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猶太人在他們男嬰出生後的第八天，會舉行一個非常隆重的儀式叫做 “Brit Milah” （ 希伯來文בְּרִית מִילָה），簡稱
“Bris” 。 “Bris” 意為契約、協議或承諾，“Milah” 則是割禮。 Brit Mila一詞為割禮儀式的全名，意為“割禮的盟約”，這是猶太教中最重要的盟約。中文聖經將之譯為“割禮”，就是把男嬰陰莖上的包皮割除。
割禮是上帝對猶太人所吩咐的命令，因此，四千年來猶太人忠心地遵循這個儀式。聖經裏所記載眾所熟悉的人物，如：亞伯拉罕──猶太人的始祖，99歲才受割禮（創世記17： 24），還有以撒（創世紀 21：4）、以實瑪利（創世紀17：26）、新約聖經裏的提摩太（使徒行傳16：1-3），連耶穌也不例外（路加福音 2：21），都遵照了這個希伯來規矩接受割禮。在創世紀17：10-14，上帝跟猶太人立了約，並吩咐他們世世代代要遵守割禮以作為上帝與他們立約的記號；不受割禮的男子必從民中剪除，因為這等於是刻意背叛了上帝的約。割禮不只適用於古代的猶太人，它是一個 “永遠的約”，是神給他們遺留下的證據，因此至今，猶太人仍非常重視割禮。
現今的猶太人會請莫赫爾（mohel ）來執行割禮。莫赫爾是受過割禮專業訓練的猶太人，一般為拉比或醫師。他們會來你的住家或在猶太會堂為男嬰執行這個隆重的儀式。為了這個大日子，男嬰的親朋好友都會齊聚一堂，為他祝福。在割禮過程，負責抱嬰兒的人叫做桑德克（Sandek），通常這個光榮的職責會交給嬰兒的祖父。 在典禮中，莫赫爾會唸誦讚美祝福的話語，紀念耶和華賜下割禮的命令和與亞伯拉罕盟的約。所有在場的人也會相對的回應祝福這個新生兒進入盟約。割禮做完之後，莫赫爾會端起一杯酒，為嬰兒祈禱。在宣告嬰兒希伯來文名字之後，他會將一兩滴紅酒滴在嬰兒的嘴裡後，再把酒杯剩餘的酒給嬰兒的父母親喝。儀式之後會有一頓豐富的佳餚招待親友，這樣，除了享用美食之外，也給大家有更多的機會為男嬰的家庭慶賀。
這位與亞伯拉罕立約的上帝，和使徒保羅所信的上帝，是同樣的一位上帝。雖然保羅本身因猶太人背景的緣故，
在出生後的第八天也受了割禮（腓利比書3：5），但他對 “割禮” 議題卻反對得相當激烈。他在加拉太書 5：2 用非常強烈的字眼譴責這些位於現代小亞細亞半島的土耳其聽眾。他說：「我──保羅告訴你們，若受割禮，基督就與你們無益了。」這句話裡的「若受割禮」是未來式，也就是說，保羅警告的對象不是那些已經受過割禮的人，而是那些想要，但尚未受割禮的人。保羅強調，如果他們一旦行了割禮，就會與基督 “無益”。保羅堅信基督為我們買了一條脫離罪惡奴役之路，讓我們獲得了自由。 這筆交易既然已完成，我們就在神面前得以稱義，在基督耶穌裡合而為一了。「不分是猶太人、希利尼人、自主的、為奴的、或男或女...”，都成為亞伯拉罕的後裔，照著應許承受產業。」（加拉太書 3：25-29）；換句話說，若希望依靠割禮或是遵行摩西的律法得著救恩，是無功效、是毫無價值的。 像割禮這種添加的行爲和形式都不符合與保羅所傳講“因信”與“因恩典而得救”的福音（羅馬書 11：6）。基本上就是二選一： 你若選擇割禮，就等於拒絕基督;你若選擇基督，就不行割禮。
除了 “與基督無益” 的警告之外，保羅更進一步疾言厲色，甚至不諱用嘲諷的口氣責難這些勸誡別人行割禮的人。他說：「恨不得那攪亂你們的人把自己割絕了。」（加拉太書5：12）「把自己割絕了」是什麼意思呢？我們可以參考三種不同英文版的翻譯：
1. I wish they would go the whole way and "emasculate" themselves!（譯：我巴不得他們一路做到底，把自己「閹割」了！） ──NIV新國際版
2. I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would "mutilate" themselves！（譯：我只希望那些想用割禮殘害你的鬧事者能「自殘」！）──New Living Translation新普及譯本
3. I could wish that those who trouble you would even “cut themselves off”! （譯：真希望那些給你添麻煩的人，連自己都「切斷了」！）──NKJV新英皇欽定本
所以到底應該是「割絕」、「閹割」、「自殘」還是「切斷」呢？
「切斷」字面的意思在希臘文是 ἀποκόπτω （發音 apokopto）。這個字在新約聖經總共出現6次。這六處中有五次的用字，都是在形容「砍掉」東西（從身體的一部分）：
1. 倘若你一隻手叫你跌倒，就把他「砍」下來。（馬可福音9：43）
