Loss of Justification-Galatians 5:2-6

[Jethro Bodine]

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:2-6 NASB)

By going back to the law for justification, Paul says the Galatians had lost the benefit of Christ in justification, saying they have been severed from Christ. Works of righteousness in the law don't mean anything toward being justified righteous, but only faith in Christ does that--faith working through love.

Several points are addressed in this passage of scripture:

It is possible to fall from grace.

Loss of trust in Christ for justification will result in loss of justification in Christ.

The loss of effect of Christ toward justification is called being 'severed from Christ'.

For the person seeking to be justified by the law that means none of the law has been set aside as no longer needed.

The faith that justifies is the faith that works through love. (As opposed to a 'faith' that is alone, doing nothing).

The Galatians are evidence that God does not turn you permanently over to the choice to not believe in Christ anymore right away but gives those who have fallen from grace the chance to come back to faith in Christ.

And lastly--'uncircumcision', according to my spell checker, is not a word. ​

 

[Jim Parker]

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:2-6 NASB)

By going back to the law for justification, Paul says the Galatians had lost the benefit of Christ in justification, saying they have been severed from Christ. Works of righteousness in the law don't mean anything toward being justified righteous, but only faith in Christ does that--faith working through love.

Several points are addressed in this passage of scripture:

It is possible to fall from grace.

Loss of trust in Christ for justification will result in loss of justification in Christ.

The loss of effect of Christ toward justification is called being 'severed from Christ'.

For the person seeking to be justified by the law that means none of the law has been set aside as no longer needed.

The faith that justifies is the faith that works through love. (As opposed to a 'faith' that is alone, doing nothing).

The Galatians are evidence that God does not turn you permanently over to the choice to not believe in Christ anymore right away but gives those who have fallen from grace the chance to come back to faith in Christ.

And lastly--'uncircumcision', according to my spell checker, is not a word. ​

What happened to the "LIKE" button???
Me likie!

 

[turnorburn]

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. )

 

[Jethro Bodine]

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Paul is laying a charge against the Galatians.
How do we understand that in light of the Romans 8:33 verse you posted?

 

[turnorburn]

Aren't we all the same in Christ.. what's good for one is good for all.. is the way i understand Gods word..

 

[FreeGrace]

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:2-6 NASB)

By going back to the law for justification, Paul says the Galatians had lost the benefit of Christ in justification, saying they have been severed from Christ.

This from Thayer's: katargeō

1) to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
1a) to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
1b) to deprive of force, influence, power
2) to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
2a) to cease, to pass away, be done away
2b) to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
2c) to terminate all intercourse with one

This Greek word can very easily be applied to the prodigal son when he left his father. But we also see in that parable that the son returned. My view has been that the son never lost relationship with his father, but only fellowship while he was away. We know that the concept of fellowship is a recurring theme of the NT because the English word occurs 14 times in the KJV.

So, we understand Gal 5:2-6 to be also about fellowship. We know from many passages that those who have believed will never perish, because eternal life is a gift of God that is irrevocable.

It is possible to fall from grace.

Yes, quite true. But there is nothing in Scripture to lead one to believe that this results in loss of salvation. If that were true, then what Jesus and Paul taught would be lies.

Loss of trust in Christ for justification will result in loss of justification in Christ.

This is an assumption based on an opinion. There are no verses that make this statement.

The loss of effect of Christ toward justification is called being 'severed from Christ'.

No, as the lexicon shows, the meaning of the word indicates loss of fellowship (severed from), loss of Christ's power. There is nothing in the definition to even come close to loss of salvation.

For the person seeking to be justified by the law that means none of the law has been set aside as no longer needed.

No, it means no one has been, nor will be justified by the law. iow, they are seeking something in vain. It will not work.

The faith that justifies is the faith that works through love. (As opposed to a 'faith' that is alone, doing nothing).

More assumption. No Scripture to back this up.

The Galatians are evidence that God does not turn you permanently over to the choice to not believe in Christ anymore right away but gives those who have fallen from grace the chance to come back to faith in Christ.

