[Cadence]

Galatians 5:2 I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

So does this mean that we who have been circumcised don't have Christ's advantage?

[bobthecockroach]

I'm pretty certain he's not just talking about the physical act.

[Cadence]

Can we expound on this a bit just to be sure?

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Cadence

So does this mean that we who have been circumcised don't have Christ's advantage?

I think he is talking about if you accept being circumcised as being good enough in the eyes of God, then you don't have Christ's advantage. Seeing as how Galatians was written to stop Judiezer(sp?), we need to interpret this in light of that fact.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by Bryan

I think he is talking about if you accept being circumcised as being good enough in the eyes of God, then you don't have Christ's advantage. Seeing as how Galatians was written to stop Judiezer(sp?), we need to interpret this in light of that fact.

Id say its trying to gain God's favor through keeping the Mosaic Law. If you read Galatians 3-5 it becomes apparent. I mean, Paul was circumcised.

[bobthecockroach]

I would concur with BSPE.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

Id say its trying to gain God's favor through keeping the Mosaic Law. If you read Galatians 3-5 it becomes apparent. I mean, Paul was circumcised.

that's pretty much what I meant.

[comitatus1]

Originally Posted by Cadence

So does this mean that we who have been circumcised don't have Christ's advantage?

The mark of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the sign among the Jews that they were Jews and hence God's Chosen People, was circumcision. The Jews came to understand their position in terms of circumcision and the Law. What they had forgotten was that it was Abraham's faith that was the mark of a true Jew and that circumcision and the Law were merely SIGNS that the Jews were God's people and not the BASIS for their being God's people.

So, Paul is really saying that now that faith has been re-established in the Church as the basis for being a child of God, it is foolish to reject faith and go backwards and try to be a child of God on the basis of circumcision and following the Law, since those things NEVER provided a means of salvation.

Chris

[Iceman-bass14]

I concur with the above