Severed from Christ, and fallen from grace (5:2–4)

Says In 5:2 ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε (ean peritemnēsthe, “if you let yourselves be circumcised”) is present tense: περιτέμνω in the passive is “to be circumcised, receive circumcision”. Then Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει; ὠφελέω is “to help, benefit, do good, profit”. In 5:3 the one circumcised is ὀφειλέτης, “a debtor”, to do ὅλον τὸν νόμον.

Says Galatians 5:4 reads κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ (katērgēthēte apo Christou, “you were severed from Christ”): καταργέω with ἀπό is “to be separated, discharged or loosed from”. The relative clause οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε has a present verb, which the BSB gives as “You who are trying to be justified by the law”. The last clause is τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε (tēs charitos exepesate, “you fell from grace”): ἐκπίπτω, “to fall out of, fall from, fall off”, here with a genitive.

Uncertain The verbs are aorist and the text does not define “fallen away from grace” further; what the phrase means for those who seek to be justified by the law is left open here. No lean is taken here.