2. 倘若你一隻腳叫你跌倒，就把他「砍」下來。（馬可福音9：45）
3. 西門彼得帶著一把刀，就拔出來，將大祭司的僕人「砍」了一刀，削掉他的右耳。（約翰福音18：10）
4. 有大祭司的一個僕人，是彼得「削掉」耳朵那人的親屬，說：我不是看見你同他在園子裡嗎？（約翰福音18：26）
5. 於是兵丁「砍斷」 小船的繩子由他飄去（使徒行傳27：32）
6. 恨不得那攪亂你們的人把自己「割絕」了。（加拉太書5：12）
許多基督徒想用各種其他的解釋方法來 “消毒” 或 “美化” 保羅講的話。他們說 “割絕” 的意思是：保羅恨不得那一些攪亂的人能夠 “離開” 基督徒，不要再肇事了，應該將自己與這些基督徒 “隔開” 以終止擾亂的程序。這樣聽起來比較文雅，不會粗魯，也看似有道理。但是以聖經所有其他同樣 ἀποκόπτω 一字之用法看來，這個動詞在新約中並沒有隱喻的作用，他是一個直接的用法，因此 “閹割” 會是最貼切的形容。所以保羅這一句話粗俗的嘲諷也可翻作：「你知道那些想要你割除陰莖末端包皮的人嗎？ 我希望他們能一路走到底，把自己也閹割了!」保羅在聖經裡用類似這種粗俗的話其實不是只有這一次。他稱加拉太人為“愚蠢的”（加拉太書3：1）更把這些勸戒人受割禮的形容成狗與犬類（腓立比書3： 2）。
試想，上帝與他的百姓立的約，要他們世世代代遵循接受割禮作為記號，可因保羅的教導，演變成 “閹割” 而被推翻嗎？
Go Emasculate!
Jewish people have a very solemn ceremony called "Brit Milah" (Hebrew: בְּרִית מִילָה) or "Bris" on the eighth day after the birth of their male infants. “Bris” means covenant, agreement, or commitment, while “Milah” refers to circumcision. The term “Brit Milah” signifies the covenant of circumcision, and it's one of the most important covenants in Judaism. This ceremony involves the removal of the foreskin from a male infant's penis.
Circumcision is a commandment given by God to the Jewish people. For four thousand years, Jews have faithfully observed this ritual. Well-known figures from the Bible, such as Abraham – the patriarch of the Jewish people, who was circumcised at the age of 99 (Genesis 17:24), along with Isaac (Genesis 21:4), Ishmael (Genesis 17:26), Timothy in the New Testament (Acts 16:1-3), and even Jesus himself (Luke 2:21), all followed this Hebrew tradition of circumcision.
In Genesis 17:10-14, God made a covenant with the Jewish people and commanded them to observe circumcision as a sign of the covenant for all generations. Those who were not circumcised were to be cut off from the community, as it was considered a deliberate breach of God's covenant. Circumcision is not limited to only ancient Jews; it is an everlasting covenant and a lasting symbol that God has left with them. Therefore, Jews continue to place great importance on circumcision to this day.
