Gal. 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
"Stand fast" - be confident, hold on to what you have, be firm
Paul is saying that Christ came to give us freedom. He would not want us to go back under the slavery of the law. (e.g., We can go to church on any day of the week.)
Being "entangled" brings to mind getting caught up in something that hinders you; the idea of a situation being made more difficult. That is what bondage to the law does; it puts a bunch of "stuff" in the way of what should be a simple FOCUS—to imitate Jesus. Again, a "yoke" implies something that is forced and uncomfortable to lead you down a path of someone else's choosing. "Bondage" is obvious; it's slavery; it’s not serving from a heart of love.
I really liked Guzik’s statement regarding our freedom in Christ; it is “freedom from the tyranny of having to earn our own way to God, the freedom from sin and guilt and condemnation, freedom from the penalty and the power and eventually freedom from the presence of sin.”
Gal. 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
The issue is circumcision. It's not that circumcision is a wrong thing to do; it is the reason, the motive for being circumcised that is the problem. If they are responding to pressure from others to be circumcised because the law demands it, then they are negating what Christ did on the cross. He fulfilled the whole law. They no longer have to try and keep the law. All they have to do is accept the provision that Christ made for them through His death and resurrection. Getting circumcised will not get them any closer to salvation. It will not give them any more power in their lives. They need to recognize Christ as sufficient for all their needs.
Gal. 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
You have a choice. If you choose to accept the law in one point, you have to obey the whole law.
Gal. 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Law and grace do not mix; it's like oil and water. By choosing to accept Christ's provision of salvation, you are covered by His grace. He has paid the sin debt; no other sacrifice is necessary. If you choose to serve the law, then you are basically saying, “I don't need Jesus; He didn't do enough; I need to add to what He did.” That is wrong. His grace is sufficient, period. People who make the choice to turn from faith to works fall in the category of people described by John.
1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
Gal. 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
I think Paul's emphasis here is looking toward the time when we will be complete in the LORD. We are covered by the righteousness of Jesus now, but we still have the sin nature and struggle with temptation. We often fail along the way. But through the Holy Spirit (the Comforter, the Encourager, the Empowerer) by faith (being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, Hebrews 11:1) we look forward to the time when we will be complete in righteousness—without the sin nature, no more problem with temptation, no more questioning of our motives and intents when we are clothed in our glorified bodies.
Wiersbe: “No man could become a rebel who depends on God’s grace, yields to God’s Spirit, lives for others, and seeks to glorify God. The legalist is the one who eventually rebels, because he is living in bondage, depending on the flesh, living for self, and seeking the praise of men and not the glory of God.
Gal. 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Paul is basically saying - It doesn't matter what YOU do or don't do (circumcised or not). What matters is what JESUS has done—it's your faith working for you, resting in His love and provision.
Important to note is that true faith works as motivated by love. This is the key point in the epistle by James.
James 2:17-18 & 26 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works….For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Gal. 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
I guess my paraphrase here is -- You were doing great; what made you think you had to change what you were doing or how you were going about it? Who convinced you to change your mind and ignore the truth?
Gal. 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Whoever it was, they did not rightly represent the LORD, the One who has called you and set you apart.
Gal. 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Powerful truth - A LITTLE leaven leaventh the whole lump—and we know that in scripture leaven represents sin. Just as leaven quickly permeates the whole loaf of bread, a little sin left unchecked and tolerated will begin to spread and spread.
Gal. 5:10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
Paul is confident that the Galatians will recognize the truth. How is he confident? In the LORD. He knows that God, through the Spirit, will show them the truth (if they are sincerely seeking it). He is also confident that the one who is trying to turn them away from the truth with a lie and destroy their freedom will be judged by God. This is true of every person seeking to turn believers away from the truth of God’s word.
Gal. 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
Paul is appealing to their common sense. If I (Paul) am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? (My message has not changed.) I would no longer be offensive if I no longer preached that Jesus' death on the cross is sufficient.
