The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 5 -

Messiah set us free from the law so that it may control us no longer. So stop anyone who says you are still slaves to the law, and do not let the law control you like slaves again.

Consider very carefully what I, Paul, an apostle, now tell you. If you let anyone circumcise you, what Messiah has done for you will not help you at all!

Once again I solemnly declare to every man whom they have circumcised, that he must obey the law perfectly, for God to declare him good in his sight.

If you expect God to declare you good in his sight because you try to keep the law, you have separated yourself from Messiah; God will no longer act kindly toward you.

We whom God’s Spirit enables us to trust in Messiah are confidently waiting for the time when God will declare us good in His sight.

God is not concerned whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. Instead, God is concerned about whether we trust in Messiah, with the result that we love others because we trust in him.

You were following Messiah so well! Who stopped you from obeying his true message?

God, the one who chose you, is not the one who is persuading you to think like this!

This false teaching that someone is teaching you is in danger of spreading to all of you, just like a little yeast in the dough causes it all to swell up.

I am certain that the Lord Jesus will keep you from believing in anything else except his true good news. God will certainly punish anyone who is confusing you by teaching this false message, whoever he is.

But, my fellow believers, maybe someone is saying that I still teach that you must let them circumcise you. I certainly taught that before I followed Messiah, but I am not teaching that any longer. But what they are saying cannot be true; otherwise, no one would be persecuting me now. No, I tell you that if people think they have to be circumcised to follow Messiah, then the fact that Messiah died on the cross no longer makes any difference to them.

I wish that those who are confusing you would go all the way and castrate themselves!

My fellow believers, God has called you to set you free. But do not think he set you free so you could sin. Instead, love and serve each other, because you are now free to do that!

Remember something that Jesus said. He said all the law means this: “Love each person like you love yourself.”

So if you attack and harm each other like wild animals, you might completely destroy each other.

Walking by the Spirit

(Ezekiel 36:16–38; Romans 8:9–11)

So I tell you this: Always let God’s Spirit lead you. If you do that, you will not sin, as normal human beings want to do.

When you want to sin, you go against God’s Spirit. And God’s Spirit goes against what normal humans want. These two are always fighting against each other. The result is that you do not always do the good things that you truly desire to do.

But when God’s Spirit leads you, the law does not control you.

Now what normal human beings want to do is easy to see. They commit evil sexual actions, sexual actions that even go against what is natural, and they desire things that are against good laws.

They also worship false gods and things that represent those gods. They try to get evil spirits to act for them. People are hostile to others. People quarrel with each other. People are jealous. People behave angrily. People try to get others to think highly of them and do not consider what others want. People do not associate with others. People associate only with those who agree with them.

People want what others have. People get drunk. People get drunk and riot. And they do other things like these. I warn you now, just like I warned you previously, that the ones who constantly act and think like this will not receive what God has for his own people when he reveals himself to everyone as king.

But as we grow in trusting Messiah, God’s Spirit starts causing us to love others. We are joyful. We are peaceful. We are patient. We are kind. We are good. We are ones whom others can trust.

We are gentle. We control our behavior. There is no law that says people should not think and act in such ways.

Furthermore, we who belong to Messiah Jesus have stopped allowing ourselves to do the evil things that we did in the past. It is as though we had nailed them to a cross and killed these evil things!

Since God’s Spirit has enabled us to live in a new way, we should behave as the Spirit leads us.

We should not be proud about ourselves. We should not make each other angry. We should not envy each other.

Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.

Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

For we through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love.

You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

A little yeast grows through the whole lump.

I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(a)

But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.

Walking by the Spirit

(Ezekiel 36:16–38; Romans 8:9–11)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,

idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,(b)

gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

Footnotes

(a)5:14 ℘ Leviticus 19:18

(b)5:22 or, faithfulness