Humanitext Reader

New Testament · Galatians §5.1-5.26

Freedom in Christ and the Fruit of the Spirit

Passage 5 of 6 · Greek

Summary

Paul urges the Galatians to stand firm in the freedom of Christ rather than submitting to circumcision and the law, advising them to walk by the Spirit in love and listing the contrasting works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

§5.1Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν· στήκετε οὖν καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
§5.2Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει.
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
§5.3μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.
I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
§5.4κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.
You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
§5.5ἡμεῖς γὰρ πνεύματι ἐκ πίστεως ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
§5.6ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ [Ἰησοῦ] οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ πίστις διʼ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
§5.7Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς·
You were running well.
τίς ὑμᾶς ἐνέκοψεν ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι;
Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
§5.8ἡ πεισμονὴ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς.
This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
§5.9μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
§5.10ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε· ὁ δὲ ταράσσων ὑμᾶς βαστάσει τὸ κρίμα, ὅστις ἐὰν ᾖ.
I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
§5.11Ἐγὼ δέ, ἀδελφοί, εἰ περιτομὴν ἔτι κηρύσσω, τί ἔτι διώκομαι;
But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?
ἄρα κατήργηται τὸ σκάνδαλον τοῦ σταυροῦ.
In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
§5.12Ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται οἱ ἀναστατοῦντες ὑμᾶς.
I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
Ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἐκλήθητε, ἀδελφοί·
For you were called to freedom, brothers.
§5.13μόνον μὴ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν εἰς ἀφορμὴν τῇ σαρκί, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης δουλεύετε ἀλλήλοις·
Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
§5.14ὁ γὰρ πᾶς νόμος ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ πεπλήρωται, ἐν τῷ "Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. " §5.15εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
§5.16Λέγω δέ, πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
§5.17ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός, ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται, ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἐὰν θέλητε ταῦτα ποιῆτε.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
§5.18εἰ δὲ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
§5.19φανερὰ δέ ἐστιν τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός, ἅτινά ἐστιν πορνεία, ἀκαθαρσία, ἀσέλγεια, §5.20εἰδωλολατρία, φαρμακία, ἔχθραι, ἔρις, ζῆλος, θυμοί, ἐριθίαι, διχοστασίαι, αἱρέσεις,
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
§5.21φθόνοι, μέθαι, κῶμοι, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις, ἃ προλέγω ὑμῖν καθὼς προεῖπον ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
§5.22ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἀγάπη, χαρά, εἰρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, ἀγαθωσύνη, πίστις, §5.23πραΰτης, ἐγκράτεια· κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
§5.24οἱ δὲ τοῦ χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν σὺν τοῖς παθήμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
§5.25Εἰ ζῶμεν πνεύματι, πνεύματι καὶ στοιχῶμεν.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
§5.26μὴ γινώμεθα κενόδοξοι, ἀλλήλους προκαλούμενοι, ἀλλήλοις φθονοῦντες.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Notes

  1. §5.1Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ — The dative 'Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ' is interpreted here as a dative of purpose or destination ('for freedom'), emphasizing the state into which Christ has brought believers, which aligns with 'ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ' in verse 13. Alternatively, it could be understood as a dative of instrument ('with freedom'), but the purposive nuance is preferred in this context.
  2. §5.4κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ — This phrase combines the passive aorist indicative of 'καταργέω' (to make ineffective, separate) with the preposition 'ἀπό' (from). Literally meaning 'you have been made ineffective from Christ,' it describes a state of separation where the salvific relationship with Christ is severed. The passive voice indicates the divine consequence resulting from seeking justification by the law.
  3. §5.12Ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται — The particle 'ὄφελον' (originally derived from an aorist verb form) functions in the New Testament with the future indicative ('ἀποκόψονται') to express a strong, unattainable wish ('I wish that...'). Here, with the middle voice 'ἀποκόψονται' (cut themselves off, i.e., emasculate), it conveys Paul's sharp, sarcastic wish regarding the agitators who demand circumcision.
  4. §5.13μὴ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν εἰς ἀφορμὴν — This phrase features a grammatical ellipsis of the verb. Following the negative 'μή' used for prohibition, a hortatory or imperative verb such as 'τρέπητε' (turn) or 'δῶτε' (give) is supplied from the context to govern 'τὴν ἐλευθερίαν' (freedom). This ellipsis heightens the rhetorical urgency of the warning not to abuse freedom as a beachhead ('ἀφορμή') for the flesh.
  5. §5.17ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἐὰν θέλητε ταῦτα ποιῆτε — The conjunction 'ἵνα' can be interpreted as either expressing purpose ('in order that you might not...') or result ('with the result that you do not...'). While some view the conflict between flesh and Spirit as a purposeful design to restrain human will, it is more naturally understood here as indicating the inevitable result of their mutual opposition, which thwarts the believers' independent desires.

Cite this passage

New Testament, Galatians §5.1-5.26. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg009.humanitext-grc2:5.1-5.26

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