Those whodesireto make a good showingin the fleshtry to compelyou to be circumcised,simplysothat they will not be persecutedfor the crossof Christ.
"Woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites!For you are likewhitewashedtombswhichon the outsideappearbeautiful,but insidethey are fullof dead men'sbonesand alluncleanness.
"Soyou, too,outwardlyappearrighteousto men,but inwardlyyou are fullof hypocrisyand lawlessness.
"But they doalltheir deedsto be noticedby men;for they broadentheir phylacteriesand lengthenthe tassels[of their garments].
"Blessedare thosewho have been persecutedfor the sakeof righteousness,for theirsis the kingdomof heaven.
"Wheneveryou fast,do not puton a gloomy faceas the hypocrites[do], for they neglecttheir appearancesothat they will be noticedby menwhen they are fasting.TrulyI sayto you, they havetheir rewardin full.
"Sowhenyou giveto the poor, do not sound a trumpetbeforeyou, as the hypocritesdoin the synagoguesand in the streets,sothat they may be honoredby men.TrulyI sayto you, they havetheir rewardin full.
"Whenyou pray,you are not to be likethe hypocrites;for they loveto standand prayin the synagoguesand on the streetcornerssothat they may be seenby men.TrulyI sayto you, they havetheir rewardin full.
And He saidto them, "You are thosewho justifyyourselvesin the sightof men,but Godknowsyour hearts;for that which is highly esteemedamongmenis detestablein the sightof God.
whodevourwidows'houses,and for appearance's sakeofferlongprayers.Thesewill receivegreatercondemnation."
"He who speaksfrom himselfseekshis ownglory;but He who is seekingthe gloryof the One who sentHim, He is true,and there is nounrighteousnessin Him.
Some mencame downfrom Judeaand [began] teachingthe brethren,"Unlessyou are circumcisedaccording to the customof Moses,you cannotbe saved."
But someof the sectof the Phariseeswho had believedstoodup, saying,"It is necessaryto circumcisethem and to directthem to observethe Lawof Moses."
For we are not boldto classorcompareourselveswith someof thosewho commendthemselves;but when they measurethemselvesby themselvesand comparethemselveswith themselves,they are withoutunderstanding.
For such menare false apostles,deceitfulworkers,disguisingthemselves as apostlesof Christ.
But whenI sawthat they were not straightforwardaboutthe truthof the gospel,I saidto Cephasin the presenceof all,"Ifyou, beinga Jew,livelike the Gentilesand not like the Jews,how[is it that] you compelthe Gentilesto live like Jews?
But not evenTitus,whowas with me, though he was a Greek,was compelledto be circumcised.
But I, brethren,ifI stillpreachcircumcision,whyam I stillpersecuted?Thenthe stumbling blockof the crosshas been abolished.
For thosewho are circumciseddo not evenkeepthe Lawthemselves,but they desireto have you circumcisedsothat they may boastin your flesh.
Some,to be sure,are preachingChristevenfrom envyand strife,but somealsofrom good will;
do not [merely] lookout for your ownpersonalinterests, but alsofor the interests of others.
For manywalk,of whomI oftentoldyou, and nowtellyou evenweeping,[that they are] enemiesof the crossof Christ,
Theseare matterswhichhave,to be sure,the appearanceof wisdomin self-made religionand self-abasementand severe treatmentof the body,[but are] of novalueagainstfleshlyindulgence.
