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GALATIANS CHAPTER FIVE
OBSERVATIONS
The purpose of the
observation
stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the
framework
in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative
rules of
language, context and logic - rules which do not impose undue,
unintended meanings to the text 
,
and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by Paul's
epistle
to the Galatians and his other writings. In order for any passage from
elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the
context at
hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in
the
passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on
unnecessary
tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework
for a
proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in
Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand
it may
not be in view.
****** EXCERPT FROM GAL 3 ******
(Gal 3:22-29)
THE
PURPOSE FOR SCRIPTURE SHUTTING UP ALL THINGS UNDER SIN IS TO MAKE MAN
MORE
AWARE OF HIS HOPELESS SINFUL CONDITION BEFORE GOD, WHERE THERE IS NO
ESCAPING GOD'S CONDEMNATION BY ANYTHING MAN CAN DO SO THAT THE PROMISE
OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND HIS SALVATION BY FAITH
ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE MIGHT BE GIVEN TO, I.E., FULFILLED IN THOSE
WHO CHOOSE TO
BELIEVE IN
HIM FOR THAT
BUT
FOR THIS FAITH IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WOULD HISTORICALLY COME INTO
THE MINDS OF MEN - BEFORE CHRIST'S SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OCCURRED
IN HISTORY, WHICH ATONEMENT IS THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROMISE TO
ABRAHAM AND ALL MANKIND RELATIVE TO SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL
WHO BELIEVE, MANKIND WAS GUARDED UNDER LAW: MANKIND WAS SHUT UP /
RESTIRCTED TO THE ONLY MEANS OR
JUSTIFICATION UNTO
ETERNAL LIFE: FAITH ALONE IN GOD'S PROMISE ALONE TO ABRAHAM AND
MANKIND, WHICH FULFILLMENT IS THROUGH FAITH IN ABRAHAM'S SEED, LATER IN
HISTORY
TO BE REVEALED AS AND IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
THEREFORE LAW, ESPECIALLY THE LAW OF MOSES, HAS BECOME OUR, [ALL MANKIND'S] "GUARDIAN-TRAINOR" IN ORDER TO PROVE OUT OUR INCAPACITY TO ACHIEVE OUR OWN JUSTIFICATION SO THAT WE MIGHT BE LED TO CHRIST SO THAT WE MAY BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
BUT
NOW THAT THE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, I.E., IN HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY
ATONEMENT HAS COME UPON HISTORY, WE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN HIM ARE NO
LONGER UNDER LAW, I.E., "GUARDIAN-TRAINOR;" FOR WE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN
CHRIST
ARE THEREBY ALL SONS OF GOD. WE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED
INTO CHRIST, WE HAVE PUT ON CHRIST. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK,
NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE: WE ARE ALL ONE IN
CHRIST JESUS. AND SINCE WE ARE CHRIST'S, WE ARE SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS
OF ABRAHAM, HEIRS ACCORDING TO GOD'S PROMISE TO HIM AND ALL MANKIND TO
INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE BY FAITH ALONE
(Gal 3:22 NASB) "But the Scripture has shut up [all things] under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Gal 3:23 NASB) But before [this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind] were [being guarded] under law, [having been] shut up to the faith [in Jesus] which was later to be revealed [by His appearance in history and His subsequent atonement for sins on the cross]. (Gal 3:24 NASB) Therefore the Law has become our tutor [= "guardian-trainor"] to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. (Gal 3:25 NASB) But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [= "guardian-trainor"]. (Gal 3:26 NASB) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:27 NKJV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:28 NASB) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:29 NKJV) And [since] you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." =
(Gal 3:22a) The
Purpose For Scripture Shutting Up All Things Under Sin Is To Make Man
More Aware Of His Hopeless Sinful Condition Before God, Where There Is
No Escaping God's Condemnation By Anything Man Can Do, So That The
Promise Of God's Forgiveness And His Salvation By Faith Alone In Jesus
Christ
Alone Might Be Given To, i.e., Fulfilled In Those Who Choose To Believe
In Him For That
(Gal
3:22 NASB) "But the
Scripture has shut up [all things] under sin, so
that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe." =
Having
established in Gal 3:1-21 that the Law of Moses or any law or any human
doing cannot be a means by which one might achieve
eternal life, which is otherwise provided for only by faith in the
promise of righteousness unto eternal life that God made to
Abraham and all mankind through Abraham's Seed (; Who is Christ, cf Gal 2:16, 3:10-12, 21 et. al.,
); author Paul goes from a discussion of the Law
in
comparison to the promises of God relative to the reception of eternal
life to Scripture shutting up all things under sin:
In
Gal 3:22, Paul reiterates that Scripture has shut up all things under
sin.
Scripture contains the Law, its purpose and many passages about the
Righteousness which God expects from man . God's Word has shut up all things under sin in the sense
that everything in creation is confined / locked up to experience a
destiny of God's condemnation because
of mankind's sinfulness, (cf. Ro 3:9, 23; 8:22) - Jews and Gentiles
alike. All mankind
from all ages is thus destined to eternal destruction. This is not to
say that Scripture, i.e., revelation from God makes
mankind more guilty of sin than he already is; but properly studied,
Scripture makes man more aware of
his hopeless sinful condition before a Holy God. Throughout Scripture
it instructs man that there can be no
escaping God's condemnatory punishment by anything man can do to merit
God's redemption, forgiveness and salvation.
(Gal 3:22b) The Purpose For Scripture Shutting Up All Things Under Sin Is To Make Man More Aware Of His Hopeless Sinful Condition Before God, Where There Is No Escaping God's Condemnation By Anything Man Can Do So That The Promise Of God's Forgiveness And His Salvation By Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone Might Be Given To, i.e., Fulfilled In Those Who Choose To Believe In Him For That
(Gal
3:22 NASB) "But the Scripture has shut up [all things] under sin, so
that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe." =
The
purpose for Scripture shutting up all things under sin is declared in
Gal 3:22b, "so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ
might be given to [i.e., fulfilled in] those who believe," given in the
sense of fulfilled in God's promise to Abraham and to
all
mankind was the promise of justification unto righteousness by a moment
of faith alone in Abraham's Seed alone, Who is Christ, (cf. Gal 3:16), for salvation unto eternal life.
One is not saved unto eternal life by works or any
human doing, but by faith, implying by the grace of God, as a gift,
(cf. Eph 2:8-9 ).
When an individual recognizes that he is under God's eternal condemnation for his sinful life and that there is no means of his own doing by which he can escape that imprisonment; and if he believes in the redemption that God has made available for all mankind through Abraham's Seed: Jesus Christ's substitutionary atonement, then he will have forgiveness of sins unto eternal life as a free gift.
(Gal 3:23) But
Before This Faith
In Christ Would Historically Come Into
The Minds Of Men - Before Christ's
Substitutionary Atonement Occurred In History, Which Atonement Is The
Fulfillment Of God's
Promise To Abraham And All Mankind Relative To
Salvation Unto Eternal Life To All Who Believe, Mankind Was Guarded
Under Law: Mankind Was
Shut Up / Restricted To The Only
Means For Justification Unto Eternal Life: Faith Alone In God's Promise
Alone To Abraham And Mankind, Which Fulfillment Is Through Faith In
Abraham's
Seed, Later In History To Be Revealed As And In Jesus Christ
(Gal
3:23 NASB) "But
before [this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind] were [being
guarded] under law,
[having been] shut up to the
faith [in Jesus] which was later to be revealed [by His appearance in
history and His subsequent atonement for sins on the cross]." =
In
Gal 3:1-22, Paul wrote about individuals being declared to have the
Righteousness of God unto salvation unto eternal life by faith in the
promise which God made to Abraham and all the families of the earth
through Abraham's Seed - a Descendant of his, Who at His advent in
the first
century made provision for forgiveness of sins unto eternal
life for that salvation in order to
fulfill God's promise. And that Seed is Christ, Paul wrote in Gal 3:16.
Whereupon,
Gal 3:23 stipulates that before this faith in Christ came in the sense
of before there existed faith in the name of Jesus Christ by virtue of
His substitutionary atonement for the sins of the whole world
once it
occurred in history - the
basis, context and
foundation of ones
faith in the promise of God
to Abraham and mankind - we (all of mankind), were being guarded
under law. More specifically, Galatians chapter 3 has in view believers
of the church in Galatia who have turned so quickly away from the faith
in Christ which they expressed to another [false] gospel, replacing it
with works of law, the Law of Moses, (ref. Gal 1:1-7).
But Paul wrote that from the
time when the Law was initiated up until the time when Christ
Jesus' substitutionary atonement was made, the Law of
Moses kept man shut up to the only means for justification unto eternal
life: to faith in the promise God made to Abraham and all mankind - the
promise which it was
later, in the first century, revealed to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
For the Law demanded
perfection in obedience in order for one to be justified with the
Righteousness of God unto eternal life. Mankind was being guarded /
restricted by the Law because it teaches one
about the impossibility of human doing, i.e., of perfect obedience to
the Law which would provide justification unto righteousness and
eternal
life if it was within man to do - but it is not. Any
human doing including
obedience to the Law of Moses, the epitome of any laws relative to the
Righteousness of God, will fall short of the glory - the Righteousness
of God, (cf. Ro 3:9, 23). Therefore attempting to obey the Law is a
futile exercise in
attaining the
Righteousness of God. So a key purpose of the Law was so that mankind
can
be led to be justified by
faith in Christ.
Furthermore, the Law leads those that have already believed like Abraham did - by faith alone in God's promise alone - to remain assured that they have attained the Righteousness unto eternal life through that faith that they had expressed in the first place - in the Seed of Abraham Whom the world will come to know is Jesus Christ from the time of His first advent in the first century and His subsequent substitutionary atonement for sins to fulfill the promise God made to Abraham and all mankind through faith.
And
until the historical revelation of Christ, His arrival on earth in His
Perfect Humanity, His sacrifice on
the cross for sin; the Law of Moses and any rules of human doing served
to drive
individuals to realize that Righteousness by human doing is
impossible. There is no refuge in the Law relative to the reception of
eternal life, only imprisonment. There is
only sanctuary and assurance in faith in
Christ for those that believed as Abraham believed in the promise God
gave to him and all the families of the earth of eternal life through
faith in the Seed of Abraham, (Who was revealed in history as Jesus
Christ,
cf. Gal 3:16).
Note that for
the sake of the Justice and for the preservation of the Righteousness
of God - so that no one
can accuse God of letting certain people go without punishment for
their sins, Scripture teaches that those who believed as Abraham
believed unto righteousness and died before Christ's atonement went
to be confined to
Paradise in Hades in the center of the earth until the resurrected
Jesus Christ came to bring them
into heaven with Him to reside forever in the presence of God .
(Gal 3:24) In View Of The Fact
That The Law Indicates That No One Can
Justify Himself Through His Own Efforts To Be Obedient To It, The Law
Has Become Our [All Mankind's] "Guardian-Trainor" In Order To Prove Out
Our Incapacity To Achieve Our Own Justification So That We Might Be Led
To Christ So That We May Be Justified By Faith
(Gal 3:24 NASB) "Therefore the Law has become our [all mankind' tutor [= "guardian-trainor"] to lead us to [faith in] Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."
Note
that the Greek word
"hEmOn" rendered "our" refers to all mankind including Paul before he
believed. And the
Greek word "paidagOgos" rendered "tutor" in the NASB is best described
as a "guardian-trainor" because the term was used for a slave who was
put in charge of his owner's son from the time he was able to leave
the care of his nurse. The "paidagOgos" was like a guardian and a
trainor who was to teach the boy good manners and mete out punishment
as necessary. He accompanied the boy to school and was to review the
lessons he was to have learned with the boy.
In view of the fact that the Law indicates that no one can justify himself through his own efforts, i.e., by being obedient to it, the Law has become our [all mankind's including Paul before he believed] "guardian-trainor" in order to prove out our incapacity to achieve our own justification so that we might be led to Christ so that we may be justified by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, (ref Gal 3:1-9).
