Gal. 5: 12 I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves! (NRSV)
Sounds pretty nasty in our ears, doesn't it?
But is Paul really malicious against his Jewish brethren who sought to circumcise these Gentile converts? That would have been very weird and very unloving.
Why don't we consider Yeshua's teaching about becoming an eunuch?
Matthew 19:
10 His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have *made themselves eunuchs* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Paul simply says he wished these Jewish brethren, rather than bothering Gentile converts with circumcision, would wholly devote themselves to the service of the Kingdom of God.
There is not the slightest maliciousness in his words. Why is it that so many people read such an antisemitic meaning into it?
Sounds pretty nasty in our ears, doesn't it?
But is Paul really malicious against his Jewish brethren who sought to circumcise these Gentile converts? That would have been very weird and very unloving.
Why don't we consider Yeshua's teaching about becoming an eunuch?
Matthew 19:
10 His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have *made themselves eunuchs* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Paul simply says he wished these Jewish brethren, rather than bothering Gentile converts with circumcision, would wholly devote themselves to the service of the Kingdom of God.
There is not the slightest maliciousness in his words. Why is it that so many people read such an antisemitic meaning into it?