RevoDevos – Day 18

Wednesday, July 9^th
Read: Galatians 5:2-6

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Spend a few minutes discussing questions you have about the passage. Here are a few to get you started:

Why is circumcision important in this passage?
Does circumcision lead to salvation?
What is justification through works versus justification by faith?What other questions can you ask? Write them below:

In the beginning of chapter five, Paul again addresses the issue of circumcision and legalism. He essentially condemns the theology of circumcision. The legalistic Jewish teachers in Galatia were urging believers to be circumcised. They sought to establish conformity to external standards of behaviour, and they were using these standards to judge spirituality. Paul argues against such thought, as the requirement of circumcision changes the entire message of salvation from one of faith to one of works. Paul further argues, in verse three, that one who is circumcised in an attempt to gain God’s acceptance and earn his salvation, is therefore obligated to keep the entire law. But the Old Testament is overflowing with stories which prove that no one is capable of keeping the entire law. Thus we can conclude, as Paul states in verse two, that circumcision profits one nothing. Paul wasn’t entirely concerned with circumcision itself, but with peoples’ motivation behind circumcision. So it’s not that circumcision in itself is bad, but that the Galatians viewed it as a means of salvation and a judge of spirituality—particularly in regards to the Gentiles.

After shooting down the Galatians’ legalistic views on circumcision, and telling them off for trying to justify themselves through works, he then transitions into a discussion on justification by faith. No one is saved through works, or by keeping the law, but only by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). As Christians, we must choose to live by faith as we wait for the full realization of our salvation. We don’t work for salvation— we wait for it. In verse five, Paul notes that we wait for the ‘hope of righteousness’ through faith. So, as we follow God in faith, we also grow in righteousness. Although we are justified through Christ’s death on the cross, and will be declared righteous on judgment day, God allows us to have a foretaste of righteousness through His Spirit who lives in us (2 Cor. 5:5). Paul furthers his discussion on faith in verse six, in noting that with faith it is possible to fulfill Christ’s command to love one another. So, faith in Christ is not just a state of mind or intellectual belief, rather, it should express itself in love. Since we, as Christians, have learned love in such great measure from Christ, our faith must also issue a genuine and self-denying love for others.

Process:

-Is circumcision necessary for salvation? Why or why not?

-What is the relationship between faith and righteousness?

-What should be the natural outflow of our faith?