul and other Christians into bondage. It is important why Paul calls these men false. Of course, they did not think of themselves as false brethren. They thought of themselves as true brethren. But because they opposed and contradicted the gospel revealed to Paul by Jesus Christ, they really were false brethren, according to the standard of Galatians 1:6-9. Paul also addressed how these false brethren came sneaking in secretly to look into their freedom in Jesus and bring them back into slavery to the laws. These men probably had the best of intentions, but they were still dangerous men who had to be confronted.
In verse 5, Paul states that he remained steadfast. Some might react this way out of pride or just plain stubbornness. But Paul did it so that the truth of the gospel might continue with you (the Gentile Christians like those in Galatia).
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REFLECTION
• What is the role of a true believer in ensuring the true gospel is uncorrupted?