Galatians 5
1 Christ set us free for freedom,a so stand upb and do not be harnessed into enslavement’s yoke again. 2 Look. I, Paul, am telling you that if you get circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I testify again to every person getting circumcised that they are indebtedc to do Torah in its entirety. 4 Whoever is made just through Torah, your bond to Christ has been nullified;d you felle away from generosity. 5 You see, with the Life-breath, we diligently anticipate the hope—justice—that is from faithfulness. 6 With Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor having a foreskin has any power; on the contrary, what has power is faithfulness being accomplished through love.
7 You used to run the course beautifully. Who cut you off and pushed you away from the truth? 8 That push was not from the one calling you. 9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I have pushed you regarding Christ, that you would not adopt some other way of thinking, but the one who is distracting you will carry the burden of the verdict, whoever he is. 11 But, Family, if I am still promoting circumcision, why am I still being targeted? In that case, the cross as something that trips people up has been nullified; 12 I wish the ones distracting you would go ahead and cut themselves off!f
13 You were called to be in freedom, Family. Not freedom only for bodily impulses but instead to serve each other through love 14 because the whole Torah can be fully lived out with one saying. Here it is: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”g 15 However, if you are biting and feeding onh each other, watch out that you are not completely devoured.i
16 I’m telling you, walk withj the Life-breath, and do not satisfy impulsive bodilyk cravingsl 17 because the body craves things that are against the Life-breath. These things are in opposition with each other, so you must not just do whatever you want; 18 if you are led by the Life-breath, you are not under Torah. 19 Impulsive actions motivated by the bodym are easy to recognize: whatever is sexual exploitation, uncleanness,n lack of restraint,o 20 idolatry,p substance abuse,q hostilities, combativeness, fanaticism, aggression, combative competition, divisions, sectarianism, 21 envies, murder, alcohol abuse, unrestrained indulgence at celebrations, and other things like these. I predict for you, just like I already predicted, that those who practice these things will not inherit God’s Reign.r
22 On the other hand, the fruit of the Life-breath is love, joy, peace, patience, active kindness, beneficial living, faithfulness,s 23 gentleness, and self-restraint. Torah is not against these things. 24 Those who belong tot Christ crucified the bodily impulses along with its suffering and cravings. 25 If we are alive through the Life-breath, we should also walk in line with the Life-breath; 26 we should not become people who project an empty reputation, posturing towardu each other, being envious of each other.
FOOTNOTES:
a Both ‘set free,’ eleutheroo, and ‘freedom,’ eleutheria, are the same root as ‘free woman,’ eleuthras, in Chapter 4.
b Literally, ‘stand’ but with a sense of resistance or perseverance. ‘Take a stand/take your stand’ could also work.
c Literally, ‘a debtor.’ Most translations use something like ‘obligated to obey,’ but while it interprets it in a way that works for the context, it misses a major point of why this specific word was chosen. The KJV and NKJV keep it, but every other translation I have checked does not. The problem is that debt is an important metaphor throughout scripture and it is routinely applied in a way that guides literal debt forgiveness. Here, what is in view is the common practice of the time of working off debt through enslavement when what is owed cannot be paid back any other way. That concept is what is in view throughout Paul’s discussion of being enslaved to Torah vs. free with Christ.
d Compare to Galatians 3:17, Galatians 5:11.
e Like after being pushed. Strong’s clarifies the meaning as being specifically about “be driven out of one’s course.”
f Literally, ‘cut off’ or ‘amputate.’ Several translations read ‘castrate.’ It is appropriate in some ways, but it seems in context less about a physical operation on part of their own bodies and more about removing themselves from the body of Christ, and he says it with word play based on the context of discussing circumcision.
g Quotation of Leviticus 19:18
h The word literally means ‘eat up’ or ‘consume’ or ‘devour.’ It gives an image of stripping everything away without care for what is being eaten or others who might be dining. In this context, it’s a pretty clear parallel to what it might mean to freely indulge wants in contrast with loving each other.
i Or ‘destroyed’ or ‘used up’
j There is no preposition in the Greek here to guide what English preposition to use, but pneumati is in the dative case, meaning it is an indirect object, and indirect objects need a preposition in English.
k ‘Bodily impulses’ and ‘impulsive, bodily’ are translating the use of sarx, traditionally ‘flesh.’ Literally, it has to do with the stuff that comprises a body, the tissue that makes up bodies. It can also be used to represent family connection, as in ‘my flesh and blood.’ In this context, the author seems to be using it to describe shortsighted satiation of impulsive urges that originate in the body.
l This verb is the same as Matthew 5:28 (with an implication of desiring a woman with a sense of entitlement or ownership over her) and Matthew 13:17. Jesus also uses it referring to himself in Luke 22:15, so it should not be interpreted as a wrong action to desire or long for anything. The specific manner and object of desire makes a difference.
m Traditionally, ‘flesh.’ Sarx here is translated as ‘impulsive… motivated by the body.’
n Ritually unclean, or two-faced?
o Impulsiveness? - it is the negative form of the word for ‘self-control’ in verse 23.
p Such as toward Wealth in Matthew 6
q Traditionally, ‘sorcery.’ The Greek is pharmakeia, where we get the English ‘pharmacy.’ It implies the use of chemicals, probably specifically in the tradition of idol worship, yet if we are taking this list to be about unhealthy desires, substance abuse certainly fits the list, though it’s difficult to say how appropriate it is for this word specifically. The original etymology meant ‘poisoning’ and was also related to the word for medicine. As today, the same substances applied carefully for medicinal effect could also be abused and used with destructive effect. Using alcohol or hallucinogens in religious ceremonies was common in the ancient world, and in fact, in and hear the region of Galatia, such practices existed, such as at sanctuaries of Asclepius the god of healing, which were located at Kos, Pergamon, and other places the audience of Galatians might have the opportunity to be exposed to such practices.
r Compare Galatians 5:19-21 with Matthew 5:3-12
s Pistis, ‘faith’ ‘trust’ ‘commitment’
t The Greek Christou is a genitive here, and most loosely is ‘of Christ.’ Translators must determine what linguistic, syntactical function the genitive case is playing here. Genitive of possession is often assumed here, so that something like ‘Christ’s people’ or ‘those who belong to Christ’ is the resulting translation. Another option that it is showing what the word in the genitive, christou, is comprised of. The immediate sentences do not provide much context to give direction. The theme of Christ setting people free, presumably by purchasing them as debt-slaves and then cancelling their debt and releasing them, works here and would be the implication of ‘those who belong to Christ.’ Another possibility is a metaphor that was used in Galatians 3:26-29 that it is those who comprise Christ, and the translation would be ‘those who are part of Christ.’ Both meanings would be supported by the larger context and could be appropriate to the grammar.
u Or ‘provoking’