基督徒的自由

基督释放了我们,使我们得自由。所以你们当站立得稳,不要再被奴役的轭所束缚。 看,我保罗告诉你们:如果你们要受割礼,基督就对你们毫无益处了。 我再次忠告每一个受割礼的人:他有责任遵行全部律法[a] 你们这些藉着律法被称为义的人,你们是与基督隔绝,从恩典中堕落了。 要知道,我们藉着圣灵,本于信,满怀着[b]称义的盼望; 因为在基督耶稣里,受割礼或不受割礼都没有用处,只有藉着爱行出来的信仰才有用处。

你们一向跑得很好,到底是谁拦阻了你们,使你们不信从真理呢? 这种劝诱不是出于召唤你们的那一位。 一点点酵母能使整个面团发酵。 10 我在主里深信你们不会有别的思想;不过那搅扰你们的,无论他是谁,都将受到惩罚。 11 弟兄们,如果我仍然传讲割礼,我为什么还受逼迫呢?如果我这样做,十字架使人绊脚的地方早就没有了。 12 我真希望那些搅乱你们的人把自己阉割了!

13 弟兄们,你们蒙召是为了得自由,只是不可用这自由给肉体一个机会,而是要藉着爱彼此服事, 14 因为全部律法都在“要爱邻如己”[c]这一句话里得以满足了。 15 你们要当心!如果你们继续相咬相吞,恐怕就要彼此毁灭了。

圣灵与肉体

16 所以我说:你们应当顺着圣灵行走,这样就绝不会去满足肉体的欲望了; 17 因为肉体的欲望与圣灵对立,圣灵也与肉体对立。这两者彼此反对,使你们不能做自己所愿意做的。 18 但如果你们被圣灵带领,就不在律法之下了。

19 肉体的行为是清清楚楚的,它们就是:通奸[d]、淫乱、污秽、好色、 20 拜偶像、行邪术[e]、仇恨、纷争、嫉恨、暴怒、争竞[f]、分裂、结派、 21 嫉妒、凶杀[g]、醉酒、荒宴以及类似这样的事。对这些事,我现在要预先告诉你们,就像我以前告诉过你们的那样:行这些事的人不会继承神的国。

22 然而,圣灵的果子是:爱心、喜乐、和平、忍耐、仁慈、良善、忠信、 23 温柔、自制。这样的事,没有律法反对。 24 那些属于基督耶稣的人,已经把肉体与肉体的[h]渴望和情欲一同钉上十字架了。 25 我们既然藉着圣灵而活,就让我们靠着圣灵行走。 26 我们不可贪图虚荣,彼此惹气,互相嫉妒。

Footnotes

  1. 加拉太书 5:3 他有责任遵行全部律法——原文直译“他欠下这笔遵行全部律法的债”。
  2. 加拉太书 5:5 满怀着——原文直译“热切等待”。
  3. 加拉太书 5:14 《利未记》19:18。
  4. 加拉太书 5:19 有古抄本没有“通奸”。
  5. 加拉太书 5:20 邪术——或译作“巫术”或“毒品”。
  6. 加拉太书 5:20 争竞——或译作“结党”。
  7. 加拉太书 5:21 有古抄本没有“凶杀”。
  8. 加拉太书 5:24 肉体的——辅助词语。

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.(A) Stand firm,(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.(C)

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,(D) Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.(E) You who are trying to be justified by the law(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.(G) For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.(H) For in Christ Jesus(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.(K)

You were running a good race.(L) Who cut in on you(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.(N) “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”(O) 10 I am confident(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?(S) In that case the offense(T) of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators,(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.(V) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a];(W) rather, serve one another(X) humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](Y) 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,(Z) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.(AA) 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.(AB) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.(AC) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,(AD) you are not under the law.(AE)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,(AF) impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.(AG) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.(AH)

22 But the fruit(AI) of the Spirit is love,(AJ) joy, peace,(AK) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.(AL) Against such things there is no law.(AM) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh(AN) with its passions and desires.(AO) 25 Since we live by the Spirit,(AP) let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited,(AQ) provoking and envying each other.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
  2. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
  3. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

For this “zman cheruteinu” (Pesach Haggadah Kiddush), Moshiach freed us; stand fast, therefore, and be not again bound by an ol (yoke) of avdut (slavery).

Hinei, I Sha’ul say to you, that if you Goyim undergo the bris milah, Moshiach will profit you nothing [3:12-14].

