Posted
by Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com
CHAPTER 5
This chapter opens with an encouragement to the professing believers of Galatia to continue in grace, forsaking legalistic works-based salvation schemes (which Paul calls 'the yoke of bondage'). The Galatians are encouraged to move forward in the Spirit by the One who called them, and to reject legalistic teachings. Knowing the errors that can come from imbalance, Paul wisely warns them also against a carnal move towards lawlessness and license. He warns that if they truly operate according to the Spirit, they will put off the works of the flesh and will manifest Spiritual fruit which will bear witness to their regeneration. Paul is very aware that the Galatians have heretofore been deceived by the legalistic party, and if they are now corrected from it and depart from that heinous deception (being spared from the claws of the Judaizers), they will then be susceptible to the lawless teachings of the Antinomian party. It is timely, then, that Paul will use the bulk of this chapter to enforce the proper Christian view of works and the law, understanding that those who are truly regenerated will be being converted to God's Kingdom, and, by the Spirit will manifest Christian behavior and obedience.
Verses 1-4 - Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Those that are circumcised as a means of righteousness and of acceptance with God have not entered into Christ and His grace, but have brought a curse upon themselves, since they reject Christ and embrace the law as the only means of salvation. Therefore they that have done so have fallen from grace and fallen into a curse. Those that do not come to God by grace must come to Him through a perfect keeping of the law. Since Christ is the only man who ever perfectly kept the law, then it is only through Christ that a man can approach God. The righteousness of Christ who perfectly kept the law is received by grace through faith, which is a gift of God. Rejecting, then, grace as the only means of receiving righteousness commits a man to approaching God in his own righteousness which will inevitably be rejected of the Father. Therefore it is a curse to continue in ceremonial law-keeping as a means of right standing before God. There is no repudiation of circumcision for other reasons, only a rejection of circumcision as a means of attaining salvation and right standing before God.
Verses 5-6 - For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Paul speaks as a Jew but includes the Gentiles when he says that they “through the Spirit” wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Now, the “hope of righteousness” is that hope towards which righteousness works, which is eternal salvation and the acceptance of God into His eternal Kingdom. Invisibly this action is God's work usward in the eternals and is a finished work in Him, but in the temporal world, this work is worked out in us by the Spirit of God by faith, which is a gift of God. So, just as the righteous Israelites did not rest or rely on circumcision for righteousness and acceptance with God, but looked toward the Messiah with hope by faith, so the children of God in this gospel dispensation wait for the hope of righteousness by faith and not by the works of the law. Therefore, since the work of circumcision cannot gain our acceptance with God, it avails nothing towards that which is our hope. Neither does uncircumcision avail towards any acceptance with God. Faith, Paul says, “worketh by love”, and it is here where we find the real meat of this issue. Faith is the grace (which means gift) which works in us to receive the righteousness of Christ, and it is by the righteousness of Christ that we are saved. Only that faith which works in us a love of God and of His commandments and ordinances and which causes us to move towards Him and obey Him is true faith, so we can say that that true faith “worketh by love” in that it works in us that love of God which causes us to obey Him, and it works in us because of the specific and particular love of God that is reserved for His elect family.
Verses 7-10 - Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 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.
At the first hearing of the Gospel, the Galatians did well by entering in upon the Christian race and obeying the truth of that Gospel that had freed some of them from the bondage of the law and some of them from the bondage of superstition and paganism. Who then, the Apostle asks rhetorically, has now hindered them in their running? I am quite certain that Paul knows who these false apostles are, because it seems that they have followed him and pursued him throughout the cities of his travels, seeking to overturn the Gospel that he preached in every place. This persuasion (this convincing argument or persuasive deception) did not come from the Father. God in heaven would not belittle and denigrate the work of His Son by sending men to teach another way of salvation outside of Christ. So this is evidence that the men who have brought this other gospel are not of God, and are, therefore, false apostles sent to deceive. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”, which was a commonly used saying at the time, and every man would have known the meaning of it and what Paul was implying by it. Some might assume that the error being corrected here was a small one, or that it had only been embraced by a small minority, or that even if the error had been embraced by more people, that the harm done by it would only affect those who believed it, and could not affect those who had rejected it. This is far from the truth, because “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”, which means that this sin, though it may seem small, would grow and expand and infect everything around it until the whole body of believers in Galatia would eventually suffer from infection by it. The implication is that the believers in Galatia are to “purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened”, which is the instruction that Paul gave to the Corinthians (in 1 Cor. 5:7). Wicked doctrines and those that preach or receive them should be rooted out of the Church; this is one of the most important things we can learn from this Chapter of this letter.
