Galatians 5:23-26

5:23 gentleness, and ¹  self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ ²  have crucified the flesh ³  with its passions ⁴  and desires. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with ⁵  the Spirit. 5:26 Let us not become conceited, ⁶  provoking ⁷  one another, being jealous ⁸  of one another.

¹ 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.

² tc ‡ Some mss (א A B C P Ψ 0122¹ 0278 33 1175 1739 pc co) read “Christ Jesus” here, while many significant ones (Ì⁴⁶ D F G 0122*^,2 latt sy), as well as the Byzantine text, lack “Jesus.” The Byzantine text is especially not prone to omit the name “Jesus”; that it does so here argues for the authenticity of the shorter reading (for similar instances of probably authentic Byzantine shorter readings, see Matt 24:36 and Phil 1:14; cf. also W.-H. J. Wu, “A Systematic Analysis of the Shorter Readings in the Byzantine Text of the Synoptic Gospels” [Ph.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002]). On the strength of the alignment of Ì⁴⁶ with the Western and Byzantine texttypes, the shorter reading is preferred. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

³ tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.

⁴ tn The Greek term παθήμασιν (paqhmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).

⁵ tn Or “let us also follow,” “let us also walk by.”

⁶ tn Or “falsely proud.”

⁷ tn Or “irritating.” BDAG 871 s.v. προκαλέω has “provoke, challenge τινά someone.”

⁸ tn Or “another, envying one another.”