Galater 5:3

3 Ich bezeuge abermals einem jeden, der sich beschneiden läßt, daß er das ganze Gesetz schuldig ist zu tun.

Galater 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 5:3

For I testify again to every man
This is the form of an oath, a calling God to witness, swearing by the living God, and declaring as in his presence to every man, whether Jew or Gentile, whoever he be:

that is circumcised;
in order to obtain salvation, and as necessary to it:

that he is a debtor to do the whole law;
and this it is that made circumcision an insupportable yoke, for that itself might be bore, and was bore by children of eight days old; but the fulfilling of the whole law cannot be done by any man; and yet everyone that is circumcised, in order to procure righteousness and life, is bound to keep the whole law; because the law is only his righteousness, when he observes all that is required in it, and as the Lord has commanded; if he does not, he is pronounced accursed: and this proves what was before said, that Christ is of no profit to such persons; because they reject him and his righteousness, and, as much as in them lie, make void his obedience, sufferings, and death: hence the same thing is repeated, though not in the same words, in the next verse.

Galater 5:3 In-Context

1 So bestehet nun in der Freiheit, zu der uns Christus befreit hat, und lasset euch nicht wiederum in das knechtische Joch fangen.

2 Siehe, ich, Paulus, sage euch: Wo ihr euch beschneiden lasset, so nützt euch Christus nichts.

3 Ich bezeuge abermals einem jeden, der sich beschneiden läßt, daß er das ganze Gesetz schuldig ist zu tun.

4 Ihr habt Christum verloren, die ihr durch das Gesetz gerecht werden wollt, und seid von der Gnade gefallen.

5 Wir aber warten im Geist durch den Glauben der Gerechtigkeit, auf die man hoffen muß.