Galatians
Chapter 5
Overview
Paul writes to communities in Galatia that are being pressured to adopt circumcision and the full Jewish law as the path to acceptance by God. He insists that trusting the Messiah has already set them free—but freedom is not permission to live selfishly. Instead, it creates the surprising freedom to serve one another in love. Paul moves from a sharp warning about circumcision to a practical picture of life guided by God’s Spirit. He contrasts destructive human impulses with the Spirit’s fruit, then closes by urging the Galatians to walk together without rivalry, pride, or envy.
1The Messiah set us free so that we could live in freedom. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.
2Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, the Messiah will be of no benefit to you.
3Once again I warn every man who lets himself be circumcised: he is obligated to obey the whole law.
4Those of you who are trying to be declared right with God by obeying the law have cut yourselves off from the Messiah. You have left God’s generous favor behind.
5But through the Spirit and by faith, we eagerly wait for the right standing with God that we hope for.
6When someone belongs to the Messiah Jesus, neither circumcision nor lack of circumcision has any power. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.
7You were running well. Who cut in and stopped you from obeying the truth?
8This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
9A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough.
10Because we belong to the Lord, I am confident that you will not adopt any other view. But whoever is confusing you will bear the penalty, no matter who that person is.
11My brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? If I were preaching that, the message about the cross would no longer offend anyone.
12I wish those who are upsetting you would go all the way and castrate themselves!
13My brothers and sisters, you were called to freedom. But do not use your freedom as an opportunity to satisfy your selfish desires. Instead, serve one another through love.
14The whole law is fulfilled in one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
15But if you keep biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will destroy one another.
16So I say: live under the Spirit’s guidance, and you will certainly not carry out your selfish desires.
17Selfish human desires oppose the Spirit, and the Spirit opposes those desires. They are at war with each other, keeping you from simply doing whatever you want.
18But if the Spirit leads you, you are not under the law.
19The actions produced by selfish human nature are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, shameless behavior,
20worshiping idols, practicing magic, hostility, conflict, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, divisions, opposing factions,
21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: people who make a practice of such things will not receive a place in God’s kingdom.
22But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, and self-control. No law stands against such things.
24Those who belong to the Messiah have nailed their selfish human nature to the cross, along with its passions and desires.
25Since the Spirit gives us life, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another.