Galatians 5:2 Commentary

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Galatians 5:2

Comments

The Judaizers had come to the Galatians with pressing reasons why it was dangerous for them to ignore circumcision, for God had taught Israel to circumcise every child on the eighth day (Leviticus 12:3), and to also circumcise strangers joining themselves to Israel (Genesis 34:17). Those who failed to carry out this rite were in danger of being cut off from the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:14; Exodus 4:24; Joshua 5:7). Yes, they said, God has now revealed many new things in Christ, but the commandments given before should not be set aside. Circumcision was first given to Abraham (Genesis 17) as a seal of the covenant that God made with him, a covenant which Paul has already taught was gracious in nature and was presented to Abraham in the form of a promise. Abraham was commanded to be circumcised himself, and to circumcise all his male descendants on the eighth day of life. Significantly, the timing of circumcision differed between Abraham and his descendants. In Abraham’s case it came after faith, but in the case of his descendants it came before any faith which they might subsequently exercise. In their case it was intended to teach them to follow Abraham’s example of faith. In neither case did it confer any blessing, but it was a symbol of the work of the Spirit in regeneration. Scripture repeatedly finds fault with the children of Israel because they failed to circumcise their hearts and rested content with the outward symbol of this in the flesh (Deuteronomy 10:16; Leviticus 26:41; Romans 2:29; Colossians 2:11), turning it into something meritorious which God never intended.

Application

There are times when we must show in stark terms the choices before men, and we must state the case with absolute clarity, to help them see it. Paul does not exaggerate here, just to frighten the Galatians. For them to have gone ahead with circumcision as necessary to obtain favour from God would have been fatal to their eternal hope. He therefore summons all his apostolic authority: ‘I, Paul say unto you’. But who today gives such clear warnings and puts things so bluntly? Christians are ready to compromise with almost anything rather than make a fuss.

Questions

Doesn’t Paul elsewhere say, ‘circumcision is nothing’? Surely it is only an incision in the flesh. How then can it separate a man from Christ and make Christ of no profit to him? The significance of this rite lay in the thinking of the one who submitted to it. If it was done to gain merit before God, or in reliance upon the law, or to procure salvation, then Paul was utterly opposed to it, as in the case of the Galatians. But if it was done so as not to offend the weak Jewish conscience in order to remove an unnecessary barrier to faith, then, as in the case of Timothy, he would agree to it.

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Galatians 5:2 Commentary and Bible Study