1. Rejoice in the Lord: beware of law-righteousness (3:1-2)

Here are words of encouragement (“rejoice in the Lord”), and of warning (“watch out”). It is unlikely that Paul refers to three separate classes of troublemakers in v.2. He probably refers to certain Jewish Christians (Judaizers) who insisted on Gentiles keeping the Mosaic Law, especially circumcision; or they may have been “gnosticizing Jews” (Martin) who stressed secret knowledge, initiations, and rituals as necessary for salvation. Whoever they were, Paul refers to them as those dogs, no doubt likening them to “half-savage dogs who prowl about a camp and steal any food left unguarded” (Beare, 103). Paul saw their actions in the church in this manner.

The term mutilators (katatomein) or “concision” is a sarcastic substitute for the real thing: (peritomē), true circumcision (cf. Gal 5:12).