Galatians 5:3 Meaning and Explanation
“For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Whoever takes up the law as the path to righteousness binds himself to keep all of it.
What Does Galatians 5:3 Mean?
Paul presses the logic to its end. To accept circumcision as the way of acceptance is not to take on one obligation but to step under the entire system. He testifies — solemnly, as before God — that such a person is a debtor to do the whole law.
The point is the indivisibility of the law as a covenant. One cannot select a single observance and leave the rest. To enter that way is to owe all of it, every command, without exception. And that is a debt no one has ever paid in full. The very path chosen to gain standing becomes a burden that exposes how much is still owed.
Galatians 5:3 in the Original Language
opheiletes (ὀφειλέτης), 'debtor' -- one bound to pay the whole obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Galatians 5:3
What does Galatians 5:3 mean?
Whoever takes up the law as the path to righteousness binds himself to keep all of it.