Galatians 5

Galatians 5:1-6

Apostle Paul has already reaffirmed the brethren of the Galatian churches in Christ for salvation, saying they "are not children of the bondwoman but of the free" (Galatians 4:31), but "because of false brethren secretly brought in" (Galatians 2:4) to spy out their liberty which they had in Christ Jesus, that they might bring them into bondage, Apostle Paul tells the Galatians they must "stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free" (Galatians 5:1).

He commanded them in authority, which the Lord gave not for their destruction, but "for edification" (2 Corinthians 10:8), that they were not to "be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). A commitment to the Jewish law would alienate them from the freedom of God, which is found only in Christ. If they were to "become circumcised" (Galatians 5:2), Christ would have been of no profit to them. As the Holy Spirit made aware to the Jews, "Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:28-29). So, Apostle Paul testified "again to every man who becomes circumcised" (Galatians 5:3), that if they depended on physical circumcision for righteousness, they were in bondage to the entire Jewish law, and "have become estranged from Christ" (Galatians 5:4).

This was the condition of those who were attempting "to be justified by law" (Galatians 5:4). The root of bitterness crept into their hearts because of the false brethren who were among them. Apostle Paul referred to them as "some who trouble you" (Galatians 1:7), and "by this many become defiled" (Galatians 12:15) who "have fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). The Apostle Peter also addressed the same challenge elsewhere saying, "beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked" (2 Peter 3:17).

Apostle Paul reminded them that "we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:5). What he said to the Romans, he is saying here to the Galatians as well; "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). This hope is completely disassociated from "the curse of the law" which "Christ has redeemed us from" (Galatians 3:13) and is for both Jew and Gentile apart from the law. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything" (Galatians 5:6). The freedom, which is in the gift of life from God, is "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). Whether Jew or Gentile, there is absolutely nothing to avail assurance before God, except for "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6).

Galatians 5:7-12

Apostle Paul pointed out to the Galatian believers who previously demonstrated Spiritual fruit, that they "ran well" (Galatians 5:7), but now they were being hindered "from obeying the truth" (Galatians 5:7) by the false brethren whose "persuasion does not come from" God (Galatians 5:8). As Jesus had warned the disciples to "take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6), Apostle Paul warned in 1 Corinthians 5:6, and now again in Galatians 5:9 saying, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." Apostle Paul expected that the churches would "have no other mind" (Galatians 5:10). He expected that they would separate themselves from any brother who, by still preaching circumcision, was throwing them into confusion. This form of church discipline would allow such an individual to "bear his judgment, whoever he is" (Galatian 5:10), because "God shows personal favoritism to no man" (Galatians 2:6).

The message of the cross, which is the true gospel, is offensive to those who still preach legalism. Apostle Paul himself did not "still preach circumcision" (Galatians 5:11). Due to "the offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11) which has not ceased, he was still enduring persecution from agitators of the circumcision group.

Apostle Paul used strong words when he said he wished the agitators "would even cut themselves off!" (Galatians 5:12). By preaching circumcision, they were sowing seeds of discord and of bondage. If they were to go the whole way and cut themselves off, in the physical sense they would have gone well beyond circumcision. If they were not going to repent, Apostle Paul preferred for them to separate themselves from the churches. However, Apostle Paul's desire was that "men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8). Surely, he wished the agitators would rather cut themselves off completely from sin, to enter true fellowship with the saints.

Galatians 5:13-18

The Galatian churches were being reminded that the Holy Spirit has called us to freedom in Christ, in hopes that the believers would freely "through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). The Apostle Paul repeated the words of the Lord in the Sermon on the Mount, telling them, "whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). In this, we see the Apostle Paul giving the churches the Lord's strategy for overcoming their troubles, which were caused by the injection of the false gospel. He warned them accordingly, that if they would continue to "bite and devour one another," they would be "consumed by one another" (Galatians 5:15).

Therefore, Apostle Paul charged them to "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16), as he later also charged the believers in Rome to "not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts" (Romans 6:12). Surely, for "those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 6:4), the lure to the Old Testament law is anchored to the lustful pride of the flesh. As the Apostle Paul told them plainly, "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another" (Galatians 5:17). As he later also wrote to the believers in Rome, he was now basically saying to the Galatian churches, that "if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13), and as believers submitted to the gospel of Christ, they would be led by the Spirit, and would prove they are "not under the law" (Galatians 5:18) of the Old Testament.

Galatians 5:19-21

Apostle Paul went on to tell the believers how easily identifiable those are who live under the bondage of legalism. He pointed out the manifestation of powerlessness of the Old Testament law by listing "the works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19). He mentioned earlier, regarding his confrontation with the Jews in Antioch, that "by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). Now he was pointing out how unjustified before God are those who rely on their own ability to fulfill the law, as if justification were attainable by the works of the flesh. For "the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21). The verdict is exactly as the Apostle Paul had been telling them all along. Anyone who manifests the works of the flesh "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21). As Jesus Christ said, "this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:17), and so they reject the gospel, and cannot resist to manifest the deeds of darkness.

Likewise, those who walk by the Spirit are easily identifiable. This refers to those who have by faith accepted the gospel, and who receive the grace and peace "from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age" (Galatians 1:3-4). The manifestation of "things that accompany salvation" (Hebrews 6:9) is referred to as "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22). Apostle Paul tells them the evidence of those who have accepted the gospel is manifested "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Seeing as how against such things, as Apostle Paul says, "there is no law" (Galatians 5:23), it is self-evident that "what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin" (Romans 8:3). "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24). In this situation with the Galatian churches, the passions and the desires of the false brethren was clearly manifested in their intention of keeping the Old Testament law for selfish purposes. They were doing this to their own demise, as well as to the demise of any who would follow their influence. Although they may have called themselves Christians, because of their hypocritical and unrepentant hearts the Lord ultimately would "declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:23).

In Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 we read, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Those who were seeking to satisfy the sinful flesh, were falsely justifying themselves through the law which they themselves were unable to live up to. Yet, they went on rejecting the sufficient and effective sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Their end would be nothing but death. However, "It is the Spirit who gives life" (John 6:63). Therefore, Apostle Paul says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). In this way the true brethren would manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which is separate from the law, and which the law is powerless to manifest in those who trust in themselves while all along rejecting Christ who became "a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). As Apostle Paul already said, the believers are called to freedom, that they would "through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). Against this there is no law. So, he says, "Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:26), which are dead and fruitless works of the flesh, manifested by everyone who claims justification before God through legalistic efforts.

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