Galatians 5:7-12
“You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear the punishment, whoever he is. 11 But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even emasculate themselves.”
Who hindered you from obeying the truth?: The Galatians were running well towards faith in Jesus. But false teachers hindered this journey. These false teachers carried their own authority to persuade and were not sent by God. God only has one message: the Gospel. Anyone who teaches a mixture of law and Gospel is promoting false teaching.
A little leaven: Paul is making the point that if we allow any amount of law into the Gospel, then we will change the Gospel entirely. This is similar to his admonition that if we allow law into the Gospel, then Christ will be of no value to us because we’ve added to the Gospel (Galatians 5:2).
Bear the punishment: If the false teachers emphasize law and teach a false God, then the false beliefs of these teachers are revealed. Not only will these teachers bear the punishment or consequences of these false beliefs in their own lives, but they are on a path towards eternal punishment.
Why am I still persecuted?: A legalistic Gospel does not provoke persecution because it does not go against the grain of religion. Religion teaches that humans must perform works to be right with God. This is what Judaism taught. So, if Paul was teaching a law-based version of the Gospel, then he would not be criticized by Judaizers. The cross is a stumbling block because it contradicts Jewish religion.
Emasculate themselves: Paul is using hyperbole to make a serious point: If you are wanting to follow the law in even one way, then go the whole way and face destruction.
