Galatians 5:4

Galatians 5:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
• New International Version (NIV)You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Context of Galatians 5:4

2Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation]. 3Once more I solemnly affirm to every man who receives circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], that he is under obligation and required to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing]. 5For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation]. 6For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love.

Galatians 5:4 word by word

κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Christὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• is becomeκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• whosoeverὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• of you are justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• ye are fallen fromἐκπίπτωekpiptō · to fall outG1601
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485

Cross-references for Galatians 5:4

• Galatians 5:2Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation].
• Galatians 2:21I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]”
• Romans 9:31whereas Israel, [though always] pursuing the law of righteousness, did not succeed in fulfilling the law.
• Romans 10:3For not knowing about God’s righteousness [which is based on faith], and seeking to establish their own [righteousness based on works], they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
• Romans 3:20For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].
• Romans 4:4Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him].
• Galatians 1:6I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel;
• Romans 11:6But if it is by grace [God’s unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works].
• Hebrews 6:4For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
• Hebrews 10:38But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting man’s relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him.
• Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
• 2 Peter 2:20For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world by [personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition has become worse for them than the first.
• 2 Peter 3:17Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith],
• Revelation 2:5So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.

Commentaries on Galatians 5:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you - It is vain for you to attempt to unite the two systems. You must have the law and no Christ, or Christ and no law, for your justification. Ye are fallen from grace - From the Gospel. They had been brought into the grace of the Gospel; and now, by readopting the Mosaic ordinances, they had apostatized from the Gospel as a system of religion, and had lost the grace communicated to their souls, by which they were…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you - You will derive no advantage from Christ. His work in regard to you is needless and vain. If you can be justified in any other way than by him, then of course you do not need him, and your adoption of the other mode is in fact a renunciation of him. Tyndale renders this: “Ye are gone quite from Christ.” The word here used ( ́ katargeō), means properly, to render inactive, idle, useless; to do away, to put an end…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4People who believe circumcision is needed for salvation depend on the law and themselves, not on Jesus Christ. These people are separated from Jesus and are outside of his grace (see Romans 5:2). They are under the law's judgment. They have lost the benefits of God’s grace (see Galatians 1:6; 1 Peter 5:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Literally, "Ye have become void from Christ," that is, your connection with Christ has become void (Ga 5:2). Ro 7:2, "Loosed from the law," where the same Greek occurs as here. whosoever of you are justified--"are being justified," that is, are endeavoring to be justified. by the law--Greek, "IN the law," as the element in which justification is to take place. fallen from grace--Ye no longer "stand" in grace (Ro 5:2). Grace and legal righteousness…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 5:4

• Circumcision
• Justification
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Affection
• Bite
• Contrary
• Cross
• Crucify
• Debtor
• Flesh
• Gentleness

Commentaries on Galatians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings