EXPOSED
FLESH
“For
not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you
circumcised that they may glory in your flesh” Galatians 6:13.
Introduction
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Do
you know the story of George and the dragon? Well, George, apparently, was born
in Cappadocia, which is just east of Galatia. He died around the year AD303. Anyway,
the story goes that there was a dragon terrorizing a town in Libya. The locals
had tried to appease the dragon by feeding it sheep. However, the dragon,
apparently, wanted to get its teeth into some human flesh. So, the villagers
drew lots, and the lot fell upon the king’s daughter. So, she was taken out in
the open to await the dragon. But lo and behold! George showed up, slew the
dragon, saved the king’s daughter, and converted the whole town to
Christianity! – or so the story goes.
Now
then, the Apostle Paul is encountering a dragon of sorts at Galatia. The main
difference is that he’s already converted the town to Christianity, which is to
say that God has used Paul in His conversion of the town. However, there’s a
dragon at Galatia, and like George’s dragon, he too is after a piece of the
villagers’ flesh!
As
you know, this dragon, or these dragons, wants to see the Galatian men
circumcised. However, Paul the Apostle is having none of it. The whole of this
Epistle to the Galatians is a record of Paul fighting this dragon. And, as you
read through this letter, you see him deftly run-it-through many times. Clearly,
he’s lanced this erupting boil to death!
Now
then, in Galatians 6:13 he’s doing what David did to the dead Goliath. He’s
doing what I did to a dead snake I found on my garden path. He’s severing the
dragon’s head. He’s making sure the thing is dead! And now, in this verse, he’s
holding up its severed head to show the Galatians, once more, the true nature
of the beast!
And
what is the true nature of this beast? Well, the true nature of this beast is
that it is clearly anti-Christian. The false teachers at Galatia under the
guise of true religion were introducing false religion. Paul, in the verse
we’re looking at, is blowing their cover! He’s exposing their false religion
for what it is – anti-Christian. And by anti-Christian we mean that which is
either against or in place of Christ. False religion is anything that replaces
the cross of Christ as the means of salvation.
Paul
then, in this verse, is lopping the head off the anti-Christian, false religion
of the Judaizers. The false teachers are not about the business of saving the
Galatians. Instead, they are feeding them to the dragon through the mincer of
circumcision. Hence, Paul wants to show these Galatians who these false
teachers really are. He even wants the Galatians to, as it were, examine their
legalistic entrails!
The
Perception
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The
perception the Galatians had of these false teachers was that they loved God’s
Law. On the surface they looked like model Christians, i.e., perfect law
keepers. However, false teachers may seem so sincere while being so sincerely
wrong. Now, this creates a bit of a difficulty, because one of the signs a
person is a Christian is that he loves God and the things of God – including
His Law.
Paul
the Apostle tells us of his love for God’s Law where he says, “I delight in the
law of God” (Rom. 8:22). And the Apostle John says, “By this we know that we
love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this
is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not
burdensome” (1 John 5:2-3).
So,
you would agree with me, that one indication a person is a Christian is his
desire to keep God’s commandments, i.e., his love for the law? What Christian
do you know says that it’s right to worship false images? What Christian says
it’s good to murder, commit adultery, steal, lie and covet? ALL Christians love
the law of God. However, the Judaizers, who were pestering the Galatians,
seemed zealous about keeping the Law, even the part of the Law that had been
abrogated, i.e., the ceremonial law.
Now
then, don’t miss the frank boldness of what the Apostle is saying in this
verse. At the moment I’m referring in particular to the first half of the
verse. “For not even those who are circumcised keep the law...” (Gal. 6:13a). Think
about those words. Since Abraham’s day circumcision had been the sign and seal
of God’s covenant with His people. It was the sign and seal of God’s Covenant
of Grace, i.e., God’s conditional promise of eternal life. Everlasting life was promised to “whosoever
believes” in the One to which circumcision pointed. Circumcision then, was a
signpost directing all Old Testament traffic to Christ, the Promised Messiah,
for salvation from the penalty of their sins.
Every
Hebrew male, child or adult, was to have that signpost applied upon him. Circumcision
itself couldn’t save. It was merely the sign and seal of God’s Promise
of salvation. Circumcision, if you will, was the mark of Christ. And among
God’s Covenant People circumcision remained the mark of Christ from the time of
Abraham until the time of Christ. Then, after the removal of our sin at
Calvary’s cross (which circumcision graphically depicted), the sign and seal
was changed. Bloody circumcision gave way to bloodless baptism as the mark of
Christ.
