exegetical · Gal 5:4 · ✓ Approved

Fallen away from grace (5:4)

Says “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace”. The Greek has κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ (katērgēthēte apo Christou, “you were severed from Christ”), a present δικαιοῦσθε (dikaiousthe, “you are being justified”), and τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε (tēs charitos exepesate, “you fell from grace”). The wording is treated in Severed from Christ, and fallen from grace (5:2–4). The law’s demand and the curse are already treated in Christ became a curse for us. Related statements on law and grace stand in Do not let sin reign: not under law but under grace, and no license to sin (Romans 6:12–15) and No condemnation in Christ Jesus: God sent his Son as an offering for sin, so that the law's requirement is fulfilled in us (Romans 8:1–4).

Uncertain Calvin, on 5:4, writes, “We see then that the smallest part of justification cannot be attributed to the law without renouncing Christ and his grace.” Luther, on 5:4, writes, “to seek righteousness by the law, is nothing else but to be separated from Christ” Wesley, on 5:4, writes, “Ye are fallen from grace — Ye renounce the New Covenant.” These are their readings; no verdict is given.

Claims

SaysGalatians 5:4 says those who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ and have fallen away from grace.
UncertainCalvin, Luther, and Wesley take the fall from grace as abandoning grace as the way of justification; no lean is taken.

Citations

BSB public domain Gal 5:4
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 5:4
Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on Galatians and Ephesians (Pringle, CTS 1854), on Gal 5:4, p. 151 (leaf n164); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (London, 1833), on Gal 5:4, p. 381 (leaf n487); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 5:4, p. 503 (leaf n516); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased

Sources BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0 Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain

2026-11-13

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