And I testify again to every one of you undergoing bris milah that such is chal (placed under obligation) to do the whole Torah.

You who want to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM ("justified with G-d") by chumra (legalism), [i.e., legal justification] by chukim of the Torah, are estranged from Moshiach, you at that point fall from the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.

For we by the Ruach Hakodesh eagerly await by emunah that for which we have tikvah, the Tzidkat Hashem (DANIEL 9:24).

For in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua neither bris milah is of any force nor the lack of it, but emunah working through ahavah (agape).

You [Goyim] were running well: who hindered you from being persuaded by HaEmes?

This persuasion is not of the One calling you.

A little chametz leavens all habatzek (the dough, T.N. see Pesach Haggadah).

10 I have bitachon, (confidence) in you in Adoneinu that you will think nothing other, but the one troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

11 But if I preach [to Goyim] the bris milah, Achim B’Moshiach, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the michshol (stumbling block) of [Moshiach’s] Etz (3:12-14; DEVARIM 21:23) has been abolished.

12 O if the ones (the mohalim of Goyim) troubling you would castrate themselves!

13 For, Achim B’Moshiach, you were called for “zman Cheruteinu” (5:1); only use not the Cherut for a pretext for the basar, but, through ahavah (agape), minister to one another as avadim (servants).

14 For the entire Torah has been summed up in one word: V’AHAVTA L’RE’ACHA KAMOCHA ("Love your neighbor as yourself" VAYIKRA 19:18).

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.

16 But I say, let your halakhah be by the Ruach HaKodesh, and by no means will you carry out the ta’avot (lusts) of the basar.

17 For the basar desires against the Ruach HaKodesh, and the Ruach HaKodesh desires against the basar—for these oppose each other—with the result that the things you wish you cannot do (Ro chp 7).

18 But if by the Ruach HaKodesh you are led, you are not under [epoch of] Torah.

19 Now the ma’asei habasar are manifest, dehainu (being:) zenut (fornication), tum’ah (impurity), zimmah (licentiousness),

20 Avodah zarah (idolatry), kashefanut (sorcery, witchcraft), eivot (enmities), merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), rogez (anger), anochiyut (selfishness), machalokot (dissensions), kitot (sects),

21 Tzarut ayin (envyings), shichrut (drunkenness), holelut (carousing) and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, as I said previously, that the ones practicing such things will not receive the nachalah (inheritance) of the Malchut Hashem.

22 But the p’ri of the Ruach HaKodesh is ahavah (agape), simcha (joy), shalom (peace), zitzfleisch (patience), nedivut (generosity, kindness), chesed (loving-kindness), ne’emanut (faithfulness),

23 Anavah (meekness, shiflut, lowliness), shlitah atzmi (self-control)...would you not agree?—against these things there is no isser (proscription in the Torah).

24 But the ones who are mekabel Moshiach Yehoshua have put to be talui al HaEtz (hanging on the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23) the basar with its teshukot (desires) and its ta’avot (lusts).

25 If we live by the Ruach HaKodesh, we should stay in line with the Derech HaYashar (Straight Way) of the Ruach HaKodesh.

26 Let us not become ba’alei ga’avah (conceited, haughty persons), provoking one another, envying one another.

Christian Liberty

(A)Stand[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a (B)yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that (C)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised (D)that he is [b]a debtor to keep the whole law. (E)You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; (F)you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly (G)wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For (H)in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but (I)faith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law

You (J)ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. (K)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, (L)why do I still suffer persecution? Then (M)the offense of the cross has ceased. 12 (N)I could wish that those (O)who trouble you would even [c]cut themselves off!

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only (P)do not use liberty as an (Q)opportunity for the flesh, but (R)through love serve one another. 14 For (S)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: (T)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

16 I say then: (U)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For (V)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, (W)so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But (X)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now (Y)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [d]adultery, [e]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [f]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that (Z)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But (AA)the fruit of the Spirit is (AB)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, (AC)goodness, (AD)faithfulness, 23 [g]gentleness, self-control. (AE)Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s (AF)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 (AG)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 (AH)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:1 NU For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore, and
  2. Galatians 5:3 obligated
  3. Galatians 5:12 mutilate themselves
  4. Galatians 5:19 NU omits adultery
  5. Galatians 5:19 sexual immorality
  6. Galatians 5:21 NU omits murders
  7. Galatians 5:23 meekness