Galatians 6:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here the Apostle shows that they did not fall into this error by themselves, but under compulsion. By this very fact he gives them an opportunity to abandon it. Almost excusing them, he persuades them more readily to turn away from the false teachers. But what does "to make a good showing in the flesh" mean? It means to gain praise from men. "Since the false teachers themselves endured reproach from the Jews for abandoning the customs of the fathers, they wish to corrupt you in order to escape this reproach. They want to justify themselves before them by your flesh." He said this to show that the false teachers did it not for God. It is as though he said: "This does not come from piety. Everything is done from human vainglory alone, for the sake of pleasing unbelievers. They have believers circumcised, and prefer to offend God in order to please men." This is what the words "to make a good showing in the flesh" mean.

"Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh compel you to be circumcised." Those who desire, he says, to make a good showing in the flesh, that is, before men, namely before the Jews, compel you to be circumcised. The Jews reproached them as deserters from the customs of the fathers. They justify themselves before the Jews through your flesh. By the word "compel," he showed that they bear this unwillingly. At the same time he gives them an impulse to return, since they are erring involuntarily. "Only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." He says that they do this also for another reason. In order not to undergo pursuit and persecution because of the cross and the faith, since they transgress it and are circumcised, they wish others also to share in circumcision.

The Jews greatly persecuted those who, as it seemed to them, did not fulfill customs of this kind, such as circumcision. Paul himself had no such fear, and this is clear from the fact that he wrote his epistle with his own hand. In this way he showed that those who compelled the Gentiles to be circumcised acted from fear, as though they were subject to the law and not to grace.

The holy Apostle describes them to us in this way, grieving over the labor he undertook in writing the epistle for the sake of such people: these people, desiring to make a good showing in the flesh, compel you to be circumcised only so that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. You see, Paul's slanderers, though young Christians, did not wish to suffer, to receive wounds and sores for the name of Christ. They did not even wish to undergo a slight persecution. At that time Christians were indeed persecuted by both Jews and Gentiles, while those who appeared to be Jews were spared and left in peace. What then do certain baptized Jews do? They not only appear to be pure Jews themselves, but even take care to convert others to Judaism. By such conduct they think they can please both sides. They preserve themselves from persecutions, rescue others from the danger of suffering for Christ, and even earn approval from the persecutors for such activity.

But those who desire to flatter and boast in the flesh, that is, in circumcision, compel you to be circumcised.

Gaius Julius Caesar, Octavian Augustus, and Tiberius, the successor of Augustus, issued laws that the Jews scattered throughout the whole Roman Empire should live according to their own rites and ancestral solemn customs. Therefore one who was circumcised, even if he was a Christian, was regarded by the Gentiles as a Jew. But one whose uncircumcised foreskin testified that he was not a Jew was subject to persecutions from both Jews and Gentiles. For this reason those who were corrupting the Galatians, wishing as a precaution to avoid these persecutions, strongly advised the disciples to accept circumcision. Paul calls this confidence in the flesh, precisely because during persecutions they set circumcision before both Jews and Gentiles, wishing to please the former and fearing the latter. Indeed, neither Jews nor Gentiles could persecute those whom they saw both circumcising the newly converted and even observing the law. Or it may be called hope in the flesh; Latin, confidentia in carne (Phil 3:4).

To boast according to the flesh means to please men. Those whom Paul calls pseudo-apostles lived favorably and without hostility with the Jews, and preached Christ in such a way that the law also seemed to have to be observed. The Apostle never feared anything, never kept silent about the truth, and constantly watched both what he taught and how he lived.

Those who seek human glory and provide for their own safety propose the teaching that circumcision is necessary, so that they may not suffer mockery and imprisonment like us, who preach Christ.

"Those who desire," he says, "to make a good showing in the flesh," that is, to please men and to rest bodily, compel you to be circumcised. They do this only with the intention "that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." That is, so that they may not endure persecutions as believers in the crucified Christ. In this matter note that the Roman emperors Caesar Augustus and Tiberius permitted the Jews under their dominion to live according to their own worship and to fulfill the rites of their laws. Therefore those who were circumcised were regarded as Jews, even if they believed in Jesus Christ, because circumcision was the distinctive sign and proof of Judaism.

To boast according to the flesh means to boast in fulfilling the law, in one's circumcision, in one's fleshly origin, in short, in external advantages. Or, as Chrysostom explains, it means to boast before men. "That they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ." By retaining circumcision and the ceremonial law, the Judaizers thought to reconcile themselves with the Jews and spare themselves persecution for the fulfillment of the cross.

Beyond this, he points to the contrast between his own motives, which were entirely pure, and his own manner of action, which was selfless and courageous, compared with the false teachers who were deceiving the Galatians. They compel you, says the Apostle, to be circumcised only so that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. This shows cowardice and attachment to sensual ease. Or else they do it "that they may boast in your flesh," that is, boast in the number of marks of your circumcisions. This is irony. Or, what is the same, they boast in the number of their disciples. This shows vanity and vainglory.

Since the chief aim of the epistle was to expose the false teachers and turn the Galatians away from them, the Apostle once more shows their character. It consists in this, that they do everything for display and vainglory. They even pride themselves on performing many circumcisions. According to blessed Jerome, "Julius Caesar, Octavian Augustus, and Tiberius published a law that the Jews scattered throughout the whole Roman Empire should live according to their customs and serve their God as they had received from their fathers. Therefore whoever was circumcised, even if he believed in Christ, was regarded by the Gentiles as a Jew and was not troubled. But whoever did not accept circumcision and was estranged from paganism was subjected to persecutions by the Gentiles and by the Jews.

From this verse onward the Apostle offers his final persuasions to follow his teaching. He does this by comparing the characteristic traits of the false teachers with what he himself is. He speaks as though saying: Look, who are those who force you to be circumcised? They are those who want to boast according to the flesh, only so that they may not suffer persecution for the true faith in Christ.

That is, they are not lovers of truth, but guardians and providers for themselves. They are ready to betray the truth as soon as danger threatens them because of it. Their whole concern is that their outward circumstances and relations may flow smoothly. They care little for truth. They do not value it.