In other words, Paul is saying that if I agreed that you needed something else besides the finished work of the cross, I would not be persecuted. The fact that I am still persecuted tells you that I am still preaching the sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Gal. 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
Well, when I first read the King James it seems obvious that Paul is wishing the false teacher dead—or at least out of the picture. When I read the NASB and NIV they seemed to indicate that since circumcision has been the problem, Paul wishes that the false teachers were emasculated or mutilated themselves. Whatever—I know he is not wishing them well. I think this would be called righteous anger. He is jealous for his children in the faith and expressing his anger forcefully, BUT he is not acting on it. That is left to the LORD.
Gal. 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
"called unto liberty" - my paraphrase, singled out for freedom.
You would think that the Galatian believers would be so tired of watching their every little step according to the law (especially as it had been so expanded by the Jewish religious leaders) that they would revel in their freedom. Then he quickly goes on to remind them that this freedom is to be used for good, to serve one another in love—not for selfish indulgence of the lusts of the flesh.
Gal. 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Summing up the law - Love thy neighbor as thyself. Now we know that when the LORD was asked about the greatest command (Matt 22), He gave 2 commands as comprising the whole of the law.
Loving the LORD God with all your heart, soul and mind
Loving your neighbor as yourself.
He also said that the second was like unto the first. I think the key is that you can't love your neighbor as yourself without first loving God with all your heart, soul and mind. It goes against our very nature. We can only choose to love unselfishly through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Gal. 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
The warning from Paul is that if you continue to "bite and devour one another," you'll end up being "consumed" by one another. This is pretty descriptive language. “Bites” indicate small actions that end up destroying the whole. It doesn't have to be what we call big sins (like murder, etc.); it can be the "little" sins (gossip, "white lies," etc.)
Gal. 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Now Paul reminds them that they can have victory over the flesh through the Spirit. The key is to walk in the Spirit. This pictures a continual process of forward progress. How do we do this? By taking heed to the Word of God.
Psalm 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
The statement is firm. If you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. As the scripture says, you cannot serve two masters.
Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
There is a choice involved. If you are giving in to the lusts of the flesh, you have made a choice to ignore the leading of the Spirit (if you are a believer).
Gal. 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Paul continues his argument. The things that bring up desire in the flesh are very different from the desires produced in us by the Spirit. I actually like the way the New Living Translation puts it---"The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict."
This is definitely a place for another excerpt from Romans.
Rom. 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom. 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
How loving of the Spirit to have Paul include these two verses in this letter to the Romans. Most of us consider Paul as one of the greatest Christians to ever live—still in this body of flesh he struggled with sin. He was just like you and me. He struggled with making the right choices. He wanted to choose what was pleasing to God, but sometimes he made the wrong choices anyway. He wanted to avoid doing things that were displeasing to God, but sometimes he did those wrong things. The new creation Paul is able to understand that the law is good to identify his sin and provide loving guidelines and boundaries for his actions.
I found a quote from Steve Brown when reading his book “A Scandalous Freedom” that applies here: “The Apostle Paul gives his testimony in Romans 7 about the state of his life. (Some suggest Paul talks here about his past experience, but the last time I checked, both Paul and God knew about verb tenses. If Paul had been describing his experience in the past, where the statute of limitations had run out, he would have said so.)”
Rom. 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
As believers, we are new creations in Christ. Until we experience physical death (or the rapture), we are housed in the old body of flesh that still possesses the sin nature. Paul is saying that when he sins, he is yielding to the temptations of his flesh, the sin nature; it is not the desire of the new creature in Christ that is the spirit of Paul, the true Paul.
I have a quote from somewhere in my notes that applies here: “Sin dwelling does not equal sin ruling, but it is a force to reckon with.”
Rom. 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom. 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom. 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom. 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
This section seems to be making a stronger statement of the truth of verses 15-17. In these verses Paul identifies what he wants to do as “good” and what he does not want to do as “evil.” That is a principle that has helped me—learn to call your sin what it is; don’t candy-coat it. You need to see sin in your life as something evil.
Paul can honestly say that his desire is to do good, but the influence of his sin nature is always pulling him toward doing evil. He addresses this same problem in his letter to the Galatians (5:16-18 & 24-25).
