Galatians chapter 5
5:1 –This verse could be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us.” Therefore stand fast and do not again be
subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.”
Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is, retain their spiritual freedom.
5:2- If ye be circumcised: Circumcision was the external ritual symbolizing acceptance of the law (v. 3). In such a
case, one depended on legal works rather than on God’s grace as the means of salvation. Christ, then, shall profit
you nothing.
5:4 – This verse could be translated: “You will be severed from Christ, if you try to be justified loss of salvation
which one earlier possessed. Rather it means that if the readers truly renounce grace through faith alone as the
way of salvation, if they depend on legalism to secure divine favor, then they show that they never really knew God’
s grade in the first place.
5:5 - Through the Spirit means that by the Holy Spirit’s help, which is obtained by faith, believers wait fro the hope
of righteousness, that is, live the Christian life awaiting the consummation of their salvation.
5:6 - For justifies the importance given faith in verse 5. In Christianity one does not profit spiritually either by being
circumcised or uncircumcised. Faith which worketh by love means “faith that is produced by love.” Faith is man’s
response to God who loves him, and this divine love that produces human faith results in his justification.
5:7- Ye did run well shows that the Galatians were making good progress spiritually. But the Judaizers did hinder
them with a false gospel, so that now the readers do not obey the truth.
5:8 - This persuasion refers to the pressure tactics the heretics used to persuade the Galatians to embrace
legalism.
5:9 - A little leaven (false doctrine) leaveneth (permeates, corrupts) the whole lump (church).
5:10 - Paul believes that the Galatians will retain the true gospel and not be completely persuaded by the heretics.
5:11 - Paul is evidently refuting the accusation that he yet (still) preaches a gospel of circumcision as formerly in
Judaism. But, he counters, the very fact that I do yet suffer persecution proves that is not the case; for Judaizers
would commend, not persecute, him for preaching their gospel.
5:12 – This verse may mean, “I wish those troubling you would have themselves castrated.”
5:13 – Having shown freedom from the law to be proper protection against legalism (vv 1-12).
5:14 – Fulfilled means “obeyed.” In one word means, “one statement.”
5:16 - Walk in the Spirit (i.e., “live by the Spirit”): Christians are to live with the Spirit’s help. How does one “live by
the Spirit”? (1) The Christian must believe that the Spirit is with him, having been sent by God into his heart (4:6).
(2) In every spiritual confrontation the believer must yield to the Spirit, that is, submit his own desires to those of the
Spirit. (3) One must depend on the Spirit for help, enabling him to live a God-pleasing life (v. 5). (4) The believer
should anticipate the effects of the Spirit’s help in his daily life. The believer who “lives by the Spirit” will not fulfill
(accomplish, carry out) the lust (strong desires) of the flesh (sinful nature).
5:17 –One’s sinful human nature (flesh) and the Holy Spirit lusteth against one another, that is, they have desires
and yearnings that are contrary to one another. The Christian, then, is a battlefield, having desires to do good and
evil. The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit who, in turn
attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires.
5:18 – Verse 17 may leave the impression of a believer being caught in a hopeless tug-of-war between the flesh
and the Spirit. This Is not the case. The Christian is led of (by) the Spirit, when yielding to Him, to run away from the
flesh’s evil yearnings, thus putting sin out of his daily life. The verse “led” indicates voluntary submission; the
believer decides by whom he will be led-either by his flesh or by the Spirit. The Spirit-led person is not under the
law. The Christian does not need the restraints of the law because his moral life is governed by the Spirit.
5:19-23. By contrasting the works of the flesh (vv 19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22, 23), the believer can
know whether he is walking by the Spirit or being controlled by the flesh. Uncleanness is sexual impurity.
Lasciviousness is sexual excess.
5:20 – Idolatry is not just the worship of a graven image, but putting one’s chief affections on any object or person
instead of God. Witchcraft is sorcery, that is, tampering with the powers of evil. This would include dabbling in the
occult. Variance is strife or discord. Emulations means “jealousy.” Strife is selfish ambition. Seditions are
dissensions. Heresies are permanent, organized divisions or cliques.
5:21 Revellings means excessive eating, or gluttony, as well as carousing. The person whose life is habitually
characterized by the sins and vices of verses 19-21 shall not inherit the kingdom of God , that is, he will not be in
heaven because he is not a Christian.
5:22 The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by
the Spirit in a believer’s life. (2) Unlike “the gifts of the Spirit”, only some of which are given to a Christian, each
believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit”. (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and
mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer’s life overnight. Love is the willing, sacrificial
giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return. Joy is gladness of heart. Peace is tranquility of
mind, freeing one from worry and fear. Long-suffering is patience with others, the opposite of a short temper, a
disposition quietly bearing injury. Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability.
5:23 Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-
control, that is, the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.
5:24 At conversion every believer crucified the flesh, that is, in repentance he turned from and renounced his life of
sin and all of its wicked passions. This verse, then, implies that the virtues of verses 22, 23, rather than the vices of
verses 19-21, should characterize them that are Christ’s.
5:25 This verse means “Since we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” That is, since the spirit gave us new
life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.
