Galatians 5:1-6

[atpollard]

Galatians 5:1-6

[NKJV] Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.​

​

[NLT] So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. ​

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. ​

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.​

​

[ESV] For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ​

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.​

​

So before we dive deep into discussions about "application" and what this means to us now ...

1. What EXACTLY were they doing?
2. What EXACTLY is Paul saying the consequence is because of it?

Better to begin from a position of understanding what was actually said before drawing "lessons" to apply to our lives.

• Are we really talking about "foreskins" or something else? 😉

 

[journeyman]

Galatians 5:1-6

[NKJV] Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.​

​

[NLT] So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. ​

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. ​

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.​

​

[ESV] For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ​

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.​

​

So before we dive deep into discussions about "application" and what this means to us now ...

1. What EXACTLY were they doing?
2. What EXACTLY is Paul saying the consequence is because of it?

Better to begin from a position of understanding what was actually said before drawing "lessons" to apply to our lives.

• Are we really talking about "foreskins" or something else? 😉

The law was for the purpose of showing us that we're sinners. Abraham was justified by the faith he had, before the institution of circumcision,

he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised Rom.4:11

 

[atpollard]

The law was for the purpose of showing us that we're sinners. Abraham was justified by the faith he had, before the institution of circumcision,

he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised Rom.4:11

I agree.
…. but what were these people doing that Paul was warning against? When Paul wrote “if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing”, what were they actually doing? It isn’t really about having their foreskin clipped, was it … I thought most of them were already Jewish and returning to Judaism. So what EXACTLY were they doing?

 

[Hidden In Him]

I agree.
…. but what were these people doing that Paul was warning against? When Paul wrote “if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing”, what were they actually doing? It isn’t really about having their foreskin clipped, was it … I thought most of them were already Jewish and returning to Judaism. So what EXACTLY were they doing?

Hello again, AT.

Galatians was a Gentile church, so most would not have been Jewish in fact. Not sure why you would assume he was being anything other than literal here. The congregation was falling victim to Judaizers, as is apparent throughout the letter.

You leave me a little confused.

Blessings,
- H

 

[atpollard]

Hello again, AT.

Galatians was a Gentile church, so most would not have been Jewish in fact. Not sure why you would assume he was being anything other than literal here. The congregation was falling victim to Judaizers, as is apparent throughout the letter.

You leave me a little confused.

Blessings,
- H

"... and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." - Ephesians 5:1

Doesn't "entanged again" imply a return to the Law?

 

[Hidden In Him]

"... and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1

Doesn't "entangled again" imply a return to the Law?

It's in reference to the preceding Chapter, v.8-10:

8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to weak and beggarly principles, to which you again desire to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

He means they were once bound to observing pagan holidays, and were now bringing themselves under bondage to the Jewish ones. "Years" is the toughest one to identify, but may refer to the Jubilee, but days would be a reference to the Sabbath as well as Jewish one-day holidays. Tishri is still observed as virtually an entire month of Jewish celebration, and Nisan was an extended season of feasting when First Fruits and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were included with Passover as in New Testament times (1 Corinthians 5:6-8), hence his likely reference to "months and seasons." Paul was afraid they were Judaizing, which is why he warned specifically against any need for them to be circumcised.

5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Are we really talking about "foreskins" or something else? 😉

They were keeping the law for the purpose of justification. Circumcision and Sabbath keeping were the sign commands. They epitomized Mosaic law keeping.

They had fallen from being justified through faith in Christ and were seeking to be justified by works of the law. The consequence of which was to make Jesus of no effect to them in justification, thus damning themselves, for no one can be justified by works of the law. For two reasons: One, you'd have to keep the whole law, an impossible feat. And two, there were some things the law simply makes no provision to forgive. The law condemns, not justifies.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

"... and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." - Ephesians 5:1

Doesn't "entanged again" imply a return to the Law?

I think so.

 

[Fastfredy0]

They had fallen from being justified through faith in Christ and were seeking to be justified by works of the law. The consequence of which was to make Jesus of no effect to them in justification, thus damning themselves, for no one can be justified by works of the law.

I tend to agree, but hope we are wrong. The implications are horrific.

