Lots of thoughts in here about this......
Lets first look at the first scripture and not start with Galatians 5:2 shall we,
Galations 5:1 So Christ has really set you free. Now make sure that you STAY FREE, and DON'T get tied up again in the SLAVERY OF THE LAW. NLT
Ok before we go any farther here lets point out a few things......
Up until this time period, all people including the Galations, new thee way of getting right with God was by the jewish laws and jewish traditions including what is spoken as the law of moses.....
Ok now YOU have got to understand that God snatched Paul up out of His old life and we all know what this was.
Now then HE gave Paul an assignment and this assignment was to take this new covenant and teach it to the gentiles and show them that it really works.
Romans 8:6 But our High priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for He is the one who GUARANTEES for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.
Romans 8:13 When God speaks of a new covenant, it means He has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and ready to be put aside.
Now then you have to understand that this is all new to the people through out the world. This Gospel of Christ which has brought into being a NEW COVENANT with the Almighty God. "Paul's assignment"
Now lets look at 2,3,4 shall we,
Galations 5:2 Listeen! I paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ can NOT help you.
Galations 5:3 I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of moses.
Galations 5:4 For if you are trying to make your selves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's GRACE or the Grace Of God,
Lets look at the word Grace for a moment shall we, There are many definitions through out the word of God but for this post I am going to share what I have found to say it best...
GRACE...God's overwhelming desire to treat us as if sin never happened....
In these 3 scriptures you find Paul talking to the galations once again, This was not pauls first time here and we see this in verses 7-10, Any way, PAUL had found that some of the believers thinking had returned unto the old ways or old law once again and were trying to get right in God's eyes through the law and one part was circumcisiom.
Now God replaced these laws because he saw that they were NOT working for NO man could ever keep them. God wanted worship not sacrifices and this is another topic.....Back to this,
Paul was there shaking things up a bit inorder to get these off track galations back on track with the Gospel of Christ. Imagine Paul there preaching and teraching this new gospel of Christ all over again, He is showing them that when you try to be justified by the law, you in turn are falling out of this Grace of God. Now what does Paul mean by this?
It's quite simple realy,
Paul is showing them that YOU the galations had excepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you entered into a NEW Covenant with God and were made right in His sight (God) by the shed blood of Christ. Now some of you are going back to the old ways of doing things which do not even count any longer to be made right in the eyes of God.
His speaking of "falling out of Grace" Well Paul is simply telling them that they are acting as if the death of Jesus on the cross and the shedding of the Blood of Jesus means nothing... It is as if some of you Galations are turning away from this Free Gift of Salvation through Christ Jesus (which is the only way to the Father) and going back to your old ways of doing things which have no use or value in Getting right with God or being in Right Standing with God.
Again you need to remember that all these people knew under the old law was how bad they were and now here comes Paul telling them that they are bleesed and the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and so forth.
Also REMEMBER THIS............there are many laws talked about in the bible or in Thee Written Word Of God.
Anything that God put intomotion is a law. The law of sowing and reaping or the power of your words etc.
Those are just 2 of many used for example.
So now you can see that being circumcised or not has no value in the spiritual realm. It's simply a tradition passed down. Falling out of GRACE that you read in Galations from the writings of Paul is ONLY his way of showing the GALATIONS that they were turning thier backs on Gods Salvation this free gift by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross for them by once again returning to the old way of doing things which was not going to do them any good.
How could it, for we read in Roman 8 (above) and in verse 1 of Galations 5 and through out the wortd of God. That the old law was done away with...
The old testament Is NOT Dead or Of No Value, however you have to be very careful how you pull a scripture from the Old Testament and use it with one of the New Terstament... as one does when pulling scriptures out of any place in the written word of God and using them to prove you belief or point for it just does not work like that.
I hope this helps clear the air on this topic and I pray that your understanding of the Written Word Of GOD will continue to grow and grow and mature unto new revolations from God. Be Blessed and Know Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jim