The key to overcoming the lust of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit. The obvious question becomes how to learn to walk in the Spirit. The key is in submitting to our “new husband”—Jesus Christ. Paul is going to address this subject further in the next chapter. The key in being able to submit is a matter of love—and love is a choice. The LORD summed it all up by identifying two commandments as the greatest.
Mark 12:29-31 “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
[end excerpt]
Gal. 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Then he reminds them again that if you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, you are free from the law. The Spirit will not lead you into any area that causes anything or anyone to be your master other than Jesus.
Gal. 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal. 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal. 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Now Paul decides to give a pretty exhaustive list of the works of the flesh. This leaves no room for equivocation. It would be obvious to begin a list of fleshly sins with those relating to sex (adultery and fornication). I decided check the Greek meaning of the word for the following:
uncleanness - This implies impurity either physically or morally. If something is impure, it is "tainted, impaired or infected" according to good old Webster; so this covers a lot of ground.
Lasciviousness refers to anything that excites lustful desires.
Idolatry - We know that this includes more than the obvious worship of an image; it's anything that occupies the priority position in our life that rightfully belongs to God.
Witchcraft in the Greek is from the root word "pharmakeia," i.e., medication, drugs, magic and sorcery. Magic is the use of charms, spells and rituals in seeking to control or cause events. Sorcery adds the implication of using "evil supernatural power" to effect your magic. (I've never stopped to research all of these words before. It is pretty enlightening.)
Hatred indicates hostile opposition, strong dislike or ill will.
Variance refers to quarreling, contention, debate or strife (Greek); an active disagreement or dispute (Webster).
Emulations indicates an unfavorable zeal such as jealousy and envy.
Wrath is a fierce passion and indignation (Greek); describes actions that are carried out with intense anger, rage or fury for punishment or vengeance.
Strife refers to stimulating or provoking anger.
Seditions refers to causing dissension and division.
Heresies add the dimension of choice, making a purposeful decision to cause these divisions. Webster further defines heresy as any belief opposed to the "orthodox doctrines of the church" or any opinion opposed to official or established doctrine.
Envyings implies causing to spoil, ruin, corrupt, defile or destroy thru ill will, jealousy or envy.
Murders - obvious.
Drunkenness is intoxication that results in loss of self control.
Revellings implies rioting, carousal (as if letting loose) (Greek); and Webster adds that it is drinking much alcoholic liquor with others to have a noisy, merry time.
"And such like" seems to serve as a catch all for any area related in any way to the above. It's interesting to me to note how the different words provide a complete description of actions and motives.
After making this detailed list, Paul makes clear that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The word "do" comes from the Greek "prasso" which means to practice or perform repeatedly or habitually. A Christian can and will sin; but a servant of the LORD will not practice sin.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal. 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal. 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
In contrast, Paul now states that the fruit of the Spirit is love. "Fruit" is singular. Love is the fruit that comprises the rest of the list. Without love—which comes only from God (I John 4:7-8)—we cannot reflect the virtues that follow.
Joy (cheerfulness, calm delight)
peace (quietness, rest)
longsuffering (forbearance, fortitude, patience)
gentleness (excellence in character or demeanor)
goodness (virtue, beneficence--doing good, being charitable)
faith (moral conviction of the truthfulness of God; reliance upon Christ for salvation; assurance; fidelity)
meekness (humility)
temperance (self control).
There is no law against any of these virtues and attitudes. They can only be obtained through the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You can't have the Holy Spirit without accepting the gift of salvation, which in turn is accepting Jesus as LORD of your life. The Spirit will never lead you into the works of the flesh. When you submit to the LORD, He will lead you into producing good fruit, the fruit of love.
Those who belong to Christ have crucified (put to death; made it of no effect; extinguished passion and selfishness) the flesh and its affections (influences) and lusts.
Gal. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
To live in the Spirit implies that we are abiding and dwelling in the safety and security of the Holy Spirit with confidence in the power He gives us to defeat sin. To walk in the Spirit implies that we are moving with purpose and with a goal in mind to be all we can and should be for the LORD. Movement attracts attention. It will either cause others to want to follow us or avoid us.
