In Galatians, we see Paul offer "rearview mirror" reflections on his life's story. Two moments seem to be important, though difficult to reconcile. First, Paul mentions that he was a "people pleaser" (1:10). When? As a young Christian? Or before he met Christ? Which people was he trying to please, and why?
The reference to being a "slave of Christ" as the juxtaposed identity marker leads me to think that his people-pleasing was part of his pre-Christ past. Did he change from being a people-pleaser to a Christ-pleaser? Second, Paul addresses accusations that he still preaches circumcision (5:11). What does this mean? The "still" (eti) implies that Paul did in fact preach circumcision at some point.
Assuming this is a true statement about Paul's past, scholars entertain a few possible scenarios. First, it could mean that Paul promoted circumcision among Jews before he met Christ. Yes, it was an expectation of Torah that Jews ought to be circumcised at birth, but the reality is that not every male was circumcised.
So, perhaps Paul had zeal for this, to promote commitment to the Law among all Israel. But if this is what 5:11 refers to, I can't imagine Paul's opponents really using his former stance against him, questioning his consistency and integrity as a Christian apostle.
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