Galatians 5:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The same happens in relation to the Law, and not only in the way I have said, but in another way also. The commandments of the Law are bound together. For example, circumcision is joined to sacrifice and to the observance of days and place. The place is joined to countless kinds of purifications. The purifications are inseparable from many different rites. The unclean man is permitted neither to offer sacrifice, nor to enter the holy places, nor to do anything else of this kind. Thus the Law requires much even for one commandment. If you were circumcised, but not on the eighth day, then your labors have perished. If on the eighth day, but without sacrifice, they have perished. If even with sacrifice, but not in the appointed place, they have perished. If in the appointed place, but not according to the prescriptions of the Law, they have perished. If according to the prescriptions of the Law, but while unclean, they have perished. If clean, but purified by rites not appointed, then all these labors of yours have perished. This is why he says that the one circumcised is obliged to fulfill the whole Law. If the Law has dominion, fulfill not part of it but all of it. If it has no force, do not fulfill even part of it.

He commanded feasts of the land in the seventh year, the release of slaves in the fiftieth year, and the rest. Every reader can easily learn these things from Scripture. Therefore we can attack Ebion and his followers, who think that believers in Christ must be circumcised after the Gospel. Either they must accept circumcision and observe everything prescribed in the Law, or, if it is impossible for absolutely everything, cuncta, to be observed, then circumcision itself must cease. It must be abandoned together with the rest as useless. If they answer that only what is possible should be fulfilled, since God does not require from us what we cannot fulfill, but only what we can, we shall say this to them. It is not proper to one and the same God to desire observance of the Law and to abandon those who observe the Law. Or how, because of the abrogation of the Law, can those be held responsible who cannot fulfill everything completely, even if they wished to do so? But we follow the spiritual Law, which says: "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain" (Deut. 25:4). And we understand it like the Apostle: "Is it oxen that God is concerned about?" (1 Cor. 9:9). Surely he says this for our sake. He commands that Sabbaths be kept solemnly (Is. 58:13), not so that our ox, our ass, and our small cattle may rejoice on the Sabbath. Rather, he means those men and beasts of whom it is written: "Men and beasts You will save, O Lord" (Ps. 35:7). The men are certain rational and spiritual men. The beasts are those who are slower by natural qualities and who receive instruction from the spiritual concerning the keeping of the Lord's Sabbaths. What was said above does not contradict this reasoning of ours: "If you are circumcised. Christ will profit you nothing." Nor does what follows contradict it: "I testify that every man who is circumcised is obliged to be a doer of the whole Law." For not the hearers of the Law alone are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified. Only he is a doer of the Law who can say: "We are not the circumcision," and, "You are Jews inwardly," and, "We know that the Law is spiritual." But he who follows mutilation, concisionem, and the letter that kills, is not a doer of the Law. In truth, he is an enemy of the Law, especially after the coming of the Savior. The Savior removes the veil from the heart of those who come to Him. Then all, beholding God with unveiled face, may be transformed from the oldness of the letter into the newness of the Spirit.

One who does not believe receives no benefit from the grace in which he does not believe. Again, whoever is circumcised makes the Law master over himself. One who considers the Law master over himself, though he violates most of it, again brings himself under a curse. By rejecting the freedom from the curse brought by faith, how can he be saved? The commandments of the Law are closely bound together. The Law requires much even for one commandment. Thus, if you were circumcised, but not on the eighth day, or on the eighth day but without sacrifice, or not in the proper place, all your labors have perished. Therefore he says: he is obliged to do the whole Law, that is, not part of the Law, but the whole Law. If the Law no longer rules, then even a part of it is unnecessary. But if one who runs to the Law does not find salvation in it, and meanwhile falls away from grace, what remains for him except inevitable punishment?

Or perhaps he says it in order to oppose this truth to the assurances of the false teachers. Perhaps they said: only be circumcised, and everything else can be left aside, as we ourselves do not fulfill everything. St. Paul reproaches them for this; see Gal. 6:13. Against this the holy Apostle says: no, this is not so. Whoever is circumcised, whoever he may be, not only a Jew but also a Gentile, every man is absolutely bound to fulfill the whole Law. This is established in the Law itself. On this the Law stands. If they interpret it otherwise to you, it is in order to deceive you. They lie and conceal the truth. Even circumcision alone, for its performance, how much does it require? It requires a special day, washings, sacrifices, a special rite of action, and a priest who performs it. St. Paul had to set out this warning from fear that the Galatians might be carried away by the smallness of the act. They could think: it is no great matter; we will be circumcised. The Apostle says to them, as it were: circumcision is indeed no great matter in itself. But see where it will lead. It leads to full Judaism, and a decisive end was placed upon Judaism by the coming of Christ. Chrysostom says on this place: "Having said, 'It profits nothing,' he then gives a proof of this, though not directly or briefly, saying: 'I testify,' and so forth. Lest you think this was said from hostility, he says: I testify this not to you only, but to every man who is circumcised, that he is obliged to do the whole Law. For the commandments of the Law are closely bound together. When a man who is free has given himself into slavery, he no longer does what he wishes, but submits to all the laws of slavery. The same must be said with regard to the Law. If you accept even one part of it and submit even slightly to its yoke, by this you draw upon yourself its whole authority. The truth of what has been said about the Law may be proved not only in this way, but also in another. The commandments of the Law are connected with one another. For example, sacrifice and the observance of days are joined to circumcision. Sacrifice is likewise bound to the observance of days and place. Place is bound to various kinds of purification. Purifications are inseparable from a multitude of different rites. One who is unclean is not permitted to offer sacrifice, enter the holy places, or do anything else of this kind. Thus for one commandment the Law requires many things. So if you have been circumcised, but not on the eighth day, your labor has perished. Or if on the eighth day, but without sacrifice, it has perished. Or if with sacrifice, but not in the place appointed, and not according to the prescriptions of the Law, it has perished. Or if according to the prescriptions of the Law, but while unclean, it has perished. Or if clean, but purified by rites not appointed, then all those labors of yours have perished. Therefore he says, 'He is obliged to do the whole Law,' that is, not part of the Law, but the whole Law. But if it no longer holds mastery, then neither is any part of it needed."