See on Gal. 5:6; cf. 1 Cor. 7:19. Outward rites and forms are not important matters to the Christian.
A new creature.
That is, a new creation, meaning either the act of creation or the being thus created. See on 2 Cor. 5:17; cf. 1 Cor. 7:19. Things of supreme consequence are thus:
(1) faith, which proceeds from love,
(2) the result of faith, a new man in Christ Jesus, and
(3) the outward, visible evidence of this transformation, namely, obedience to God’s will as expressed in His law.
No change in character results from circumcision, but a new creation brings a new person into being.
In Christ Jesus.
Important textual evidence (cf. p. 10) may be cited for omitting this phrase.