Of course a believer who loses their faith can repent and return to the faith. But nowhere in Scripture do we find any verse that teaches that one who has lost faith has lost salvation. We do find just the opposite though: the gift of eternal life is an irrevocable gift.

And lastly--'uncircumcision', according to my spell checker, is not a word.

Interesting, because the ESV and NASB uses that word 8 times, and the KJV uses it 14 times.

So we can be sure that it is a biblical word.

 

[Jim Parker]

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. )

Uh-huh.
So what is it you would like to say?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

This from Thayer's: katargeō

1) to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
1a) to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
1b) to deprive of force, influence, power
2) to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
2a) to cease, to pass away, be done away
2b) to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
2c) to terminate all intercourse with one

How is it that the definition of katargeo makes it so it can not be referring to justification? How is it that by virtue of it's definition, the word 'katargeo' can't refer to justification being made inoperative, or of no efficiency, or done away, etc?

So, we understand Gal 5:2-6 to be also about fellowship.

Where does it say that? I can show you where it is about justification by the plain words of the passage. I don't see any references to this being about fellowship. I see all of the references being about justification.

No, as the lexicon shows, the meaning of the word indicates loss of fellowship (severed from)

I'm pretty sure you are the one adding that specific meaning to the word. It is a loss of something for sure. The passage is about justification, not fellowship:

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:2-6 NASB)

So how can you say it's about fellowship, and only about fellowship, when it plainly says it's about the matter of being justified?

More assumption. No Scripture to back this up.

How are the plain words of the passage assumption?
"6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6 NASB)

No, it means no one has been, nor will be justified by the law. iow, they are seeking something in vain. It will not work.

And that was not the point. The point Paul is making is that if you want to be justified by the law you have to keep the entire law. That means ALL of the law.

That effort would exclude any and all suggestion that any part of the law has 'passed away' as obsolete and unneeded now. That's the point. That's the slavery that Paul is saying they will, and have come back under--the slavery of all of the specific stipulations of the law. Many of which are fulfilled in Christ and therefore 'passed away' as unneeded to be fulfilled by us. He's saying that would not be true for the person who tries to be justified by the law. They must remain in the slavery of days, months, and years, etc. if they are seeking to be justified by the law.

 

[FreeGrace]

How is it that the definition of katargeo makes it so it can not be referring to justification?

It hasn't been shown that it does refer to justification. Please proceed.

How is it that by virtue of it's definition, the word 'katargeo' can't refer to justification being made inoperative, or of no efficiency, or done away, etc?

Please show that it does refer to justification. The issue is stated in v.2: "Christ will be of no benefit to you". Since the ones being addressed are already saved, it obviously can't refer to justification or salvation. So it refers to being IN fellowship where the power of the Holy Spirit is:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 2 Cor 13:14

3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

All of this is about having communion, or fellowship with God and His Son.

The passage clearly cannot be referring to salvation relationship, because v.6 speaks of what is not being practiced, which is not having fellowship. And when a believer does "walk in darkness", rather than "in the light", they are NOT practicing the truth, nor are they IN fellowship.

Please explain how my explanation cannot be true or biblical.

 

[turnorburn]

Uh-huh.
So what is it you would like to say?

Its been said..

 

[for_his_glory]

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Pretty much says it all in these verses

 

[childeye]

If God were to not hold you responsible for your sins, then you are justified. This justification will be lost if you now hold others responsible for their sin. Matthew 18:27, 28.

 

[Jim Parker]

If God were to not hold you responsible for your sins, then you are justified. This justification will be lost if you now hold others responsible for their sin. Matthew 18:27, 28.

Then we could pray: "And don't forgive our trespasses as we do not forgive others their trespasses..."

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. (Mat 5:7)
So, if you want to receive mercy at the judgment, you had better be merciful until the judgment.

 

[Malachi]

By going back to the law for justification, Paul says the Galatians had lost the benefit of Christ in justification, saying they have been severed from Christ.

