5:1
To fully appreciate the significance of “It is for freedom ...” we need to be aware of the slave system in those days. Slavery was not the same as the slave trade or slavery in America that we often think of. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was an integral part of the economy, and some slaves were quite well off. At the same time many weren’t and many were mistreated. However, it was possible for a slave to get enough money to buy his freedom. What he would then do is be “bought” by a god and he would technically become the slave of that god, but as the god was a nothing he would actually be free. Moreover, his original owner would give the slave a document stating “for freedom”. Now if a slave had bought his freedom and got this treasured document the last thing he would think of doing would be to become a slave again. Yet this is precisely what the Galatians were doing! They had been set free from slavery to sin, and now they were in danger of becoming slaves of the Law. How foolish indeed (Gal 3:1). Also with the matter of becoming a slave of a god, it gives us a better understanding of what Paul means when he talks of being a slave of Christ. Just as someone who became a slave of some god was free, so in becoming a slave of Christ we find the greatest freedom there is.
5:2
Paul then points out the stark reality of what would happen if they let themselves be circumcised. Christ would be of no value to them at all! Why so? The one and only grounds for our righteousness is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and He is the complete grounds for our righteousness. If we start to rely on something else, even if it something else as well as Christ (in our thinking), then Christ is of no value. We are saying we can earn at least some of our righteousness, we can justify ourselves to some extent. Christ died for those who have absolutely no righteousness of their own, and who know that that is the case.
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