(Gal 3:25-26) But Now That The
Faith In Jesus Christ, i.e., In His
Substitutionary Atonement Has Come Upon History, We Who Have Believed
In Him Are No
Longer Under Law, i.e., A "Guardian-Trainor." For We Who Have Believed
In Christ
Are Thereby All
Sons Of God
(Gal 3:25 NASB) "But
now that
faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [= "guardian-trainor"]. (Gal 3:26 NASB) For you are
all
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." =
(Gal 3:26)
Manuscript Evidence
(Gal 3:26 NASB) "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." =
TR, WH, NU Sinaiticus, B, C, D,
Maj and all versions have "the faith in Christ Jesus"
P46, cop(sa), 6 have "faith[fulness] of Christ Jesus"
1739, 1881 have "the faith[fulness] of Jesus Christ"
The first variant is unusual in that it does not exactly repeat any other similar phrase in Galatians. Previously, Paul used the expressions "faith of Jesus Christ" (2:16; 3:22) and "faith of christ" (2:16), but never "faith of Christ Jesus." Furthermore, the reading in P46 lacks the article before "faith," which would seem to convey the meaning "Christ Jesus' faith" or "Christ Jesus' faithfulness." This unusualness could speak for the originality of the reading, from which the others deviated. However, the scantiness of evidence cannot warrant an adoption of this reading. The second variant appears to be scribal assimilation to 2:16 and 3:22.(Gal
3:25-29) But Now That The Faith In Jesus Christ, i.e., In His
Substitutionary Atonement Has Come Upon History, We Who Have Believed
In Him Are No
Longer Under Law, i.e., A "Guardian-Trainor." For We Who Have Believed
In Christ
Are Thereby All Sons Of God. We Have Been Baptized
Into Christ. We Have Put On Christ. There Is Neither Jew Nor Greek,
Neither Slave Nor Free Man, Neither Male Nor Female: We Are All One In
Christ Jesus. And Since We Are Christ's, We Are Spiritual Descendants
Of Abraham, Heirs According To God's Promise To Him And All Mankind To
Inherit Eternal Life By Faith Alone
(Gal 3:25 NASB) "But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [= "guardian-trainor"]. (Gal 3:26 NASB) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:27 NKJV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:28 NASB) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:29 NKJV) And [since] you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." =
In Gal 3:23-24 Paul wrote "But
before [this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind including Paul
before he believed] were [being
guarded] under law,
[having been] shut up to, in the sense of limited to only the
faith [in Jesus] which was later to be revealed [by Christ Jesus'
appearance in
history - by His subsequent atonement for sins on the cross]. Therefore the Law has become
our [all mankind's and Paul's before he believed] tutor [=
"guardian-trainor"] to lead us
to [faith in] Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."
This is
followed
in Gal 3:26 by, "For [we believers] are all
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus," i.e., we have all become
children of God, (cf. Jn 1:12-13 ) - part of the eternal family
of God.
And this is further clarified by Gal 3:27, "For as many of
you [who have become believers] as were baptized into Christ have put
on Christ," indicating that faith in Christ in order to receive the
promise of God of eternal life results in all believers being baptized
/ positioned / immersed into Christ," in the sense that the believer is
identified with and
actually immersed / placed / put into Christ as part of His body -
spiritually, .
And the believer receives the benefits brought about by Christ's
substitutionary atonement - His death on the cross, (cf. Romans chapter
6: ).
In
Gal 3:28, author
Paul provides further results when an individual
believes
in Christ Jesus relative to his new position in Christ: For those who
are believers
in Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave
nor free man,
there is neither male nor female. The believers' union
with Christ surpasses temporal things such as ones nationality, ones
religious affiliations,
ones social status in life, ones sex,
etc. Believers are spiritually and eternally all one in Christ Jesus -
each one a part of His body without regard for temporal matters such as
stipulated. Each
one who has expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ Jesus alone for
eternal life - Jew or Gentile - will receive the gifts of the
Righteousness of God and eternal life
as God promised to Abraham and all mankind. And those of the faith in
Christ Jesus in this age, (ref. Gal 3:25), will become sons of
God in the sense of becoming children of God as part of the eternal family of God. And
they
will be baptized into Christ in
the sense of (1) receiving the Spirit of God, (ref. Gal 3:1-2); (2)
becoming clothed with
Christ; (3) belonging to Him; (4) being one in Christ Jesus in the
sense of without temporal distinctions such as religion, race, sex,
social status, (ref. Gal 3:29), and much .
Albeit
there will be different functions for each individual as sovereignly
appointed by God alone, such as in the reception of spiritual gifts , and God equipping a believer with his function
depending upon the particular dispensation / economy of God .
Finally, in Gal 3:29 it stipulates, "And [since] you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Believers in Christ in this age are Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise which God made to Abraham and all mankind to inherit eternal life through a moment of faith alone in God's promise alone through Abraham's Seed; Who centuries later proved out to be Jesus Christ, (ref. Gal 3:16). To be an heir according to the promise which God made to Abraham and all mankind is to be immediately declared to have the Righteousness of God credited to ones account which will result in one inheriting a future transformation of ones being into a Righteous being to experience eternal life with God.
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM GAL 3 ******
(Gal 5:1 NASB) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore [stand] firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
(Gal
5:2 NASB) "Behold [in the sense of "Look"] I, Paul, say to you that if
you receive circumcision [lit. "are circumcized"],
Christ will be of no benefit to you."
(Gal 5:3 NASB) "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law."
(Gal 5:4 NASB) "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen [out] from grace."
(Gal 5:5 NASB) For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
(Gal 5:6 NASB) "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
(Gal 5:7 NASB) You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
(Gal 5:8 NASB) This persuasion did not come from Him Who calls you.
(Gal 5:9 NASB) A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
(Gal 5:10 NASB) I have confidence in you in the LORD that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
(Gal 5:11 NASB) But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.
(Gal 5:12 NASB) I wish that those who are troubling you would even [cut themselves off]. (cf. Gal 2:4)
A) (Gal 5:1) It Was For Freedom That Christ Set Us Free;
Therefore Stand Firm And Do Not Be Subject Again To A Yoke Of Slavery
(Gal
5:1 NASB) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore
[stand] firm and do not be subject again to a yoke
of slavery." =
1) Manuscript
Evidence for Gal 5:1
(Gal 5:1 NASB) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore [stand] firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." =
WH, NU, Sinaiticus*, A, B, (D*) P 33 (Sinaiticus(2), C*, Psi, 0278, 1739 with word transposition) have "for freedom Christ freed us; stand therefore"
Variant 1 F, G, it(r) have "in which freedom Christ freed us, stand therefore" which does not appear in an English translated version.
So manuscript evidence
favors "for
freedom Christ freed us; therefore stand firm."
2) (Gal 5:1a) It Was For Freedom That Christ Set Us Free; Therefore Stand Firm And Do Not Be Subject Again To A Yoke Of Slavery
(Gal 5:1 NASB) "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore [stand] firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." =
Gal 5:1a, the first phrase of
Gal 5:1, "It
was for freedom that Christ set us free;" is a summary statement of the
content of chapters 3 and 4, i.e., of hopeless bondage to law (human
doing) vs. achieving freedom in Christ via faith alone in Christ alone
apart from
human doing in order to be justified before God unto eternal life. The
letter to the Galatians repeatedly affirms that a moment of faith alone
in Christ Jesus
alone - apart from any human doing - justifies one unto eternal life
before God. This sets one free from the hopeless bondage to law (human
doing) in order to be justified.
(Gal 2:16 YLT) "having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through ... faith [in] Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by ... faith [in] Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh' "
(Gal 3:22 NASB) But the Scripture has shut up [all things] under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
(Gal 3:23 NASB) But before [this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind] were [being guarded] under law, [having been] shut up to the faith [in Jesus] which was later to be revealed [by His appearance in history with His atonement for sins on the cross].
(Gal 3:24 NASB) Therefore the Law has become our tutor [guardian-trainor] to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
(Gal 3:25 NASB) But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [guardian-trainor].
(Gal 3:26 NASB) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
(Gal 3:27 NKJV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(Gal 3:28 NASB) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Gal 3:29 NKJV) And [since] you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
A moment of faith alone in
Christ alone removes the individual
from the personal
bondage of being held accountable for sins relative to the reception of
eternal life; and from the personal bondage of being held accountable
for continually and perfectly obeying God's rules of conduct embodied
in the Law of Moses in order to be justified before God unto eternal
life as well. Once justified and hence saved unto eternal life by faith
alone, Christ has set us free. This is an absolute freedom. No longer
is a believer held accountable to God for his sins relative to the
reception of eternal life .
The Galatians were set free by Jesus Christ from their futile enslavement to the law of their consciences which condemned them all the time, in order to be justified unto eternal life for the purpose that they should live in freedom from law as a principle of human doing in order to be justified unto eternal life; especially the Mosaic Law which the Judaizers were trying to persuade them to follow.
So the pagan Galatians were slaves to the law of their consciences before they were set free by a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
(Ro 2:14 NASB) "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
(Ro 2:15 NASB) in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,"
Notice that Gentiles have a law for themselves - their consciences - which provide the standard by which they must be justified. But this is impossible and their consciences remind them that they are constantly falling short of the glory of God. Thus they are enslaved to their God given consciences until they are justified by faith alone in Christ alone:
(Ro
3:20 NASB) "because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified
in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
(Ro 3:21 NASB) But now apart from the Law the
righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets,
(Ro 3:22 NASB) even the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is
no distinction;
(Ro 3:23 NASB) for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God,
(Ro 3:24 NASB) being justified as a gift by
His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;"
So the Galatian believers had been set free from bondage to any law of human doing because they had trusted alone in Christ alone. Thus they received the Spirit Who saved and sealed them unto redemption when they believed in the gospel:
(Eph 1:13 NKJV) "In Him [in Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
(Eph 1:14 NKJV) Who / Which is the guarantee [lit., "arrhabOn" = deposit, pledge] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [God's possession - the believer, v. 13], to the praise of His glory."
(Gal 3:1 NASB) "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as [having been] crucified?
(Gal 3:2 NASB) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [law], or by hearing with faith?
(Gal 3:3 NASB) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
(Gal 3:4 NKJV) Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?
(Gal 3:5 NKJV) Therefore He Who [is supplying] the Spirit to you and [is working] miracles among you, does He do it by the works of [law], or by the hearing of faith? -"
(Ro 8:1 NASB) "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
(Ro 8:2 NASB) For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and of death."
On
the other hand, God will hold the eternally secure believer accountable
to Him relative to temporal blessings / consequences leading to
temporal discipline as well as eternal rewards for how faithful a
believer is .
The
point is clearly made that freedom in Christ Jesus from the
consequences of sin relative to the reception of eternal life is
attained simply
and exclusively by a moment of faith alone in Him alone. This implies
that human doing such as attempting to be good, or efforts to make
atonement for ones sins such as embodied in the Mosaic Law - which
represents the perfect law of God: His Righteousness - enmeshes one in
the bondage and futility of trying to be as good as God is when that is
clearly impossible for mortal man in this age. Note that the entire
population of a future generation of Israelites in
mortal bodies in the next age - the Millennial Rule - will experience
being righteous as a result of God's unilateral fulfillment of the New
Covenant with them through a moment of faith alone in Christ Jesus
alone . The Law of Moses is
supposed to lead one to the desperate realization of ones depravity,
unto repentance to
a moment of faith alone in Christ alone in order to be justified
unto eternal life:
(Gal 3:24 NASB) "Therefore the Law has become our [all mankind' tutor [= "guardian-trainor"] to lead us to [faith in] Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."
3) (Gal 5:1b in
italics) "It Was
For Freedom That Christ Set Us Free;
Therefore Stand Firm And Do Not Be
Subject Again To A Yoke Of Slavery"
The phrase in Gal 5:1b, the second phrase of Gal 5:1, "Therefore [stand] firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" is specifically addressed but not limited to the Galatian believers. For they were formerly enslaved to their particular pagan religious beliefs and were at the time of Paul's writing of this epistle in danger of becoming entangled once again in slavery to human doing to be justified. This time it was potentially to be enslaved to the Judaizers' legalistic interpretation of the Mosaic Law.
Although the Law of
Moses represented the perfect Righteousness of God ,
it was misinterpreted by the Judaizers as a means by which individuals
might obey it and with perfect obedience, especially relative to
circumcision, be justified unto eternal life.
a) [Compare
Acts 15:1, 5 with Gal
2:3-5]:
(Acts 15:1 NASB) "Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'
(Acts 15:5 NASB) But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.' "
(Gal 2:3 NASB) "But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
(Gal 2:4 YLT) and that because of the false brethren brought in [secretly], who did come in [secretly] to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that us they might bring under bondage,
(Gal 2:5 NASB)
But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that
the truth of the gospel would remain with you."
