Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilators.
All Commentaries on Philippians 3:2 Go To Philippians 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
The Jews attached great solemnity to circumcision…. Therefore Paul mutilates its name and says, “Beware of the concision.” He refrains from saying that circumcision is evil, that circumcision is superfluous, so as not to alarm these people, but he conveys his point more wisely, turning them away from the act indeed but being gracious in his words, or rather more intent upon the issue…. He does not say that we try this circumcision and see whether it is better. He does not even give it the name circumcision. For what is he saying? “That circumcision is mutilation.” For when this happens unlawfully, it is nothing but a curtailment of the flesh, a “concision.” Either this was the reason or else it was because they were trying to cut up the church in pieces. .
