“Those of the Circumcision” (Gal 2:12) 155 The theological basis for Christian Jews is no longer the Torah, but God’s deed in Christ. On this basis, naturally, the Antiochians practiced table fellowship. To cancel this communion meant in fact the change of a certain theological position. This change was not initiated by the Jewish Christians in Antioch. They only followed Peter. Paul also doesn’t sug- gest that Peter himself suddenly changed his mind. He withdrew from table fellowship because he feared “those of the circumcision.” The Jews to whom this expression refers are definitely not the Jewish Christians of Antioch. These are mentioned in v. 13 as “the other Jews” (οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰουδαῖοι). Here Schmithals is right again.34 So the only people mentioned in the Antioch story to whom the expression οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς can refer are the people from James. The text addresses a local problem and therefore does not suggest any people outside of this specific conflict. Moreover, if we assume that Peter changed his behaviour because of his concern about the situation in Jerusalem, Peter’s actions appear to be almost noble. This would contradict Gal 2,11 and also weaken Paul’s argument. Therefore against Schmithals and Becker the expression οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς hardly can mean the Jews in Jerusalem. Even if the situation in Jerusalem, as depicted by Schmithals and Becker, were the actual background, the change in Antioch came only after the James-people arrived. By rejecting common table fellowship they forced gentile Christians to live like Jews.35 They are the promoters of a Torah-obedient Christian tradition. Even under these conditions the James-people must be the people to whom the expression “those from the circumcision” refers. So a second conclusion can be drawn: the meaning of οἱ ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς is definitely “Jews”, but the reference is to the James-people as Christian Jews. Then, what are Paul’s reasons to describe them in such terms? Schmithals is right saying that Paul could simply and clearly have written αὐτούς referring to the James-people instead of τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.36 The fact that he doesn’t, indicates that Paul wants to express here something special. What it is, becomes clear when we analyze his use of οἱ ἐκ–expressions in general. 34 Schmithals, Paulus und Jakobus 54. This observation is used by P. Stuhlmacher, Das paulinische Evangelium I. Vorgeschichte (FRLANT 95, Göttingen 1968) 106 n. 1 in the opposite way. He takes οἱ ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς and Ἰουδαῖοι as synonyms meaning the Jewish Christians. 35 This consequence is pointed out by Paul in Gal 2,14b. 36 Schmithals, Paulus und Jakobus 54.