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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Galatians 5:12 http://www.dailybiblestudy.org
12 I would [ophelon] they were [apokopto] even [kai] cut off [apokopto] which trouble [anastatoo] you [humas]. KJV-Interlinear
12 Would that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. NASB
Here Paul inserts a little humor and sarcasm into the circumcision concept and suggests that it would be even better if they would go even further and cut it all off. The phrase, ‘I would,’ means wouldn’t it be better. The words for, were and cut off, ‘apokopto,’ mean to self-mutilate, to amputate, to cut off. And so Paul indicates that the whole idea is ridiculous because circumcision not only does not provide salvation, does not apply to everyone, male and female, and therefore it would be better to go even further for all that it is worth, which is nothing. The idea that circumcision is a mandatory component of salvation, is absurd, but if you believe that it is necessary in order to be saved, then why not be saved little more, and cut it all off. That is the idea being conveyed here by Paul. When Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself, that was to set him apart from all other heathen belief systems that existed back in that day. For back then there were innumerable idols and idol worshippers that had ideas that were beyond the bizarre. So one more bizarre idea wouldn’t hurt. Circumcision came long after Abraham had believed and was already saved, therefore it had nothing to do with salvation or his original faith in the Savior. Circumcision served as a reminder and teaching aid, to all generations thereafter, of the principle of faith, and was practiced on the born infant sons, again to remind that it would be an infant son who would come into the world and be cut off as a sacrifice so that we all might believe and be saved. It was never used on girls. The sons of that day were revered as the greatest achievement of a family to pass on the family name and so forth. Therefore it continued from generation to generation in that regard so that people would not forget the principle of salvation, even if they did ignore the teachings of the Bible. Lots of people in this world ignore the Bible, and they do not even read it, and yet the Bible is the best and widest known book even by those who never turn its pages. So even tradition has its value in promoting the gospel. In that regard, God is a genius at communicating truth even where truth does not exist. And so Paul points out that the ideas being promoted by the false teachers in Galatia are so ridiculous, that if they really believed them they should go even further to demonstrate their dedication to their false ideas. Which of course, false ideas go only so far and never an inch further. Pardon the humor.
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
