Logos Bible Study

Galatians 5:16–25

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5:16But I say, live28 by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.295:17For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires30 that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to31 each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 5:18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 5:19Now the works of the flesh32 are obvious:33 sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 5:20idolatry, sorcery,34 hostilities,35 strife,36 jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions,37 factions, 5:21envying,38 murder,39 drunkenness, carousing,40 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!

5:22But the fruit of the Spirit41 is love,42 joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,435:23gentleness, and44 self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24Now those who belong to Christ45 have crucified the flesh46 with its passions47 and desires. 5:25If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with48 the Spirit.

Read in Logos
Galatians 5:25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 28 Grk “walk” (a common NT idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves).
  2. 29 On the term “flesh” (once in this verse and twice in v. 17) see the note on the same word in .
  3. 30 The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.
  4. 31 Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).
  5. 32 See the note on the word “flesh” in .
  6. 33 Or “clear,” “evident.”
  7. 34 Or “witchcraft.”
  8. 35 Or “enmities,” “[acts of] hatred.”
  9. 36 Or “discord” (L&N 39.22).
  10. 37 Or “discord(s)” (L&N 39.13).
  11. 38 This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.
  12. 39 φόνοι (phonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important as 𝔓46 א B 33 81 323 945 sa, while the majority of (A C D F G Ψ 0122 0278 1739 1881 𝔐 lat) have the word. Although the pedigree of the which lack the term is of the highest degree, homoioteleuton may well explain the shorter reading. The preceding word has merely one letter difference, making it quite possible to overlook this term (φθόνοι φόνοι, phthonoi phonoi).
  13. 40 Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).
  14. 41 That is, the fruit the Spirit produces.
  15. 42 Another way to punctuate this is “love” followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following “love” as defining love.
  16. 43 Or “reliability”; see πίστις 1.a.
  17. 44 “And” is supplied here as a matter of English style, which normally inserts “and” between the last two elements of a list or series.
  18. 45 Some (א A B C P Ψ 01221 0278 33 1175 1739 co) read “Christ Jesus” here, while many significant ones (𝔓46 D F G 0122*,2 latt sy), as well as the Byzantine text, lack “Jesus.” The Byzantine text is especially not prone to omit the name “Jesus”; that it does so here argues for the authenticity of the shorter reading (for similar instances of probably authentic Byzantine shorter readings, see Matt 24:36 and Phil 1:14; cf. also W.-H. J. Wu, “A Systematic Analysis of the Shorter Readings in the Byzantine Text of the Synoptic Gospels” [Ph.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002]). On the strength of the alignment of 𝔓46 with the Western and Byzantine texttypes, the shorter reading is preferred. includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
  19. 46 See the note on the word “flesh” in .
  20. 47 The Greek term παθήμασιν (pathēmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).
  21. 48 Or “let us also follow,” “let us also walk by.”