Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Galatians 5:3

"Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." — Galatians 5:3 (ASV)

Paul has already stated that to fall into circumcision is to lose the value of Christ’s death both for salvation and for living the Christian life. Now he adds another reason why the Galatians should remain firm in the freedom Christ has given them: to choose circumcision is to choose legalism, which in turn involves taking on the burden of the entire law—something that the legalizers had probably not warned the Galatians about.