Now
then, if you keep in mind that neither Old Testament, i.e., Old Covenant,
circumcision, nor New Testament, i.e., New Covenant, baptism, were designed to
save, you won’t go too far wrong.
Old
Testament circumcision and New Testament baptism are the outward applying of
the mark of Christ to a member of God’s Covenant People, i.e., believers and to
their children (Acts 2:39). Therefore, to withhold the mark of Christ from any
individual was to deny that that individual belonged to Christ. It was to say
that that person or persons is a covenant breaker, i.e., one who does not keep
the Law. Again, the Apostle is saying here: “...not even those who are
circumcised keep the law.” And here’s the rub: in Genesis the LORD said to
Abraham, “And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh
of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; HE HAS BROKEN MY
COVENANT” (Gen. 17:14). With a verse like that, can you see why the Galatians
might be considering circumcision? The male person who had not been circumcised
was considered a covenant breaker. He was considered as one who does not keep
the law, i.e., an enemy of God.
Young
David asked about the giant Goliath, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam. 17:26b). So, when
Paul says, “For not even those who are circumcised keep the law”, he is saying
that the Judaizing zealots might as well be uncircumcised. Why? Because they
are not keeping the law. Yet it is the perception of the Galatians that these
Judaizers are keeping the law. But ironically, circumcision is the very place
where they are breaking the law! And this is the place where Paul removes the
head from the dragon. It’s the place where he uncovers the buttocks of the
false teachers. It’s the place where he shames them.
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When
we lived in Winnipeg, Canada, in mid-winter sometimes this warning would come
across your TV screen: Exposed skin will freeze in one minute! The idea
was that it was so cold outside that you’d better not expose any of your skin!
The Apostle here is exposing the flesh of these false teachers to the elements,
i.e., the Galatians. These false teachers are the epitome of what some call the
“frozen chosen”! At least Adam and Eve covered the nakedness of their sin with
fig leaves. These false teachers were using the ordinance of circumcision as
their covering. But the Apostle Paul is about to yank the towel off them to
expose their false circumcision!
The
Deception
The
false teachers were not keeping the law, in actual fact, they were abusing the
law. As Paul puts it, “Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but
they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh” (Gal.
6:13b). In other words, it’s not because they love the law that they want you
circumcised. It’s because they love the flesh.
This
is where he holds up the severed head of the serpent. It’s under the pretext of
the law that the false teachers want the Galatians circumcised. But even with
their own circumcision the false teachers are not keeping the law. And here’s
where the deception lay: They thought that circumcision itself saves you rather
than points you to the Saviour – just as many people today think baptism is
their saviour rather than the signpost to the Saviour. Therefore, they were
glorying in their own flesh. They gloried in circumcision rather than the
Savior. They saw circumcision as their Savior – not Christ, who is the meaning
of Old Testament circumcision. They failed to see that Christ’s crucifixion was
our circumcision. As Paul said elsewhere to the Philippians, “Beware of dogs,
beware of evil workers, beware of mutilation! For we are the circumcision who
worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in
the flesh” (Phil. 3:2-3).
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The
false teachers were putting their confidence in the flesh, not only their own
flesh, but also the flesh of the Galatians. As in the legend of George and the Dragon,
the king’s offspring was to be sacrificed. The false teachers dreaded
persecution. Therefore, they had to appease the ones who persecute. Thus, they
sought to offer up the flesh of the Galatians. As Calvin put it, speaking of
the Galatians, “They wish to triumph over you, and to gratify their own desire
of applause, by offering up your mutilated flesh to the false zealots of the
law, as a token of peace and harmony.” (Calvin on Gal. 6:13).
The
false teachers, then, gloried in the flesh of the Galatians. Why? Because the
circumcision of the Galatians meant peace from persecution. It meant that the
dragon, i.e., the false religion of Judaism, would be fed. And it meant that
these false teachers would have peace and harmony with the Judaistic zealots
who were persecuting the Apostle Paul. But the trouble with false religion is
that it has an insatiable appetite. That’s the nature of the beast, but the
Apostle’s having none of it. So, he cuts of its head by exposing their flesh. He
reveals the fact that their circumcision is phoney. He invites the Galatians to
inspect the circumcision of these false teachers.