This is the key to understanding this passage, and the critical component is "going back to the law for justification". That would indicate a lack of faith in Christ and His finished work. Since we are justified by grace through faith, this would mean that these individual were expressing unbelief.

 

[chessman]

Since we are justified by grace through faith, this would mean that these individual were expressing unbelief.

Do you mean these individuals were expressing "unbelief' like Peter and Barnabas expressed by not wanting to eat with Gentiles when other Jews were watching (because he wasn't supposed to do that type of thing IAW Jewish law) or do you mean "unbelief' in that Jesus wasn't really the Messiah, suffered, died and rose from the dead?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

This is the key to understanding this passage, and the critical component is "going back to the law for justification". That would indicate a lack of faith in Christ and His finished work. Since we are justified by grace through faith, this would mean that these individual were expressing unbelief.

I agree completely.
It wasn't a matter of simply doing things in the law. It was the clear matter of doing that for the express purpose of seeking to be justified (made righteous) by the law:

"4You who are trying to be justified by the law..." (Galatians 5:4 NASB bold and underline mine)

Justification by the working of the law, and justification through faith in God's forgiveness are mutually exclusive (Galatians 3:12 NASB). When you rely on the working of the law "to be justified" (not just doing the law for the sake of doing the law) you automatically are NOT relying on Christ to be justified. In which case "Christ will be of no value to you at all" (vs. 2) and you "have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (vs. 4). The 'grace' in context being the grace of justification (Romans 3:24 NASB, Titus 3:7 NASB). You lose the grace of justification if you turn to another source of justification, as the Galatians were doing, and which Paul is warning them about.

 

[Malachi]

Do you mean these individuals were expressing "unbelief' like Peter and Barnabas expressed by not wanting to eat with Gentiles when other Jews were watching (because he wasn't supposed to do that type of thing IAW Jewish law) or do you mean "unbelief' in that Jesus wasn't really the Messiah, suffered, died and rose from the dead?

To revert to Moses to be justified by keeping the Law would be unbelief. But for a Jew to have issues regarding mingling with Gentiles at that stage would be simply human weakness. For centuries Jews had had no dealings with Gentiles.

 

[chessman]

But for a Jew to have issues regarding mingling with Gentiles at that stage would be simply human weakness. For centuries Jews had had no dealings with Gentiles.

I agree with these two statements. Wouldn't you agree that this type of behavior is basically what Paul rebukes Peter and Barnabas and some of the other Jewish Christians living there in Galatia for doing starting at about Chapter 2:11?

Gal 2:11 (LEB) But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was condemned. 12 For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because was afraid of those who were of the circumcision, 13 and the rest of the Jews also joined in this hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with them in their hypocrisy. ...​

Hypocritical, afraid of what others might say about them, not straightforward behaviors? Sure! But "unbelief", as in unbelief in the Gospel? No, not really. Paul says this about what they were doing there (separating themselves from the Gentiles):

2:17 (LEB) But if while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also have been found to be sinners, then is Christ an agent of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I build up again these things which I destroyed, I show myself to be a transgressor.​

In other words, But if while seeking to be justified by Christ [i.e. a Jewish Christian],
we ourselves [Peter, Paul, and any other Jewish Christian there in Antioch]
also have been found to be sinners [i.e. people like the Jews that James sent to Antioch to 'check things out' there are going to think of us] ,
then is Christ an agent of sin? May it never be! [NO! that's rather foolish of you to ask].
For if I build up again these things which I destroyed [i.e. start doing things like not 'mingling with Gentiles'],
I show myself to be a transgressor [i.e. I show myself to the Jews sent there from Jerusalem that might see me or you Peter or Barnabas as transgressing Jewish Law]

What do you think? Is that about what Paul means in verse 2:17 of the situation with Peter and the rest of these Jewish Christians?
He doesn't mean Peter is 'un-saved' by not mingling with the Gentiles, he means that in the ultimate salvific sense, It doesn't really matter whether Peter eats with the Gentiles or not. Except that it might matter in the eyes of the visiting Jews. But who cares what they think.

Does that make sense of the discourse of the case Paul brings against Peter?