Galatians 5:11
11 And [de] I [ego], brethren [adelphos], if [ei] I [kerusso] yet [eti] preach [kerusso]
circumcision [peritome], why [tis] do I [dioko] yet [eti] suffer persecution [dioko]?
then [ara] is [katargeo] the offence [skandalon] of
the cross [stauros] ceased [katargeo]. KJV-Interlinear
11 But I, brethren, if I still
preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the
cross has been abolished. NASB
When you read the opening lines of a study but do
not read the rest of the study, you follow the same subtle hypocrisy that the
Galatians practiced by saying one thing and doing another. This is a form of pretended Christianity
where your actions are shallow and do not follow the spirit of Gods mandated
daily study requirements.
Thus, criticism comes from the same person against
both sides of the same discussion. Which
means that the person is not really interested in the truth, but only in
fighting truth in order to maintain his current and convenient beliefs.
God mandates, that we learn truth as taught by
Him.
But most folks want to learn truth, as they define
truth, which usually follows whatever practices they have become accustomed
to. And that is a trap for failure in
life.
Paul practiced circumcision during his life. That was how he was raised. Paul had Timothy circumcised as Timothy was a
gentile and circumcision was a Jewish cultural practice taught by the Mosaic
Law.
But Paul did not teach circumcision as the means of
salvation. Paul taught that faith was
the means of salvation and was thus persecuted by traditional Levites who held
that abiding by the Law was a mandated requirement of being saved.
But, here too, Paul was criticized for teaching
circumcision. And so he states here
clearly, that no matter what he taught, the Judaizers would always oppose him,
not because of his words or topic but because they simply opposed Paul regardless
of his teachings, with total disregard to the context in which he happened to
be teaching on a given topic.
Throughout this entire book of Galatians, the topic
was circumcision, and the subject was faith vs. works, but there is an
additional principle being taught here too, and that is of the subjectivity of
the person to find criticism and argument and their resistance to changing
themselves.
Some of Judaism taught that Jesus was not the
Messiah. Others of Judaism taught that
Jesus was the Messiah, but you still had to obey the Mosaic Law. Still others of Judaism were selective as to
what parts of the Law must be obeyed and what parts were allowed to be ignored.
All people have their pet views, but God has but
one view, which simply stated is, ‘Study to show thyself mature…’ And the word for study means to learn from
instruction.
There is no such thing as a self-taught person. We all have to learn from someone else. And yet people generally have the idea that
they do not need to be taught or to learn for that matter, being comfortable
with whatever they have or know, seeing no need for anything further.
And that is the greatest mistake that anyone could
ever make for their own life and future.
Paul states that if he had changed and began
teaching as the Judiazers taught, then would that make truth go away? Would that make faith non-essential? Would that make them not criticize him? And the answer is flatly, no.
Truth remains regardless of whether you agree with
it or not, regardless of whether I told you to read or not read the entire
study.
Gods mandates stand, and our habits and beliefs are
the things that must change, not His.
To compromise or pacify the habits of people so as
to not offend them, would be worse for them, than to teach correctly and let
them be offended if they reject instruction.
But in the long run, truth always wins over those who will change, and
condemns those who will not.
The only loser is you, if you do not see the difference.
And if the light bulb comes on inside your head, and
you begin to see the error of your ways and begin to really, really, really
want to learn as God intends for you to learn, then you become the winner that
God wants for you. But your desire has
to be genuine and not just another form of pretense.