Paul assures them that the ones who have deceived them will bear his judgment, and he says to them “be none otherwise minded” which means, “don't think for a minute that these men will escape judgment for what they have done”. Whosoever has done this thing, be he a pillar in the Jerusalem Church or a traveling “apostle” with papers of authority, he will receive judgment for deceiving God's people and for teaching another Gospel.
Verses 11-12 - And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
Paul had been accused by the Jews of being both inconsistent and a man-pleaser. They accused him of teaching and preaching circumcision in some places, but teaching against it in others. If it were true that Paul preached circumcision, then why would he be persecuted by the Jews? And if circumcision was no important issue concerning the Gospel, and if Paul were to preach circumcision in order to stop the strife within the Church, would he be persecuted by the Jews? Of course not. It is evident to everyone that Paul was hunted, persecuted, beaten and attacked by the Jews wherever he went. Why would they persecute him if he preached circumcision? And if salvation by faith alone, in Christ's work alone, was not the central and most important doctrine of Christianity, why would Paul suffer persecution for insisting upon it? If Paul were to preach salvation and righteousness by the works of the law, then the offense of the cross would cease, and everyone could live in peace and harmony. The Jews railed and persecuted the true Church because the true Church rejected the law as a means of salvation. The offense of the cross was this: that by the death, burial and resurrection of the One righteous man on the cross, the means of salvation (His righteousness) would be imputed to those who receive it by faith. Without imputed righteousness there is no offense, and the Jews would have gladly accepted a new sect of Judaism that maintained the law as the only means of salvation.
Paul, who was often in prayer for the salvation of his countrymen and his brothers according to the flesh (Romans 9:3), though he was often in perils because of them (2 Cor. 11:26), now emphasizes his own anger towards their Judaistic proselytizing by claiming that it was now his will that those false prophets who were guilty of this particular crime would be cut off completely, and by this we can assume he means that they would not only be cut off from afflicting the churches, but that they would be cut off from the life of God and from any access to, or citizenship in, spiritual Israel. This is a serious thing, and is akin to the imprecation prayers of David for the death and damnation of those who sought his destruction and to thwart Gods' will.
Verses 13-14 - For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The elect of God have been called by Him unto liberty, which is that liberty which frees us from the turmoils, fear, and the prideful arrogance that comes along with the concept of law-keeping as a means of right standing with God. The liberty of the Gospel is this, that because we have put off the ceremonial and sacrificial law as a means of approaching God and our acceptance with Him, we are free to show our love to Him as a consequence of imputed righteousness and a new nature. So obedience and love to God is an effect of imputed righteousness and not a cause of it, which is the foundation and scope of our liberty. For those who are the truly saved of God, our imperfections and failures cost us dearly, but they do not cost us our salvation. Liberty, then, should be the cause of obedience and good works towards God, and they must necessarily follow if the liberty we have received is genuine. For the law is fulfilled in the outward works manifested through the elect of God by love towards one another and our neighbors (our kinfolk, the family of God). By the love of God we are caused to love one another, and to work works of obedience towards God which is to serve one another. It is through this work of love that Christ shows His love for the Church and His care for it. Our love of God is an effect of His work in us, and it is manifested outwardly by a sincere care and love for His children. The works of God (obedience to the commandments and statutes of God) are worked out through us by the Holy Spirit and bring forth righteousness, separation from wickedness, love for God's people, and persecution from the world and the devil.
Verses 15-18 - But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 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. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Whereas the Church is often under attack from without (as in this case where grievous wolves have come in (Acts. 20:29), not sparing the flock, Paul here warns of contentions from within, which weaken and eventually destroy the flock. If the Church is divided by such contentions, and through an un-Christian spirit the sheep act as dogs by biting and devouring one another, then there is the risk of the body of believers in that area being destroyed. The great commentator John Gill points out that Christ has promised to “remove the candlestick” of those who forget their first love (Rev. 2:5) which indicates the abandonment of the primary love we are to have towards God AND towards one another within the Church. Paul insists that the contentious spirit that raises its head within the Church is because of the lust of the flesh, which implies that the flesh lusts for power and for self-righteousness, which are the two sins made evident in this case of circumcision for salvation and righteousness sake. The lust in view here is a lust of the flesh which desires to wrest power from the Spirit. Paul says that if we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We should note here two important points:
That it is possible to “walk in the Spirit”. Paul insists that the means of combating the flesh and its lusts is to “walk in the Spirit”, which is to make the Spirit inspired Word of God (that which He has spoken and is inspired of Him) the rule of our walk and our faith. This is to walk by faith and not by sight, because the Word of God often contradicts our own reason and senses, and therefore is higher than the surmisings and conclusions of our carnal mind. If we walk by the flesh (meaning by the carnal reasoning of our five senses and the desires and conclusions of a carnal mind), then our flesh will war against the Spirit of God which lives in the believer. This warfare, then, must be entered into by us by the Spirit, that the flesh does not triumph over the Spirit by sin. It is possible to “walk in the Spirit” by obedience to the Word of God, by which we make war against the flesh.
