The Riddle of Galatians 6:12–13 from a Historical-Critical Perspective

Focusing on the historical (Jewish) context of Paul’s message to the non-Jewish Christ believers in Jesus in Galatia, regardless of the geographical location of the addressees, further issues arise that call for rethinking and re-examination. Among these, the strangeness of Paul’s description of the people influencing the non-Jewish Christ believers in Jesus within the Galatia churches stands out. Since the identification of these influencers is ambiguous – often thought to be Jews, either Christ-followers or not – it is also possible that they are former non-Jews, now proselytes who boast about their circumcision. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate this question from a historical-critical perspective, concentrating specifically on Paul’s description of the Galatia influencers in 6:12–13, while considering the thesis that the matter at hand, which Paul addresses in the epistle, is not a defense of Christianity against the Jewish religion as a rival means of justification, but rather a concern for the Galatia churches dealing with the circumcision controversy.