Galatians
5
New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
Walk
by the Spirit
5
[a]It
was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do
not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
2
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of
no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives
circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have
been severed from Christ, you who [b]are seeking to be justified by law; you
have fallen from grace. 5 For we [c]through
the Spirit, [d]by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but
faith working through love.
7
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This
persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the
whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence [e]in you in the Lord that you will
adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment,
whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I
still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12
I wish that those who are troubling you would even [f]mutilate themselves.
13
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole
Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are
not consumed by one another.
16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the
flesh. 17 For the flesh [g]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may
not do the things that you [h]please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
[i]immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [j]factions, 21 envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as
I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there
is no law. 24 Now those who [k]belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires.
25
If we live by the Spirit, let us also [l]walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not
become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
NIV
Application Commentary
What
Is the Life in the Spirit? (vv. 22–26)
Paul’s
listing of the “fruit of the Spirit” does not seem to have any particular
order, though some have proposed an order. J. R. W. Stott sees in these nine
virtues three groups of three: attitudes to God, others, and self, while J. B.
Lightfoot sees dispositions of the mind, qualities governing human relations,
and principles of conduct. We do need to comment on the terms fruit and love,
but we are not able to spend time with each word.
Paul
describes “flesh” under the term works, while he sees the Spirit’s work as
“fruit.” The former is plural while the latter is singular. Is there anything
significant in the change of terms or the change of number? Above all, it must
be observed that works has been a term of negative associations in Galatians
and that Paul probably delighted in associating the “works” of the flesh with
the “works of the law” (2:16; 3:2, 5, 10). The change of terms to “fruit”
evokes a different image: from one of human responsibility to one of divine
enablement. The image of fruit has a certain sense of passivity to it; it is
the Spirit of God who produces such things, and they grow in the life of the
Christian.
However,
while this may be one reason for the change of terms, it is also clear that
Paul sees evil as having fruit (6:8) and thinks that the Christian is
responsible to let the Spirit be operative in his or her life. Note that Paul
shoulders the responsibility of the Spirit’s fruit onto the Christian: “have
crucified their flesh” (v. 24), “let us keep in step” (v. 25), and “let us not
become conceited” (v. 26)—not to mention verses 13, 16, and 18. It is possible
that the unity of the fruit is emphasized in the singular while the chaotic
multitude of sins of the flesh is represented in a plural noun. On the other
hand, “fruit” can be seen as a collective plural; if so, there is nothing
significant in the change to a singular.
While
“love” is not the only “fruit” of the Spirit, it is the most important to Paul
(cf. vv. 6, 13–14; also Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 13; Col. 3:14). It summarizes the
demand of God’s law (Gal. 5:14), endures forever (1 Cor 13:13), and unites all
the virtues of life (Col. 3:14). Fundamental to Paul’s view, however, is that
love comes from God’s Spirit (cf. Rom. 5:5). Moreover, as we look over this
list, we observe the reverse of the list of the works of the flesh. Whereas the
flesh destroys fellowship; here the Spirit creates fellowship, unity, and
holiness.
As
if summarizing his whole point, Paul says that (1) those who have surrendered
themselves to Jesus Christ “have crucified the flesh” and so should not be
involved in the works of the flesh (v. 24); (2) those who have been given God’s
life by the Spirit and Christ (cf. 2:20; Rom 8:9–11) should march according to
the Spirit’s orders (Gal 5:25); and (3) those who live in the freedom of the
Spirit should not be conceited and so fight with one another (v. 26). Once
again, we end up with Paul’s emphasis in this context: Galatian factionalism.
From
NIVAC: Galatians by Scot McKnight. Published by Zondervan Academic.
The
IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Freedom
for Moral Transformation (5:22-26)
The
fruit of the Spirit is the moral character developed by the power of the
Spirit. The nine character qualities are a unity, a perfectly formed Christlike
character. Paul has expressed his desire to see Christ formed in the Galatian
believers (4:19). Now he describes what they will be like when that formation
is complete. These character qualities are not a new list of laws or moral
codes that must be kept; they are the result of living and being led by the Spirit.
