Galatians 5:4 - Exposition

Christ is become of no effect unto you ( κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ τοῦ χριστοῦ ); or, ye have disconnected yourselves from Christ. The verb καταργεῖν is a favourite word with St. Paul, occurring twenty-seven times in his Epistles, including twice in the Hebrews, whilst in the rest of the New Testament it occurs only once, and that in the Pauline St. Luke ( Luke 13:7 ). Its proper meaning is "to make inoperative," "make of no effect," as above ( Galatians 3:17 ). The phrase, καταργεῖσθαι ἀπό , etc., occurs Romans 7:2 , "If the husband die ( κατήργηται ἀπό ), she is discharged from the law of the husband;" it ceases to have any effect upon her; so ibid., Romans 7:6 , "Now we have been discharged from the Law ( κατηργήθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμον );" it has ceased to have any operation towards us. The phrase combines the two ideas —separation suggested by the ἀπό (comp. Romans 9:3 ), and the cessation of a work ( ἔργον ) or an effect till then wrought by one upon the other of the two parties: the two parties have nothing more to do with each other. The sense given in the Authorized Version is perfectly justifiable; only, perhaps, here the passive takes, as it sometimes does, the reflective sense of the middle verb; but it may be that the apostle means simply to express the result which has accrued. The aorist tense of κατηργήθητε , as well as of the ἐξεπέσατε , expresses the certainty and promptness with which the result followed upon the (supposed) act. Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ( οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε ); such of you as go about to be justified by the Law. "By the Law;" literally, in the Law ; seek to find in the Law the means of justification (cf. Galatians 3:11 , and note). The present tense is the present of design or endeavour; the result in this case being, in fact, unattainable ( Galatians 3:10 , Galatians 3:21 ). Ye are fallen from grace ( τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε ); ye have fallen from the state of grace. "Grace" denotes the condition of acceptance with God into which faith in Christ brings us. Cf. Romans 5:2 : "Through whom we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." The verb ἐκπίπτω is used as in 2 Peter 3:17 , "Lest— ye fall from ( ἐκτέσητε ) your own steadfastness." So πίπτω , Revelation 2:5 , "Remember whence thou hast fallen [ πέπτωκας : Receptus, ἐκπέπτωκας ]." In classical Greek the verb was frequently used as a set term to describe those who, in the alternating success of adverse factions in the several independent cities of Greece, were compelled by a more powerful adverse party to submit to exile; its correlative verb being ἐκβάλλω . This fact leads Bishop Lightfoot, having an eye to the ἔκβαλε of Galatians 4:30 , to render ἐξεπέσατε here, " are driven forth and banished with Hagar your mother." But this very idiomatic colour of meaning it seems very precarious to give to the word in the Greek of St. Paul. The more general signification of the term is amply sustained by its use in Plutarch as cited by Wetstein.