The Bible — World English Bible
Galatians 5
In brief
Galatians 5 is the great chapter on Christian freedom. Paul addresses believers tempted to add the law, notably circumcision, to faith in Christ. He tells them that Christ has set them free and they must not return under a yoke. But this freedom is not permission to follow your desires: it serves to love and to serve. Paul then contrasts two ways of living: the works of the flesh, which he lists, and the fruit of the Spirit, which begins with love. Whoever belongs to Christ is invited to walk by the Spirit.
The chapter in 6 parts
1Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
2Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
3Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.
5For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.
6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
7You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?
8This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
9A little yeast grows through the whole lump.
10I 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.
11But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.
12I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.
13For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17For 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.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,
20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,
21envy, 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.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
25If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.
26Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
Key verses
Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
The chapter begins with its theme: Christ has set us free so that we are truly free. Paul asks you to stand firm and not to submit again to slavery, here the claim to be justified by the law.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
What counts is not a rite or religious belonging, but faith working through love. The verse connects the grace received to the life that flows from it.
For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
Christian freedom is not an excuse to live for yourself. It finds its meaning in serving one another in love.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Paul gives a method: walk by the Spirit. It is not about struggling by willpower alone, but about living in dependence on the Spirit, who opposes the desires of the flesh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is presented in the singular: a character that grows, from love to self-control. It is not a list of achievements, but the result of a life led by the Spirit.
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Frequently asked questions about Galatians 5
What does Galatians 5:1 mean?
Paul reminds us that Christ has freed us to live free, not to fall back into a religion of effort. In context, it means not to add circumcision or the law to faith as a condition of salvation. The freedom he speaks of is first to be accepted by grace.
What is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5?
Paul lists love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He speaks of fruit in the singular: a character that grows when you walk by the Spirit, not a list of efforts to check.
What are the works of the flesh?
These are the behaviors Paul lists in verses 19 to 21: impurity, idolatry, jealousy, anger, rivalry, divisions, drunkenness and others. The flesh means here human nature living for itself, as opposed to a life led by the Spirit.
Articles quoting Galatians 5
- 20 Bible Verses for Church Volunteers: Serving with Joy and Perseverance
- 20 Bible Verses for Coming of Age Day in Japan: Starting Adult Life with God
- 1 Corinthians 13: Love, the Most Excellent Way
- The Names of Jesus That Reveal God's Character
- Galatians 6: Gathered Together, Let Us Bear One Another's Burdens
- Matthew 25: There Is No Shortcut to Becoming Faithful
World English Bible translation — public domain.