What is the meaning of Galatians 5:6? In Christ Jesus Paul opens by anchoring everything “in Christ Jesus,” reminding us that our entire standing before God flows from union with the Son. Once we are placed in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”), every other badge of identity becomes secondary. The old covenant distinctions are swallowed up in the greater reality of belonging to Jesus. That same thought appears in Colossians 3:11, where Paul says, “There is no Greek or Jew… but Christ is all and in all.” Our focus shifts from what we do for God to what God has done for us in Christ. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value Here Paul zeros in on the specific controversy troubling the Galatians. Some insisted that physical circumcision was still required to be right with God. Paul responds that, when it comes to justification, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything” (Galatians 5:6). • Romans 2:28-29 puts it bluntly: “A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly… but he is a Jew who is one inwardly.” • Philippians 3:3 echoes the point: “For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God… and place no confidence in the flesh.” The external ritual is not evil in itself, but it carries zero saving value. Relying on it for righteousness actually insults the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work (Galatians 2:21). What matters is faith Paul shifts from what does not matter to what does. Saving righteousness is received through faith alone, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast”). This faith is more than intellectual assent; it is confident trust in the crucified and risen Lord (Galatians 2:16). Because Christ fulfilled the law perfectly and bore its curse (Galatians 3:13), faith rests in Him as sufficient. Expressing itself through love Genuine faith is never sterile. It comes alive in practical, self-giving love. Paul insists on this dynamic: “faith expressing itself through love.” • James 2:17 highlights the same truth: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” • 1 John 3:18 adds, “Little children, let us love not with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Love is the visible outworking of an invisible reliance on Christ. When the Spirit indwells a believer (Galatians 5:22-23), the first fruit listed is love. So Paul is not pitting faith against works; he’s stating the order: faith alone saves, yet the faith that saves is never alone—it inevitably produces love. summary Galatians 5:6 demolishes every scheme that tries to add human merit to the gospel. In union with Christ, external markers like circumcision are irrelevant for justification. What counts is heartfelt faith in Jesus, and that faith proves itself real by overflowing in Spirit-empowered love toward God and neighbor. |
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