Circumcision in Galatians 5 and Acts 21

In Galatians 5, Paul says that if you become circumcised, you're basically throwing Jesus under the bus, and you're a heretic. But then in Acts 21, he goes to the Temple and offers sacrifices for a Nazirite Vow in order to refute the misconception that he is telling Jews they need to give up circumcision. What gives?

This is a complicated subject, but it boils down to the question of "When does Torah say you are to circumcise someone?" Apart from the household of Abraham in Genesis 17, there are only two circumstances in which men are commanded to be circumcised: first, as an 8-day old boy, and second, if he wants to eat a Passover.

There is no requirement in the Law to be circumcised in order to become an Israelite or to gain salvation. That was a man-made rule. This isn't even really a Jew vs Gentile question, although it can certainly seem that way in Acts 21. Paul was telling the Galatians that if they circumcised themselves in order to be saved, they were wasting their time. Salvation is by faith, not by circumcision!

From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com).

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