John Calvin Commentary Galatians 5:2

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing." — Galatians 5:2 (ASV)

Behold, I Paul. He could not have pronounced a more severe threat than one that would exclude them entirely from the grace of Christ. But what is the meaning of this, that Christ will profit nothing to all who are circumcised? Did Christ profit nothing to Abraham? No, it was so that Christ might profit him that he received circumcision.

If we say that it was in force until the coming of Christ, what reply should we make to the case of Timothy? We must observe that Paul’s reasoning is directed not so much against the outward rite or ceremony, as against the wicked doctrine of the false apostles, who pretended that it was a necessary part of the worship of God, and at the same time made it a ground of confidence as a meritorious work. These diabolical contrivances made Christ to profit nothing; not that the false apostles denied Christ, or wished him to be entirely set aside, but that they made such a division between his grace and the works of the law as to leave no more than half of salvation due to Christ. The apostle contends that Christ cannot be divided in this way, and that he profiteth nothing, unless he is wholly embraced.

And what else do our modern Papists do but thrust upon us, in place of circumcision, trifles of their own invention? The tendency of their whole doctrine is to blend the grace of Christ with the merit of works, which is impossible. Whoever wishes to have the half of Christ, loses the whole. And yet the Papists think themselves exceedingly acute when they tell us that they ascribe nothing to works, except through the influence of the grace of Christ, as if this were a different error from the one charged against the Galatians. They did not believe that they had departed from Christ, or relinquished his grace; and yet they lost Christ entirely, when that important part of evangelical doctrine was corrupted.

The expression Behold, I Paul, is very emphatic; for he places himself before them, and gives his name, to remove all appearance of hesitation. And though his authority had begun to be less regarded among the Galatians, he asserts that it is sufficient to put down every adversary.