Galatians 5:13--6:10

Practice Love

5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ¹  only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ²  but through love serve one another. ³  5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, ⁴  namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ⁵  5:15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another, ⁶  beware that you are not consumed ⁷  by one another. 5:16 But I say, live ⁸  by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. ⁹  5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires ¹⁰  that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to ¹¹  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 ¹²  are obvious: ¹³  sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, ¹⁴  hostilities, ¹⁵  strife, ¹⁶  jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, ¹⁷  factions, 5:21 envying, ¹⁸  murder, ¹⁹  drunkenness, carousing, ²⁰  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 ²¹  is love, ²²  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  5:23 gentleness, and ²⁴  self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ ²⁵  have crucified the flesh ²⁶  with its passions ²⁷  and desires. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with ²⁸  the Spirit. 5:26 Let us not become conceited, ²⁹  provoking ³⁰  one another, being jealous ³¹  of one another.

Support One Another

6:1 Brothers and sisters, ³²  if a person ³³  is discovered in some sin, ³⁴  you who are spiritual ³⁵  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. ³⁶  Pay close attention ³⁷  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 6:2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 6:4 Let each one examine ³⁸  his own work. Then he can take pride ³⁹  in himself and not compare himself with ⁴⁰  someone else. 6:5 For each one will carry ⁴¹  his own load.

6:6 Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches ⁴²  it. 6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. ⁴³  For a person ⁴⁴  will reap what he sows, 6:8 because the person who sows to his own flesh ⁴⁵  will reap corruption ⁴⁶  from the flesh, ⁴⁷  but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 6:9 So we must not grow weary ⁴⁸  in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. ⁴⁹  6:10 So then, ⁵⁰  whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. ⁵¹ 

[5:13]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[5:13]  ² 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.”

[5:13]  ³ 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).

[5:14]  ⁴ tn Or “can be fulfilled in one commandment.”

[5:14]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[5:15]  ⁶ 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…”).

[5:15]  ⁷ tn Or “destroyed.”

[5:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “walk” (a common NT idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves).

[5:16]  ⁹ 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.

[5:17]  ¹⁰ tn The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.

[5:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).

[5:19]  ¹² tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.

[5:19]  ¹³ tn Or “clear,” “evident.”

[5:20]  ¹⁴ tn Or “witchcraft.”

[5:20]  ¹⁵ tn Or “enmities,” “[acts of] hatred.”

[5:20]  ¹⁶ tn Or “discord” (L&N 39.22).

[5:20]  ¹⁷ tn Or “discord(s)” (L&N 39.13).

[5:21]  ¹⁸ tn This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.

[5:21]  ¹⁹ tc ‡ φόνοι (fonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important mss as Ì⁴⁶ א B 33 81 323 945 pc sa, while the majority of mss (A C D F G Ψ 0122 0278 1739 1881 Ï lat) have the word. Although the pedigree of the mss which lack the term is of the highest degree, homoioteleuton may well explain the shorter reading. The preceding word has merely one letter difference, making it quite possible to overlook this term (φθόνοι φόνοι, fqonoi fonoi).

[5:21]  ²⁰ tn Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).

[5:22]  ²¹ tn That is, the fruit the Spirit produces.

[5:22]  ²² 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.

[5:22]  ²³ tn Or “reliability”; see BDAG 818 s.v. πίστις 1.a.

[5:23]  ²⁴ 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.

[5:24]  ²⁵ 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.

[5:24]  ²⁶ tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.

[5:24]  ²⁷ tn The Greek term παθήμασιν (paqhmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).

[5:25]  ²⁸ tn Or “let us also follow,” “let us also walk by.”

[5:26]  ²⁹ tn Or “falsely proud.”

[5:26]  ³⁰ tn Or “irritating.” BDAG 871 s.v. προκαλέω has “provoke, challenge τινά someone.”

[5:26]  ³¹ tn Or “another, envying one another.”

[6:1]  ³² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[6:1]  ³³ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:1]  ³⁴ tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).

[6:1]  ³⁵ sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.

[6:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”

[6:1]  ³⁷ tn Grk “taking careful notice.”

[6:4]  ³⁸ tn Or “determine the genuineness of.”

[6:4]  ³⁹ tn Grk “he will have a reason for boasting.”

[6:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “and not in regard to.” The idea of comparison is implied in the context.

[6:5]  ⁴¹ tn Or perhaps, “each one must carry.” A number of modern translations treat βαστάσει (bastasei) as an imperatival future.

[6:6]  ⁴² tn Or “instructs,” “imparts.”

[6:7]  ⁴³ tn Or “is not mocked,” “will not be ridiculed” (L&N 33.409). BDAG 660 s.v. μυκτηρίζω has “of God οὐ μ. he is not to be mocked, treated w. contempt, perh. outwitted Gal 6:7.”

[6:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:8]  ⁴⁵ tn 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.”

[6:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “destruction.”

[6:8]  ⁴⁷ tn See the note on the previous occurrence of the word “flesh” in this verse.

[6:9]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).

[6:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).

[6:10]  ⁵⁰ tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what Paul has been arguing.

[6:10]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “to those who are members of the family of [the] faith.”