So these individuals who were disrupting Paul's ministry were stipulated as believers in Jesus Christ from the Jerusalem Church / from Judea - albeit believers who had then reverted to insisting upon circumcision and the keeping of the Mosaic Law, in order to be saved, (see Acts 15:1, 5). Hence they were in effect "false brethren" in their practice amongst fellow believers, (Gal 2:4). But they were nevertheless saved unto eternal life in their eternal position with God. And these were most likely the false brethren that Paul referred to in Gal 2:3-5, since both accounts refer to only one group within the Jerusalem congregation who insisted that Titus be circumcised. In addition there might have been other dissenters to what Paul preached, i.e., "false" brethren or individuals who were not believers at all; but such were not stipulated in either Paul's or Luke's account. In any case, there is no conflict in the account of Galatians chapter two vs Acts chapter 15.
The absence of any mention in Paul's or Luke's account of the leaders of the Jerusalem Church intervening on behalf of Paul and against the "false brethren" - which would have been notable - implies that the leadership most likely did not raise an objection to the demand that Titus be circumcized or even that they urged that Titus be circumcized for the sake of an outward "harmony" - not taking a stand for the gospel of Christ which they and Paul had received from God and were preaching, (cf. Gal 2:7-9).
So Paul's response to those in the Jerusalem Church who opposed his preaching as stipulated in Gal 2:5 indicates that the false brethren of Gal 2:4 who insisted on Titus being circumcised, described more particularly by author Luke in Acts 15:5 as "some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses', " was not to yield in subjection to them for even [so much as] an hour - so that the truth of the gospel would remain in the Gentile believers in the sense that they would not be convinced to change what they believed in, in order to be saved from Christ alone to adding circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses.
b) [Compare
Acts 15:1-4, 7-11]:
(Acts 15:1 NASB) "Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'
(Acts 15:2 NASB) And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
(Acts
15:3 NASB) Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were
passing through both Phoenicia and Gentiles, and were bringing great
joy to all the brethren.
(Acts 15:4 NASB) When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
(Acts 15:7 NASB) After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, 'Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
[Notice that there was much debate implying that the apostles of the Jerusalem Assembly did not agree at first, which in turn indicates that they were hesitant to take a hard stand against the Judaizers about circumcision and keeping of the Law. Nevertheless at the end of the debate, having seen the results of Paul's and Barnabas' ministries, the apostles from Jerusalem confirmed the message which apostle Paul and Barnabas and their group preached was the same as the message that Peter gave to the Gentiles as well: hearing the gospel and believing in it + nothing else]
(Acts 15:8 NASB) And God, Who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
(Acts 15:9 NASB) and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
[Notice that cleansing of the heart, i.e., forgiveness of sins is by a moment of faith alone in the Lord Jesus alone (Acts 15:11)]
(Acts 15:10 NASB) Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
(Acts 15:11 NASB) But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.' "
The phrase rendered "[stand] firm" in Gal 5:1b is a command to the Galatian believers and all believers to remain firm in their conviction by which they were saved unto eternal life by which they received the Spirit and the spiritual gifts via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone apart from any enslavement to human doing.
B)
(Gal 5:2) Paul Declares To The Galatian Believers And All Believers
That If They Receive Circumcision In Order To Be Justified After They
Have Already Trusted Alone In Christ Alone For Justification, Christ
Will Be Of No Benefit To Them Relative To Benefits In The Temporal
Life. This Does Not Effect Their Reception Of Eternal Life Which Has Already Been
Secured By Them By Faith Alone. On The Other Hand, Temporal Benefits
And Eternal Rewards Will
Be Adversely Effected As They Persist In This Or Any Other Legalism
(Gal 5:2 NASB) "Behold [in the sense of "Look"] I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision [lit. "are circumcised"], Christ will be of no benefit to you." =
The phrase in Gal 5:2 rendered,
"if
you receive circumcision,
Christ will be of no benefit to you," is being conveyed in the sense
that Christ will be of no benefit to those believers who choose to be
circumcised in order to be justified unto eternal life - a reversion to
legalism. The
danger for anyone justified by faith alone in Christ alone who then
goes back to legalism is not the loss of that actual standing of
justification before God unto eternal life - for that is secure by a
moment of faith alone in Christ alone (Gal 3:1-5 , on eternal security). On the
other hand, the
believer will suffer the loss of temporal benefits and
God's
temporal discipline / destruction . Christ will be of no temporal
benefit so long as he persists in legalism.
The practice of legalism in order to be justified is not limited to circumcision. Water baptism, church membership / attendance and anything else that adds to what one thinks one must do to be saved beyond the moment of faith alone in Christ alone, is legalism.
One who has already secured
eternal life at the moment one believes, (Gal 3:1-5 , on eternal security),
who then begins to practice legalism, thinks that he needs to do
something more than believe in Christ to attain eternal life. He
thinks
that his justification unto the Righteousness of God unto eternal life
is no longer a finished, completed event, secured forever in Christ by
faith alone. The one who does this puts himself on
the futile path of trying to please God with his own human doing,
(i.e., law), which can never be good enough to qualify as perfectly
righteous in order to do the job of self-justification. No one can
claim to have absolutely faithful moments without sin, (ref. 1 Jn 1:8,
10 ).
The path of legalism
leads one down the self-destructive road to where ones entire focus is
frequently, if not all the time, on oneself and
off of Jesus Christ. Christ is thus no longer of any value to one
during
those moments while one is considering whether or not ones actions
are righteous enough to qualify for obtaining / retaining eternal life,
instead of trusting solely in Who Christ is and what He has done on the
cross.
According to Scripture, one
need do nothing more than express a moment of faith alone in
Christ alone in order to have eternal life, (Gal 3:1-5 ; on eternal security). For a believer has
been justified by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone and has
eternal peace
with God through the Lord Jesus Christ and may choose to stand in this
grace and
rejoice in the sure hope of the glory of God, acknowledging that his
eternal destiny
is in heaven in a glorified body through a moment of faith alone in
Christ alone:
(Ro 5:1 NASB) "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Ro 5:2 NASB) through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God."
Note that in Gal 5:2, author
and apostle Paul moves
from the general statement which is thematic in tone in Gal 5:1: "It
was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore [stand] firm and do
not be subject again to a yoke
of slavery," to a specific and egregious
example of the Galatian believers' potential reenslavement: "Behold [in the sense of
"Look"] I, Paul, say to you that if
you receive circumcision [lit. "are circumcised"],
Christ will be of no benefit to you." This time the legalism was a
bondage to the
Judaizers' heretical legalisms which threatened to destroy the Galatian
believers' new found freedom in Christ with
respect to the temporal life, (their eternal life was secure, ). Note that the temporal
destruction would continue
as long as they continued to enslave
themselves to anything outside of faith alone in Christ alone for
justification unto eternal life. On the other hand, relative to eternal
destiny, once
one is justified and thereby saved
by grace through faith alone in Christ alone, one is forever saved unto
eternal life .
Furthermore, diminished
eternal rewards in the
next life will follow the
temporal destruction and loss of freedom in this life so long as
legalisms keep on being practiced by the believer .
So
Paul
issued a strong warning in Gal 5:2 to the Galatian believers who were
considering
submitting to the Judiaizers' heretical interpretation of circumcision
for justification unto eternal life. The phrase rendered "if you
receive circumcision" is in the third class condition - one of
probability:
maybe you will and maybe you won't be circumcised .
It gives the sense, "If you should let yourselves be circumcised,"
which implies that the Galatians had not yet taken this
step but rather were considering it. So Paul was not condemning those
who had been circumcised, believers or non-believers, unless the act in
their minds was
for the purpose of being justified unto eternal life - the mentality of
the heretical Judaizers.
(1 Cor 7:17 NASB) "Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.
(1 Cor 7:18 NASB) Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
(1 Cor 7:19 NASB) Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
[So
Paul wrote that circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God for temporal
benefits as well as for eternal rewards .
Believers in this Church Age are not under law, especially under the
Law of Moses. But believers - children of God, born of God are under
His grace operation and His commandments for justification and
blessings in this temporal life, (ref. Ro 6:14-15 ), which are meted out in
accordance with obedience to His commandments for believers in this
age, (ref. 1 Jn 5:2 ); as well as for eternal
rewards in the next life which is eternal .
The phrase rendered "what matters is the keeping of the commandments of
God" in 1 Cor 7:19 refers not to the Law of Moses which believers are
not under, but to those commandments that appear in the epistles of the
Greek bible which are commanded to the believer to keep by the power
and the grace of God. These Church Age commandments of God to already
justified individuals in this age which largely appear in the epistles
are not a
requirement for the reception of eternal life - for that is by faith
alone. For Paul had previously and extensively confirmed to the
believers in his letter to the Galatians that they had already been
justified by faith alone unto eternal life apart from any human doing , (cf. Gal 2:16-21 ; 3:5-14 ; 22-29, ).
But the commandments of God for believers in the Church Age, which are
largely delineated in the epistles of the Greek bible, are for the
benefits of
temporal and eternal blessings to be bestowed upon those who have
already become believers in this age. Those benefits are based upon the
individual believer's willingness to be obedient to those commands and
the power and the grace of God Who provides enablement to His born
again children, despite their intrinsic sinfulness .
This is all due to the sacrifice of His Son for sins. These blessings -
both temporal and eternal are bestowed upon each believer as he
acknowledges Christ's sacrifice in His blood to cleanse one from all
unrighteousness, i.e., as he walks in the light of Christ's
Righteousness, i.e., as he confesses his sins moment by moment ]
So
if a man who has already been circumcised for whatever reason becomes a
Christian - a believer in
Christ through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing
else - the circumcision will not
effect his temporal life - his fellowship with God, nor the status of
his eternal life / eternal rewards, provided that he does not revert to
trusting
in that circumcision to provide temporal benefits or eternal life.
And if a believer is
uncircumcised,
he may remain uncircumcised, or he may choose to be
circumcized - not in order to be justified - but only for godly
reasons, and thus without effecting the value to God of
his Christian temporal life relative to temporal blessings or eternal
rewards. For in Gal 5:2, the apostle did not condemn
circumcision in
itself. And in Acts 16:1-3, he had Timothy circumcised in Galatia so
that the young
man would have a wider ministry. Four verses later
in Gal 5:6, Paul declared that "neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision has any value."
Paul was
strongly
opposed to the Judaizer's distortion of the Mosaic Law which wrongly
insisted that
circumcision was
necessary for justification unto salvation unto eternal life.
(Acts 15:1 NASB) "Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'
(Acts 15:2 NASB) And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue."
Paul indicated that anyone who
chooses to believe in Jesus Christ and becomes circumcised unto
justification unto eternal life has
added works to faith in order to be justified, negating salvation by
grace through faith alone. He remains unjustified / unsaved and remains
under God's condemnation.
On the other hand if a believer
chooses to
be circumcized for the purpose of being justified after he became a believer,
then it
is evident that he once again seeks righteousness /
justification by works. So in that circumstance, Paul declared in Gal
5:2 that
Christ would neither be of
value
to that believer relative to benefits that that believer would receive
from Christ in the temporal life, nor would he receive additional
eternal rewards
in the next life - so long as that believer continued to maintain
that his circumcision was required for his personal justification.
Albeit the legalistic believer's salvation and previously earned
eternal rewards would be secure as the two are dependant upon a moment
of faith alone in Christ alone which he had originally expressed to be
saved ; and faithful actions previous to his reversion
to legalism, respectively .
C) (Gal 5:3) Everyone Who Receives Circumcision In Order To Be Justified Unto Eternal Life Is Under Obligation To Keep The Whole Law
(Gal 5:3 NASB) "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law." =
Paul
then reiterates his testimony that every man who receives circumcision
relative to being justified unto eternal life is under the obligation
to keep the whole Law of Moses. Every
statute of the Law of Moses represents the
standard of Righteousness of God. And the Law requires unfailing
obedience to each and every statute in order
be justified by how one leads ones life. Because God cannot fail, man
must not fail either if he wants to be justified in God's eyes by what
he does, (ref. Gal 3:21 .
