Galatians 5:4 kjv
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Galatians 5:4 nkjv
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Galatians 5:4 niv
You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Galatians 5:4 esv
You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
Galatians 5:4 nlt
For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.
Galatians 5 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 5:4 | Separated from Christ, you are justified by law; you have lost your benefit of His grace. | Law nullifies Christ's work. |
| Romans 3:20 | For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight. | Law's inability to justify. |
| Romans 6:14 | For sin shall not have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. | Grace instead of law for dominion over sin. |
| Ephesians 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Salvation by grace through faith, not works. |
| John 15:4-5 | Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. | Abiding in Christ for fruitfulness. |
| Colossians 1:21-23 | And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, because of evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast. | Reconciliation through Christ's death. |
| Romans 8:1-4 | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. | No condemnation in Christ. |
| Philippians 3:7-9 | But whatever was gain to me I have counted loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. ... and to be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. | Gaining Christ, loss of self-righteousness. |
| Hebrews 4:2 | For indeed, we have received the gospel, just as they did. But the word they heard did not profit them, because it did not by faith mix with those who heard. | Faith is crucial for profit. |
| Acts 15:10-11 | Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus, just as they are. | Grace through Jesus, not works of the Law. |
| 2 Corinthians 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Christ's righteousness imputed to believers. |
| Galatians 3:21 | Then what of the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made. | Law's role secondary to the promise. |
| Romans 4:13-16 | For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ... Therefore it is of faith, that it may be by grace, so that the promise may be sure to all the offspring. | Promise through faith, not law. |
| John 6:28-29 | Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." | Believing in Jesus is the work of God. |
| Jeremiah 17:5 | Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord." | Trust in man or flesh is cursed. |
| 1 Corinthians 1:30 | And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. | Christ is our righteousness. |
| Hosea 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. | Lack of knowledge leads to destruction. |
| Galatians 2:20 | I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | Life in the flesh lived by faith in Christ. |
| Matthew 7:24-27 | Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man... | Obedience flows from hearing, not a basis for salvation. |
| Romans 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness. |
Galatians 5 verses
Galatians 5 4 Meaning
Separated from Christ, the believer loses the advantage of union with Him. This separation voids their reliance on the Law for justification and renders their faith, which is the very principle of trusting in Christ's finished work, futile and ineffectual in producing righteousness before God.
Galatians 5 4 Context
Galatians 5:4 is part of Paul's discourse in the letter to the churches in Galatia. The chapter immediately follows Paul's argument in chapter 4 that believers are no longer under the bondage of the Law but are children of God by adoption through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who were insisting on circumcision and adherence to Mosaic Law for salvation (Judaizers) were creating confusion among the Gentile believers, teaching that salvation and spiritual maturity came through legalistic practices rather than faith in Christ alone. Paul is directly refuting this false gospel. He is stating the dire consequence of reverting to reliance on the Law for righteousness.
Galatians 5 4 Word analysis
katalusate (καταλύσατε): "nullify," "abolish," "render ineffective," "cause to fall away." It signifies a deliberate act of voiding something, in this case, the effectiveness of Christ's grace. This verb is used for demolishing buildings, so it’s a strong image of dismantling and destroying the value of something.
apolysthēte (ἀπολύεσθε): "freed," "released," "separated." In the passive voice here, it implies being severed or cut off from something. In this context, it means those who are justified by law are "severed" or "made ineffective" from Christ.
tēs christou (τῆς χριστου): "of Christ." Refers to Jesus Christ.
eperisseyete (ἐπερίσσευετε): "benefit," "profit," "be fruitful." This term implies a surplus of good resulting from an action or connection. It speaks to the abundant life and blessings that come from union with Christ.
tēs charitos (τῆς γὰρ χάριτος): "of grace." Refers to the unmerited favor of God. Paul emphasizes that abandoning faith in Christ means abandoning the very source of this divine favor, which is the true foundation for Christian life and righteousness.
words-group by words-group analysis:
- "You have become separated from Christ": This phrase indicates a rupture in the vital, living connection believers are meant to have with Christ. It is not an ontological separation (in terms of position), but a functional one, where they have stepped out of the sphere of His active favor and dependence upon Him.
- "you are justified by law": This connects to Paul's argument in Romans and Galatians that attempting to find justification through the Law renders the sacrifice of Christ useless. It is a false ground for standing before God, relying on human effort rather than divine imputation.
- "you have lost your benefit of His grace": By seeking justification by the Law, believers are effectively declaring that Christ's grace is insufficient or unnecessary for their standing before God. This leads to a loss of the active experience and advantages that flow from God's unmerited favor received through faith.
Galatians 5 4 Bonus section
The strong imagery of being "severed" from Christ (apolysthēte) highlights the potential for believers, through their choices (like turning to legalism), to render their relationship with Christ ineffective for producing righteousness before God, even if they remain positionally in Christ. It serves as a stark warning against turning to any other source for salvation or spiritual standing. The term "benefit" (eperisseyete) underscores that grace is not just a pardon but also an empowering force, a surplus of life and favor. Losing this is losing all that God offers freely through His Son.
Galatians 5 4 Commentary
To seek righteousness through the Law, rather than through faith in Christ, is to sever oneself from Christ’s finished work and the abundant provisions of His grace. Such an effort is vain. True justification is by God's grace alone, received by faith in Christ's sacrifice, and this faith remains the lifeblood of the Christian walk. When one attempts to merit standing before God through legalistic observance, they disqualify themselves from the benefits of God's free gift of grace.
- Practical usage: Believers who find themselves striving intensely to earn God's approval through religious duties, while feeling disconnected from God's joy and peace, might be leaning on works rather than resting in grace. A reminder to reaffirm faith in Christ's finished work and re-center on His grace is needed.