That by walking in the Spirit, we fulfill the requirements of the law (which are necessarily fulfilled by the spiritual and active love towards God and the towards the brethren, which things are required by the law), and are therefore not under the judgment of the law, it having been fulfilled perfectly and eternally through Jesus Christ, and comprehensively and temporally through the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25).
If we are led by the Spirit, which means that we are directed operatively by the Spirit of God and not by the desires of the flesh, then we are walking in obedience to the law of God, and are, therefore, not under its judgment and penalties. Our inability to do that which we would do, is caused by our habits of walking in the flesh and not according to the Spirit of God. Many today believe that to be “led of the Spirit”, means to operate out of emotions instead of intellect, and to follow fantasies instead of facts. This is not the case. Being led of the Spirit means to obey that which the Spirit commands in the Spirit breathed Word of God, and to avoid the prohibitions therein. The Charismatic movement has replaced Spiritual obedience to the Word of God, with emotional obedience to the whims and wishes of the corrupt and decadent heart. While the Bible exhorts us not to trust the heart (because it is desperately wicked and corrupt), the Charismatic believes that to “walk in the Spirit” is to emotionally follow the whims of the heart, which is to walk according to the flesh and not the Spirit. The Spirit of God gave us the Word of God, which is the written revelation of Jesus Christ. It is that Spirit by which we are to be led, and not the anarchical spirit of emotionalism which is contrary to the Word of God.
Verses 19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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.
In order that we might be able to more easily discern from whence our desires originate, Paul is going to list for us the works or “products” of both the flesh and the Spirit. You will note that the list is given to us as a measuring stick or “rule” by which we might measure our motivations.
The works of the flesh (meaning the products or results of our fallen, corrupted, carnal nature) are manifest (which means 'apparent' or 'made evident'). When a man operates according to his lower, dead, fallen proclivities, he manifests these acts. I will list them with a short definition:
Adultery. Adultery is a defilement of the marriage bed. Specifically it involves a married woman engaging in a sexual act with any other man than her husband, or any man (married or unmarried) engaging in a sexual act with a married woman who is not his wife. This act is specifically condemned by God's law, and includes several other violations of the ten commandments, all of which are included in this offense, including coveting (10), stealing (8), and adultery (7).
Fornication. This offense includes any unauthorized sexual act, and because of Paul's wide use of the term as a type to include spiritual fornication, the term can also include in it violations of several commandments, including having another God (1), idolatry (2), stealing (8), coveting (10), and bearing false witness (9).
Uncleanness. Which includes any and all physical and moral impurity, including in our language, dress, actions, and demeanor.
Lasciviousness. Literally these are the motivations that lead to uncleanness. Basically this can be understood as an attitude and action of “licentiousness”, thinking or acting towards the fulfillment of other lusts as if there were no penalty for such things, exciting unlawful behavior.
Idolatry. A clear violation of the 1st and/or 2nd commandment. Also, the putting of any person, place, thing, idea, memory, or concept before the Lord your God in importance and duty.
Witchcraft. Any of many offenses that stem from the real or pretended use of magic or manipulation. Rebellion (1 Sam 15:23) and stubbornness are included in the sin of witchcraft. The use of magic, conversing with familiar spirits, engaging in mysticism, soothsaying, fortune or future telling, worshiping pagan or evil deities, or any act of rebellion against right authority.
Hatred. Internal enmity in an emotional or extreme way towards any person. This word “hate” has changed meaning significantly, and can have several different meanings in the Bible. This does not include the hatred (disinterest or intellectual and spiritual opposition) we are to have for God's enemies and all things that offend Him (Psalm 139:21), but does include the emotional attribute of hatred which necessitates unbalanced and sinful anger which denies the sovereignty and justice of God towards all men.
Variance. “Wrangling” or strife and contentions, often as a result of pride, avarice, greed and covetousness. Variance is a spirit of contention that results in immoderate scolding, anger, fights, argumentation. Can also include rebellion and witchcraft if directed towards a spiritual authority.
Emulations. Jealousy. Envy towards another, their position, status or person. Emulation is inclusive of the sin of Covetousness (10).