So
if an already justified believer turns to law, for example the Mosaic
Law, more specifically, circumcision, in order to be justified when he
has already been justified by faith alone in Christ alone; he places
himself under ALL the provisions of that particular law system, and
obligates himself to obey every statute without failure! He has in his own mind decided
that he does not have the justification
he received by faith alone unless he does something more. In Gal 5:3,
Paul reminds the legalistic, albeit
justified believer that to keep one provision of the Mosaic Law system
obligates him to keep the whole Law. This is not possible and puts the
believer and any unbeliever under the curse of never measuring up to
God's perfect standard
of Righteousness intrinsic within that particular law.
Furthermore, it puts
the believer under the discipline of God on a path that will - if
continually followed - lead to temporal self-destruction, early
physical death and great loss of eternal rewards .
(Jas 2:10 NASB) "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
(Jas 2:11 NASB) For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law."
This does not say that the
believer who has been justified via a moment of faith alone in Christ
alone who
turns back to legalism no
longer has possession of his justification, but that that he has in his
own mind decided he does not have that justification unless he does
something more. In the case of Gal 5:1-3, the something more is
stipulated as circumcision as an example. In any case, Paul reminds the
legalistic albeit justified believer that to keep one provision of the
Mosaic Law system obligates him to keep the whole Law. This is not
possible and puts the person under the curse of never measuring up to
God's standard intrinsic in that particular law.
Since
all mankind is sinful except for Jesus Christ , justification through
human doing, i.e., works = law is not
possible. Justification can only be through a moment of faith alone in
God's provision for their sins through His one and only Son, Jesus
Christ, wherein the one who believers will be declared Righteous.
****** EXCERPT FROM GAL 3 ON THE PURPOSES OF THE LAW ******
(Gal 3:10-12) JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD UNTO ETERNAL LIFE BY LAW - BY SOME STANDARD OF HUMAN DOING - REQUIRES ABSOLUTE PERFECTION - GOD'S ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS. THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR FORGIVENESS OF TRANSGRESSIONS UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES OR ANY LAW UNTO ETERNAL LIFE; NOR ROOM FOR ERROR. SO IT IS EVIDENT THAT NO ONE CAN BE JUSTIFIED BY LAW BEFORE GOD. THE ONE WHO IS RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH IS THE ONE WHO WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND WILL LIVE OUT HIS TEMPORAL LIFE IN A RIGHTEOUS MANNER AS HE LIVES BY THAT SAME FAITH. KEEPING THE LAW IS NOT BASED ON FAITH, BUT UPON HUMAN DOING. HE WHO PRACTICES LAW, MUST LIVE BY THE LAW WITHOUT ERROR - AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY FOR MAN
(Gal 3:10 NASB) "For as many as are of the works of [law] are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, to perform them.' [Dt 27:26 Septuagint] (Gal 3:11 YLT) and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, [cf. Gal 2:16] because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' [Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17] (Gal 3:12 NASB) However, the [law] is not of [i.e., based on] faith; on the contrary, 'He who practices [these things - the precepts of the Law] shall live by [them]' " [Lev 18:5] =
In Gal 3:10, Paul returns to Scripture to conclude that anyone who puts himself under law - rules governing human behavior - in order to be justified before God will inevitably be cursed and not blessed because no man is able to perfectly keep those rules. And this especially applies to the Book of the Law of Moses which Paul refers to when he quotes from Deuteronomy from the Septuagint version:
[Compare Dt 27:26 Septuagint]:
(Dt 27:26 Septuagint) "Accursed is every man whoever shall not adhere to all the words of this law [Law of Moses] to do them. [And shall all the people say, 'Amen' "]
Author Paul quoted from Deuteronomy 27:26 Septuagint in Gal 3:10. These words were spoken by Moses to Israel at Abel-Shittim east of the Jordan shortly before his death on Mount Nebo. They were carried out when Israel renewed its covenant with God at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (Joshua 8:30-35).
Moses had been instructed that six tribes were to stand on Mount Gerizim, the Mount of Blessing, and six on Mount Ebal, the Mount of Cursing. The Levites were to recite the 12 curses found in Deuteronomy 27:15-26. After each curse the people were to respond with "Amen." The curses emphasized pagan idolatry and gross immorality which God's covenant people were to avoid. Whereas the first 11 curses placed a ban on specific acts of disobedience, the 12th was more comprehensive, especially as found in the Septuagint.
The Law of Moses meets the standard of God's perfect Righteousness by which standard all men will be judged no matter what legal system they choose to attempt to obey. It demanded perfection and the breaking of only one command even once brings a person under the curse of God. Since everybody fails at some point, all mankind - Jew and Gentile alike are under the curse of God. The proposition that a person can be justified by God through human effort is thus completely destroyed. So if a man will not come to God on the basis of faith alone in the atonement made by Christ alone, he must be judged by his works measured against the Mosaic Law's perfect standard and thereby inevitably be condemned.
In Gal 3:11a Paul once again declared that it is evident that no one is justified by law - by any human doing before God: "and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident," (Gal 3:11a YLT).
(Gal 2:16 YLT) "having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh' "
Then in Gal 3:11b, Paul writes, quoting from Habakkuk, (Gal 3:11b YLT) "because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' [Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17]
[Gal 3:11b Greek Interlinear]:
"hoti ......ho ...dikaios .............Ek pistEOs zesEtai"
"because the .righteous [one] .by .faith ......will live"
The verse is best rendered from the word order of the Greek text annotated above from which one will accurately conclude the following: A man is not righteous before the exercise of his faith, he becomes righteous by the exercise of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone by which he will live, i.e., have eternal life; and he will live out his temporal life in a righteous manner as he lives it by that same faith - not by any human doing. So the order is - faith, justification, life - temporal and eternal.
(Hab 2:4 NASB) "Behold, as for the proud one, (v. 6), his soul is not right within him; [Hebrew and Septuagint Greek word order]: But a righteous man by his faith will live."
The proud one [the one who is self-righteous, the Babylonian, (vv. 6-20)] his soul within him is not right - not righteous - with God. But the righteous soul - the one declared righteous before God through faith in Him will live out his temporal life, the years appointed to him and forever in eternity, not so the self-righteous one.
By quoting the Old Testament in Gal 3:11, Paul showed that even during the dispensation of Law, legal obedience was not the basis for a justified standing before God because, as the Prophet Habakkuk wrote, The righteous by faith will live," (Hab 2:4).
Most versions have "the righteous [man] / the just will / shall live by faith" [NASB, NKJV, HCSB, ASB, KJV, NIV]. Only a few like the YLT follow the correct word order:
(Gal 3:11 YLT) "and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, [cf. Gal 2:16] because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' [Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17]"
The improper word order for Hab 2:4 / Gal 3:11 / Ro 1:17 as it appears in most versions, could easily be misconstrued to mean that those that are righteous before God are those who live by being faithful to law, despite the fact that the context of the verses which precede and follow indicates that man cannot faithfully keep the Law and will remain accursed if he tries to be righteous by any kind of human doing.
So then in Gal 3:12, which reads, "However, the [law] is not of [i.e., based on] faith; on the contrary, 'He who practices [these things - the precepts of the Law] shall live by [them]' " [Lev 18:5], the writer and apostle Paul affirms that keeping the Law is mutually exclusive from anything to do with faith. And anyone who endeavors to keep the precepts of the Law of Moses must live by them without fault in order to be justified before God as righteous, otherwise one will be accursed as it is stipulated in Dt 27:26.
(Lev 18:5 NASB) "You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD."
Only perfect performance of the
Law can win God's approval under the
Mosaic Law, or the equivalent for Gentiles, (cf. Ro 2:14-15), but since
that is not achievable, the Law of Moses or any law can only condemn a
person, (cf. Jas 2:10). But this is purposely intended to cause one to
cast himself upon the mercy of God and trust alone in His Son, Jesus
Christ alone for forgiveness of sins unto eternal life, (Gal 3:19-22).
(Gal 3:19a) Why, Then, Was The Law Given At All? Reasons Are As Follows:
(Gal 3:19a NIV) "Why, then, was the Law given at all? It was added because [lit., for the sake] of transgressions until the Seed to Whom the promise referred to had come." =
The Law Was Given To Reveal The Righteousness Of God - The Standard Of Righteousness That God Demands For Eternal Life And A Proper Relationship With Him In The Temporal Life
(Lev 18:5 NASB) [The LORD, speaking to Moses said, (v. 1)]: " 'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD."
Lev 18:5 promises a good life here and eternal life hereafter - the whole OT context of faith in God and trust in His promises, including those given in the symbolism and typeology of the sacrifices detailed in the Book of Leviticus. Notice that keeping the statutes of the Law resulted in living out the temporal life with blessing, enjoyment, fulfillment.
(Gal 3:21 NKJV) "Is the Law then against the promises [of God]? Certainly not! For if there [was given] a law which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the Law."
Gal 3:21 stipulates that the Mosaic Law is not against the promises of God. On the other hand, if keeping a law could have given eternal life, truly righteousness would have been by the Mosaic Law, implying that the Law is righteous. For man is not capable of being righteous at any time.
(Ro 7:12 NASB) "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."
This implies that the character of the provisions of the Mosaic Law is an absolutely Righteous one - every statute.
(Ro 2:20b) "[the Jews, (vv. 14, 17-18)] Having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,"
Notice that it is stipulated in Ro 2:20b, "You [Jews] have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth!"
[Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co, Springfield, USA, 1980, p. 368 provides this applicable meaning of 'embody']:
"Embody... 1 b. To make concrete and perceptible"
This is not to say that the Mosaic Law contains all knowledge and truth. The most applicable definition of the word 'embodiment' here is that the Law makes all knowledge and truth concrete and perceptible, implying that it is the source upon which knowledge and truth is built. Since God is righteous and knowledge and truth and the Law comes from God, then the knowledge and truth which the Law embodies is righteous, hence the Law is the embodiment of God's Righteousness.
The Jews were given the Law by God in order to represent Him to the world. So the Jews evidently are to represent God relative to the Law being given to them by God and their obedience to it as God's chosen people.
The Law Was Given To Provide A Rule Of Conduct / Life For Jews - Especially Those Who Are Of The Faith Of Abraham During That Time Period Before The Establishment Of The Body Of Believers In Christ, The Church - An Example For The Rest Of Mankind To Follow, Leading To The Knowledge Of And Faith In The One True God And His Salvation Through His One And Only Son Through Faith Alone In Him Alone
The Laws Was Given To Keep The Jews A Distinct People - The People Of The One True God
(Lev 11:44 NASB) " 'For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.
(Lev 11:45 NASB) 'For I am the LORD Who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.' "
(Lev 20:7 NASB) " 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.
(Lev 20:8 NASB) You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD Who sanctifies you.
(Lev 20:26 NASB) Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine"
[Compare Dt 7:6; cf. Dt 14:1ff]:
(Dt 7:6 NASB) "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."
This was the specific reason for the Law - setting the Israelites to the one true God apart from the peoples of the world who did not worship Him. This was in order to characterize God as holy and unique. The Law was to be a blessing to them physically and spiritually such as the dietary laws and the clothing laws. The Jews were to be distinct from all other people in a variety of ways, such as their worship habits (Lev 1, 7, 16, 23), their eating habits (Lev 11:1-47), their sexual habits (Lev 12), their clothing habits, Lev 19:19, and even the way they cut their beards (Lev 19:27). Other passages for this point include Ex 19:5-8 and 31:13.
The Law Was Given To Provide Israel With Occasions For Individual And Corporate Worship Of God
Review Lev chapter 23 and other
key chapters in the Hebrew Bible
The Law Was Given To Reveal Sin To Israel And To All Mankind Through Israel's Experience At Failing To Keep The Law - To Demonstrate All Of Mankind's Utter Sinfulness And Helplessness Before A Holy And Righteous God, To Lead One To Seek Eternal Life Via A Moment Of Faith Alone In The Sacrifice Of His Son For Sins Alone
The Law was given Israel to prove mankind's utter sinfulness and helplessness. This is indicated in Paul's own experience in Romans chapter 7.
(Ro 7:7 NASB) "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' "
(Ro 7:8 NASB) 'But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
(Ro 7:9 NASB) I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;
(Ro 7:10 NASB) and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;
(Ro 7:11 NASB) for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
[That the Law was holy and righteous is obvious as stated by Paul in Ro 7:12-13 as follow]:
(Ro 7:12 NASB) So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
(Ro 7:13 NASB) Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful."