Paul's
image of the fruit of the Spirit is probably drawn from the imagery of the Old
Testament and the teaching of Jesus. The promise of the Spirit and the promise
of moral fruitfulness in God's people are connected in the Old Testament:
Until
a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
and
the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and
the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
Then
justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and
righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
The
effect of righteousness will be peace,
and
the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
(Is
32:15-17 NRSV; see also Joel 2:18-32)
Jesus
also taught that the genuineness of his followers would be demonstrated by good
fruit from their lives (Mt 7:16-20; Lk 13:6-9), and he promised that the
presence of the Spirit and communion with him would produce the fruit of love
and obedience (Jn 14—16). These promises of righteousness by the Spirit are the
background for Paul's description of the believers' eager expectation of righteousness
(5:5); now in verses 22-23 he focuses on the believers' expression of
righteousness, which fulfills God's promises for his people.
Paul's
list of moral qualities produced by the Spirit provides assurance that those
who "live by the Spirit" will actually fulfill God's requirements for
his people. There is no need to worry that following Paul's ethical appeal to
live by the Spirit will lead to moral license and sin. Just the opposite will
be the case. The Spirit will produce those moral qualities that God requires.
The
first place in the list, the place of emphasis, is given to love. Love is the
focus of the entire ethical appeal: "serve one another in love" (v.
13). Love fulfills the law (v. 14); love is the expression of faith (v. 6).
Love is demonstrated in a tangible way in the sacrificial love of Christ (2:20)
and the service of Christians (5:13). All the other moral qualities in the list
define and flow from love.
Joy
is the result of healthy relationships. When relationships fall apart because
of broken commitments, there is a loss of joy (see 4:15). When there is
conflict and bitterness, as there was in the Galatian churches, there is no
joy. But the first result of true love in relationships is the renewal of joy.
Peace
is also the result of relationships built by loving service. Instead of
"hatred, discord, . . . dissensions, factions" there is harmony and
order in relationships.
Patience
is the opposite of "fits of rage" or short temper. It is the quality
of staying with people even when constantly wronged and irritated by them.
Kindness
and goodness are joined with patience to teach that a sweet disposition and
doing good toward people (see v. 10) is the way to stay with them in love.
Faithfulness
is the quality of keeping commitments in relationships. The Galatians had
proved to be fickle in their attitude toward Paul (4:13-16). Only the Spirit
can produce the quality of loyalty no matter the cost.
Gentleness
is the opposite of "selfish ambition." Gentle people are not
"conceited, provoking and envying each other" (v. 26). Gentleness is
an expression of humility, considering the needs and hurts of others before
one's personal goals.
Self-control
is the opposite of self-indulgence. Those who are Spirit-led will not indulge
the sinful nature (v. 13). They are not characterized by "sexual
immorality, . . . drunkenness, orgies." They do not use other people to
gratify their own appetites. They have the strength to say no to themselves, to
the desires of their sinful nature.
In
Paul's ethical appeal this list of qualities paints a picture of relationships
that are built and nourished by the presence of the Spirit. No wonder Paul
says, Against such things there is no law. Here again we see that Paul is
directing his comments to people who want to be under the supervision of law.
Paul assures them that if they are led by the Spirit, they are not under law
(v. 18) because the Spirit produces all the qualities that fulfill the
requirements of the law (vv. 14, 23). There is no rule in the Mosaic lawbook
which can be cited against such character qualities. The Spirit-led life is not
a life against the law; it is a life that fulfills the law. The way to the
fulfillment of the law is not to live under the law like slaves, but to live by
the Spirit as children of God.
Paul
concludes his two lists of the acts of the sinful nature and the fruit of the
Spirit with a summary statement about putting to death the sinful nature (v.
24) and living by the Spirit (v. 25). The death of the sinful nature opens the
way for the life of the Spirit. This movement from death to life is parallel to
2:19-20 and 6:14-15, where death is also followed by new life.