Gal. 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
This verse closes with a reminder not to be boastful or provoke one another or envy one another. One of the greatest dangers a Christian faces is becoming boastful of who He is as others recognize him/her for their good deeds, attitudes, etc. It's very easy to get sidetracked into performing instead of serving. Motive is so easily impacted by pride. It's something I pray about, that God will make me sensitive in any area of service in which I find myself. I often wish I could be an invisible servant to avoid that pitfall, but then you miss the privilege of encouraging others by example. It's like you are on a continual tightrope. (The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9)
It's also easy as a Christian to find yourself provoking one another when you think you have the answer and someone else hasn’t. Again, pride comes into play.
Finally, Christians will often find themselves in a position of envy when comparing themselves to other Christians. They wonder why God won't use them in a more visible and powerful way. Everyone wants to be the head or heart or hand or foot; no one wants to be the capillary or little toe or fingernail.
Gal. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
We are continuing the thought from the last chapter. Again, the word Brethren is referring to those of the same spirit connection, believers. "If" - I think this is an important word since it shows that we don't have to yield to the temptation to sin. We have power through the Spirit to overcome.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
However, the probability is that we are going to fail along the way. When that happens to one of our fellow believers, we are to "restore" them in meekness (or gentleness another translation says). The implication is "but for the grace of God go I." So we should not be self-righteous, but we should confront in love.
Courson: “How much of our day is spent analyzing the faults and shortcomings of others? The answer is a good barometer of where we stand spiritually. The carnal man wants to reveal. The spiritual man wants to restore.”
Gal. 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
"Bear ye one another's burdens" - We are to take care of the body, those who are part of the household of faith. We are all part of one body, so we need to care about what is happening to any member of the body. It affects us.
Romans 12:5 “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
That is one of the sad things about the church today. We all seem to stay in our own little areas. The denomination system has divided the body of Christ (much more than just Jew or Gentile). It makes it harder to share in one another's burdens, since we are so divided in spirit. We tolerate more than we care for one another as part of THE body. Christ is not divided. His church cannot be divided. It must grieve His Spirit terribly to see how we have become such a weak body of testimony because of these divisions. Can you imagine if we were all united in the Spirit to reflect Jesus through unity in the Word. The fact that there are so many divisions is because man has considered his thinking higher than God's. We are always adding to it or compromising with it to our own selfish purposes. We would fulfill the law of Christ if we were functioning as one healthy body. (I think my recent reading in Corinthians is coming through.)
Gal. 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
My paraphrase - Not one of us is better than another. We may think we are someone special; but in God's eyes, we are all on equal footing. We deceive ourselves if we think otherwise. The implication is that none of us is "too good" to help ANY other member of the body.
Courson: “It has been wisely said that to determine how important you are, stick your finger into a bucket of water, pull it out, and see how long it takes to fill the hole.”
Gal. 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
This verse is a bit harder. I think it is saying that we are not to compare ourselves to one another. We are to look at our own actions. If there is a reason to rejoice after that examination, then rejoice; but don't rejoice because you think your actions put you in a better light than someone else's actions. We are each responsible to the LORD as individuals.
Gal. 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
The bottom line is that we are each responsible for our own actions and responses to the temptations and trials that come our way. God is molding us as individuals.
At first reading, this verse sounds a bit contradictory to verse two, but it really isn't. We are responsible as individuals. But how much more we reflect the Savior when we choose to care for one another as part of one body.
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
As I was writing this thought, it made me rethink the phrase the "law of Christ" in verse two. I think that it is interesting that he would use this terminology. Christ is the term for the Messiah, the anointed one, THE sacrifice for our sin. Christ was totally committed in obedience and love to provide for His brethren. Should we care any less for His brethren—our brothers and sisters in the faith?
Wiersbe: “The legalist is always harder on other people that he is himself, but the Spirit-led Christian demands more of himself than he does of others that he might be able to help others.”
Gal. 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
This verse certainly was worded differently in all four translations in my Bible. I think the key is that we are to show our gratitude to and support for those who teach us the Word. We should share the truths and blessings we are taught through the Word. (This is one of the reasons for my website.)
Gal. 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Paul gives a warning for the Galatians not to be deceived. You can’t fool God; he is aware of your actions and your motives. You will reap what you sow.