Apart from the life of Jesus Christ in His perfect and sinless humanity, (2 Cor 5:21), there has been universal failure to keep such laws as God has revealed to mankind. The Law was never given as a means for salvation or justification. The Law became a curse to Israel (ref. Gal 3:10) bringing them condemnation (2 Cor 3:9) and death (Rom. 7:10-11) and to all mankind by the example of her failure. A beneficial effect of the Law was to drive Israel to Christ as the only Savior and Mediator.
[Compare Ro 3:19-20 cf. Gal 3:11, 24]:
(Ro 3:19 NASB) "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
(Ro 3:20 NASB) because by the works of ... law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through law comes knowledge of sin."
(Ro 5:20 NASB) The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."
Notice that the Law increased sin, revealing the sinfulness of mankind. It represented to mankind what is holy and righteous as the God of Israel is holy and righteous.
The Law Was Given To Shut Up Everyone Under Sin, So That The Promise By Faith In Jesus Christ Might Be Given To, i.e., Fulfilled In Those - Jew And Gentile - Who Believe. The Law Thus Became Our Tutor [Guardian-Trainor] To Lead Us To Christ, So That We May Be Justified By Faith
(Gal 3:22 NASB) "But the
Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith
in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
(Gal 3:23 NASB) But before
[this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind] were [being guarded]
under law, [having been] shut up to the faith [in Jesus] which was
later to be revealed [by His appearance in history with His atonement
for sins on the cross].
(Gal 3:24 NASB) Therefore the Law has become our tutor [guardian-trainor] to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM GAL 3 ON THE PURPOSES OF THE LAW ******
D) (Gal 5:4) You Galatian Believers Who Have Been Justified By Faith Alone Who Then Chose To Be Circumcised In Order To Be Justified By Law, You Have Been Severed From A Temporal Beneficial Relationship With Christ - You Have Fallen [Out] From Grace - From The Unmerited Favors Of A Temporal Relationship With Christ
(Gal 5:3 NASB) "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. (Gal 5:4 NASB) You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen [out] from grace." =
In
Gal 5:2, Paul wrote, "Behold, I say to you that if you receive
circumcision,
[in the sense of those who are
already justified by faith alone in Christ alone now begin to receive
circumcision for the purpose of being justified by
law / human doing unto eternal life - specifically the Law of Moses,
(Gal 5:4b)]
Christ will be of no benefit to you."
[in the sense that Christ will
be of no temporal benefit - not of no eternal benefit]
Then
in Gal 5:3, Paul remarks that if a believer reverts to legalism such as
circumcision in order to be justified: since circumcision is part
of the Law of Moses; then that already justified believer will have
thereby
obligated himself to keep every statute of the Mosaic Law without
failure - an impossible task for sinful, mortal man .
Whereupon in Gal 5:4, Paul
concludes in the first phrase, "You have been severed from Christ,"
[Since Galatian
believers are in view in Galatians chapter 5 - for they have received the
Gospel
(1:9) and the Spirit (3:2); and Paul
repeatedly called them "brethren," (ref., 1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28; 5:11,
13;
6:1, 18),
then they have been forever justified by grace through faith alone
in Christ alone.
Whereupon in view in Gal 5:4a are those who have been justified by faith alone who then revert to legalism - who for example have chosen then to be circumcised in order to be justified by law]
Consequently, Paul declares to
them, "You have been severed from Christ,"
[Note that believers are in
view who have
reverted to legalism who have been severed from a temporal beneficial
relationship
with Christ, i.e., they have fallen out of fellowship with our Lord,
evidently under His discipline. But they have
not severed themselves from eternal life
with God]
[Furthermore in Gal 5:4b it
states that]:
"you [believers] who are
seeking
to be justified by law;
[law = law with no definite article, i.e., trying to be justified by some code of behavior, by works of some kind - including but not necessarily the Mosaic Law]
[And in Gal 5:4c]:
"you have fallen [out] from grace."
The
grace of God is defined as any blessing or favor that God bestows upon
man which is
totally without regard for anything man does or is - requiring nothing
in return. Since all men, saved and unsaved, except Jesus Christ are
depraved, (cf. Ro 3:19, 23 ), anything God does toward man from
permitting him to remain alive to providing salvation unto eternal life
as a free gift to
bestowing him with food, shelter and clothing every day and innumerable
other blessings is undeserved / unmerited,
In
the context of Gal 5:4, the phrase rendered "you have fallen [out] from grace" has in view believers -
eternally secured unto eternal life by faith alone -
who as the previous phrase stipulates "are seeking
to be justified by law." And virtue of this, they have fallen away from
receiving the grace of God / the unmerited favor of a temporal
relationship with Jesus
Christ which relationship / fellowship will remain disfunctional during
their
moments of unrepentant / unforgiven temporal / daily sin as they walk
in the darkness of legalism attempting to be justified by law, (1
Jn 1:6-10 ).
Verse
4 does not have the loss of eternal life in view. Once received eternal
life is eternal, confirmed by Gal 2:14-21; 3:1-14; 6:1-5; Eph
1:13-14 & 4:30; and 1 Jn 5:8-13 and many other passages: .
Furthermore, it is telling that we don't find that loss of eternal life
is a potential. For Paul kept calling his readers "brethren" right up
to the last verse of the epistle. Nowhere did he say something such as:
"You once were Christians, but you are no longer," or, "If you seek to
be justified by the law, you will lose eternal life."
(Eph 1:13 NASB) "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
(Eph 1:14 NASB) Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."
(Eph 4:30 NASB) "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
The
phrase in Gal 5:4 rendered, "You have fallen [out] from grace,"
parallels the
phrase "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law," which precedes it in the same verse. So during those
moments,
when a believer practices legalism of any kind, he will be severed from
Christ, and he will have fallen [out] from grace in
the sense that for the moments that he persists in legalism, Christ will not be of any
temporal benefit / blessing to him. Albeit their justification unto
eternal life will not be
lost .
Nevertheless, he will cut himself off from fellowship with Christ which
is
experienced by the
grace of God, (ref 1 Jn 1-10 ).
For as soon as a believer alters his mental committment
against doing works in order to be justified unto eternal life and
reverts to doing them - as he is once again enmeshed in legalism - he
is denying that Christ's work is
all sufficient for his justification. In order for one to return to a
temporal / fellowship relationship with God one must cease
measuring / relying upon ones assessment of ones own good works in
order to verify / assure oneself that one is saved. Assurance of ones
salvation unto eternal life is a matter of simply
acknowledging that one has expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ
alone for eternal life and nothing else:
(1 Jn 5:9 NASB) "If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.
(1
Jn 5:10 NASB) The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony
in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,
because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given
concerning His Son.
(1 Jn 5:11 NASB) And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
(1 Jn 5:12 NASB) He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
(1 Jn 5:13 KJV) These things [I wrote to] you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that [you] may know that [you] have eternal life, [unto believing] on the name of the Son of God."
The
moment a believer steps outside of relying totally on God to provide
salvation as a free gift via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone +
nothing he falls outside of God's blessings and under His discipline.
The 'fallen' believer ceases to receive many of God's temporal
blessings and has come under God's discipline instead, facing trials
and tribulations without the mercy of God to see him through until he
confesses and repents. A
return to temporal fellowship with God may be accomplished by walking
in the light of Christ's Righteousness / confession of known sins . On the other hand, there will nevertheless be a
certain amount of loss of eternal rewards and loss of temporal
benefits.
E) (Gal 5:5) For We Believers In Christ Through The Spirit Of God Within Are Given Assurance Of Our Own Eternal Destiny Wherein We Confidently, Assuredly Await Our Resurrection Unto A Redemption Body Having The Intrinsic Righteousness Of God
(Gal 5:5 NASB) "For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness." =
The phrase rendered "For we
through the Spirit, by faith" refers
to believers who by faith - a moment of faith alone in Christ alone
unto eternal life - have received the Spirit of God, (ref Gal
3:1-5 ; cf. Eph 1:13-14 ),
and through the Spirit they are given assurance of their eternal
destiny wherein they "are waiting
for the [sure] hope of righteousness" - the phrase that follows.
[Note that the Greek word, "elpida" rendered "hope" in the context of Gal 5:5 literally means a sure hope of righteousness unto eternal life, i.e., eternal security. For it refers to that which, though certain, has not yet been realized, i.e., a sure hope]
So
believers have God the Holy Spirit's
absolute assurance of being resurrected unto eternal life in a
redemption body intrinsically having the Righteousness of God, (cf. Eph
1:13-14 ; and Ro 3:21-22 ).
(Phil 3:20 NASB) "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
(Phil 3:21 NASB) who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."
(Ro 8:22 NASB) "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
(Ro 8:23 NASB) And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
(Ro 8:23 NASB) For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
(Ro 8:23 NASB) But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."
Up
to this point Paul has been talking only of the Galatians,
using the pronoun "you." He has been warning them about choosing to
revert to legalism through circumcision. Now the pronoun changes to
"we" and is placed in an
emphatic position - "we wait" and "we hope." Paul is saying to all
believers that we are to wait in faith - in the sure hope - through the
Spirit for the full
realization of God's
righteousness.
The
phrase rendered "through the Spirit" appears first in Gal 5:5,
emphasizing by first position in the verse, that salvation unto the
Righteousness of God unto eternal life comes through the sovereignty of
God, first and foremost. Next comes the phrase rendered "by faith"
indicating that it is by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, (ref.
Gal 3:1-5
that one may wait for, with the sure hope of, attaining a resurrection
/
redemption body characterized by the Righteousness of God unto eternal
life with Him: the full realization of God's promise of salvation from
hell unto eternal life
for those who have trusted alone in His Son alone + nothing else. An
individual does not work to gain it. After the moment he trusted in
Christ for it, he waits for it to come from God. First comes salvation
from Hell at the point of faith alone in Christ alone; followed by the
earning of eternal rewards throughout ones mortal life by the grace of
God to be delivered at the Judgment Seat of Christ in heaven. And upon
completion of ones mortal life ones eternal life will have matured and
be presented within one upon resurrection to that promised eternal life
).
F) (Gal 5:6)
Paul Conveys A
Message To
Those In Christ Jesus - Believers Secure In Eternal Life: Just As
Neither Circumcision Nor Uncircumcision Means Anything Relative To Anyone Securing
Eternal Life; Neither Does Circumcision / Uncircumcision Mean Anything
Relative To Believers' Eternal Or Temporal Lives. But Relative To Their
Temporal
Lives, What Does Matter Are Those Moments Of Faith Working Through
Their
Expressions Of Agape Love For God.
(Gal 5:6 NASB) "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." =
The
first phrase in Gal 5:6 rendered "For in Christ Jesus" signifies those
who are justified
unto eternal life
through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone apart from circumcision
or uncircumcision, or any human doing; and thereby they are placed into
Christ Jesus - into His body as members of His body forever:
1) [Compare 2
Cor 5:17 ]:
(2
Cor 5:17 NASB) "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
(Eph 1:13 YLT) "in Whom [in Christ, (v. 12)] [you] also, having heard the word of the truth - the good news of your salvation - in Whom [Christ, (vv. 12-13)] also having believed, [you] were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise [of eternal life / redemption],
(Eph 1:14 NKJV) Who / Which is the guarantee [lit., "arrhabOn" = deposit, pledge] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [God's possession - the believer, v. 13], to the praise of His glory."
Notice in Eph 1:13-14 that upon believing in the good news of ones salvation, i.e., believing in Christ - apart from any human doing such as circumcision - one is included in Christ in the sense of becoming a part of His body; whereby one is sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise of eternal life / redemption hence one is guaranteed eternal redemption at the point of the expression of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone.
The second phrase of Gal 5:6 is
rendered, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself
through love."
(Phil 1:27 NASB) "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
(Phil 1:28 NASB) in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of
destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God."
Since only those who are justified by faith alone are in view, then the phrase "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love," in Gal 5:6 has the temporal / mortal life of the believer in view, and not what it takes to be justified unto eternal life. So since works of any kind do not enter into what it takes to be justified and since 'faith expressing itself through love' implies godly human doing, then salvation unto eternal life cannot be in view:
"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law [=human doing] had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law."
The message of Gal 3:21 and 5:6 indicates that whatever it is that is important in the temporal lives of those in Christ Jesus, i.e., those who have believed in Christ Jesus for eternal life; it is not whether one follows or does not follow some set of rules of human doing such as circumcision or any other statute of the Law of Moses; but living a life of "faith expressing itself through love," (Gal 5:6b).
(1 Cor 16:13 NASB) "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
(1 Cor 16:14 NASB) Let all that you do be done in love."
(1 Cor 7:19 NASB) "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God."
The last phrase in Gal 5:6
underlined and italicized as follows, "For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith
working through love," is comparable in meaning to the
phrase in 1 Cor 7:19b rendered, "but what
matters is the keeping of the commandments of God," (1 Cor
7:19b). Thus
the phrase in Gal 5:6b, rendered "faith working through love" implies
faithful human
doing in obedience out of agape / godly love for God to the
commandments of God for believers in this age as delineated in the
epistles.
So
in view in 1 Cor 7:19 and Gal 5:6, Paul indicated in both verses that
"neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything," (Gal 5:6a).
And the phrase in 1 Cor 7:19b, "but what
matters is the keeping of the commandments of God" conveys in both
verses the message
that out of faith one is to work through agape / godly love for God,
that's what matters. And temporal
benefits as well as eternal rewards are the reward .
Believers in this Church Age are not under law, especially under the
Law of Moses. But believers - children of God, born of God - are under
His grace gift operation and under His commandments to believers in
this age for temporal justification and
blessings in their temporal lives, (ref. Ro 6:14-15 ). These blessings are meted
out in accordance with the believer's
obedience to His commandments to believers in this age, (ref. 1
Jn 5:2 ); as well as for eternal
rewards in the next life which is eternal . So the phrase rendered "what
matters is the keeping of the commandments of
God" in 1 Cor 7:19 refers not to the Law of Moses which believers are
not under, but to those commandments that appear in the epistles of the
Greek bible which are commanded to the believer to keep by the power
and the grace of God.
These Church Age commandments
of God to already
justified individuals in this age which largely appear in the epistles
are not a
requirement for the reception of eternal life - for that is by faith
alone. For Paul had previously and extensively confirmed to the
believers in his letter to the Corinthians that they had already been
justified by faith alone unto eternal life apart from any human doing , (cf. Gal 2:16-21 ; 3:5-14 ; 22-29, ).
But the commandments of God for believers in the Church Age, which are
largely delineated in the epistles of the Greek bible, are for the
benefits of
temporal and eternal blessings to be bestowed upon those who have
already become believers in this age. Those benefits are based upon the
individual believer's willingness to be obedient to those commands and
the power and the grace of God Who provides enablement to His born
again children, despite their intrinsic sinfulness .
This is all due to the sacrifice of His Son for sins. These blessings -
both temporal and eternal are bestowed upon each believer as he
acknowledges Christ's sacrifice in His blood to cleanse one from all
unrighteousness, i.e., as he walks in the light of Christ's
Righteousness, i.e., as he confesses his sins moment by moment ].
Note that in Gal 5:6b the Greek participle verb form "energoumene" rendered "working," in the phrase rendered, "but faith working through love" has been the subject of substantial debate within Catholicism and between others and Catholic theologians. If the verb is passive, as most Catholics maintain, then the phrase means that faith is inspired by love; that is, love comes first, then faith stemming from it. This, while linguistically possible, is not biblical relative to justification by faith alone, nor is it Paul's intended meaning. If the verb is in the middle voice, as it seems to be elsewhere in the NT, then the thought is as translated in the NASB: faith working in the sense of expressing itself through love. This is evident because it is a moment of faith alone in Christ alone which results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which then leads to the development of the fruit of the Spirit in which love is prominent (Gal 5:22). Hence it is not love that leads to faith but faith which leads to the indwelling Spirit and then through the Spirit one is to learn to express godly / agape love toward God and one another:
(Gal 5:22 NASB ) "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,"
G) (Gal 5:7) You
Galatian Believers Were Running Well; Who Hindered You From Obeying /
Believing In The Truth That Faith Alone In Christ Alone Is All That Is
Required In Order To Be Justified And Nothing More?
(Gal 5:7 NASB) "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" =
Author
and apostle Paul describes the temporal life of the Galatian believers
as running a race. At first, Paul indicates that they had been
conducting
their lives in a relatively godly manner evidently up until the time he
wrote this letter.
According to Paul, in order to run well, a believer must train
vigorously and repetitively in order to exercise "faith working through
[agape / self-sacrificial] love," (Gal 5:6),
implying that the content one is to believe in is derived as follows:
diligently studying
and trusting in and obeying what God has communicated to the believer
in His Word, more specifically the promises of God, (Gal 3:21 through faith in the commandments of God to
believers of the Church Age as largely delineated in the epistles .
(1 Cor 9:24 NASB) "Do you know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
(1 Cor 9:25 NASB) Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
(1 Cor 9:26 NASB) Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
(1 Cor 9:27 NASB) but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified."
(2 Tim 4:7 NASB) "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
(2 Tim 4:7 NASB) in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
G cont.) (Gal
5:7 cont.) You
Galatian Believers Were Running Well; Who Hindered You From Obeying /
Believing In The Truth That Faith Alone In Christ Alone Is All That Is
Required In Order To Be Justified And Nothing More? (cont.)
(Gal 5:7 NASB) "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" =
Whereupon in the second phrase of Gal 5:7, Paul interjects, "Who hindered you from obeying the truth?"
Though many false teachers were disturbing the Galatians, the singular pronoun "tis" rendered "who" indicates that the leader of the Judaizers was in view here. The result was that the believers were no longer obeying the truth, but were attempting to complete the race by legalistic self-effort rather than by faith in the Son of God and the grace and enablement of God the Father.
****** EXCERPTS FROM GAL CHAPTER ONE AND THREE ******
(Gal
1:6-9)
Paul Is
Astonished That The Believers In Galatia Are So Quickly Deserting God
Who
Called Them By The Grace Of Christ - Astonished That They Would Believe
In A
Different Gospel Which Is Really Not Another Gospel At All. But There
Were Some
Who Were Troubling Them, Who Wanted To Pervert The Gospel Of Christ.
Paul Then
States
That Even If We - Himself And Those With Him - Or An Angel From Heaven,
Should
Preach To Them A Gospel Contrary To What They Did Preach To Those In
Galatia,
Let Him (Them) Be Accursed. Whereupon Paul Repeated Himself: So Now I
Say
Again, If
Anyone Of You Preaches Any Other Gospel To You Than What You Did
Receive, Let
Him Be Accursed
(Gal 1:6 NKJV) "I am
amazed [in
the sense astonished] that you are so quickly deserting Him [God] Who
called
you by [the] grace [of Christ] [unto] a different gospel; (Gal 1:7
NKJV) which
is really not another [gospel] but [lit. since] there are some
who
trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal 1:8 NASB)
But even
if we, or an angel from heaven, [should] preach to you a gospel
[contrary to]
what we [did] preach to you, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:9 NKJV) As we
have
said before, so now I say again, if anyone [of you] preaches any other
gospel
to you than what you [did receive], let him be accursed." =
Author Paul moves abruptly to a confrontational mode, in lieu of the customary statement of thanksgiving and praise for the believers to whom he is writing. He evidently has no thanksgiving or praise for them at all. He states to them that he is astonished that they so quickly after their conversion to faith in Christ deserted God Who called them by the grace of Christ to believe in the gospel that Paul preached to them. Notice that Paul states that God had called by the grace of Christ the Galatian believers to believe in the gospel of grace and peace which they very soon rejected in favor of a false gospel. They deserted God - the very One Who had called them to faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone + nothing - and espoused a different gospel that others, who had quickly moved into the area, proclaimed instead of the gospel of God which Paul had just recently taught to them. These interlopers taught the Galatian believers another gospel which Paul declared was really not another gospel at all - in the sense that it did not provide eternal life. It was a perversion of the gospel of Christ. For God's gospel is one of grace and peace; and the false / perverted gospel is one which is dependent upon being obedient to the Law of Moses - legalism / meritorious - a complete desertion of God and His grace and peace. Whereupon Paul then wrote, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we did preach to you, let him be accursed," i.e., condemned by God. And Paul repeats this condemnation: "As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone of you preaches any other gospel to you than what you did receive, let him be accursed."
(Gal 3:1-5) Paul Asked, 'You Foolish Galatians, Who Has Bewitched You, Before Whose Eyes Jesus Christ Was Publicly Portrayed [By Paul] As Having Been Crucified? Did You Receive The Spirit By The Works Of law, Or By Hearing With Faith? Are You So Foolish? Having Begun By The Spirit, Are You Now Being Perfected In The Flesh? Have You Suffered So Many Things In Vain - If Indeed In Vain? Therefore He Who Is Supplying The Spirit To You And Is Working Miracles Among You, Does He Do It By The Works Of law, Or By The Hearing Of Faith?']:
(Gal 3:1 NASB) "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as [having been] crucified? (Gal 3:2 NASB) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [law], or by hearing with faith? (Gal 3:3 NASB) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Gal 3:4 NKJV) Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain? (Gal 3:5 NKJV) Therefore He Who [is supplying] the Spirit to you and [is working] miracles among you, does He do it by the works of [law], or by the hearing of faith? -" =
At the end of chapter 2, Paul emphatically stated that through the Law he died to the Law so that he might live to God. He did not nullify the grace of God by what he preached relative to how one received salvation unto eternal life. For Paul declared that if righteousness came through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. So salvation does not come through the Law - through human doing, but through a moment of faith alone in the death of Christ Jesus alone in payment for the sins of all mankind.
Whereupon in Gal 3:1, author Paul began a chastisement of the Galatian believers, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as [having been] crucified?" Notice the impersonal term "Galatians," as opposed to the word rendered "brothers," which he used earlier in 1:11. Paul calls the Galatians "foolish" in the sense of their being irrational and absurd to take up a doctrine which nullified the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on the cross for the sins of all mankind - after they had completely relied upon Christ for salvation and sanctification until they turned to the Law of Moses instead. Their complete reversal from justification by faith alone in Christ alone to dependence upon their own performance under the Law of Moses was to Paul as if they were bewitched - cast under an evil spell. The words rendered "publicly portrayed as having been crucified" imply Paul's vivid, graphic, public and undeniably clear portrayal of the payment for sins of Jesus Christ via His crucifixion to the Galatians as the sole means by which through faith in Him salvation unto eternal life might be received - and this is Who the Galatians had believed in for salvation and for walking faithfully in the temporal life. Note that the verb rendered "having been crucified" is in the perfect tense portraying a completed action with ongoing results implying that a moment of faith in Christ's crucifixion has an everlasting result of eternal life. So there was never any need to do anything else in order to insure ones salvation and for walking faithfully in the temporal life but to trust alone in Christ alone for these things. Hence Paul's conclusion was that the Galatian believers were without excuse for turning to legalism for justification and for walking faithfully in the temporal life.
Then, in Gal 3:2, in
order to emphasize the serious consequences of turning to law for
justification and for walking faithfully in the temporal life, Paul
asks the Galatians a rhetorical question, "This is the only thing I
want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of
[law], or by hearing with faith?" This question implies that the
Galatian believers had experienced, as a result of the reception of the
indwelling of the Spirit, the reception of a new ability / abilities to
express one or more miraculous spiritual gifts such as speaking in
tongues, healing, prophesying, word of knowledge, etc., (ref Gal 3:5,
). Since the reception of such
spiritual gifts was exclusively a result
of receiving the Spirit of God by hearing the gospel of eternal life
and believing in it; then at the first moment of faith alone in Christ
alone apart from observing the Law of Moses, the Spirit was received
and those gifts would have been notably exercised in those Galatian
lives. So the answer to Paul's rhetorical question should have been
immediately understood by the Galatian believers: that it is through
the Spirit of God that justification and walking faithfully in the
temporal life are received via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone
apart from any human doing. This is the answer that is implied within
the context of Paul's rhetorical question in Gal 3:2. Note that it is
only by the grace of God that human doing by the believer in Christ
Jesus, which is flawed at best, (cf. 1 Jn 1:8, 10), is credited to the
believer as walking by faith unto temporal righteousness, (cf. 1 Jn
1:7, 9).
In Gal 3:3a, Paul again refers to the Galatian believers as foolish, "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit." When each one of the Galatians believed in Christ Jesus, it began the indwelling of and the work of the Spirit of God in them, including miraculous spiritual gifts which were notably exercised by them, (ref. Gal 3:5). And it was God through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone apart from human doing, Who credited each believer with the Righteousness of Christ, (Phil 3:9). And it was the Spirit of God Who provided the capacity within each believer in order to perfect each one unto temporal righteousness moment to moment as the believer walks by faith. And all of this was a result of each one having expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ Jesus alone - apart from human doing!
Whereupon, Paul then wrote in Gal 3:3b, "are you now being perfected by the flesh?" i.e., are you now going to try to perfect yourself by your own efforts without the Spirit of God by attempting to keep the Law of Moses apart from the grace of God? The answer to the question is a rhetorical "no!"
Then in Gal 3:4, Paul asks them, "Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?" implying that the Galatian believers had indeed been suffering as a result of their new found faith in Christ Jesus, which includes the miraculous deeds that were being worked by the Spirit through them within their midst, (ref. Gal 3:5), evidently to confirm their salvation, and to be a witness for Christ to others. But all of this faithfulness in Christ through the Spirit brought persecution upon them, primarily at the hands of the Judaizers who were pursuing Paul and Barnabas where ever they went in order to counter Paul's missionary work with their demands that one be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses:
[Compare Acts 14:1-10; 19-22]:
(Acts 14:1 NASB) "In Iconium they [Paul and Barnabas, (ref. Acts 13:50)] entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.
(Acts 14:2 NASB) But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.
(Acts 14:3 NASB) Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, Who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.
(Acts 14:4 NASB) But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
(Acts 14:5 NASB) And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them,
(Acts 14:6 NASB) they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region;
(Acts 14:7 NASB) and there they continued to preach the gospel.
(Acts 14:8 NASB) At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.
(Acts 14:9 NASB) This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well.
(Acts 14:10 NASB) said with a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet.' And he leaped up and began to walk.
(Acts 14:19 NASB) But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
(Acts 14:20 NASB) But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.
(Acts 14:21 NASB) After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
(Acts 14:22 NASB) strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.' "
Note that it is clear here in Acts chapter 14 that these supernatural expressions of the Spirit were not the result of works of law, i.e., human doing but from hearing that leads to faith in Christ Jesus alone to be justified unto eternal life and receive the Spirit of God as Paul declared to the Galatian believers in Gal 3:3-5.
In Acts 14:22, Paul warned the new Galatian believers that they would suffer tribulation / persecution.
And in Gal 3:4, Paul indicated that persecutions / suffering followed the conversions of the Galatian believers. But after they abandoned God's grace which was received via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone in order to keep the Law of Moses, Paul reminded them that if they did not turn back to God's grace, their sufferings for Christ would be in vain.
The message of Gal 3:1-4 is clear: once one becomes a believer he is exhorted to remain in the faith unto perfection, i.e., unto spiritual maturity as a lifelong pursuit. This is what Paul is exhorting the Galatian believers who departed from the faith to do from the beginning of the chapter:
(Gal 3:1 NASB) "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as [having been] crucified?
(Gal 3:2 NASB) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [law], or by hearing with faith?"
And then, notice the two rhetorical questions posed in verse 3,
(Gal 3:3 NASB) "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
Paul is saying here that for the Galatian believers to depart from the faith is foolish, especially after they had experienced the Spirit of God performing miracles through them, (Gal 3:5; cf Acts 14:3). They were rejecting the availability of the Spirit of God's working within them to perfect them in the faith unto spiritual maturity throughout their mortal lives. This would be a great loss which would make their firsthand suffering for Christ in vain in the sense of their losing the opportunity to be perfected in the faith and to grow in spiritual maturity by the Spirit of God should they not return to trusting in the Spirit to perfect them instead of attempting to do that by themselves by trying to perfectly keep the Law of Moses - the latter an exercise in futility.
Some contend that the Galatian believers who departed from the faith unto legalism considered in their own minds that their suffering and other experiences such as the Spirit working miracles through them were in vain for no godly reason: in the sense of being worthless, profitless - a waste of time and effort which provoked their persecution and suffering to no good end - in view of their new efforts to keep the Law of Moses toward the reception of eternal life and / or the attainment of spiritual maturity in their mortal lives. This mindset which implies a denial of the truth of the gospel that Christ actually did atone for mankind's sins, His resurrection being proof of that, and faith alone in Him alone justifies the believer unto eternal life, (cf. 1 Cor 15:18-19; 29-32), whether it was held by the Galatian defectors or not, however, is not in view in Galatians chapter 3 because the context of the chapter is not a defense of the truth of the gospel, (cf. 1 Cor 15:18-19; 29-32); but an exhortation to the Galatian believers to return to grace salvation and spiritual growth through faith - to that which they had begun with, especially in view of the miracles that the Spirit of God was working through them: namely the ongoing work of the Spirit within them through faith alone in Christ alone apart from law / any human doing toward spiritual maturity throughout their mortal lives. The context of Galatians chapter 3 implies that the suffering and other experiences such as the Spirit working miracles through them might indeed be in vain should they not return to a life of faith in Christ wherein the Spirit may continue to perfect them in the faith toward spiritual maturity, (Gal 3:3). Should they not return, they would lose the benefit of an ongoing life via the grace of God through the work of the Spirit. Their suffering when they first believed relative to this would indeed have been in vain.
So the last phrase in Gal 3:4 rendered "if indeed it was in vain?" is a restatement of the preceding phrase in verse 4, "Have you suffered so many things in vain?" The Greek word "eige" rendered "if indeed," emphasizes the word "if" to convey the sense of 'for the sake of argument, let's assume that your suffering was in vain.' For the sake of argument, then; Paul wrote that if those believers in Galatia permanently abandoned salvation by grace through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, for the ongoing futile effort throughout the rest of their temporal lives of keeping the Law of Moses in order to be saved / stay saved / mature in the faith, etc., then they would indeed lose rewards for future faithfulness, and they would not have the opportunity to reach spiritual maturity. Their suffering for the cause of Christ when they first believed in Him would be in vain in the sense that they would have cut themselves off from Christ for the rest of their temporal lives losing future opportunities to be so rewarded and have the opportunity to reach spiritual maturity.
On the other hand, all is not lost; for they, by the grace of God, had already secured eternal life and will receive their rewards for their past sufferings and faithfulness when they suffered persecution because they were faithful to the grace of God, (Gal 4:11; 1 Co 3:11-15; 15:2, 17-19, 29-32; 2 Th 1:5-7; 2 Jn 8; Heb 6:10).
So the question remains to be answered whether or not the suffering of the Galatian believers who had defected to the Law was in vain - which depends upon their repenting of their legalism or not. The tone of these verses is one of hope that they would choose to return to grace and continue to be rewarded for their consequent sufferings - their future faithfulnesses, instead of being disciplined for their lack of grace unto legalism for the rest of their temporal lives. If not, then their initial suffering was in vain because they never repented and returned to a life of grace.
Whereupon in Gal
3:5, the rhetorical
question, "Therefore He Who [is supplying] the
Spirit to you and [is working] miracles among you, does He do it by the
works of [law], [i.e., by any human doing, especially the Law of Moses
which the Judaizers were advancing] or by the hearing of faith,"
demands the answer: by faith alone. The rhetorical question in Gal 3:2
is
similar. It reads, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of [law],
or by hearing with faith?" The past tense of the question in Gal 3:2,
"did you
receive the Spirit" looks back in time to the initial moment of the
Galatians' faith in Christ when they received the Spirit. The present
participles in verse 5, "[is supplying] the Spirit to you" and the
Spirit "[is working] miracles among you" have in view the ongoing work
of the Spirit within the believer's life which produces ongoing
blessing in the believers temporal lives. Just as eternal life began
through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, and not as the result
of any human doing; so it is a matter of faith apart from law to
receive by the grace of God temporal spiritual blessing in the
believer's life via the Spirit of God.
****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM GAL CHAPTER ONE & THREE ******
G
cont.) (Gal 5:7 cont.) You Galatian Believers Were Running Well; Who
Hindered You From Obeying / Believing In The Truth That Faith Alone In
Christ Alone Is All That Is Required In Order To Be Justified And
Nothing More? (cont.)
(Gal 5:7 NASB) "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" =
The phrase in Gal 5:7b rendered, "Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" which has in view the matter of staying on target in the Christian life is another way Paul has for saying that the believers have been "severed from Christ, [they] are seeking to be justified by law; [they] have fallen [out] from grace," (Gal 5:4). In view then are the Galatian believers who no longer were obeying / believing in the truth that faith alone in Christ alone is all that is required in order to be justified - nothing more.
Note that to obey the truth of the gospel unto justification is simply to believe in Christ for eternal life:
(Heb 5:9b NASB) "And [Jesus] having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation."
[Obey = exercise a moment of
faith, (cf. Heb 4:2)]
(1 Pet 1:17 NASB) "If you [believers, v. 18] address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work [relative to rewards, ref. 1 Cor 3:11-15], conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
(1 Pet 1:18 NASB) knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
[Notice the word "redeemed" The subject is salvation. Peter is reminding Jewish believers that they were redeemed / saved not "with perishable things" nor "by their empty way of life," i.e., not saved by performing deeds of the Law handed down by their forefathers. But they were redeemed / saved unto eternal life by the blood of Jesus Christ being shed for their sins]:
(1 Pet 1:19 NASB) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
(1 Pet 1:20 NASB) For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
[And the basis upon which the blood of Christ saved you, Peter says to fellow believers, is faith, i.e., belief in the gospel of salvation]:
(1 Pet 1:21 NASB) who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God [relative to salvaton unto eternal life].
(1 Pet 1:22 NASB) Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
"Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls" = Now that you have received perfect righteousness, i.e., purification unto eternal life by "obeying the truth" = by believing in the gospel of salvation, (cp v. 21).
(1 Pet 1:23 NASB) for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."
H) (Gal 5:7-8) You
Galatian Believers Were Running Well; Who Hindered You From Obeying /
Believing In The Truth - That A Moment Of Faith Alone In Christ Alone
Is All That Is
Required In Order To Be Justified? Nothing More! This Persuasion Did Not Come From Him [God] Who Calls You -
To Trust Alone In Christ Jesus For Justification
(Gal 5:7 NASB) "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
(Gal 5:8 NASB) "This persuasion did not come from Him Who calls you." =
In
Gal 5:7-8, Paul emphasizes that the kind of persuasion pressure the
Galatian
believers were receiving from the Judaizers was to hinder them from
continuing to obey the
truth; i.e., from continuing to acknowledge that a moment of
faith alone in Christ's sacrifice for sins
alone was all one needed to do for justification unto eternal life,
(ref. Gal 3:1-5 . And
this kind of persuasion pressure did not come from Him Who calls you,"
meaning
from God.
(Gal 1:6 NKJV) "I am
amazed [in
the sense astonished] that you are so quickly deserting Him [God] Who
called
you by [the] grace [of Christ] [unto] a different gospel;
(Gal 1:7
NKJV) which
is really not another [gospel] but [lit. since] there are some
who
trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
(Gal 1:8 NASB)
But even
if we, or an angel from heaven, [should] preach to you a gospel
[contrary to]
what we [did] preach to you, let him be accursed.
(Gal 1:9 NKJV) As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone [of you] preaches any other gospel to you than what you [did receive], let him be accursed."
I) (Gal 5:9) A Little False Expression Within The Body Of Truth Contaminates The Message Of The Gospel And The Temporal Life Of The Believer
(Gal 5:9 NASB) "A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough." =
1)
Manuscript Evidence for Gal 5:9
The best evidence has "a little
leaven leavens ["zumoi"] the the whole lump"
D*, it, Marcion Lucifer - much lesser evidence - have "a little leaven adulterates [Greek: "doloi"] all the lump.
2) (Gal 5:9) A Little False Expression Within The Body Of Truth Contaminates The Message Of The Gospel And The Temporal Life Of The Believer
(Gal 5:9 NASB) "A little leaven
leavens the whole lump of dough."