Wrath. In man this is an emotional anger tending towards violence or the desire for harm to come to another. This is akin to the sin of Hatred. Denies the authority, justice and sovereignty of God. When this word is used of God, it is stripped of it's emotional quality, and consists of his righteous anger and hatred towards that which is offensive.
Strife. Can have several meanings, specifically here it refers to unrighteous or illicit factionalism. Generally this refers to schism or divisive behavior, thoughts, or actions. This “strife” can exist within the mind of man, and can lead to other grievous sins.
Seditions. Builds on the sin of strife. Actions towards divisions and contention. Includes the sin of rebellion and witchcraft. A rejection of the authority, sovereignty, and justice of God.
Heresies. Literally a “choice” or “disunion”. A crime against God and His Church by engaging in, believing, teaching, or encouraging bad principles, doctrines, and teachings that lead to death and separation from the true, spiritual Church of God. Heresies arise from using the carnal mind to interpret scripture, or trying to rationalize human actions and beliefs apart from the Word of God. Most heresies (but not all) are humanistic, in that they attempt to explain things from a human perspective, and cause spiritual mysteries to be more easily interpreted or understood by the carnal mind. Heresies exist because fallen man can not know or understand the things of God.
Envyings. Very much like “emulations”, but involves actual ill will towards the one envied.
Murders. Unauthorized killings. In the Bible, killing is causing the death of another person or animal, but Murder is the unauthorized and illegal killing of a man. This is why Jesus further explained that the often quoted “Thou shalt not kill” actually meant “thou shalt do no murder” (Matt. 19:18).
Drunkenness. The immoderate use of alcohol or any other item which brings about intoxication. This drunkenness is reached when immoderate use of lawful items leads to incapacity in the mind and/or body.
Revellings. Public excesses in food, drink, dance, singing, etc. which includes the sins of lasciviousness and immoderation. Specifically this sin of reveling brings a bad name upon God and His Church, since God's children should be readily identifiable as separate, holy men and women.
Now Paul finishes his list here, saying that these things are grievous sins “and the such like” which means that there are more things like this, though there is no need to list them since they are all of the same type and should be easily understood as sins by God's people. So these things, Paul says, are products manifested by the flesh, and are the “works” of the flesh, and are contrary to the Spirit of God. These things generally exist at some level in most men, but should be recognized as sins, repented of, and put aside in favor of the works of the Spirit. Those who continue such things, or “practice” these things in their lives without repentance, will not enter into the Kingdom of God, which is our duty and work as Christian professors. Since we do desire to enter into the Kingdom of God, then we can see that it is our duty to war against these things, and to put to death our old carnal man (daily) by denying these things and following after the Word of God given to us by the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit
Verses 22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Now, in contradistinction from the works of the flesh, we are given here the “fruit” or “product” of the Spirit. We are told in the scripture that these things are impossible to produce (in their reality) by the flesh, will, desire or artifices of man. The fruit of the Spirit are necessarily the product of the Spirit, and therefore cannot be derived or concocted by the will of man. Because of this fact, the devil has long created ways of redefining these words, and through the centuries has created “proxies” or counterfeits of these words, and desires that we use the false definitions with which to test ourselves and others. This is one of the most successful and ubiquitous tools of the enemy. By redefining words, he has created a system whereby (according to his new definitions), even the Son of God does not show forth the Fruit of the Spirit. Let us look at the Fruit and examine the true definitions in contrast to how the religious world now defines these terms.
Love. Agape. God's Love. This form of love is completely of God and cannot be concocted or derived from man. It is an opposite of human love (which is how the modern religious world defines it) where the one loving needs or desires something from the one loved. God's love is focused totally on serving the one loved. It is not a greedy or selfish love. God's love says, “I'm going to serve your best interest no matter what it costs me and no matter what it costs you.” It is a love of service and not selfish desire. It can only be motivated by the Spirit, and will only do rightly towards the beloved.
Joy. Delight. This word is commonly paralleled with “happiness” which is a temporary emotion based on circumstances. Whereas “happiness” is temporary, Joy is a permanent and timeless trait. Joy is found in being that which God created us to be, and in fulfilling His will. Joy is possible in pain, suffering, persecution, imprisonment, torture, etc. It is never based on circumstances, and never passes away. It can be made more full (1 John 1:4, 2 John 1:12), but is never based on “chance” or “happenstance”.
Peace. Spiritual prosperity and quietness. Peace is not the absence of war or conflict. Peace is the absence of desire. When our desires are given to us of God, and fulfilled in and through Him, then we have peace, which is a spiritual quietness, acquiescence and acceptance of Him and His lot for us.
