Galatians 5:4 “fallen from grace/failed to grasp grace” Greek roots

Question

I heard a Pastor through a teaching sermon on Galatians make mention that Galatians 5:4 is spoken from Paul in terms of “failing to grasp grace” rather than “falling from grace” as if justified believers could actually fall somehow away from Christ.

We read in context:

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace! For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NET‬‬

Most translations seem to say “fallen from grace” so I don’t understand where this particular teacher is getting such an exegetical understanding.

Q: What am I missing and how can we resolve this?

Answer 1

The expression “you are fallen from grace” “should be understood not in the sense that grace has been taken away from them, but in the sense that they have turned their backs on it.

One may also say ‘you have put yourself in a place where God cannot be good to you, or show you His goodness’”. “Fallen from grace” is not speaking about the Armenian doctrine of losing salvation by one’s sins; rather, it is speaking of turning from the method of salvation (grace) to seeking salvation by another way.

In this particular case Paul is highlighting the Law, specifically the Mosaic Covenant, as that alternative means of salvation.

The New American Standard Version states, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”.

Answer 2

I am at a complete loss to understand or justify the translation of "failing to grasp" in Gal 5:4. The Greek is quite simple:

κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.

The operative word here is the final one whose lexical form is ἐκπίπτω which literally means, "to leap out/off". It occurs just 10 times in the NT:

• Acts 12:7 - Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
• Acts 27:17 - which having taken up, they began using supports, undergirding the ship. And fearing lest they should fall into the sandbars of Syrtis, having lowered the gear, thus they were driven along.
• Acts 27:26 - But it behooves us to fall upon a certain island."
• Acts 27:29 - And fearing lest we might fall somewhere on rocky places, having cast four anchors out of the stern, they were praying for day to come.
• Acts 27:32 - Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the lifeboat, and allowed her to fall away.
• Rom 9:6 - And it is not as that the word of God has failed/fallen. For not all who are of Israel, are these Israel.
• Gal 5:4 - Whoever are being justified in the Law, you are severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
• James 1:11 - For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
• 1 Peter 1:24 - because, "All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of it like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away,
• 2 Peter 3:17 - Therefore beloved, knowing this beforehand, you beware, lest you should fall from the own steadfastness, having been led away by the error of the lawless.

Since God loves all men and has extended grace to all men and wants all to repent (John 12:32, Acts 17:30, Rom 11:32, 2 Cor 5:14, 1 Tim 2:3, 4, 6, Titus 2:11, Heb 2:9, 2 Peter 3:9, etc), a "fall from grace" is not a failing of God but the failing of man to respond to the prompting and drawing of God.