Galatians 5:6 Commentary and Bible Study

If righteousness is by faith, then every other means of obtaining it is worthless. On this basis circumcision is worth nothing, and whether a man is circumcised or uncircumcised is of no consequence and counts for nothing. What then is the advantage in circumcision and why was it ordained? We cannot deny that it was originally given by God to Abraham, and certainly God does not do anything without reason. Circumcision had an instructive value and it was given to all the male descendants of Abraham to teach every member of the nation that they needed to follow Abraham’s example of faith. They were to follow him in exercising faith which would result in their hearts being circumcised, for the removal of the uncleanness of the foreskin was a picture of the removal of the uncleanness of sin in the heart. But the external rite without the inner change was nothing and therefore those who thought that the rite in the flesh was sufficient without the regeneration of the heart were blind to the true purpose of circumcision. Paul does not mean that circumcision never had any purpose, but that circumcision in the flesh or the absence of it counts for nothing at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. If a man has come to faith in Christ then he no longer needs circumcision. If he was brought to faith by a consideration of the meaning of this rite and understood that what really counts is the regeneration of the heart, then circumcision has done its work. But if he came to faith as an uncircumcised man through hearing the preaching of the gospel alone, then circumcision is now irrelevant and to submit to it after faith would be to go backwards. Why relearn a lesson which we have already learnt by another instructor?Having said so much about faith and having stressed justification by faith, Paul is careful to show that faith is a fruitful grace and leads to other graces, for faith that is unfruitful is dead. Though he insists that justification is by faith alone, he also insists that God never gives faith without at the same time giving a new heart and that faith must lead to works, the greatest of which is love.