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Galatians 5:1-6:10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

V. Exhortation to Christian Living

Chapter 5

The Importance of Faith.[a] 1 For freedom[b] Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.(A)

2 It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.(B) 3 Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised(C) that he is bound to observe the entire law.[c] 4 You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 (D)For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness. 6 (E)For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.[d]

Be Not Misled.[e] 7 You were running well;[f] who hindered you from following [the] truth? 8 (F)That enticement does not come from the one who called you.[g] 9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.(G) 10 I am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the condemnation, whoever he may be.(H) 11 As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision,[h] why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.(I) 12 Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves![i]

Freedom for Service.[j] 13 For you were called for freedom, brothers.(J) But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve[k] one another through love. 14 For the whole law(K) is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[l] 15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

16 (L)I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.[m] 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.(M) 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.(N) 19 [n]Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,(O) 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,(P) 21 occasions of envy,[o] drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,(Q) 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.(R) 24 Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.(S) 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.(T) 26 Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.(U)

Chapter 6

Life in the Community of Christ.[p] 1 Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted.(V) 2 Bear one another’s burdens,(W) and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.[q] 3 (X)For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deluding himself. 4 [r]Each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast with regard to himself alone, and not with regard to someone else; 5 for each will bear his own load.(Y)

6 (Z)One who is being instructed in the word should share all good things with his instructor.[s] 7 Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows, 8 because the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.(AA) 9 Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up.(AB) 10 So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all,(AC) but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.[t]

VI. Conclusion

Final Appeal.[u]

Footnotes

  1. 5:1–6 Paul begins the exhortations, continuing through Gal 6:10, with an appeal to the Galatians to side with freedom instead of slavery (Gal 5:1). He reiterates his message of justification or righteousness by faith instead of law and circumcision (Gal 5:2–5); cf. Gal 2:16; 3:3. Faith, not circumcision, is what counts (Gal 5:6).
  2. 5:1 Freedom: Paul stresses as the conclusion from the allegory in Gal 4:21–31 this result of Christ’s work for us. It is a principle previously mentioned (Gal 2:4), the responsible use of which Gal 5:13 will emphasize.
  3. 5:3 Cf. Gal 3:10–12. Just as those who seek to live by the law must carry out all its contents, so those who have faith and live by promise must stand firm in their freedom (Gal 5:1, 13).
  4. 5:6 Cf. Rom 2:25–26; 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 6:15. The Greek for faith working through love or “faith expressing itself through love” can also be rendered as “faith energized by (God’s) love.”
  5. 5:7–12 Paul addresses the Galatians directly: with questions (Gal 5:7, 11), a proverb (Gal 5:9), a statement (Gal 5:8), and biting sarcasm (Gal 5:12), seeking to persuade the Galatians to break with those trying to add law and circumcision to Christ as a basis for salvation.
  6. 5:7 Running well: as in an athletic contest; cf. Gal 2:2; 1 Cor 9:24–26; Phil 2:16; 3:14.
  7. 5:8 The one who called you: see note on Gal 1:6.
  8. 5:11 Preaching circumcision: this could refer to Paul’s pre-Christian period (possibly as a missionary for Judaism); more probably it arose as a charge from opponents, based perhaps on the story in Acts 16:1–3 that Paul had circumcised Timothy “on account of the Jews.” Unlike the Gentile Titus in Gal 2:3, Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother. The stumbling block of the cross: cf. 1 Cor 1:23.
  9. 5:12 A sarcastic half-wish that their knife would go beyond mere circumcision; cf. Phil 3:2 and the note there.
  10. 5:13–26 In light of another reminder of the freedom of the gospel (Gal 5:13; cf. Gal 5:1), Paul elaborates on what believers are called to do and be: they fulfill the law by love of neighbor (Gal 5:14–15), walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16–26), as is illustrated by concrete fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
  11. 5:13 Serve…through love: cf. Gal 5:6.
  12. 5:14 Lv 19:18, emphasized by Jesus (Mt 22:39; Lk 10:27); cf. Rom 13:8–10.
  13. 5:16–25 Spirit…flesh: cf. Gal 3:3 and the note on Rom 8:1–13.
  14. 5:19–23 Such lists of vices and virtues (cf. Rom 1:29–31; 1 Cor 6:9–10) were common in the ancient world. Paul contrasts works of the flesh (Gal 5:19) with fruit (not “works”) of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Not law, but the Spirit, leads to such traits.
  15. 5:21 Occasions of envy: after the Greek word phthonoi, “envies,” some manuscripts add a similar sounding one, phonoi, “murders.”
  16. 6:1–10 The ethical exhortations begun at Gal 5:1 continue with a variety of admonitions to the community (brothers: see note on Gal 1:2). Nearly every sentence contains a separate item of practical advice; the faith and freedom of the gospel underlie each maxim. Tensions and temptation within communal life have previously been addressed in Gal 5:15, 26 and Gal 6:1 continues with a case in which a person is caught in some transgression such as those in Gal 5:19–21; cf. Gal 2:17.
  17. 6:2 The law of Christ: cf. Rom 8:2; 1 Cor 9:21; Gal 5:14. The principle of love for others is meant. To bear one another’s burdens is to “serve one another through love” (Gal 5:13).
  18. 6:4–5 Self-examination is the cure for self-deception. Compare what you are with what you were before, and give the glory to God; cf. Rom 6:19–22. Load: used elsewhere of a soldier’s pack. Correcting one’s own conduct avoids burdening others with it.
  19. 6:6 Implies oral instruction in the faith by catechists; these are to be remunerated for their service; cf. Rom 15:27.
  20. 6:10 The family of the faith: the Christian household or church. Doing good has a universal object (to all), but the local community makes specific the reality of those to be served.
  21. 6:11–18 A postscript in Paul’s own hand, as was his practice (see 1 Cor 16:21; 2 Thes 3:17). Paul summarizes his appeal against his opponents (Gal 6:12–13), then returns to his message of glorying in the cross, not in circumcision, as the means of salvation (Gal 6:14–15; cf. Gal 5:11). A benediction follows at Gal 6:16. In the polemical spirit that the attack on his apostleship called forth (Gal 1:11–2:21), Paul reasserts his missionary credentials (Gal 6:17) before giving a final benediction (Gal 6:18).
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Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.