Galatians 5:1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
V. Exhortation to Christian Living
Chapter 5
The Importance of Faith.[a] 1 For freedom[b] Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.(A)
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- 5:1–6 Paul begins the exhortations, continuing through Gal 6:10, with an appeal to the Galatians to side with freedom instead of slavery (Gal 5:1). He reiterates his message of justification or righteousness by faith instead of law and circumcision (Gal 5:2–5); cf. Gal 2:16; 3:3. Faith, not circumcision, is what counts (Gal 5:6).
- 5:1 Freedom: Paul stresses as the conclusion from the allegory in Gal 4:21–31 this result of Christ’s work for us. It is a principle previously mentioned (Gal 2:4), the responsible use of which Gal 5:13 will emphasize.
Galatians 5:13-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
13 For you were called for freedom, brothers.(A) But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve[a] one another through love. 14 For the whole law(B) is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
16 (C)I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.[c] 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.(D) 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.(E)
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- 5:13 Serve…through love: cf. Gal 5:6.
- 5:14 Lv 19:18, emphasized by Jesus (Mt 22:39; Lk 10:27); cf. Rom 13:8–10.
- 5:16–25 Spirit…flesh: cf. Gal 3:3 and the note on Rom 8:1–13.
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