Today, Jewish families often invite mohels to perform the circumcision. A mohel is a trained Jewish individual, typically a rabbi or a physician, who specializes in circumcision. They come to your home or a synagogue to conduct this significant ceremony for the male infant. For this special day, the baby's family and friends gather to offer their blessings. The person responsible for holding the baby in the ceremony is called the sandek, and this honorable role is often given to the baby's grandfather.
In the ceremony, the mohel recites words of praise and blessings, commemorating the commandment from the Lord and the covenant with Abraham regarding circumcision. All those present respond with blessings for the newborn entering the covenant. After the circumcision is completed, the mohel raises a cup of red wine and offers a prayer for the baby. Following the declaration of the baby's Hebrew name, a few drops of this wine are dripped inside the baby's mouth, and the remaining wine in the cup is given to the baby's parents.
After the ritual, there is usually a festive meal served to entertain friends and family. This not only allows everyone to enjoy delicious food but also provides an opportunity for celebrating the baby's family.
The God who made a covenant with Abraham and the God whom Apostle Paul believed is exactly the same God. Although Paul himself underwent circumcision on the eighth day after his birth due to his Jewish background (Philippians 3:5), he strongly opposed the issue of circumcision. In Galatians 5:2, he used very strong language to rebuke his audience in Galatia, which is modern-day Turkey located on the Anatolian Peninsula. He said, "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all." In this statement, "if you let yourselves be circumcised" is in the future tense, indicating that Paul's warning was directed not at those who had already been circumcised but at those who wanted to undergo circumcision but had not yet done so. Paul emphasized that if they went through with circumcision, Christ would be "of no value" to them. Paul firmly believed that Christ had purchased for us a way out of bondage to sin, granting us freedom. Since this transaction had already been completed, we could stand justified before God and become one in Christ Jesus. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female...," we all become Abraham's descendants, inheriting the promise (Galatians 3:28-29). In other words, seeking salvation through circumcision or adherence to the Mosaic law was futile and worthless.
The ritual and formality such as circumcision do not align with the gospel of "by faith" and "by grace through faith" as preached by Paul.
(Romans 11:6). It essentially boiled down to a choice: if you choose circumcision, you reject Christ; if you choose Christ, you should not undergo circumcision.
In addition to the warning that Christ would be "of no value" to people who desire circumcision, Paul goes further with strong language, even using a sarcastic tone to rebuke those who were urging circumcision on others. He said, "I wish they would go the whole way and 'emasculate' themselves!" (Galatians 5:12) What does "emasculate themselves" mean? We can refer to three different English translations for clarification:
1. I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! — NIV (New International Version)
2. I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves! — NLT (New Living Translation)
3. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! — NKJV (New King James Version)
So, should this word be "cut off", "emasculate", "mutilate" or "cut themselves off"?
The literal meaning of the word, cut, is represented by the Greek word ἀποκόπτω (pronounced apokopto). This word appears a total of six times in the New Testament. In five out of those six instances, it is used to describe "cutting off" something of a part of the body:
Here are the translations into English of the sentences provided in Bible:
1. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. (Mark 9:43)
2. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. (Mark 9:45)
3. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (John 18:10)
4. One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the garden?" (John 18:26)
5. So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. (Acts 27:32)
6. I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! (Galatians 5:12)
Many Christians seek various alternative explanations to sanitize or soften what Paul said. They argue that "cut off" means that Paul wishes those troublemakers who want circumcision to "leave" the Christian community, to "separate" themselves from it, thus ending the disturbance. This sounds more refined and reasonable, not rude, and appears to make sense. However, considering all other uses of ἀποκόπτω (apokopto) in the New Testament, this verb does not appear to carry metaphorical meaning; it is used directly as it is. Therefore, "emasculate" would be the most appropriate description. In other words, Paul's statement can also be translated in a cruder, sarcastic manner to: "Do you know those people who want you to cut off the foreskin at the tip of your penis? I wish they would go all the way and emasculate themselves!" Actually, Paul uses similar blunt language elsewhere in the Bible. He calls the Galatians "foolish" or "senseless" and describes those who advocate circumcision as "dogs" (Philippians 3:2).
Consider this, the eternal covenant that God established with His people, requiring them to undergo circumcision as a sign for generations, could it be so easily overturned as "emasculation" due to Paul's teachings?
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