BOOK 48 OF 66 · PAULINE EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

Galatians 5

Galatians book home•Chapter 5 of 6•26 verses

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Galatians 5 Overview

Paul warns that seeking justification through circumcision obligates a person to the whole law and abandons the grace principle. Christian liberty is not permission for the flesh; faith works by love, the whole law is fulfilled in loving one’s neighbor, and believers are commanded to walk in the Spirit rather than fulfill the lust of the flesh.

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26Verses

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Before you read Galatians 5

Coming from

Paul explains that believers are no longer servants under elementary bondage but sons because God sent forth His Son, made of a woman and under the law, to redeem those under the law. The Spirit of His Son cries ‘Abba, Father.’ Paul then pleads with the Galatians not to return to bondage and uses Hagar and Sarah allegorically to contrast bondage and promise.

In this chapter

Leads into

Paul tells spiritual believers to restore a fallen brother in meekness while watching themselves. Believers should bear one another’s burdens yet also take responsibility for their own work. Sowing to flesh or Spirit has corresponding harvest, so they should not grow weary in doing good. Paul closes by rejecting circumcision boasting and glorying only in the cross of Christ.

Key understandingExplore deeper

‘Fallen from grace’ in context describes abandoning grace as the principle of justification for a law system; it should not be turned into proof that eternal life can be lost.

‘Faith which worketh by love’ describes the active expression of Christian faith in life, not a claim that love is an added requirement to make faith saving.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Justification cannot be mixed with law-merit

Circumcision as a saving requirement changes the whole basis of standing before God.

Liberty serves love rather than flesh

Freedom is not self-indulgence.

The Spirit and flesh produce opposing patterns

Christian growth requires walking by the Spirit.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Acts 15:1–11

Peter rejects circumcision and law-keeping as a saving requirement for Gentiles.

Romans 6:1–14

Grace does not authorize continued dominion of sin.

Romans 13:8–10

Love fulfills the law’s neighbor-directed moral demands.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not interpret ‘fallen from grace’ as losing eternal life

The context is shifting from grace to law as the principle of justification.

Do not make the fruit of the Spirit conditions for being justified

They describe Spirit-produced Christian character.

Do not use liberty as permission for sin

Paul explicitly commands believers to serve one another by love.

Read Galatians 5 watching for…

The danger attached to receiving circumcision as a requirement.

The phrase ‘faith which worketh by love.’

Liberty versus occasion to the flesh.

Works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit.

The command to walk in the Spirit.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-6Paul commands believers to stand fast in liberty and warns against seeking justification through circumcision 7-12Paul warns against those troubling the Galatians and corrupting the truth 13-15Christian liberty is to serve one another by love, not to consume one another 16-21Walk in the Spirit and do not fulfil the lust of the flesh; the works of the flesh are named 22-26The fruit of the Spirit is listed, and believers are told to live and walk in the Spirit

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

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Galatians 5:8

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