Galatians 5:2
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
This wasn't general prohibition of circumcision—Paul had Timothy circumcised for missionary expedience (Acts 16:3). But Timothy's circumcision wasn't for righteousness, just cultural accommodation. The Galatians contemplated circumcision believing it necessary for full covenant membership and God's acceptance. Paul declares: do that and Christ is worthless to you. You've chosen law over grace, works over faith. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) had settled this, but Judaizers continued agitating. Paul won't compromise: the gospel's exclusive sufficiency isn't negotiable.
Questions for Reflection
- What contemporary equivalents to circumcision do Christians add to faith in Christ, making His work insufficient?
- How do you recognize when you've shifted from trusting Christ alone to Christ plus something else?
- Why is any addition to Christ's finished work actually subtraction, making Him profit nothing?
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Analysis & Commentary
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Paul's most shocking declaration. "Behold" (ide, ἴδε)—look, pay attention! "I Paul say unto you" (egō Paulos legō hymin)—emphatic first-person: I myself, Paul, personally declare. He stakes his apostolic authority on this statement. "If ye be circumcised" (ean peritemnēsthe)—conditional: if you undergo circumcision (as the Judaizers demand for righteousness).
"Christ shall profit you nothing" (Christos hymas ouden ōphelēsei, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει)—Christ will benefit you not at all. The future tense is emphatic. Circumcision undertaken as necessary for salvation or righteousness makes Christ's work useless, null and void. Why? Because it operates on a different principle: law-works versus faith-grace. To add circumcision to Christ is to say Christ's work was insufficient. It's either Christ alone or Christ plus nothing; any addition is subtraction. "Christ profit you nothing" doesn't mean loss of salvation but that trusting in circumcision means you never truly trusted Christ alone. This is Paul's line in the sand.