Their
circumcision is not according to the law because they do not keep the law. Their
circumcision is simply a mutilation of the flesh. It’s like when a person is
baptized and he goes out and lives a life of sin and debauchery. What does his
baptism count for with God? Nothing! But what does it count for with man? That’s
the question, isn’t it? The common perception is that it does some good. That’s
the perception of the world; but that’s also the deception.
Just
think, if we lived in Old Testament times, they’d be asking to have their
infants circumcised. Why? Well, for the same reason people who don’t even attend
church would phone and ask me to baptize their infants. They believe in
salvation through baptism just as these false teachers believed in salvation
through circumcision. But that’s what false religion is all about. It’s about
substituting Christ and His cross. It’s about glorying in the flesh. But look
what Paul says in the next verse, “But God forbid that I should glory except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). If you’re going to glory in
anything, glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, glory in
the thing which Old Testament circumcision pointed to – Christ removing our sin.
The
perception the Galatians had was that the false teachers were striving to be
obedient to God. But that perception was part of their deception. So, Paul
exposed their rort. He does this by telling the Galatians that the false
teacher do not keep the law. The very point where the false teachers claim they
are keeping the law is the very point where they are breaking it.
First
off, the Law given to Moses and the People of God at Mount Sinai was not given
as a means of salvation. It’s true that many Pharisees, i.e., the false
teachers in Jesus’ day, viewed the law that way. Truth be told, there are many
in the churches today who view the Old Testament Law that way. But fallen man
cannot save himself through keeping the Law of Moses. Neither can he assist in
the saving of himself by keeping the Law. This is the Apostle Paul’s whole
argument throughout this Epistle. So, when Paul says, “Not even those who are
circumcised keep the law,” he is lifting the head off the false teachers’
argument. How is this? It’s because Circumcision was never given with the law
in the first place.
Circumcision
was given as a sign and seal of the Covenant some four hundred odd years before
Mount Sinai. It was the mark of Christ, which is to say that it was the Promise
of Salvation made by God to those who would believe in the One to come. In other
words, Old Testament Circumcision was the Gospel of Christ in the Old Testament.
However, these false teachers are mixing Gospel with Law. They did this by
making circumcision part of the Law – and a major part at that.
They’re
saying that salvation depends on Old Testament circumcision every bit as much as
the Papacy today says that salvation depends on Romish baptism! However, the
Lord’s Apostle (in the verse before us) has carved up this beast! No longer
need the people of God fear the terrible dragon! For not even those who claim
you are saved by keeping the law keep the law themselves. They are breaking the
Law by claiming that you need to keep the Law to be saved! For to claim that
you need to be circumcised or baptized to keep the Law is to break the Law, because
neither Old Testament Circumcision nor New Testament Baptism were given with
the Law. Therefore, the false teachers at Galatia were not keeping the Law, because,
among other things, they were adding circumcision to the Law.
The
Apostle Paul has clearly shown the true nature of the Judaizing Zealots. They
are liars! Jesus called the legalistic Pharisees “A brood of vipers” i.e.,
“offspring of the serpent”. In John 8:44 Jesus told them that they were of
their father the devil who was a murderer from the beginning and the father of
lies. They were around in Jesus’ day and they are still around today, so watch
out!
Conclusion
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Old
Testament Circumcision pointed to Christ – the Christ who alone kept the Law
perfectly. Old Testament Circumcision pointed to Christ’s cross – the Christ
who crushed the dragon’s head. It was Jesus Christ who killed the dragon out in
the open at Calvary’s cross! He crushed its head, but the Serpent only bruised
His heel. Glory in the cross of Christ. Don’t glory in your own baptism. Don’t
glory in the amount of people you’ve converted, i.e., those you’ve influenced
to be baptized. Therefore, don’t glory in the flesh, your own flesh, or the
flesh of others. Glory only in Christ and His cross, for He is our circumcision
and our baptism and our Law Keeper. For He is our Great Dragonslayer! He is the
One who sets His people free from bondage and tyranny of Satan and his lies,
i.e., false teaching.
Christ
is our everything. He is our all in all!
