LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Exegesis of Galatians 5:1-12
Submitted to Dr. Eric Spano,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
NBST 610-D05
Hermeneutics
by
Mark Marlow
May 4, 2021
Contents
Main Idea and Outline…………………………………………………………………………..1
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………2
Context
Literary Context…………………………………………………………………………...3
Historical-Cultural Context………………………………………………………………..3
Content
Burden of the Law………………………………………………………………………...4
Freedom in Christ…………………………………………………………………………6
Penalties of Obedience to the Law………………………………………………………..7
Application……………………………………………………………….…………………….…8
Stand Firm in Our Faith…………………………………………………………………...9
Live in Christ’s Freedom………………………………………………………………….9
Rid Ourselves of False Teachings………………………………………………………..10
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….10
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..11
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Main Idea and Outline
Paul wrote Galatians to accomplish three purposes:
1. Paul defended his authority as an apostle of Jesus.
2. He argued the doctrinal case for salvation by faith alone.
3. He showed that everyday Christian living is based on freedom from the Law in the Holy
Spirit's power.
In this passage, we can see that sinners are justified (and live out a godly life) by trusting only in
Jesus Christ, not by keeping the Law or counting on good works. Paul was writing in response to
some Jews trying to convince and even force Gentile converts towards Mosaic Law practices
(i.e., circumcision). We are reminded repeatedly by Paul that the Galatians have freedom from
the Law, which was given freely by Christ. One cannot be made righteous through the Law, but
by God's grace through Jesus Christ.
Outline
A. Burden of the Law
a. Yoke of slavery
b. Believer must obey entire Law for righteousness
c. Believer is cut off from Christ—believer falls away from grace
d. The law prevents compliance with God’s truth
e. The cross is diminished
B. Our Freedom in Christ
a. Christ sets us free
b. Stand firm in the liberty of the cross
c. Grace removes
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i. Yoke of sin
ii. Yoke of law
d. Faith in Christ brings justification
e. Faith and love fulfills Christ’s two greatest commandments
i. Love your lord God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul
ii. Love your neighbor as yourself
C. Penalties of following the Law
a. Fall away and are cut off from Christ
b. Adhere a different teaching other than the Gospel
c. Judgment of those practicing false teaching
d. Defense of Paul’s stance on circumcision
i. Condemnation of false teachers
Introduction
In writing this epistle, Paul addressed some concerns he had encountered and witnessed
that arose after his leaving. The purpose of this letter to Galatia is to defend justification by faith
in Christ. This went against the teachings of his day. The Jews were preaching a gospel contrary
to the one that Paul preached. The Jews were preaching that in order to be righteous, one must
follow the Law. We know as believers that not only is this wrong, it is impossible. The Judaizes
were teaching that Gentiles, in order to be righteous, must be circumcised. It is important to note
that in previous chapters, Paul states how heretical this teaching was. Paul preached that
following the Law subjugates its followers. Paul reinforces that God’s grace is the only thing that
allows its followers to find total freedom and righteousness. But how can we be certain?
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Paul states, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and
do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery” (5:1). This yoke that Paul mentioned was the
Mosaic Law. When Christ came to Earth and sacrificially gave His life on the cross. Through
this, Christ fulfilled the Law and ushered in His grace. This gives believers hope because this is
what sets us free and evokes a righteousness that others notice.
Literary Context
Scholars believed that the book of Galatians was written by Paul, formally Saul, the
persecutor of Christians. Paul had a life-changing encounter with Jesus in Acts 9. Once being
extremely vehement of the law as he was persecuting Christians, his outlook changed. Paul was
not one of the twelve disciples, and he went on to be very zealous of Christ. Paul was a Pharisee
and was raised to adhere to the law.
There is a lot to know when it comes to discussing the literary context in this passage.
There is a portion during the beginning where Paul uses the term “yoke of slavery.” What does
Paul mean when he uses “slavery”? It is critical to look into slavery in the first century. In the
Roman Empire, people were slaves, or they were free. This social construct is what separated
social statuses and was the basis on the legality of issues. Contrary to history, slavery in the first
century was not based on race or ethnicity. Anyone could become a slave, and any slave could
become free.
Historical-Cultural Context
Paul was Jewish, a Roman citizen, a Rabbi, and a tent maker. Saul, his former name, was
well known because he was a persecutor of Christians. This letter was written in the latter part of
the 50s. Paul warned and encouraged the church of Galatia to continue following the gospel
message that he had preached. Paul had returned to the church of Galatia due to the rise of false
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teachings. Some people in the church had turned away from the Lord and started to follow the
Law. This was discouraging for Paul as he believed the church was strong enough to lean on the
Scriptures and rebuke the false teachers. There were those among them who rumored that Paul
was preaching the same message as they and that Paul would approve their message. This caused
a rebuke from Paul and he wrote to Galatia stating his stance. Once the false teachers were put
away, there was a wave of faith that arose among this church.