The
remarkable feature of Paul's statement about the crucifixion of the sinful
nature in verse 24 is the use of the active voice: Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians
2:19 and 6:14 say that Christians have been crucified with Christ, but 5:24
says that they themselves have acted to put to death their sinful nature.
Believers are responsible to crucify their sinful nature. Since Roman
crucifixion was a merciless, painful means of execution, Paul's statement
describes an absolute and irreversible renunciation of evil. The past tense may
point to the time of baptism, when the Christian publicly identified with
Christ. A common liturgy of baptism expresses it this way:
Do
you turn to Christ?
I
turn to Christ.
Do
you repent of your sins?
I
repent of my sins.
Do
you renounce evil?
I
renounce evil.
If
this repentance and renunciation of evil is as decisive as crucifixion, it
means that Christians have said an absolute, unconditional no to all of their
sinful desires and passions. Renunciation of evil is not only a baptismal vow,
it is a practical everyday discipline. When my sinful nature subtly suggests
paging through a pornographic magazine, I shout a defiant no to my sinful
nature. When I hear a juicy bit of gossip and start to repeat it, I close my
mouth and say "no way" to my sinful desire. When another Christian
criticizes me unfairly and my flesh screams for revenge, I say "absolutely
not" to my sinful passion.
The
fact of warfare against the sinful nature, described in verse 17, indicates
that the sinful nature is never fully eradicated in this life and therefore
this no must be continually renewed. But the fact of the execution of the
sinful nature described in verse 24 shows that goal of the war against the
sinful nature is not a negotiated peace but final execution.
Both
the continuous war against the sinful nature and the absolute execution of the
sinful nature must be kept in mind if we are to have the full picture. The
perfectionists who talk as if the sinful nature has been or can be totally
conquered in this life have lost sight of the need to fight the war every day.
The pessimists who are halfhearted in battling the flesh because they never
expect victory have lost sight of the victory that is ours through active
identification with Christ on the cross.
The
active execution of the sinful nature is followed by an active expression of
new life in the Spirit: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with
the Spirit (v. 25). Paul's combination of an indicative (we live) with an
imperative (let us keep in step) is parallel to the same combination of
indicative and imperative in verses 1 and 13. The indicative describes God's
gift to us: freedom in Christ and life in the Spirit. The imperative expresses
our responsibility: to protect our freedom from slavery under the law, to use
our freedom to serve one another in love and to keep in step with the Spirit.
Keep in step is a military command to make a straight line or to march in
ordered rows. The Spirit sets the line and the pace for us to follow. Keeping
in step with the Spirit takes active concentration and discipline of the whole
person. We constantly see many alternative paths to follow; we reject them to
follow the Spirit. We constantly hear other drummers who want to quicken or
slow down our pace; we tune them out to listen only to the Spirit.
What
does this mean in practice? Paul gives a general but practical application to
the Galatian churches: Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each
other (v. 26). This verse and verse 15 clearly indicate that the community life
of the Galatian churches had been torn apart by pride, which caused provoking
and envying. In their concentration on keeping the law, the Galatian believers
had become very competitive in their spiritual life, attempting to outdo each
other. To provoke means to challenge to a contest. Some were so sure of their
spiritual superiority that they wanted to prove it in a contest. Others felt
spiritually inferior and resented those who made them feel that way. Both
attitudes were caused by pride that could not tolerate rivals.
C.
S. Lewis says that the devil laughs when he sees us overcome by pride: "He
is perfectly content to see you becoming chaste and brave and self-controlled
provided, all the time, he is setting up in you the Dictatorship of Pride—just
as he would be quite content to see your chilblains cured if he was allowed, in
return, to give you cancer. For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very
possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense" (Lewis
1943:45).
The
only treatment for the cancer of pride is radical surgery: we must crucify the
pride of sinful nature and be led by the Spirit, who alone has the power to
overthrow the dictatorship of pride.
IVP
New Testament Commentaries
Yours
by His Grace
Blair
Humphreys
Southport, Merseyside
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