Book of Galatians Chapter 6
6:1 In a fault (or, “by some transgression”): The sin in view is a deliberate overstepping of divine boundaries. Ye
which are spiritual refers to those who walk by the Spirit ( 5:16 ), in whose life the fruit of the Spirit is found ( 5:22 ,
23). The man who is overtaken by willful sin is also a Christian, but he has not been walking by the Spirit. The
spiritual brethren are to restore the erring brother. This word is used of mending fishing nets (Matt. 4:21 ) and of
people mending their ways (2 Cor. 13:11 ). Restore means therefore to bring a person back to his former moral
condition. The word was also used in secular Greek for setting broken bones, which has to be done gently. So the
church is to restore the lapsed in the spirit of meekness (i.e., gentleness). The grievous and sensitive wounds
caused by sin must be handled delicately. Considering thyself: Those restoring the fallen must individually keep
constant watch over their own lives. The spiritual man can be morally dragged down as he deals with the sin of his
carnal counterpart.
6:2 Contextually, the burdens are the moral faults of verse 1, but can have wider application to other kinds of
burdens. The law of Christ is the sum of all of Jesus’ teachings and desires; it is Christianity itself.
6:3 For gives a reason to bear the burdens of others (v.2) When a man (thinks) himself to be morally above
reproach, he has no sympathy with the flaws of others. Mutual bearing of others’ moral burdens helps a person
retain a sober, ethical estimate of himself.
6:4 The self-delusion of verse 3 is caused by an inflated comparison of one’s moral life with the known faults of his
Christian brother. To prevent this, every man is to prove (examine) his own work (i.e., life, virtues, deeds) . Then
his rejoicing shall be in himself alone, and not in another: Joy comes not from comparing one’s moral strength’s
with the weaknesses of others, but in realizing that one measures up to God’s standard by God’s help.
6:5 In justifying “and not in another” of verse 4, for tells why one must not compare himself with others: each
believer must shoulder his own burden (i.e., that specific task and responsibility divinely assigned an individual).
Instead of comparing one’s virtues with the moral blemishes of another, one is to compare himself with his own
achievements against the backdrop of the responsibilities given him by God. No contradiction exists between
verses 2 and 5. The Greek word for burdens in verse 2 is baros, there meaning moral weakness – a burden too
heavy for a person to bear alone. The word for burden in verse 5 is phortion, meaning a personal responsibility
that can and should be borne by the individual.
6:6 Communicate (or, share): Christians are to share their material possessions with their teachers. Ministers must
of necessity be compensated for the loss of income sustained in fulfilling their pastoral responsibilities.
6:7 Mocked (outwitted, outfoxed): To disobey God’s commands and then escape divine punishment would be to
outwit God, thus making a mockery of Him and His Word. Soweth means “does,” “practices.” Reap could also be
said, “be requited,” “recompensed.” Contextually, the Galatians cannot disregard the command to support their
Christian instructors (v.6) and escape divine discipline.
6:8 For expands the principle of verse 7 to wider application. Soweth to his flesh means to conduct oneself by the
evil dictates and desires of the sinful nature, thus practicing the deeds of the flesh ( 5:19 -21). Such a personal
shall..reap corruption, that is, be requited with eternal destruction. Soweth to the Spirit means to live by His
enabling help in accord with the Spirit’s prompting and leading, thus cultivating the fruit of 5:22,23. Such a person
shall…reap life everlasting, that is, be rewarded with eternal life.
6:9 Since it is only a matter of time before the Christian shall “reap” divine reward (v.8), then he is not to be weary
in well doing.
6:10 Owing to the certainty of being divinely rewarded (vv. 8, 9), believers are urged to seize each opportunity to
do good.. Contextually, doing good refers to the ministry of restoration (v.1), bearing one another’s burdens (v.2),
supporting teachers (v.6) sowing to (living in accord with the leading of) the Spirit (v. 8), and general perseverance
(v.9), Believers are to minister first unto them who are of the household of faith (Christians), and second, to the
rest of the world.
6:11. The verse could be rendered: “Note with what large letters I am writing you with my own hand.” Paul takes the
pen from his stenographer and records the last paragraph in his own handwriting, both to attest the epistle’s
authenticity and to stress the importance of this final paragraph.
6:12 The Judaizers want to make a good outward appearance (make a fair show in the flesh) by circumcising the
readers. The reason is so that they will not suffer persecution caused by the gospel. The gospel was somewhat
tolerable for orthodox Jews if accompanied by circumcision and obedience to their law. So Judaizers, wanting to
hold to the gospel, can disarm Jewish hostility by preaching grace and law. The legalists have their own interest at
heart, not the Galatians’.
6:14 Unlike the Judaizers, who brag about their religious accomplishments, Paul takes pleasure only Jesus’
atonement and all the spiritual blessings it brings. The world is the world system. Paul has renounced his old life
and all its ways, along with its values and religious accomplishments in which he used to boast.
6:15 In God’s sight neither the external circumcision of the flesh nor its omission (uncircumcision) availeth (profits).
Only being divinely transformed into a new creature (creation), that is, a morally new and different person, benefits
one spiritually.
6:16 As many as walk according to this rule could also be stated, “All who follow this principle” (namely of the new
creation of v. 15) The verse’s final and seems to distinguish between Gentile Christians (as many as walk) and
Jewish Christians (the Israel of God).
6:17 Unlike the Judaizers who make much ado about the now irrelevant, insignificant mark of circumcision, Paul
bears bodily marks which do mean something. They are the wounds and injuries incurred in serving God, the
results of having willingly accepted “the persecution for the cross,” which the legalists seek to avoid (v.12).