Galatians 2:3-12 Circumcision

1. Galatians 2:3-12Circumcision By: Saad Bajwa

2. Prep Community • Paul addresses how circumcision is a rule that is not such a big threat towards your acceptance into the kingdom of God. • He mentions how little things like circumcision should be ignored due to such little time. • The Prep Community can use Paul’s rule to help them realize not to focus too much on minor problems and end up forgetting about the major ones. • Paul is writing to the Galatians explaining to them about what and what not worry about. He wants them to focus on major rules that need to be followed. • The Prep Community can learn from Paul’s letter to the Galatians that some rules in their life may not be so important and that some rules are. • It is important the Prep Community can realize which rules are not so important as others. • Also Paul viewed the circumcised and uncircumcised as the same, he felt that they both should be preached to about the Gospel. What the Prep Community can take out of this is it is not the little physical features that make us different or better than anyone else, it more about who we really are.

3. Paul’s Reasoning • Paul was more concerned about bigger problems that needed to be solved and worried about. • He did not only address to not worry about little problems such as circumcision, but he addressed what to do to prepare for coming of the kingdom of god, which was coming any day now in Paul’s eyes. • In Paul’s view, things that should be prepared for in order to be accepted into the kingdom of God were his rules he created that he believed would bring people into the kingdom of God. • Believing in Paul’s rules and the kingdom of God was a very important rule that was expected from his followers. • In Paul’s eyes, there was no difference between circumcised and uncircumcised.

4. Galatians 2:6-9 • 6But from those who were reputed to be important (what they once were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those of repute made me add nothing. • 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, • 8for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, • 9and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (http://www.usccb.org/bible/galatians/2) • Paul is trying to say that even though Peter was preaching the gospel to only Jews, meaning only the circumcised, Paul thought that the uncircumcised should be preached to as well. • Paul preaches to the Gentiles, the uncircumcised while Peter preached the Jews, the circumcised. • Paul believed there was no difference between Jew or Gentile, or circumcised and uncircumcised. • Paul also believed God had not chosen Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised in particular.

5. Circumcision • Paul is writing to the Galatians in the topic of Circumcision. The early beliefs before Paul mentioned circumcision in this letter to the Galatians, was about how circumcision was mandatory. • Paul talks about how circumcision is not an important factor at the time. He explains how this close to the kingdom of God coming down, there are more important things to worry about. • He questions, why should you be circumcised? Then states, Titus was not compelled (forced) to be circumcised. • Paul was then told by other people that were circumcised to preach and consent (force) circumcision and force Titus to be circumcised. (Galatians 2:3-4) • Paul believed circumcision was not that important in order to be accepted into the kingdom of God. He wanted everyone to worry about bigger things, such as believing in Paul’s system for one. • Circumcision was false to be believed a necessity in Paul’s eyes.