Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilators.
Read Chapter 3
A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian
AD 255
And although it is written that the dogs should remain without, and the apostle has taught that these same dogs must be shunned, as we read, for he says, "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers"
He uses this name for those who, in envy of the Gentiles, have overthrown them by their evil conversation and persuaded them to be circumcised. These he says should be absolutely avoided and rejected. They are like dogs that first bark and then mutilate the flesh with savage bites.
Divine Scripture speaks of dogs which are of use and are defenders of the church, as David teaches in Psalm , saying that these dogs are sated with the blood of enemies in the temple of God. And here he speaks of the opposite kind of dogs, who are obviously the Jews, because they are “workers” and “evil workers.” For works are the sole exercise of their lives, without any knowledge of God, and from their works they hope for salvation.
Beware of dogs. The Jews called so the Gentiles; and St. Paul now applies it to those among the Jews who spread false doctrine, who privately snarled and publicly barked against the true apostles. None deserve sharp reprehension more than heretical preachers.
Beware of the concision, or as some French translations, of false circumcision. St. Paul by derision makes use of this word, which signifies a cutting to pieces, or destruction. (Witham)
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. .
The Jews are no longer children. The Gentiles were once called dogs but now these [Judaizing Christians] are. Why so? Because, just as the Gentiles were once strangers to Christ and God, so these have now become. And he alludes to their stubborn shamelessness and their great tenacity against the faithful. .
Beware, he says, of the concision. The rite of circumcision was venerable in the Jews' account, forasmuch as the Law itself gave way thereto, and the Sabbath was less esteemed than circumcision. For that circumcision might be performed the Sabbath was broken; but that the Sabbath might be kept, circumcision was never broken; and mark, I pray, the dispensation of God. This is found to be even more solemn than the Sabbath, as not being omitted at certain times. When then it is done away, much more is the Sabbath. Wherefore Paul makes a concision of the name, and says, Beware of the concision; and he did not say that circumcision is evil, that it is superfluous, lest he should strike the men with dismay, but he manages it more wisely, withdrawing them from the thing, but gratifying them with the word, nay, rather with the thing too, in a more serious way. But not so in the case of the Galatians, for since in that case the disease was great, he immediately adopts the remedy of amputation w...
