5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; 8 only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, 9 but through love serve one another. 10 5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, 11 namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 12 5:15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another, 13 beware that you are not consumed 14 by one another. 5:16 But I say, live 15 by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 16 5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires 17 that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to 18 each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 5:19 Now the works of the flesh 19 are obvious: 20 sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, 21 hostilities, 22 strife, 23 jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, 24 factions, 5:21 envying, 25 murder, 26 drunkenness, carousing, 27 and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit 28 is love, 29 joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 30 5:23 gentleness, and 31 self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ 32 have crucified the flesh 33 with its passions 34 and desires. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with 35 the Spirit. 5:26 Let us not become conceited, 36 provoking 37 one another, being jealous 38 of one another.
1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
2 sn That is, if Paul still teaches observance of the Mosaic law (preaches circumcision), why is he still being persecuted by his opponents, who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law?
3 sn The offense of the cross refers to the offense to Jews caused by preaching Christ crucified.
4 tn Or “nullified.”
5 tn Grk “the ones who are upsetting you.” The same verb is used in Acts 21:38 to refer to a person who incited a revolt. Paul could be alluding indirectly to the fact that his opponents are inciting the Galatians to rebel against his teaching with regard to circumcision and the law.
6 tn Grk “would even.”
7 tn Or “make eunuchs of themselves”; Grk “cut themselves off.” This statement is rhetorical hyperbole on Paul’s part. It does strongly suggest, however, that Paul’s adversaries in this case (“those agitators”) were men. Some interpreters (notably Erasmus and the Reformers) have attempted to soften the meaning to a figurative “separate themselves” (meaning the opponents would withdraw from fellowship) but such an understanding dramatically weakens the rhetorical force of Paul’s argument. Although it has been argued that such an act of emasculation would be unthinkable for Paul, it must be noted that Paul’s statement is one of biting sarcasm, obviously not meant to be taken literally. See further G. Stählin, TDNT 3:853-55.
8 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
9 tn Grk “as an opportunity for the flesh”; BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24;…Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”
10 tn It is possible that the verb δουλεύετε (douleuete) should be translated “serve one another in a humble manner” here, referring to the way in which slaves serve their masters (see L&N 35.27).
11 tn Or “can be fulfilled in one commandment.”
12 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
13 tn That is, “if you are harming and exploiting one another.” Paul’s metaphors are retained in most modern translations, but it is possible to see the meanings of δάκνω and κατεσθίω (daknw and katesqiw, L&N 20.26 and 88.145) as figurative extensions of the literal meanings of these terms and to translate them accordingly. The present tenses here are translated as customary presents (“continually…”).
14 tn Or “destroyed.”
15 tn Grk “walk” (a common NT idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves).
16 tn On the term “flesh” (once in this verse and twice in v. 17) see the note on the same word in Gal 5:13.
17 tn The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).
19 tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.
20 tn Or “clear,” “evident.”
21 tn Or “witchcraft.”
22 tn Or “enmities,” “[acts of] hatred.”
23 tn Or “discord” (L&N 39.22).
24 tn Or “discord(s)” (L&N 39.13).
25 tn This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.
26 tc ‡ φόνοι (fonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important
27 tn Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).
28 tn That is, the fruit the Spirit produces.
29 sn Another way to punctuate this is “love” followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following “love” as defining love.
30 tn Or “reliability”; see BDAG 818 s.v. πίστις 1.a.
31 tn “And” is supplied here as a matter of English style, which normally inserts “and” between the last two elements of a list or series.
32 tc ‡ Some
33 tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.
34 tn The Greek term παθήμασιν (paqhmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).
35 tn Or “let us also follow,” “let us also walk by.”
36 tn Or “falsely proud.”
37 tn Or “irritating.” BDAG 871 s.v. προκαλέω has “provoke, challenge τινά someone.”
38 tn Or “another, envying one another.”