Thomas Aquinas Commentary Galatians 6:11-13

"See with how large letters I write unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." — Galatians 6:11-13 (ASV)

After admonishing the Galatians on how to behave toward people who are upright and just, the Apostle here teaches them how to act toward heretics and the perverse.

He does this in two parts:

1. He first alludes to the way he is writing the admonition.
2. He presents the admonition itself (Galatians 6:12).

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that heretics were accustomed to distorting and falsifying the canonical scriptures, adding things that had the flavor of heresy. Because of this, whenever the Apostle wrote anything against them, he followed the practice of writing something at the end of the letter so that it could not be distorted. In this way, it could be known that it came from him with his full awareness of its contents.

Thus in 1 Corinthians 16:21 he says: The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand. He had the entire letter written by someone else at his dictation; then, at the end, he added something in his own hand. According to this procedure, then, whatever followed from that point on, Paul wrote himself.

This is why he says, See what a letter I have written to you with my own hand, so that you might firmly hold to what has been written and, knowing this letter is sent by me, you might obey more readily. In this way, then, church leaders ought to write in their own hand, so that what they teach by word and writing, they may also show by example. Therefore, it is said in Isaiah 49:16: I have graven thee in my hands (that is, in works); and in Exodus 32, it is said of Moses that he descended carrying two stone tablets written by the finger of God.

He then follows with the admonition, saying, For as many as desire to please in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised.

Here, he does two things:

1. He exposes the motive of the deceivers.
2. He shows that his own motive is contrary to theirs (Galatians 6:14).

Regarding the first point, he again does two things:

1. He discloses the evil motive of the deceivers.
2. He proves what he says (Galatians 6:13).

Concerning the first of these, he states one fact and two related motives. The fact concerns those who urged circumcision, from which they had two motives, one leading to the other. The first was that they might, by this, please the unbelieving Jews for having introduced the observances of the Law into the church of the Gentiles. This is what he says: As many as desire to please, namely, the unbelieving Jews, they constrain you to be circumcised not by absolute force, but by imposing a condition, as it were, saying: Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved, as is recorded in Acts 15:1.

They also intended to gain some security from this, for the Jews persecuted the disciples of Christ because of the preaching of the cross: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and unto the Gentiles, foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). This was because the preaching of the cross nullified the works of the Law. If the apostles had preached, along with the cross of Christ, that the legal ceremonies were to be observed, the Jews would not have persecuted them. This is why he said, And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? (Galatians 5:11). Therefore, to escape persecution from the Jews, some urged circumcision. So he says they do this for the only reason that they may not suffer the persecution of the cross of Christ—a persecution launched because of the cross of Christ.

Alternatively, they did this to escape persecution not only from the Jews but also from the Gentile unbelievers. The Roman Emperors, Gaius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, promulgated laws stating that wherever Jews lived, they could observe their own rites and ceremonies. Consequently, anyone who believed in Christ and was not circumcised was subject to persecution from both Gentiles and Jews. Therefore, so that they might not be troubled for their faith in Christ and could live in peace, they compelled them to be circumcised, as is mentioned in a gloss.

But because the false brothers might claim that they urged circumcision not for that reason, but solely out of zeal for the Law, Paul refutes this and proves his point when he says, For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law. It is obvious that if they urged some to observe the Law out of zeal for it, they should also command that the Law be fulfilled in other matters. But neither those who are circumcised nor the false brothers keep the Law in other areas—namely, in moral matters, which are more important, or in its other observances. As Jesus said, None of you keeps the law (John 7:19). Therefore, it was not from zeal for the Law that they urged circumcision.

As Paul also writes, Circumcision profiteth, indeed, if you keep law (Romans 2:25). But the reason they want you to be circumcised is so that they may glory in your flesh—that is, in your physical circumcision—and boast among the Jews about making so many converts. As Jesus said, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves (Matthew 23:15).