Gal. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
If your efforts are spent in gratifying the flesh, then that will be your only gratification. The flesh is reference to the sinful nature. You will reap the consequences of your sin—corruption (KJV & NASB), destruction (NIV), decay and death (NLT). They are all correct interpretations according to the Greek. On the other hand, if your efforts are spent in living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit (which you can only do if you are a child of God), you will enjoy everlasting life. And that is abundant life—not just an existence. True life is only experienced in fellowship with the Father through the provision of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Gal. 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Then Paul gives a reminder for his very “human” listeners. He warns them not to get weary in well doing, because the time of reaping will come if we don’t give up. It’s so true. Our whole nature is to want God to meet our expectations in our timing. We tend to want our reward immediately. Then we begin to doubt God when He doesn’t respond in the way we expect Him to when we expect Him to. We need to work at being clay in the hands of The Potter and resting in the fact that He will work His will – His good will for us to bring Him glory – in the perfect time.
Gal. 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
“Therefore” - Based on the promise in the previous verse, we should take every opportunity to do good to ALL men. Our acts of kindness, proving ourselves good employees to our employers, showing patience in difficult situations, responding in love when we are mistreated, etc., are not only earning us rewards, they are also giving the lost world around us a picture of how the Savior can make your life full and peaceful. Such a testimony speaks loudly to those who are lost.
We are to show special care for the brothers and sisters of faith. Again, we come back to the scenario of being one body. When one part of the body is weakened, it affects the ministry of the whole. We need to guard our testimony and ministry to bring the most honor to Jesus and keep the body as healthy as possible.
This reflects the desire that Jesus had for us when He was praying in John 17. He prayed that we would “all be one: as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me,” verse 21. He is still waiting for that prayer to be answered—and it will be…..in God’s time.
Gal. 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
It’s interesting that Paul called this a letter; I call it a book!! I think its length does indicate that he cares a great deal that they completely understand his message; he is trying to be as clear as possible.
Gal. 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Gal. 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
I like the way the NLT puts it—“Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save.”
That’s probably the root cause for all the divisions that we have today. Personal motivations. For whatever reason. No one likes to stand alone, so they want to convince a crowd to go with them.
Regarding the Galatians and those confronting them, Paul is reminding them that even those that are circumcised are not keeping the law. They just want you to be circumcised so that they claim you as part of their group.
Gal. 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
“But God forbid that I should glory” – Paul is telling them that he is not trying to claim them as “prizes” that he won. His only reason for glory is the cross of Christ. He is eager for Christ to get the glory through their faith in His provision alone.
“by whom the world is crucified unto me” – Paul is saying that the things of the world are not important to him. His focus is on “things above.” As far as he is concerned he is dead to the world; his citizenship is in heaven.
Gal. 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, it doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or uncircumcised (in the flesh). He is looking for you to become a new creature.
2Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
This means someone completely different, new. This new creation is spiritual—not physical. That’s why it is circumcision of the heart that is important. Circumcision of the flesh has no effect on the spirit.
Romans 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Gal. 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Those who believe that Christ is sufficient and live accordingly – as new creations - will have peace and mercy.
“the Israel of God” – This phrase made me stop and think. I think the “Israel of God” is a reference to the spiritual nation of Israel that now includes Gentile believers. Does this mean that the nation of Israel has been replaced by the church? No! God keeps His covenants. There are still promises that God will fulfill that He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David regarding physical blessings to the descendants of Abraham through Jacob and the rule of the house of David. It just means that “the Israel of God” (that includes all people with faith in God) are partakers of the spiritual blessings associated with being part of God’s family.
Gal. 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Paul is weary with having to defend himself over and over again. He shouldn’t have to. The marks and scars on his body are proof enough of his commitment to the truth he preaches. They prove he is a bondslave to Jesus.
Gal. 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Paul has finished. He is wishing the grace of “our Lord Jesus Christ” to be with them. “Our” and “Brethren” tie together. They are not brethren if they are not united in Christ.
I just thought I’d include these entries on the word grace from Strongs. I especially like the phrase “divine influence upon the heart.”
5485. charis, khar´-ece; from 5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
To the Galatians written from Rome.