In verse 7, he commends them for running well.  They were running a good race but someone cut them off; a group of people cut in front of them and led them down the wrong path.  Paul writes that this kind of persuasion is not from "the one who called you."  In other words, it's not from Christ; it is a false teaching.  Paul is confident that this teaching will be expelled from the church and that the people propagating it will be punished as they will have to give an account before the Creator of everything. 

In verse 11 he uses the argument that if he were preaching circumcision he would not be persecuted by the Jews.  The Jews were one of the primary groups persecuting Paul because of his message.  If Paul's message had been, "Follow the law," and circumcision being core to following the law, then many of the Jews would not have been concerned with him.  If the message were about circumcision and not the cross, the major point of contention between him and the Jewish religious community would be abolished. But this was not the case; the cross was an offense, it was a stumbling block to the Jews. 

Look at what he writes in Verse 6:  It's not about circumcision or uncircumcision.  It's not about a physical surgery.  It's not about the Mosaic Law; all of that has been fulfilled. It is so much more.  If I were to give a short, one phrase definition of Christianity, it is faith expressing itself through love.  That is Christianity; that is, followership of Jesus Christ.  That is the whole enchilada. 

What the judaizers tried to add to that was nothing but interference to running the race. In their view, it was:  It can't be enough that Christ died on the cross and upon himself took all of my sin - in essence took my place, took the guilt away and conquered death.  - It needs to be the "Cross Plus" doesn't it? -  It can't be true that the one we've been waiting for - the Messiah, the deliverer - came, lived and died at the hands of the Romans, the ones we believed would be destroyed by the Messiah.  He died on the cross, the very picture of their power, their oppression.  No, not our Messiah.  This was an offense to all the Jews. The Law can't save us? The Law can't connect us to the creator God?  Foolishness! It has to be something more than faith expressing itself through love!

At the core is the question, "Is the Cross enough?"  Does Jesus on the cross in fact accomplish all that was necessary so that all people can come to faith in him?  Yes! All people can experience the forgiveness of sin; all people can know the will of God in their life today and the promise of eternity for all time.  But apparently for some in the early church, it was not enough. 

This discussion has been recycled and taken many forms in church history. It is the doctrine of grace vs. the doctrine of works.  Let's define a few key terms to help our understanding: