Charles Ellicott Commentary Galatians 5:11

"But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away." — Galatians 5:11 (ASV)

And I, brothers.—Rather, But I, brothers. This is another abrupt transition. We would naturally infer from this passage that St. Paul had at one time seemed to preach, or at least to permit, circumcision. Thus, in Acts, we would gather from the account of the conference at Jerusalem in Acts 15 that he did not insist strongly on this point, and on taking Timothy with him on his second missionary journey—the very journey in which he first visited Galatia—his first step was to have him circumcised.

It was only natural that the progress of time and events should deepen the Apostle’s conviction of the radical antagonism between ceremonial Judaism and Christianity. He is now stating this in the most emphatic manner, and he feels that he is open to a charge of something like inconsistency. The Galatians might say that he preached circumcision himself.

His answer is that if he really preached circumcision, he would not be so persecuted by the Judaizing party. He also has a further answer, which is conveyed in an ironical form: “If I do preach circumcision, and if I have ceased to lay stress on that one great stumbling-block, the cross of Christ, I may assume that there are no more hindrances to my teaching.”

Circumcision is taken as occupying, in the Judaizing system, the same place that the cross of Christ occupied in that of St. Paul. The two things are alternatives: if one is taught, there is no need for the other.

Ceased.—Done away; this is the same word as the one translated become of no effect in Galatians 5:4.