5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free This statement summarizes Paul’s arguments in Gal 3 and 4. The freedom given by Christ liberates believers from the law.

yoke of slavery In Jewish tradition, the image of the yoke was often used to describe the law’s role of guiding people in righteousness (as is seen in the rabbinic work Mishnah Abot 3:5; compare Matt 11:29–30). Paul redirects this imagery to clarify the law’s effect now that Christ has come: It does not lead or teach people anymore, but instead enslaves them (Gal 4:3, 8).

Slavery in the First Century

5:2 if you become circumcised If the Galatians allowed themselves to be circumcised, they would nullify Christ’s work on their behalf, since His death had already redeemed them from the law (4:4–5).

profit you nothing Paul does not mean that (circumcised) Jews cannot become believers or that Christ’s value can be diminished by the law. His point is that anyone who insists on living under the law fails to trust in Christ. For Paul, Christ’s work is completely sufficient in the life of the believer. Therefore, to trust in the value of circumcision is to diminish the worth of Christ.

5:3 to keep the whole law Paul’s repetition of this point conveys his feeling of urgency (3:2–5).

5:4 attempting to be justified by the law Here Paul equates submission to circumcision with the attempt to be justified by the law. Seeking to be justified by means outside of Christ is foreign to the gospel message, and results in estrangement from Christ.

you have fallen from grace If someone depends on the law for justification, they have effectively rejected God’s gift of grace in Christ.

5:5 we eagerly await the hope of righteousness The Greek word used here for “hope,” elpis, does not refer to something uncertain. Rather, it refers to the believer’s anticipation of God’s future deliverance of His people, whom He has made righteous.

5:6 neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision God’s gift of the Holy Spirit confirms believers’ status as His children (compare Rom 8:14–16) and empowers them to obey God. God’s people are no longer defined by their keeping of the law; rather, their status before God depends exclusively on their faith in Christ (Gal 2:16, 20; 3:11–12, 23–25). Paul therefore asserts that it no longer matters whether people are circumcised—that is, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Because of the new creation begun by the work of Christ (compare 6:15), all who trust in God’s gift of grace and receive His Spirit belong to the family of God (compare 3:28; Col 3:11).

faith working through love The goal of the Christian life is to express faith in Christ through love, not to live under the requirements of law. Believers are called to demonstrate their faith through sacrificial love for others because their faith is placed in the one who first demonstrated such love (Gal 2:20). Paul describes the fruit of sacrificial love in vv. 22–23.

5:7 You were running well In this context, the imagery of running illustrates exercising faith in Christ and His promises.

obeying the truth Here, Paul equates obeying the truth with obeying his gospel message: There is no means of justification before God except faith in Christ. Because Christ’s sacrificial work frees believers from slavery to the law (4:4–5; 5:1), Paul regards any attempt to keep the law as disobedience to the truth of the gospel (compare 2:14).

5:8 not from the one who calls you God is not the source of the Galatians’ interest in the law.

5:9 A little leaven Refers to a few agitators having broad influence among the Galatians.

5:10 I have confidence Reflects Paul’s trust in God to persuade the Galatians through his letter. Confidence in God is a recurring theme in Paul’s ministry (Phil 3:15).

the one who is confusing you Earlier in the letter, Paul stated that those who distort the gospel and lead others astray are worthy of a curse (Gal 1:8–9). Here he anticipates God’s final judgment of them for corrupting God’s people.

5:11 why am I still being persecuted The agitators might have claimed that Paul advocated circumcision.

5:12 castrate themselves Paul expresses his frustration with the agitators in terms of a punishment that condemns their actions: Since they advocate circumcision, Paul wishes that they would instead castrate themselves. Essentially, Paul is saying that he wishes these men would cut themselves off from the Christian community rather than drive believers back into slavery under the law (compare v. 4).

5:13 For you were called to freedom Paul urges the Galatians to use their freedom from the law’s requirements to fulfill the law’s essence: love of neighbor. According to Paul, God frees believers from slavery under the law so that they choose to serve one another.

5:14 You shall love your neighbor as yourself By quoting Lev 19:18, Paul shows that the law itself upholds love as the main goal of law keeping. In the context of the letter, Paul uses this quote as a springboard to present a series of instructions (Gal 5:16–6:10) that promote a healthy, godly church community in Galatia.

5:15 if you bite and devour one another Paul uses vivid imagery—wild animals in a deadly fight—to warn the Galatians that attacking one another ultimately will destroy their community.

5:16 live by the Spirit Refers to being under the Spirit’s direction and empowerment.

the desire of the flesh The Greek word meaning “flesh” refers to the part of human nature that causes people to put their own selfish needs ahead of everything else.

Spirit and Flesh in Paul’s Letters

5:17 the flesh desires against the Spirit The Spirit and the flesh are not in a stalemate. The flesh does not frustrate the desires of the Spirit; rather, the Spirit frustrates the desires of the flesh.

5:18 if you are led by the Spirit The Spirit and the law represent mutually exclusive ways of living. Either people live according to the flesh by satisfying its desires, or they live according to the Spirit of God in a manner that reflects His character. Paul lists key characteristics in vv. 22–23.

5:19 deeds of the flesh Refers to the sinful actions of human beings who put their own selfish needs ahead of others.

sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness Each item in this list refers to ungodly or unlawful sexual actions.

5:21 the ones who practice such things The Greek participle here, prassontes, is used in the present tense, referring to people who continually orient their lives toward deeds of the flesh.

kingdom of God Refers to the domain in which God is king. In the Bible, believers extend God’s reign through obedience, loyalty, and love. Those who orient their lives toward the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God because they have established a kingdom of their own.

The Kingdom of God: Already but Not Yet

5:23 Against such things there is no law When the life of the believer expresses these qualities, there is no need for the law. Those who “live by the Spirit” (v. 16) produce fruit reflecting the character of God that the law could not (3:21). However, this list shouldn’t be turned into a new kind of law (a replacement for faith in Christ and life lived by the Spirit).

5:24 crucified the flesh Through faith, believers participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, leaving behind their orientation toward selfish desires (2:19–20).

5:25 we must also follow the Spirit It is not enough to claim to have new life in Christ by the power of the Spirit (compare 3:3); believers must continually follow after the Spirit in the way they live while also resisting the flesh.

Spirit and Flesh in Paul’s Letters

5:26 provoking one another, envying one another Such actions represent a failure to live by the Spirit (compare v. 22).