Galatians 5 - Printer Friendly

What does Galatians 5 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Paul's letter to the Galatians can be divided into three parts. Chapters 1—2 focus on Paul's biography, including his qualifications to represent Christ as an apostle. The end of chapter 2, through chapter 4, deals mainly with theology, explaining that justification comes by faith in Christ and not by following the works of the law. Chapters 5—6 focus on application of these truths. Knowing all that's been presented in chapters 1—4, how should those who are free in Christ live?

Paul begins chapter 5 by stating flatly that Christ has set us free in order that we should be free. Freedom, though, requires resistance against a return to bondage. Those in Christ must stand firm against anyone who would try to drag them into slavery under the law (Galatians 5:1).

Paul has in mind the issue of circumcision. A group known as the Judaizers were pressuring the Galatians to submit to physical circumcision in order to be acceptable to God. Some of the Galatians may have been willing to do this, simply to cover all possible needs: "Why not believe in Jesus and be circumcised?" they may have thought. Paul insists, however, that faith in Christ must be faith in Christ alone and nothing else. In fact, he writes that to begin to follow the law cuts us off from Christ because we are asking God to judge us by our own works and not by Christ's (Galatians 5:2–11).

Paul, confident the Galatians will reject this false teaching and that the one responsible for teaching it will be held accountable, rejects a rumor that he himself was teaching anyone to be circumcised. If he were, why would they be persecuting him? In fact, he writes that he wishes the false teachers would go past circumcision to castration (Galatians 5:12).

Paul then turns his focus to another way Christians might waste the freedom Christ has won for us. Some might think that since they have already been forgiven for their sin and justified by faith in Christ, what would keep them from indulging in all their sinful desires? That's not what our freedom in Christ is for. Instead, we should use our freedom to serve each other in love (Galatians 5:13–15).

But how can we overcome our sinful desires and focus on serving others? We can only do so by the power of God's Spirit, given to us when we trusted in Christ for our salvation. The Spirit of God is powerful and gives believers the supernatural ability to love as Christ does instead of serving self. The battle for Christians is to allow the Spirit to lead instead of shutting Him down to go our own way. Our own way always leads to sin and then to destruction. Paul provides a list of sinful lifestyles. Those who live in that way without ever turning back should not think that they are in Christ. They will not inherit God's kingdom along with those who have God's Spirit (Galatians 5:16–21).

Then Paul offers a second list. This one reveals what comes out of those who allow God's Spirit to lead the way. It is one "fruit" with nine characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

By definition, those who trust in Christ's death for their sin on the cross have made the choice to crucify their sinful desires along with Him. That doesn't mean we'll never sin again, but it does mean that when we keep in step with God's Spirit we don't need to sin. In that way, we have been freed from sin's power, as well as its penalty (Galatians 5:22–25).

Galatians 5:1–15 focuses on what those in Christ should do with our freedom in Christ. First, we must guard it, especially from those who would pressure us to follow the law. Paul was confident the Galatians would resist the one leading them in the wrong direction. Paul also warns us not to waste our freedom in Christ to selfishly serve ourselves instead of serving each other in love. The entire law is fulfilled in that one word: love. Those who serve themselves, though, will always end up in conflict with each other.

Galatians 5:16–26 focuses on how God's Spirit gives those in Christ the power to serve others in love. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead, however. When we don't, our selfishness will lead us into all kinds of sinful lifestyles. When we live by the Spirit, on the other hand, we gain more than just being able not to live in sin. What comes out of us are a collection of powerful, positive characteristics.

Chapter Summary:

Those who trust in Christ have been set free. Paul's readers were in danger of wasting that freedom, by veering off in one of two directions. On the one hand, false teachers were pressuring them into circumcision in order to be sure of being right with God. On the other hand, freedom can also be squandered on serving only our sinful desires instead of investing it through serving others in love. God's Spirit gives us the power to do that when we let Him lead us. Life in the Spirit bears powerful and positive fruit in a Christian's life.

Chapter Context:

Galatians 3—4 focused on theology. Galatians 5—6 focus on how Christians should live in response to those truths. In short, we must resist being dragged away from the freedom we have in Christ to follow the law. We must also resist wasting our freedom on serving our sinful desires instead of serving others in love. We can do this by the power of God's Spirit with us. When we give Him the lead, powerful, positive characteristics show up in us. Galatians 6 will show how to use those characteristics to serve each other.

Galatians is sometimes called “a short Romans” for its similar themes of justification and sanctification through faith. A group of Christians known as “Judaizers” were preaching a gospel of legalism, rather than grace. Paul’s main purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to reiterate the true nature of the gospel: we are justified (made righteous) and sanctified (made more Christlike) through our faith in Jesus Christ alone. This letter was probably written shortly before the church elders in Jerusalem issued their official refutation of the Judaizers, commonly called the Jerusalem Council.

Accessed 5/3/2024 12:30:52 AM