Goodness and kindness are likewise determined by actions involving others outside the person of the believer. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'll show you what I can do. Galatians 5:1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. I think this will be evident from Galatians 5:2–5. Another example is Romans 5:21, "As sin reigned in death, grace also will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." All the other points climax in this. Go to, To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use our convenient. In this chapter, Paul addresses three major things. EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: Paul established the church in Galatia (4:13-14), but had moved on. Some of you thought you wouldn’t live long enough, but we made it. This verse teaches that the mindset of slavery is the mindset of a debtor—one who is under pressure to pay back what he has borrowed or needs to borrow. "If you get circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing." And he usually says, "Will you help me please, Daddy?" Commentary on Galatians 5:13-15 (Read Galatians 5:13-15) The gospel is a doctrine according to godliness, 1 Timothy 6:3, and is so far from giving the least countenance to sin, that it lays us under the strongest obligation to avoid and subdue it. 5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Freedom from Jewish observances did not mean freedom to indulge in things forbidden, which Paul would promptly enumerate. Galatians 5:1(NASB) Verse Thoughts. Copyright StatementJames Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. Uncompromising, unrelenting, indomitable freedom. To be sure, people do not like this verse, rendering it "faith inspired by love" (New English Bible margin), or otherwise avoiding the word "working" as they would strive to avoid the plague! "The priests of Cybele, whom the Galatians had formerly worshipped,"[13] made themselves eunuchs. Intensely personal and dramatic, this appeal was intended to affirm in the most dogmatic and positive way possible the truth which he was uttering. [12] David Lipscomb, A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles, Galatians (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, n.d.), p. 260. Paul in this summarized his teaching of the last three chapters preceding this (Galatians 5:1-5), and then distinguished between the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit, appealing to the Galatians to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:6-26).For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage. That is, do not let the Judaizers bewitch you into thinking that circumcision or any other outward act of obedience can be offered to God as a benefit to him, which he must then reward with some payment. By faith ... has the meaning here of "by the Christian religion." Highlight All Reset Print. Galatians 5:1-6. For this he sent his Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. I can say, "No, you pick them up, and get it done in two minutes or there will be trouble!" three different times thus: Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision ... but a new creature (Galatians 6:15). Although there is no evidence that any of the Galatians had done that, it may be inferred from 1 Corinthians 7:18,19 that some at Corinth had gone that far; and as MacKnight said, "Apostate Jews fancied that by such actions they could free themselves of their obligation to keep the Law of Moses. [16] William M. Ramsay, A Historical Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1965), p. 447. Commentary, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Sarah Henrich, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013. Most of these wonderful virtues are subjective, lying within the hearts of Christians, but kindness, goodness and faithfulness are, at least in their manifestation, objective qualities. The key to freedom is to keep depending on grace. He offers his fellowship and help, and even makes the life of obedience a life of joy. | 1,080 views. 2 Mark my words! It is called the "Gratitude Ethic." To have Christ in us is to have it, etc., etc. The key to freedom is whether God comes down to help us do what he requires and whether we live by faith in that work of grace. The question is how are we waiting: as free or as slaves? The apostle Paul did not list tongue-speaking, charismatic experiences, visions, premonitions, and things like that as being connected in any manner with the "fruit of the Spirit." Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Learn more today! If Christ is in you ... the spirit is life (Romans 8:10). The current conception is so obsessed with "Spirit in us" that they are reluctant to admit that it is also true the other way around, we being "in the Spirit." Paul went up to Jerusalem, "but even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek, but because of false brethren (probably the Judaizers), secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage—to them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you." He would opt for legalism over grace and slavery over freedom. Howard observed that "This, in capsule form, is his contention throughout the entire argument. But what is grace? Video Galatians 5:16-26; Life in the Spirit: To experience true freedom in our relationships with one another, we must reflect the fruit of the Spirit. He is author of. From the above citations, there can be no way to avoid the truth that Christians are in Christ, and Christ is in Christians. All the works of the law (including circumcision) are the currency with which the Judaizers aim to satisfy their debts to God. Galatians chapter 5, we’re going to be talking about freedom, born to be free. (16-18) Using liberty to walk in holy living. The question of true justification does not regard such a thing in any manner whatever. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. We’re finally in chapter 5 of Galatians. Genuine gratitude is not the feeling of having to pay back. Welcome/Prayer Objectives of Lesson: • To recognize the ways in which we submit to the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1-18 New International Version (NIV) Freedom in Christ. The whole epistle argues grace more from the Christian viewpoint than the non-Christian. We are not perfect yet, so we still *sin. This is the hope we wait for and long for. And Paul says that if you try to earn dividends from Christ from your own investment of circumcision or dietary rules or feast days, Christ will profit you nothing. In the original text, which I have adopted in accordance with the best MS. authority, the first clause of this verse is clearly detached from the second στήκετε οὖν, and attached to the preceding ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας without any connecting particle. It says that God has done so much for me that I will devote my life to paying back my debt, even though I know I will never be able to completely. They would impose the whole corpus of Jewish law-keeping on the Christian converts of Galatia; and in the process, the gospel of Christ would be totally neglected and replaced. We can't even begin to pay God back because the slightest movement toward him is a new gift from him. The Spirit ... dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11). He has the freedom of joy and feels no oppressive burden on his back. Galatians 5:1 Context. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law (literally: that he is a debtor to do the whole law)." The pursuit of sacred studies, the thinking of loving and generous thoughts and the soul's welcome of the thoughts and attitudes of the Saviour, all of these things coming from the indwelling Spirit but remaining only if they are desired and welcomed - all of these things "lust against the flesh." The "law" in view here is the "law of Christ," mentioned again in Galatians 6:2. I say this is surprising because there is a very common view of Christian behavior which this verse contradicts. There were exceptions to this rule, for Paul himself had been circumcised; and what is meant is "that circumcision with any view to its aiding or leading to one's justification would be a denial of Christ, a repudiation of the Christian gospel and the forsaking of Christianity." Freedom is worth … Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul says circumcision is wrong and displeases God and non-circumcision is right and pleases God. "[3] Of course, this is true; and the allegation that Paul was, in these chapters, displaying a brand new conception of being saved "by faith only" is absolutely foreign to the entire Galatian letter, and the whole New Testament. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Galatians 5:1, 13-25. Therefore, we must never try to relate to God as a debtor trying to pay back a debt, no matter how thankfully. Even though there is a sense in which we are already justified by faith in Christ and clothed with his righteousness (Romans 5:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30), the final judgment lies before us at which the final verdict will be spoken and we will be made fully and ethically righteous. This threefold summary of what does avail, as contrasted with circumcision or uncircumcision which do not avail, should be pondered by all who seek to be known of the Lord and to stand with Christ "in that day." Galatians 5:1-6 Christ Died to Set us Free From Laws And Regulations. [11] J. R. 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