Galatians 2:3
Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
Truth to Learn
No act of obedience or contrition is required for salvation beyond simple faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
Behind the Words
The word translated “compelled” is anangkadzō, which means “to force or compel either by authoritative command or by violence.” It implies that a person is forced to do something which he or she does not want to do.
Meaning Explained
In this verse, Paul is using Titus as an example of a born again Christian who had been accepted into the church, who was not forced to be circumcised, either through his own fellowship with the Spirit of God or because any of the leaders of the church at Antioch were spiritually convicted that it was necessary. And the reason that Paul brings it up here is because the leaders of the church at Jerusalem did not demand that Titus be circumcised either. After all, to a Jew circumcision is one of the first steps in obedience to the Law and if the leaders of the church in Jerusalem didn’t insist on Titus being circumcised, then none of the rest of the Law could logically be imposed on Titus.
In the next verse Paul will point out that there were some involved in the discussion about obedience to the Law who thought that Titus should have been circumcised. Paul did not simply resist them, he insisted that it was absolutely not necessary for salvation. Now you may ask, “Why then did Paul circumcise Timothy if he didn’t think it was necessary?” Here’s what is said in Acts 16:1-3
Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
This is a case where Timothy voluntarily submitted to circumcision, not to secure salvation, but to help Paul and Timothy more effectively witness to Jews who would not have even talked to Paul with Timothy present if they thought that he was uncircumcised. In Titus’ case, however, the legalizers were insisting that Titus must be circumcised in order to be saved and Paul knew that was not true. He mentions this to the Galations as a case in point, that shows that even the elders in Jerusalem agreed that although voluntary circumcision is acceptable, it is not a requirement for salvation.
Application
How many rules and traditions are there in your own church, obedience to which is insisted on by the leaders of the congregation? And, how many of these rules which have been put in place by a church or denomination to make the church more acceptable to others, have now become requirements of membership or even salvation?
Any rules, ordinances, or traditions required by your church in addition to simple faith, Paul would say, aren’t necessary for salvation or for admission into the church, period!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2007 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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