The document discusses Paul's letter to the Galatians regarding those who were promoting circumcision. It provides several reasons Paul gives for rejecting circumcision: 1) Christ will be of no benefit if they receive circumcision. 2) They will be obligated to keep the entire law. 3) They will be severed from Christ and no longer have access to grace. The document also notes Paul's harsh statement that those troubling the Galatians about circumcision should go further and emasculate or castrate themselves.

1. 1Sons, Not Slaves
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

2. 2
“Elemental Things of the World”
Gal 4:9-10 how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless
elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over
again? You observe days and months and seasons and years.
Col 2:8-21 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and
empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to
the elementary principles of the world…the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us…let no one act as your judge
in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new
moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of
what is to come…If you have died with Christ to the elementary
principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world,
do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do
not taste, do not touch!"
Heb 5:12-6:2 You have need again for someone to teach you the elementary
principles of the oracles of God…leaving the elementary
teaching about the Christ…
2 Pet 3:10-12 “The elements will be destroyed with intense heat” (AD 70?)

3. 3
“Born of a Woman” – Not of Man
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between
your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and
you shall bruise him on the heel.
Isa 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and was astonished that
there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought
salvation to him; and His righteousness upheld him.
Psa 80:17 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the
son of man whom you did make strong for yourself.
Rom 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the
flesh, God did: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

4. 4
The Adoption of Sons
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name
Rom 8:14-17 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons
of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to
fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons
by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!“ The Spirit itself bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…
Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons…
1 John 3:1-2 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we
should be called children of God; and such we are…Beloved,
now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet
what we shall be. We know that, when he appears, we shall be
like him, because we shall see him just as he is.

5. 5
Doctrine Brings Obligations
4:12 I beg of you, become as I am
4:27 Rejoice! Break forth! Shout!
4:30 Cast out the bond woman
5:1 Keep standing firm
5:1 Do not be subject to a yoke of slavery
5:10 Adopt no other view
5:13 Do not turn your freedom into an opportunity
5:14 You shall love
5:16 Walk by the spirit
5:25 If we live by the spirit, walk by the spirit
5:26 Let us not become boastful
6:1 Restore such a man in a spirit of gentleness
6:2 Bear one another's burdens
6:4 Let each one examine his own work
6:6 Share all good things
6:7 Do not be deceived
6:9 Do not lose heart in doing good
6:10 Let us do good to all men
6:16 Walk by this rule

6. 6
“Become as I am”
1 Cor 4:16-17 I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me. For this reason I have
sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord,
and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I
teach everywhere in every church.
1 Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
1 Thess 1:6-7 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received
the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you
became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
Phil 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who
walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Phil 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in
me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.
1 Tim 4:12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech,
conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those
who believe.

7. 7
1st Journey – Acts 13 & 14
Now Paul and his
companions put out to sea
from Paphos and came to
Perga in Pamphylia; and
John left them and
returned to Jerusalem. But
going on from Perga,
they arrived at Pisidian
Antioch, and on the
Sabbath day they went into
the synagogue and sat
down.
(Acts 13:13-14)

8. 8
Paul’s “Illness”
2Cor 11:30;
12:5-10
I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses…to keep me from
exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger
of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this
I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has
said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in
weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses…
1Cor 2:3-4 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And
my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
2Cor 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal
presence is unimpressive, and his speech contemptible.” (“despised” in
Gal 4:14)
Let no one therefore despise him (Timothy). (1Cor 16:11)
2Cor 11:26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers…

9. 9
Paul – Mother and Father
1Th 2:7-11 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother
tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond
affection for you…just as you know how we were exhorting and
encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would
his own children.
1Cor 4:14-15 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you
as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless
tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in
Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
1Tim 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in faith…
Titus 1:4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith…
Philemon 10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my
imprisonment, Onesimus,

10. 10
3 Reasons to Reject Circumcision
5:2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if
you receive circumcision, Christ
will be of no benefit to you.
• No help from Christ
• You are on your own!
5:3 And I testify again to every man
who receives circumcision, that he
is under obligation to keep the
whole Law.
• You now have to keep the entire
law!
(James 2:10-11)
5:4 You have been severed from
Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law; you have fallen
from grace.
• You are separate from Christ
• You no longer have access to
grace

11. 11
I would they were even cut off…
ASV I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond
circumcision.
NASB Would that those who are troubling you would even mutilate
themselves!
RSV I wish those who unsettle you would mutilate themselves!
NIV As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and
emasculate themselves!
NET I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!
Moffat O that those upsetting you would go get themselves castrated
NEB As for these agitators, they had better go the whole way and make
eunuchs of themselves!
Unvarnished
NT
Those people who are upsetting you about circumcision should go get
something else cut off!
Jerus. Bible Tell those who are disturbing you I would like to see the knife slip!
F.F. Bruce If only those who are upsetting you would make a complete job of this
“cutting” business; then we should have no more trouble from them!