Longsuffering. Not merely patience, but forbearance and fortitude towards a spiritual end. Longsuffering sees the end by faith and accepts it as finished by the eyes of faith. Patience may or may not be rewarded, and may be accomplished by the overwhelming assertion of the human will. Longsuffering is the product of the Spirit of God, whereby we forbear in our circumstances, knowing the end of our conversation and the hope of God.
Gentleness. Moral excellence, courteousness, kindness. Not unreasonably soft or weak, but using the least amount of pressure to accomplish the task before us. Gentleness can be a soft touch, washing the feet of the Saviour with tears; and gentleness can also be the braiding of a whip of cords to drive out the wicked.
Goodness. Not simple human morality as agreed upon by the culture and human counsel, but the act of spiritual and moral virtue. The product of having a worldview in line with God's revealed will. Nothing can be good that does not have God as its author and finisher, and therefore the “goodness” of religious men on earth is largely and actually filthy rags that offend God. Jesus said that only God is good, and therefore any goodness which aligns with the scripture and the revealed will of God, can be attributed to Him alone and not to men.
Faith. This does not specifically speak of the faith which is a gift of God towards salvation, and by which we apprehend and receive the imputed righteousness of God, although that Faith is a product and “fruit” of the Spirit and is not excluded here. Specifically this “faith” speaks of fortitude and loyalty towards God and His true Church. Unbending devotion. This faith is not blind devotion to human creeds or in beliefs that are contrary to or in contradiction to the Bible and God's revealed will. Claiming “faith” that is in contradiction to the teaching of the Bible is not “faith”, but rebellion and obstinance.
Meekness. Humility. Having low thoughts of oneself. Low self-esteem. You can know now why the world (and the false “church”) teaches that we should have high self-esteem. Meekness is to esteem others above ourselves, and God and His Church above all things. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is not the concept of slinking around, or the concept of false humility. Meekness is an authentic abasing of self, for the purpose of serving others.
Temperance. Self control and moderation. Temperance is not abolition, or the prohibition of things authorized by God. Temperance is the right use of things according to the purpose and plan of God, revealed to us in the Word of God. Particularly this applies to moderation in eating, drinking, affections, and the use of authorized things. Excludes drunkenness, gluttony, or base or unlawful affections.
Now, against these things, Paul says, there is no law. These things are agreeable to the law of God, and do not violate any tenet of scripture Old or New. They are themselves a fulfillment of the law of God, since they can only proceed from Him, and be shown forth to His glory and not the glory of another.
Verses 24-26 - And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Those who have been Chosen by the Father, regenerated by the Spirit of God, and redeemed and purchased by the Son, have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20), and therefore the flesh (carnal lusts) no longer has an overwhelming or invincible hold on the will. The affections of the flesh have been crucified as well, and though crucifixion is a slow, tortuous and arduous death, it is eventually accomplished without exception. If we belong to Christ, our natural affections and lusts should be dying. If they are not, then we should question ourselves. If we are Christ's, then our flesh has been crucified, and we will have crucified it as well, not obeying it over the Spirit, but putting it down and starving it of those things it needs. If we live in the Spirit (or “by the Spirit”), then we will walk by the power of the Spirit. This means that if we are a true Christian, then we exist and continue by the Spirit of God, and thus we should obey the Spirit of God (whose will is manifest to us by His works, and by His Word), and walk according to the Spirit of God.
This chapter ends with a sentence that connects what has gone before with what follows, and it is not a perfect situation that we would end this chapter here, so we will examine this last verse both here and in the next chapter. It is a connecting verse, which takes us from Paul's dissertation on what has been wrong in Galatia, and the truth of how God operates, to (in the next Chapter) a discussion on how we should act and continue, knowing these things he has taught us.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another; Having learned the difference between the works of the flesh, and the fruit of the Spirit, we should, then, not be desirous of “vainglory”, which means that we should not seek esteem, honor, or positions of authority among other men. We should not be ambitious, covetous of praise or riches, or gratitude. We should not provoke one another by contentions, accusations or strife, and we should not envy others, desiring ill for them and good for ourselves. The fruit of the Spirit would show us forth in a contrary way to these sinful dispositions. We should provoke others to good works, but not to envy, strifes, or contentions. We should desire only good for one another, and not evil, only spiritual blessings and not calamity. God looks upon our heart and motivations, and we should earnestly pray that He would take from us all those things that offend Him.
This chapter ends with this transition, so that Paul can conclude the letter in the last chapter with a lesson on how we ought to act, being children of the living God.
I am your servant in Christ Jesus,
M. Bunker