Galatians 5

1 Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore stand firm and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again.

Arguments against being circumcised

2 Look, I, Paul, am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, having Christ won’t help you.3 Again I swear to every man who has himself circumcised that he is required to do the whole Law.4 You people who are trying to be made righteous by the Law have been estranged from Christ. You have fallen away from grace!5 We eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith.

6 Being circumcised or not being circumcised doesn’t matter in Christ Jesus, but faith working through love does matter.
7 You were running well—who stopped you from obeying the truth?8 This line of reasoning doesn’t come from the one who calls you.9 A little yeast works through the whole lump of dough.10 I’m convinced about you in the Lord that you won’t think any other way. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever that may be.11 Brothers and sisters, if I’m still preaching circumcision, why am I still being harassed? In that case, the offense of the cross would be canceled.

12 I wish that the ones who are upsetting you would castrate themselves!
13 You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love.14 All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself .t

15 But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!

Two different ways of living

16 I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires.17 A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do.18 But if you are being led by the Spirit, you aren’t under the Law.19 The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good,20 idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry,

21 jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with its passions and its desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit.

26 Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.

Galatians 5

Freedom of the Believer

1 For freedomt Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yokes of slavery.2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!3 And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obeyt the whole law.4 You who are trying to be declared righteoust by the law have been alienatedt from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.t
7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeyingt the truth?8 This persuasiont does not come from the one who calls you!9 A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise!t10 I am confidentt in the Lord that you will accept no other view.t But the one who is confusingt you will pay the penalty,t whoever he may be.11 Now, brothers and sisters,t if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?s In that case the offense of the crosss has been removed.t

12 I wish those agitatorst would go so far as tot castrate themselves!t

Practice Love

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;t only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh,t but through love serve one another.t14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment,t namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”s15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another,t beware that you are not consumedt by one another.16 But I say, livet by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.t17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desirest that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition tot each other, so that you cannot do what you want.18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesht are obvious:t sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,20 idolatry, sorcery,t hostilities,t strife,t jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions,t factions,

21 envying,t murder,s drunkenness, carousing,t and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
22 But the fruit of the Spiritt is love,s joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,t23 gentleness, andt self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Now those who belong to Christs have crucified the flesht with its passionst and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance witht the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited,t provokingt one another, being jealoust of one another.