Content
There are three main sections to this passage that we will examine. First is burden of the
Law, second is our freedom in Christ and lastly the effects of obedience to the law.
Burden of the Law
“It was for freedom that Christ has set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be
subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive
circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who
receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been
severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from
grace” (5:1-4).
Grace has a variety of meanings and connotations. For the purpose of this paper, grace is
defined as “underserved blessing freely bestowed on humans by God”.1 Grace or the
“underserved blessing” of being free from the Law is what Paul was stating vehemently. Paul is
urging people to stand firm in their faith and not be swayed in the ways of the false teachers. The
Jews were praising the Law as a way to earn salvation, ultimately neglecting Christ’s death on
the cross. The Jews saw the Law as a blessed thing, and people should follow. However, Paul
1 Elwell, Walter Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Baker Book House Company, 2001.
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argued that those who followed the Law as a means of salvation were throwing on a yoke of
slavery. This was because the Law does not point out our sin as the Gospel of Christ does.
Paul then moves into the topic of circumcision. Circumcision was a rite that was a badge
of honor. Circumcision was a physical sign of one’s dedication to Christ.2 However, after Christ’s
death, circumcision was no longer practiced. However, some of the Jewish leaders required new
converts to be circumcised. Circumcision was being falsely taught that faithful followers of the
Law need to be circumcised per the Law. Paul condemned and rebuked the false teachers who
promoted this idea. In the statement “Christ will be of no benefit to you,” Paul addressed the
teaching of relying on circumcision to make you righteous. Paul fervently argued that
circumcision is no longer a requirement. “When he says “bound,” he is no longer speaking of the
law as something unworthy but of a heavy burden which can be made lighter. There is one Lord,
who is able to make it either heavy or light according to the choice of those who have not refused
to accept salvation through his grace through his appearance in the flesh.”3 Christ came to fulfill
the Law, and once He spoke, “it is finished” on the cross symbolized that the Law had been
abolished.
In order for our sins to be made known, we must look into the Gospel. Following the Law
will not be enough. There was only one person that fulfilled to Law to its entirety and that Jesus.
Paul argued with the false teachers mockingly by stated if anyone has been circumcised “one is
under the obligation of the whole Law”. Paul reinstated since the whole Law cannot be followed,
that disqualifies us right off the bat. Also, it is such a dangerous idea to preach and those who did
would find themselves “severed from Christ” and “fallen from grace”. Romans 6:7 states “since
2 Easton, Matthew G. Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Database, 2008.
3 Edwards, Mark J.. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, InterVarsity Press, 2005.
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a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims.” This clearly points to the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ. If one follows the Law, they deny this gracious and sacrificial act of Christ
on the believer’s behalf.
Freedom in Christ
“For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working
through love. You were running well, who hindered you from obeying the truth. This
persuasion did not come from Him who calls you” (5:5-8).
Paul further discusses the idea that our hope in our righteousness is through the Spirit, in faith.
Hebrews tells us that “faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For
by it, our ancestors were approved”. Paul reiterated that when Jesus looks at us, He does not see
us circumcised or uncircumcised. He sees righteous or unrighteous, those who love and those
who hate. That is what separates authentic believers from nonbelievers. How does one become
righteous then? Through believing in Christ in faith. Romans 8:24-25 furthers this by stating,
“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he
already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for
it”. Although Paul used the term “righteousness,” he was pointing towards a heavenly
inheritance. Grant Osbourne states, “He is speaking in this verse about the final state of
righteousness we will attain in heaven.”4 Paul finishes the portion of the passage by stating in
verse 8, “This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.” Paul was reinforcing his point
that the Jews imposed “the yoke of the law on them by a human decision, not by the judgment of
God, who was calling them to grace through his apostle.”
4 Osborne, Grant R.. Galatians Verse by Verse, Lexham Press, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central
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The Penalties of Obedience to the Law
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you the Lord that
you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment,
whoever he is. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are
troubling you would even mutilate themselves” (5:9-12).
Paul concludes this passage by using the analogy of a race, like in an arena. He likened the
journey of the believer to a race. “He uses the common proverb A little yeast works through the
whole batch of dough. That is, the error of the false teachers was spreading in the Christian
community until the whole church was becoming contaminated”.5 It is like a modern day game
of “Telephone”. At the beginning of the game, one would whisper a word in another’s ear, then
that person would whisper into the next person’s ear and so on. The goal of this game was to
keep the original message (first person’s word), all the way to the last person who received it.
