Paul continues some of his harsh language from yesterday. Yesterday Paul confronted Cephas and other Jewish Christians and accused them of hypocrisy. Today he turns his harsh language to the Galatians, the recipients of this letter: “O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you…Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?” It seems that some Jewish Christians are telling the Gentile Galatians that they need to be circumcised to be saved. Paul continues to fight for what he calls the “truth of the gospel.” This central truth is that we are justified, made non-sinners through faith in Jesus Christ not by a prescription or requirement of the Law or Torah, namely circumcision. Paul insists that Christ alone is sufficient for justification and to add other requirements such as circumcision means that the death of Christ is lacking something.
Paul’s language is harsh but probably sounds harsher to our modern ears. The Galatians were decedents of the Celts, and their language tended to be more earthy and direct. Most of these Galatians were Gentiles. The true Gospel of the crucified Christ had been preached to them: “…before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” They put their faith in Jesus Christ and were baptized and received the gift of the Spirit. They received the gift of the holy Spirit in baptism before they even heard about circumcision, a “work of the law.” Paul asked them to reflect on their own experience: “I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?” Just to make sure they get the point he calls them stupid a second time: “Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh [i.e., circumcision]?”
Paul calls us to what is central to our faith, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Justification and forgiveness are a gift or grace from God. We are called to live as gifted people by showing this same grace of love and forgiveness to all we meet.
Image: “IMG_2378B Valentin de Boulogne. 1591-1632. Rome. Saint Paul. Rouen Musée des Beaux Arts.” by jean louis mazieres is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.