First off, thanks for starting this forum. :cheer: [url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:2-12&version=NIV]Gal 5:2-12[/url] verse 2 [i]Mark my words, I Paul.[/i] Is this something from God? Does Paul speak for God or is this just his opinion? verse 2 "if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all." But see [url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:1-2&version=NIV]Romans 3:1-2[/url] How is Christ of no value to the Galatians if they let themselves be circumcised? Wasn't Christ circumcised? Didn't Paul circumcise Timothy? And Paul said there [i]was[/i] value in circumcision. Let's continue, verse 3 says that one who is circumcised is obligated to follow the whole Law. And in verse 4 Paul basically says those who are trying to be justified by the law have fallen away from grace. Throughout the NT, and I'm willing to bet some would argue in the OT as well, we see that justification is by faith alone, not through the Law. Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1. Gal 2:16; 3:11; 3;24. Were the Galatians attempting to seek to be justified before God through circumcision? Is that what Paul was arguing against? Maybe not so much the act of being circumcised but [i]why[/i] a person would be circumcised? verse 5 [i]But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.[/i] Righteousness...by faith, through the Spirit. Righteousness, apart from the law. Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith, before the giving of the Law. Noah was considered a righteous man, blameless in his generation. This was also before the Law. Habakkuk declares that the righteous shall live by faith. Paul says at Romans 3:21 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify." Why does Paul say that we [i]hope[/i] for this righteousness? verse 6, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. Only faith expressing itself through love. This is prolly one of many places where Paul lost his Jewish brethren. For I can well imagine they would argue that circumcision has great value. It's an eternal covenant between God and Abraham's descendants. And if the Galatians want to say they are Abraham's descendants they must prove it by circumcision. Circumcision is of such great value that it is considered as being in equal importance to all the other commandments. The truest expression of faith would be circumcision. This is how one would show his love for God. verse 7 Notice that Paul deliberately uses the word "cut". "Cut" would be an obvious reference to circumcision. It's a subtle, or perhaps not so subtle, word play. Paul is using 'cut' here in a negative sense. The Galatians were running a good race but then someone or some people cut in on them-interrupted their race. Maybe even stopped or at least impeded their progress. verse 8. And whoever they were they were not from "the one who calls you." Not from whom? God? Christ? Both? Notice also that the verb tense is the present (calls), as opposed to past (called) or future (will call). verse 9. Anybody know where this quote is from? I reckon that this is similar in meaning to 'one bad apple spoils the batch.' Why use a reference to yeast? Ye are to present yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Romans 12:1 Sacrifices were presented without yeast. Lev 2:4, 5, 11; 6:17; 7:12, 13; 8:2; 10:12; 23:17. Why no yeast? Scripture does not give an answer. I propose the following hypothesis-yeast puffs up, makes the dough rise. So too does our ego or pride, puff us up. When presenting a sacrifice (or offering) to God, we should do so in a humble spirit. Even a little yeast can work its way through the whole batch. So too can a little pride work its way through our spirit and make us think we are better than we are. Those who rely on works of the Law are trying to justify themselves before God and in a sense are puffing themselves up. And if they can convince just one or two people to believe as they do, they can quickly spread through the ranks of the believers. Thus, "a little yeast works through the whole batch." verse 10. Paul expresses confidence in whom? The Galatians? No, the Lord. God will not let the Galatians take any other view. It is not of their own doing if they believe the Gospel and are saved. It is not of their own doing if they follow the true Gospel or a different gospel, which is not another. Paul is effectively telling the Galatians to trust in God, as he does. The one throwing the Galatians into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Perhaps Paul did not have the names of the false brethren who preached justification by works. Perhaps he did and did not want to name them, for whatever reason. We don't know. verse 11. "Brothers." Paul uses this term 11 times in this short letter. Time and again Paul calls the Galatians his brothers. And who was Paul? A Hebrew, of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the 8th day, a pupil of Gamliel (one of the greatest sages of the era). Paul was a son of Abraham. And if the Galatians are his brothers, they too are sons of Abraham and heirs to the Promise. While Paul's tone in this letter is one of rebuke ("you foolish Galatians!" "I am astonished you are so quickly turning away" ) he also uses terms of endearment. Much like a father disciplining his children. He lets them know he's upset but at the same time that he loves them. Paul then asks a rhetorical question. If he was still preaching circumcision, why was he being persecuted? Ok so [i]was [/i]Paul preaching circumcision? And who was persecuting him? The answer to the first question is no. Paul was not preaching circumcision. He was preaching against it. As to who was persecuting him, idk. Anybody? verse 12 "These agitators." I don't know what the Greek word is used here that's translated as "agitators." I suspect it has the meaning of those who cause controversy, who "stir the pot", who make strife. "emasculate themselves" Much has been made of this verse. I would point out that Deut 23:1 says "No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD." Paul says, if you're going to cut, why not go the whole way? And they would thereby cut themselves off from the assembly of the Lord.

I will have to post later, as I am at work, but this is good... Long... but good. LOL One quick thing (Which does not address your main issues) is that I believe that the NT presents that we are justified by Christ, not faith... We are saved by faith, but justified by the Blood of Christ. But I will have to get back on here when I have a spare hour to respond to the rest. In Christ, -Matt

MaddMatt, please read the references I posted about justification being by faith. I'll repost them here: Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1. Gal 2:16; 3:11; 3;24. Also, does Scripture actually say that we are "justified by the Blood of Christ"?