However, at any point, someone in the circle could change the original message. This was what
was happening in the area. There were false teachers, speaking of a different gospel. Paul
rebuked them, as false teachings and sin was rampant in the church. John Stott goes on to state,
“One of the most serious things about evil and error is that they both spread”.6
Throughout Paul’s journey to multiple churches, he is more than certain that the Galatian
church would have a better understanding of his teachings and of Scripture that they will not fall
prey to these false teachings. Paul was hopeful that such teachings would not prevail, rather, the
Galatians would call them out. As human nature often does, when the Jewish leaders were being
rebuked, they became defensive. They started to claim that Paul held the same views as these
5 Stott, John. The Message of Galatians, InterVarsity Press, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central,
6 Ibid.
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false teachers did. Paul rebutted that claim in verse 11 by stating, “But I, brethren, if I still preach
circumcision, why am I still persecuted”? This was a very bold claim that Paul brought up. Paul
had enough of these false teachers trying to attack him and tarnish his good name. This allows
Paul to pull away from these teachers. “They were preaching circumcision; he was preaching
Christ and the cross. To preach circumcision is to tell sinners that they can save themselves by
their own good works; to preach Christ crucified is to tell them that they cannot and that only
Christ can save them through the cross”.7
Paul concludes this passage but stating that he wished that those in opposition of
preaching Christ and Him crucified would leave. More than that, Paul wished that they would be
annihilated from the Earth. It is better for one “It is better for him if a millstone were hung
around his and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these to sin”.8 Paul was
not saying this in hate. He loves God’s churches so much that he said this in passion for God’s
churches.
Application
This passage in Galatians can speak greatly to us as believers. The Bible is full of God
setting believers apart for His sake. When we read this story we can find three things that we can
apply to our lives. We must stand firm in our faith, live in our freedom, and rid ourselves of
incorrect or false teachings.
Stand Firm in our Faith
When we come to Christ we are a new creation. That does not mean that we will have a
perfect or easy life. Life might seem to get more difficult or tiring at each passing day. We are
bombarded everyday with the thought of self-indulgence so much so that we tend to let our guard
7 Stott, John. The Message of Galatians, InterVarsity Press, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central,
8 NASB Bible
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down. Sometimes it is because we have a fear of being hated for our beliefs. Other times it can
see that we are not wanting to rock the boat and ruffle feathers. This is dangerous as it can lead
us to a point in our lives where we will find complacency in evil. When Paul exhorts us to stand
firm in our faith, he was reassuring us that there we will need to decide who we are going to
serve. Are we going to go with the flow with the world and let things slide that might not be
holy? Or will we risk our relationships for Christ? “No one can serve two masters. Either you
will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money”.9 We can rest assured that Christ’s plan is always better than
what any human can offer us. We must make the choice.
Live in Christ’s Freedom
Secondly, we can apply this passage to our lives by understanding we no longer live
under the Law. This is twofold. First, the Law will never illuminate our sin and help us seek out
better lifestyle choices. The Law was put into place by God to help us understand that we are in
need of a Savior, Jesus. Jesus was the only one who has ever maintained every law without sin.
So, when we surrender our lives to Christ, we can be sure that He will take care of us. The other
part of not living under the Law requires us to understand the real reason why Christ died on the
cross. If following the Law was the only thing required for our salvation, then Christ’s death was
in vain. We nullify the Holy Savior’s sacrificial love offering for us.
Rid Ourselves of False Teachings
Lastly, we must flee from false teachings. Romans 12:9 tells us, “Love must be free of
hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good”10. When we allow evil teachings to warp
our brain, we are no longer as useful as we could be in Christ. We often find ourselves in a
9 NASB Holy Bible
10 NASB Holy Bible
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situation where we are presented with a teaching that is contrary to the Bible. At that moment,
we have a choice to make: one, do we follow or 2) do we research, pray, and seek Scriptures to
see if it is true? We must be in ready in season and out to give an account to the hope we have in
Christ. When we flee our evil teachings, we will see our lives being led towards good. We will
not be persuaded by wrongdoers to join in on their decisions. And when we are presented with
that decision, we must choose carefully where we are going side.
Conclusion
In a world filled with acceptance based on feelings and not truth, we love the best of both
worlds. We want to hear and read the truth as long as it is not offensive or belittling. Biblical
Christianity will not allow us to walk the line or live life unaware of things going on around us.
We need to be decisive and definite about our relationship and journey with Christ. Christ
completed the work on the Cross. That death abolished the Law and allows us to live in freedom
of that. Does that mean that we are free to sin and live incautiously? No! However, we will never
be perfect as Christ is. And there lies our hope. If we are faithful in Christ, He will not forsake
us. We are not forgotten about, nor does He turn His back on us.
Bibliography
Bray, Gerald L., ed. Galatians, Ephesians. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011. Accessed
April 18, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Easton, Matthew G. Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Database, 2008.
Elwell, Walter Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Baker Book House Company, 2001.
Edwards, Mark J. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005. Accessed
April 18, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
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NASB Holy Bible, Zondervan. Nashville, TN, 2003.
Stott, John. The Message of Galatians. Westmont: InterVarsity Press, 2021. Accessed April 18,
2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Sweeney, James P. "Galatians: A Commentary." Journal of the Evangelical Theological
Society 63, no. 4 (12, 2020): 887-90, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F
%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fgalatians-commentary%2Fdocview
%2F2479814142%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12085.
Osborne, Grant R.. 2017. Galatians Verse by Verse. Ashland: Lexham Press. Accessed April 18,
2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