The Protestant doctrine calls into question the salvation of millions of Christians throughout history. This argument, made in our time even by some Protestants, against a rigid application of Protestantism’s doctrine of justification by faith alone contends that if God justifies only those who self-consciously renounce all reliance upon any and all works of righteousness which they have done or will ever do and trust in Christ’s vicarious cross work alone, then one must conclude that the vast majority of professing Christians throughout history were not and are not saved. This vast group would include, we are informed, such church fathers as Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas who as sacerdotalists believed in baptismal regeneration and, because they confused justification and sanctification, believed also in the necessity of deeds of penance for salvation. Against this Protestant rigidity it is urged that just as God predestinates by grace alone Arminians who have a faulty understanding of the doctrine of election, so too He justifies by faith alone Roman Catholics, among others, whose understanding of justification differs (that is, it does not affirm justification by “faith alone”) from classic Protestantism’s doctrine of justification.
...
To judge an individual’s salvation is God’s province and His alone. Therefore, I will not speculate one way or the other about their salvation. But I will say that our attitude should, with Paul, ever be: “Let God’s truth be inviolate, though every man becomes thereby a liar” (Romans 3:4). What I mean by this in the present context is that the clear teaching of the Word of God should be upheld and we should not look for reasons to avoid it, even if the alternative would force us to conclude that these fathers—and all others like them—were not saved. Robert Reymond A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I tend to agree, but hope we are wrong. The implications are horrific.

The Protestant doctrine calls into question the salvation of millions of Christians throughout history.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If 'dey ain't saved, 'dey ain't saved!

...then one must conclude that the vast majority of professing Christians throughout history were not and are not saved. This vast group would include, we are informed, such church fathers as Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas who as sacerdotalists believed in baptismal regeneration and, because they confused justification and sanctification, believed also in the necessity of deeds of penance for salvation.

Deeds are only required for salvation as the expected evidence of the presence of the faith that justifies/saves all by itself - deeds Christ will use to decide if you go into the fire or into the eternal kingdom at the end of the age (Matthew 25:31-46).

So works are very much required to be saved at the return of Christ, just not required to be justified and put into a state of being a saved person. Faith does that all by itself. That is how a person will be saved on the basis of their deeds. It has nothing to do with being made a saved person by the performance of deeds. What those dudes you listed thought about that, I do not know.

To judge an individual’s salvation is God’s province and His alone. Therefore, I will not speculate one way or the other about their salvation.

It's okay to 'judge' (discern is a better word) if a person is saved, or not. John makes this abundantly clear in 1 John 2 and 3. In fact, it is our works that form the basis upon which we are to consider a person saved or not.

But I will say that our attitude should, with Paul, ever be: “Let God’s truth be inviolate, though every man becomes thereby a liar” (Romans 3:4). What I mean by this in the present context is that the clear teaching of the Word of God should be upheld and we should not look for reasons to avoid it, even if the alternative would force us to conclude that these fathers—and all others like them—were not saved. Robert Reymond A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith

I have no problem considering even the greatest of people in the church unsaved if that's what their conduct in this life indicates. It's entirely Biblical to do that.

 

[journeyman]

I agree.
…. but what were these people doing that Paul was warning against? When Paul wrote “if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing”, what were they actually doing? It isn’t really about having their foreskin clipped, was it … I thought most of them were already Jewish and returning to Judaism. So what EXACTLY were they doing?

They were looking at the law as their source of righteousmess, instead of the reason God gave them the law.

They believed gentiles needed to be circumcised according to the law to be saved, instead of the reason God gave circumcision to Abraham.

Paul never meant that sinners don't need to obey the law >>>THAT WAY<<< to be saved,

He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2Pet.3:16

 

[Consecrated Life]

These people Paul is speaking to are of the same mind of the rich young man that Jesus spoke to concerning being saved.
Jesus knowing the young man's perceptions about being saved told him to " keep the commandments" .
To which the young man replied, and I chuckle a little every time I read this , " WHICH ONES " lol.
Who said God does not have a sense of humor.
I can't help thinking that Jesus Himself had a momentary wry smile on His face as the young man asked "which ones" before He got back to the seriousness of the lesson.
Notice Jesus's reply only contains a couple of the commandments which Jesus being all knowing of our history, thoughts & intents knew that the boy could answer honestly that he had indeed kept.
Jesus leading him to the realization that trying to attain fellowship with God by means of the law is a losing proposition

Mat 19:18
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,