key ideas

1. The admonishment is to remain firm in the freedom of Christ and not return to the burden of the old Law.

 2. Paul is saying that the difference between Grace and Law are so stark and so antithetical of one another that they cannot coexist in our lives. We cannot claim grace while attempting to justify ourselves by another means. Similarly, we cannot attempt to make ourselves righteous through our own actions and still claim Grace.

 3. Paul affirms that everyone who follows Judaism is required (or indebted) to keep the whole Law.

 4. Any full or partial return to Judaism severs one from the Grace of God. It would be like saying you’re a vegan while eating a steak!

 5. Those whom follow and accept Christ on do so on the ground of faith, not law – like Abraham before them.

 6. This is the theme of Paul's epistle. Accepting God’s love through faith frees us from the slavery of rules and regulations (the Law) and allows us to finally “love God and love others.”

 7. The Galatians had a good start. But they allowed someone to distract them from their mission.

 8. It wasn’t God who tripped them, God was not testing them or punishing them (see James 1:13) – he is the one who called them to freedom.

 9. When used figuratively, leaven often denotes evil. A small amount of evil in that which is good quickly ruins it all (see Matt 16:5-12; 1 Cor. 5:6).

 10. Paul expresses his confidence that the majority of his readers will not succumb to the minority of Judaizers, and they God will sort it all out.

 11. This suggests that the false teachers were accusing Paul of inconsistency in his own teaching on circumcision. Paul's response? If he were preaching circumcision, why are its advocates persecuting him?

 12. Paul wishes that those who are preaching circumcision would show how “holy” they are by taking care of themselves – the exact meaning is more along the lines of cutting off their own “manhood.”

 13. In the previous verses Paul warns about perverting the Gospel through legalism. Now he warns about perverting the Gospel through the abuse of freedom.

 14. The purpose of freedom, according to Paul, is to show love to others – to be bound to each other in love and service.

 15. Jesus said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matt 12:25). The believers of Christ are called to be united – to be one body; not splinter-cells of varying beliefs at odds with one another.

 16-17. When we are acting in love (following the Spirit) we will not be following our own desires – which are so often selfish and harmful to others.

 18. See Rom 8:2-17.

 19. Paul begins to explain what life looks like when we follow our own self-centered path.

 19-21. Sexual “perversions,” in Paul’s day, we’re synonymous with pagan worship (“wild parties,” in v. 21, is another word for “orgies”) as were witchcraft sorcery, etc…. It’s not that Paul thinks that life a part from God will naturally devolve into idol worship, it’s that all the things that were part of the pagan culture (wild parties, jealousy, infidelity, drunkenness) were simply things which people wanted to indulge in anyway and were able to under the guise of “religious devotion.”

 22. In stark contrast to the deeds of “the flesh,” are the fruits of the Spirit. Note that "deeds of the flesh" are actions leading to death, whereas “fruit of the Spirit" suggests life – to both the person living this way and those who are affected by their life.

 23. Where the fruits of the Spirit are present there is no need for the restraints of law.

 24. To be Christ's requires the “crucifixion” of the old self (Paul also calls this “dying to self.”) What this means is that following Christ is counter-intuitive and results in a complete transformation in the way we live.

 25. To live by the Spirit means to be aware of how we live in every aspect of our lives, not just our “religious/spiritual” life.

 26. However, we are not to become conceited of how well we are doing at this, but rather we are to support and encourage and serve each other along the journey.

Scripture

1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.

11 Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. 12 I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

word study

Stay free (steko) to be stationary; to persevere.

Benefit (opheleo) to be useful; benefit.

Right (dikaioō) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

Cut off  (katargeo) render entirely idle; useless; To be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one

Fallen (ekpipto) to drop away; be driven off one's course; to lose.

Grace (charis) graciousness; the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; gratitude.

Righteousness (dikaiosune) equity; justification.

Expressing (energeo) to be active; efficient.

Love (agape) benevolence; expresses a deep and constant love toward those unworthy of such love

Running (trechō) to spend one's strength in performing or attaining something

Held you back (egkoptō) to cut into, to impede one's course by cutting off his way.

Called (kaleo) to "summons," to invite.

Yeast (zume) fermenting agent.

False Teachings (allos phroneō) to be divided in mission, not representing harmonious views

Confusing (tarassō) to agitate, trouble; to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity

Persecuted (dioko) put to flight; driven away.

Offended (skandalon) a trapstick; bent sapling; snare.

Mutilate (apokopto) to amputate; to mutilate.

Freedom (eleutheria) license, the liberty to do as one pleases.

Satisfy (aphormē) the incentive; the resources we avail ourselves of in attempting or performing anything.

Sinful nature (sarx) the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence.

Serve (douleuo) be a slave to.

Biting and devouring (dakno katesthio) nip; thwart; to eat down.

Destroying (analisko) to use up; destroy.

Guide (peripateo) to live; to regulate one's life; to conduct one's self; to pass one's life

Craves (epithumeo) to set the heart upon; long for.

Obligation (hypo) by, under

Results (ergon) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasized in opp. to that which is less than work

Sexual immorality (porneia) illicit sexual intercourse; the worship of idols; of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols.

Idolatry (eidololatreia) image-worship.

Sorcery (pharmakeia) magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it

Divisions (dichostasia) disunion; dissension.

Produces (eimi) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.

Love (agape) affection or benevolence.

Patience (makrothumia) forbearance; fortitude.

Gentleness (praotes) humility.

Self-control (egkrateia) self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites).

Belong (ho) are of.

Crucified (stauroo) to impale on the cross; extinguish; subdue.

Provoke (prokaleō) to call forth to oneself (challenge), i.e. (by implication) to irritate:—provoke.