What did Paul mean by "dogs" in Philippians 3:2?
Philippians 3:2
NKJV - 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
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Asked 22 hours ago
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Richard Starks
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Tim Maas
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By my understanding, Paul used this very condemnatory term to apply to so-called "Judaizers" of his time who were seeking to corrupt the essential Christian doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone by claiming that circumcision (the "mutilation" referred to in the cited verse) and continued observance of the Law given to Israel through Moses was required in order to be saved. (The term "dogs" was used elsewhere in the New Testament (including by Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:6 and Matthew 15:26) to convey a similar meaning, or in referring to non-Jews (Gentiles).)
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