Galatians 5:13-15
New Living Translation
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[a] 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
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Galatians 5:13-15
New English Translation
Practice Love
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;[a] only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh,[b] but through love serve one another.[c] 14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment,[d] namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”[e] 15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another,[f] beware that you are not consumed[g] by one another.
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- Galatians 5:13 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
- Galatians 5:13 tn Grk “as an opportunity for the flesh”; BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24; …Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”
- Galatians 5:13 tn It is possible that the verb δουλεύετε (douleuete) should be translated “serve one another in a humble manner” here, referring to the way in which slaves serve their masters (see L&N 35.27).
- Galatians 5:14 tn Or “can be fulfilled in one commandment.”
- Galatians 5:14 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
- Galatians 5:15 tn That is, “if you are harming and exploiting one another.” Paul’s metaphors are retained in most modern translations, but it is possible to see the meanings of δάκνω and κατεσθίω (daknō and katesthiō, L&N 20.26 and 88.145) as figurative extensions of the literal meanings of these terms and to translate them accordingly. The present tenses here are translated as customary presents (“continually…”).
- Galatians 5:15 tn Or “destroyed.”
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