Having been freed from the slavery of the law, under Paul’s initial visit, why would they now want to lose their freedom and go back to the bondage of the law? Paul answers this question in chapter 5 in three ways. First, he implores them to stand firm in their freedom in Christ (v. 1). Then, he lists six negative consequences of returning to the law (vv. 2–11). Finally, he introduces the Spirit-filled life as the power to overcome sin and evil (vv. 12–26).
In this second to last section of the letter (5:1-6:10), Paul turns practical and provided a defense of Christian liberty. Having defended both his authority as an apostle and the doctrine of justification by faith, Paul turned to defend the life of Christian freedom. Would the apostle’s teaching lead the Galatians into lawlessness or into godliness? The Christian life is described as a life apart from Law, a life apart from license, a life according to the Spirit, and a life of service.
Paul turns now from argument to application, from the doctrinal to the practical. The Christian who lives by faith is not going to become a rebel. Quite the contrary, the Christian is going to experience the inner discipline of God that is far better than the outer discipline of man-made rules. No person could become a rebel who depends on God’s grace, yields to God’s Spirit, lives for others, and seeks to glorify God. The legalist is the one who eventually rebels, because they are living in bondage, depending on the flesh, living for self, and seeking the praise of people and not the glory of God.
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (NASB)
Key takeaways:
- The Bible teaches that when we were unsaved, we owed God a debt we could not pay. God in His grace, because of the work of Christ on the cross, is able to forgive sinners, no matter how large their debt may be.
- Christ died to set us free from slavery to the law. Our responsibility is to stand firm and not to fall back into law and sin.
- I have been set free by Christ. I am no longer under bondage to the Law
- The Christian is set free from the negative effects of the law, so we have no reason to return to it. We would have to keep the whole law perfectly, which we cannot. In Christ, only faith working through love avails anything.
Closer Look:
Verse 1: In verses 1 and 2, Paul argues that turning to law ruins grace. This verse summarizes chapter 4, where the theme is bondage and freedom. It also serves to introduce chapter 5. Paul declared that Christ was the great Liberator who set believers free from bondage. The apostle then appealed to the Galatians to stand firm (other references for standing firm: 1 Cor. 16:13; Phil. 1:27; 4:1; 1 Thes. 3:8; 2 Thes. 2:15) in that liberty, for having been delivered from slavery and idolatry. They were in danger of becoming entangled in slavery to the Mosaic Law.
Verse 2: Taking up a prime example of such entanglement, namely circumcision, Paul issued a strong warning to the Galatians who were considering submitting to that rite. If they did, and were thereby seeking righteousness by works, Paul declared that “Christ will be of no benefit to you” at all. One of the first negative consequences that Paul gives to those who return to the law is because it invalidates Christ’s work on the cross for “Christ will be no benefit (value) to you.” By submitting to circumcision, a person demonstrated that they were not fully trusting in Christ. Instead they added their own works to what Christ had done, thus invalidating the sufficiency of Christ for salvation.
It is not that the apostle condemned circumcision in itself, for he had Timothy circumcised (in Galatia) so that the young man would have a wider ministry (Acts 16:1–3). But Paul was strongly opposed to the Judaistic theology which insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Anyone who was circumcised for that reason added works to faith and demonstrated that they had not exercised saving faith in Christ.
Verse 3: The second negative consequence of returning to the law is obligation. Verse 3 gives the argument that a believer turning to law makes them a debtor. In addition to the fact that turning to the Law ruins grace, it also creates an entirely new obligation: a person “is under obligation to keep the whole Law.” Once a person submits to one part of the law (circumcision), they are obligated to obey the whole law. The Law is a unit, and if a person puts themselves under any part of it for justification, they are a “debtor” to the entire code with its requirements and its curse (cf. 3:10; James 2:10).
Verse 4: In verses 4-6, Paul shows that turning to the law is to fall away from grace.[1]What this really means is that the third negative consequence of returning to the law is that it removes a person from the sphere of grace. While the legalist is insecure because they cannot know if they have done enough to merit salvation, the believer is secure because they have placed their faith in Christ and will eagerly await righteousness. Turning to the Law and accepting circumcision as a meritorious work has further dire implications which the Galatians were called on to consider. Anyone seeking justification by Law has “been severed (katērgēthēte)[2] from Christ,” that is, such a person would not be living in a sphere where Christ was operative. The KJV provides a sober rendering, “Christ is become of no effect unto you.” Paul said that in addition, they would “have fallen from grace.” Some understand this to refer to the loss of salvation. However, “fallen from” may refer to their attitude and to the message that it communicates, rather than to their eternal salvation. The issue here is not the possible loss of salvation, for “grace” is referred to not as salvation itself but as a method of salvation (cf. 2:21 where “a Law” route is mentioned as an unworkable way to come to Christ).[3] If the Galatians accepted circumcision as necessary for salvation, they would be leaving the grace system for the Mosaic Law system. The same error is repeated today when a believer leaves a church that emphasizes salvation by grace through faith and joins one which teaches that salvation depends on doing these four or five things and church membership. Those things may be good in and of themselves. But we are not saved because of those things and our salvation does not depend on those things. We are not saved because of church membership; we are saved by grace through faith. Joining a church is an outworking or result of our salvation in wanting to worship God with other believers.
Verse 5: Faith in Christ brings about not only justification before God, but also growth in the Christian life until we are completely glorified by God and freed from the presence of sin.In contrast with legalists, true believers by faith (not works) are waiting (apekdechometha; may also see “eagerly await,” means look forward eagerly or hope for; used seven times in the NT of the return of Christ: Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28) the consummation of their salvation (cf. Rom. 8:18–25). Then “the hope of righteousness” will be fully realized (cf. 1 Peter 1:3–4, 13). When Paul says we “are waiting for the hope of righteousness,” he is referring to one of two possibilities. On the one hand he may be referring to the righteousness that grows in us slowly, day by day, as we live by faith in Christ. On the other hand, Paul may be referring to the day when our righteousness will suddenly be complete, the day when Jesus returns (Rom. 8:8–25; Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:8). Both ideas are true and are taught elsewhere in Scripture. Our salvation is past, present, and future. We have been saved by Jesus’ work on the cross in the past; we are saved day by day as the Spirit works within us to bring about daily righteousness, and we will be saved when we see Jesus and receive our glorified body, freed from sin to serve him in unblemished righteousness.
At the coming of Christ believers will be completely conformed to all the requirements of God’s will. The inward and forensic righteousness which began at justification will be transformed into an outward righteousness at glorification.[4] God will then publicly acknowledge all believers’ full acceptability with Him.
Verse 6: For those in Christ Jesus, the true sphere of salvation, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision (meaning the lack of it)” is of any significance (cf. 3:28; 6:15). What truly matters is “faith working through love” (cf. 5:13), which is the fruit of grace. Though salvation is by faith apart from works, faith that is genuine does work itself out “through love” (cf. Eph. 2:10; James 2:14–18). To fall from grace is to fall from love.
[1] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 605.
[2] BDAG – “to cause the release of someone from an obligation (one has nothing more to do with it), be discharged, be released.” For those who aspire to righteousness through the law, they are estranged (or alienated) from Christ
[3] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 605.
[4] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 605.