Circumcision, you say? Why not go one further and cut your **** off?
What did Paul mean when he said he wished those teachers would go the whole way?
Note: this post assumes that most biblical translations are correct. That said, the KJV interprets Galatians 5:12 without specifying anything to be “cut off” except “themselves” (i.e., those who insist on circumcision). Either way, Paul’s choice of words here reflects the subject in question. For further reading on why Paul may or may not be telling his opponents to emasculate themselves, see this document and this article. If the translations that point to emasculation are wrong, so is my post (at least from a literary standpoint). But maybe I can still contribute to the ongoing debate. Happy reading.
A Defense of Shocking Satire
“No dark sarcasm in the classroom!” – Pink Floyd
Within the community of believers (I shun the term “Christianity” because of its vast connotations), I’ve noticed a crippling and unwarranted dread of satire. Yes, we should detest Swift’s modest proposal of cannibalism just as we should detest C.S. Lewis’ “Saracen’s Head” on a pedestal. But we should also detest what these things deride. That is what satire is all about.
But perhaps a central question remains: is shocking satire ever appropriate for those of us who aspire to whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy? Well, let’s take a look at what Paul (the man I just paraphrased) has to say when he feels like being sarcastic:
“As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Gal. 5:12, NIV). This is an apostle of Christ saying in no uncertain terms, “I wish those bunch of hypocrites would just go ahead and cut their Johnsons off!” Or if we’re going with the KJV translation, at the very least, he is saying, “I wish they would cut themselves off from you just as they demand you cut away [fill in the blank] from your own flesh.”
Many Christians and non are probably familiar with the above passage. I paraphrase the verse to show that 1) it could be a good example of sharp, grotesque satire in scripture and 2) an example of good satire, period. While I’ve read the passage many times, it dawned on me that Paul’s language would be seen as inappropriate if used today among Church folk in the way that he used it then.
But is it inappropriate? Or is it exactly what needs to be said?
If you know me, you’ve probably guessed my opinion—the nasty image is not only proper but excellent. But if we want to find out why the verse’s grotesque flavor is justified given the circumstances of Paul’s letter, then we need to answer for ourselves two questions:
What makes it satire?
What makes it good (appropriate, effective, and memorable)?
Because of the way my brain works, I find it helpful to work from big ideas to smaller ones (and back to big again) when analyzing a text, so I’ll start by looking at the passage in a bit of context (or as much context as a non-historian can offer). So, for example, does Paul wish that the men insisting on circumcision would cut off their private parts? Or is he using vivid, graphic imagery to make a point?
If Paul is anything like me (and I admit that’s a far-fetched assumption), then I’d say it’s probably a bit of both. :)
But really, what is the point of such a crude image? Let’s not kid ourselves: the image conveyed in Paul’s words is nothing you or I would ever want to see played out (though I can only speak for myself). Still, perhaps Paul chose this specific imagery to convey how frustrated he was with teachers working against the message he defended. It is a message that I believe was at the heart of his ministry: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6).
By the time Paul writes this letter, he has laid a lot of foundational work with the church in Galatia.1 But now, other teachers have come along and insisted on ancient ordinances that, to Paul, pose direct threats to the message of grace he tirelessly promotes. If you disagree with this, I can only stress again the passage quoted above, “The only thing that counts...” Take this exegesis with all the salt you need.
Perhaps we can at least agree that Paul is frustrated with these teachers (“Hey, teachers! Leave those kids alone!”). Knowing this, let’s take a punch at the first question we began with: what makes the passage satirical? Most definitions of the word “satire” focus on irony and sarcasm, but another element that applies here is exaggeration.
Also, for satire to be satire, it has to be directed at a person or a group of people, and it must be a form of written or verbal criticism. So let’s see if Paul’s wish fits the satirical model:
The idea of “going the whole way” exaggerates circumcision itself.
Paul exaggerates his annoyance with the circumcision debate by suggesting these teachers “cut themselves off” (and thus end the debate).
He is calling these men out—rebuking them—for demanding holiness through outward practices.
And since we can only hope Paul didn’t really want his adversaries to mutilate themselves any more than he really believed sorcery was the problem when he asked the Galatians who had “bewitched” them (it was Lord Voldemort!), we could assume he is also sarcastic (even though he says “really”).
But it also turns out that Paul is being ironic. In his letters, purity, and abstinence come up a few times. And while he insists that marriage is better than burning with passion, he also wishes we could be unmarried like him (note: I do not share his wish, but I abstain from guilt in not sharing it).
Now, here’s the irony as I see it: Paul knows that those who demand circumcision as a requirement of the Law and as a requirement for salvation are doing so because, among other things, they want to pursue holiness (I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt here). “But,” thinks Paul, “if they want to be holy, why don’t they just turn themselves into eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom?” But, of course, he knows they’ll never do this—they will go on procreating with their wives, as they should.
And so Paul draws attention to what Christ taught: holiness begins with the heart and its orientation first toward God and second toward humanity. The outward actions that manifest as a result of this orientation are true, holy actions. Hence, the weird but prophetic image of a circumcised heart throughout scripture, including the “old” Law: “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deut. 30:6).
Interesting that love toward God is the end goal of this weird circumcision of the heart, just as faith expressing itself through love is the end goal of Paul’s message to the Galatians. Really, any message that persuades people to deviate from the simplicity found in loving God and loving people deserves to be satirized.
But we still haven’t answered our question: is there ever a time for grotesque satire in literature? In film? In art, music, television? On Sunday morning from the pulpit? Well, I guess it all depends on the context. Let me put it this way: if I had invested my life and career in making sure people took hold of a single truth, only to find other teachers disrupting and confusing what I had taught—I’d tell those teachers to go do a lot more than castrate themselves. And since I’m creative, I’d probably do it in an underhanded way, like insert it into one of my YouTube videos or put it in a blog post and plaster it all over Facebook.
But then, I’m no saint.
What’s the point here? Paul used crude satire in his language to express his frustration and to call out his opponents for their ignorant practices. What’s more, Paul’s frustration with people turning from the faith that expresses itself through love is the same frustration Yahweh exhibits throughout the Old Testament every time his people drift from his commandments. So, if you were to ask me, I’d tell you that shocking satire does have its place whenever people need a good jolt.
Like many of the hard-to-digest images in scripture and similar images in literature outside of the Bible, Paul's image is brazen, crude, and inappropriate for young audiences. And yet, it’s there, plain as the paper it’s printed on. But it’s more than just “there.”
It is appropriate for its intended audience because Paul needed to address the circumcision debate (later to be settled at the Jerusalem council, assuming Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians before that event).
It is effective to stir up critical thought and point people toward what matters: faith expressing itself through love.
It is memorable because it outlasts its context, stirs us up, and compels us to push the limits of any “religious” barriers that enclose our modes of discourse while reminding us to shed any prejudices we might harbor toward the grittier side of literary expression.
Above all, it is good old-fashioned satire. And it’s in your Bible.
Something not quite right? Let me know: leave a polite, intelligent comment, and I’ll refer readers to you.
I think this much can be gleaned from the letter without digging too far into outside historical material.