=
Paul
indicates by evidently quoting a proverb from outside of Scripture that
just as a little yeast contaminates the whole batch of
dough, so a single false idea within the
body of truth contaminates the message of the gospel and the temporal
life of the believer. False
teaching like yeast grows and negatively affects everything it
touches. This is NOT to say, as some contend, that if a little or even
more than a little leaven in the sense of sin is present in the life of
a so-called believer then he has falsified his faith for salvation or
was not saved in the first place. For there is no passage in the bible
that indicates that being a believer signifies that a 'true' believer
will demonstrate a transformed godly life indicating there indeed will
be moments of godliness / sinless perfection / absence of sin even for
extended periods of time. For if that were the case, there would be no
need for the instruction which appears especially in the 'New
Testament,' Greek bible which is directed to 'true' born again, saved
unto eternal life, believers exhorting them to lead faithful lives. And
there would no need for passages such as 1 John chapter one which
instructs all believers that since they cannot claim to have no sin, (1
Jn 1:8); nor claim to have not sinned even for a short period of time,
(1 Jn 1:10); then they should confess those known sins that they
constantly commit so that, in a temporal sense, (NOT ETERNAL SENSE),
God will forgive those sins and purify them from all unrighteousness in
order to restore them to temporal blessings and fellowship with Him
each time that they do confess, (1 Jn 1:9 ).
(1 Cor 5:6 NASB) "Your boasting
is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole
lump of dough?"
J)
(Gal 5:10) Paul Declares Confidence In The Galatian Believers In The
LORD That They Will Continue To Adopt No Other View But The Gospel Of
Faith Alone
In Christ Alone Unto Justification. But The One Who Is Disturbing Them
Will Bear The
LORD's Judgment, Whoever He Is
(Gal 5:10 NASB) "I have confidence in you in the LORD that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear His judgment, whoever he is." =
In Gal 5:10, Paul proclaimed that his confidence is "in the LORD" that Galatian believers will continue to adopt no other view but the gospel of faith alone in Christ alone unto justification. So his faith in God is that they will not be swayed by the teachings of the Judaizers to attempt to obey circumcision and the Law of Moses in order to be justified. Paul concludes that a key one who is disturbing the Galatian believers in the sense of "hindering [them] from continuing to obey [believe in] the truth [of the gospel]," (Gal 5:7), will bear the LORD's judgment, whoever he is."
K)
(Gal 5:11) Paul States That If He Were Preaching Circumcision -
Justification By Law, i.e., Human Doing - Why
Was He Being
Persecuted By The Judaizers Who Were Preaching That Message Themselves?
For Paul's Actual Message Of Justification By Faith
Alone In Christ's Work On The Cross Alone, Was A Stumbling Block To The
Judaizers' Message Of Justification By Law. Such A Message Of Faith
Alone Would Have Been
Abolished In The Sense Of Absent From Paul's Preaching Had His Message
Been Justification By
Keeping The Law. The Two Purposed Means To Be Justified Are
Incompatible, i.e., Mutually Exclusive With One Another
(Gal 5:11 NASB) "But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished." =
Paul was evidently accused of
still preaching circumcision and the Law in order to be justified, as he did in his preconversion
days including the time when he persecuted Christians, (ref Phil
3:4-6 ). This claim about Paul made by his
enemies came after
his conversion to Christianity; albeit they were false claims made to
undermine his ministry of the gospel. But his gospel was not about
circumcision. It was a message of faith
alone in Christ alone to be justified unto eternal life, apart from law
such as the Law of Moses, totally
negating anything to do with human doing such as circumcision and the
Mosaic Law. Paul
countered the Judaizers' accusation with a simple
question: How is it that he was still being persecuted by the Judaizers
if he preached the same message that they did? If Paul were preaching
circumcision, this offense (Greek word "skandalon" is defined as a
stumbling block - an offense
to the Cross;
(cf. 1 Cor.
1:21-23), the Cross would not
have been included in his message if he was still preaching
circumcision and the Law in order to be
justified.
(1 Cor 1:21 NASB) "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
(1 Cor 1:22 NASB) For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;;
(1 Cor 1:23 NASB) but we preach Christ crucified,
to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,"
The
Cross and the Law are not compatible relative to what it takes to
be justified unto
eternal life. If Paul were preaching circumcision, i.e., justification
by the Law then this would remove the offense of the cross which points
to man's inability to contribute anything. But the two means to
justification are mutually exclusive! It is either one or the
other. Historically speaking,
Paul's
preaching of justification by faith alone in Christ alone was wholly
consistant as confirmed in every one of his epistles and the book of
Acts by Luke as well, which are part
of God's inspired Word. And it neither changed nor ceased to be
proclaimed by him throughout his life from the time when he was
converted. People
continued to believe
in the gospel
message of faith alone in Christ alone where ever he preached. His
message proclaimed
man's total inability to contribute anything to his salvation . Thus his
message of the Cross correctly concluded that
justification unto eternal life via circumcision and/or obedience to
the Mosaic Law or any human doing was not attainable by mortal
man and
thus not what is needed to receive justification unto eternal life. It
is law that Paul's message abolished / cancelled, not the message of
the Cross, (Col 2:13-14 )!
L) (Gal 5:12)
Paul Declared That
He Wished Those Who Were Troubling The Galatian Believers Would Even
Cut Themselves Off
(Gal 5:12 NASB) "I wish that those who are troubling you would even [cut themselves off]. (cf. Gal 2:4)" =
In Gal 5:12, Paul expressed a wish that the Judaizers would not stop with circumcision in their zeal for ordinances, but rather would go on to castration to more emphatically try to prove their case for self-justification by extreme self-inflicted human doing. Sacral castration was known to citizens of the ancient world; it was frequently practiced by pagan priests as in the cult of Attis-Cybele, which was prominent in Asia. Nevertheless, Paul's comparison of the ancient Jewish rite of circumcision to pagan sacral castration is startling. The comparison between circumcision and sacral castration puts the efforts of the Judaizers to have the Gentiles circumcised on the same level as the abhorred pagan practice of sacral castration which is forbidden of Jews under the Law of Moses, (Dt 23:1). Neither one will accomplish the intended purpose of justification unto eternal life before God.
Paul's words in Gal 5:12 sound
coarse and reprehensible. But he did not speak out of a
malicious spirit or in ill temper, he spoke out of a concern for the
gospel of grace - for God's truth of justification by faith alone that
pervades Scripture . Since a moment of faith alone in Christ alone is
the only means by which
a man may be justified; and since any other means is doomed to failure
and
eternal condemnation; then the stakes are high. Hence Paul's words are
emphatic and urgent.
(Gal 5:13 NASB) For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
(Gal
5:14 NASB) For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the
statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
(Gal 5:15 NASB) But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
(Gal 5:16 NASB) But I say, walk by the Spirit, [Ro 8:4; Gal 5:24ff] and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh [Ro 13:14; Eph 2:3].
(Gal 5:17 HOLMAN) For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, [Ro 7:18, 23; 8:5ff] and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.
(Gal 5:18 NASB) But if [=since] you are led by the Spirit [Ro 8:14], you are not under [law] [Ro 6:14; 7:4].
(Gal
5:19 NASB) Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21],
impurity, sensuality, ...
(Gal 5:20 NASB) idolatry, sorcery, [Rev 21:8] enmities, [2 Cor 12:20], strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes [NKJV: selfish ambitions], dissensions, factions [NKJV: heresies] [1 Cor 11:19],
(Gal 5:21 NASB) envying [Ro 13:13], drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God."
(Gal 5:22 NASB) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(Gal 5:23 NASB) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Gal 5:25 NASB) If [= since] we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit [Gal 5:16].
(Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us not become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil 2:3]
A)
(Gal 5:13) Believers Are Called
To Freedom. Only They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom Into An Opportunity
For The Flesh - In The Sense Of Reenslaving Themselves To Their Sin
Natures. But Through Agape / Godly, Self-Sacrificial Love, Believers
Are
To Serve - In The Sense Of Be In Servitude To - One Another
(Gal 5:13 NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
1) Manuscript
Evidence for Gal 5:13
TR, WH, NU, P46, Sinaiticus, A,
B, C, Maj read "through love serve one another"
2) (Gal 5:13a) For You Were Called To Freedom, Brethren
(Gal 5:13a NASB) "For you were
called to freedom, brethren" =
In Gal 5:13a, Paul wrote "For you were called to freedom, brethren." Previously, in Gal 5:1a, Paul wrote "It was for freedom that Christ set us free:"
(Gal 5:1a NASB) "It Was For Freedom That
Christ Set Us Free" =
Gal 5:1a, the first phrase of
Gal 5:1, "It
was for freedom that Christ set us free," is a summary statement of the
content of chapters 3 and 4, i.e., of hopeless bondage to law (human
doing) vs. achieving freedom in Christ via faith alone in Christ alone
apart from
human doing in order to be justified before God unto eternal life.
Paul's
letter to the Galatians repeatedly affirms that a moment of faith alone
in Christ Jesus
alone - apart from any human doing - justifies one unto eternal life
before God. This sets one free from the hopeless bondage to law (human
doing) in order to be justified unto eternal life which is impossible
for mortal man.
(Gal 2:16 YLT) "Having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through ... faith [in] Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by ... faith [in] Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh' "
(Gal 3:22 NASB) But the Scripture has shut up [all things] under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
(Gal 3:23 NASB) But before [this] faith [in Jesus] came, we [all mankind] were [being guarded] under law, [having been] shut up to the faith [in Jesus] which was later to be revealed [by His appearance in history with His atonement for sins on the cross].
(Gal 3:24 NASB) Therefore the Law has become our tutor [guardian-trainor] to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
(Gal 3:25 NASB) But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [guardian-trainor].
(Gal 3:26 NASB) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
(Gal 3:27 NKJV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(Gal 3:28 NASB) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Gal 3:29 NKJV) And [since] you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
A moment of faith alone in
Christ alone removes the individual
from the personal
bondage of being held accountable for sins relative to the reception of
eternal life; and from the personal bondage of being held accountable
for continually and perfectly obeying God's rules of conduct embodied
in the Law of Moses in order to be justified before God unto eternal
life as well. Once justified and hence saved unto eternal life by faith
alone, Christ has set us free from these bondages. This is an absolute
freedom. No longer
is a believer held accountable to God for his sins relative to the
reception of eternal life; nor must his conduct be perfect to that
eternal destiny .
The pagan Galatians were slaves to the law of their consciences God placed within them before they were set free by a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:
(Ro 2:14 NASB) "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
(Ro 2:15 NASB) in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,"
Notice that Gentiles have a law for themselves - their consciences - which provide the standard by which they must be justified. But this is impossible and their consciences remind them that they are constantly falling short of the glory of God. Thus they are enslaved to their God given consciences until they are justified by faith alone in Christ alone:
(Ro
3:20 NASB) "Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified
in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
(Ro 3:21 NASB) But now apart from the Law the
righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets,
(Ro 3:22 NASB) even the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is
no distinction;
(Ro 3:23 NASB) for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God,
(Ro 3:24 NASB) being justified as a gift by
His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;"
So
the Galatian believers had been set free from bondage to any law of
human doing because they had trusted alone in Christ alone. Through a
moment of faith alone they
received the Spirit Who saved and sealed them unto eternal redemption
when they
believed in the gospel, (cf. Eph 1:13-14 :
(Gal 3:1 NASB) "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as [having been] crucified?
(Gal 3:2 NASB) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [law], or by hearing with faith?
(Gal 3:3 NASB) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
(Gal 3:4 NKJV) Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?
(Gal 3:5 NKJV) Therefore He Who [is supplying] the Spirit to you and [is working] miracles among you, does He do it by the works of [law], or by the hearing of faith? -"
(Ro 8:1 NASB) "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
(Ro 8:2 NASB) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."3) (Gal 5:13b) Believers Were To Called To Freedom; But They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom In Christ Into An Opportunity For The Flesh / The Sin Nature Within
(Gal 5:13b NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" =
The Greek word "sarki" in
the context of Gal 5:13b,
rendered "flesh," means sin nature, describing a characteristic which
still exists within the believer . Paul's
command to the Galatian
believers in Gal 5:13b to not turn their freedom in Christ into an
opportunity for
the flesh implies that believers still might choose to sin, hence they
do have a sin nature with a potential to commit sins. Otherwise there
would be no point in admonishing them to not sin if those who have been
justified by faith were transformed - all or in part - into sinless
mortal beings, as some
contend. Hence there is the need for detailed instruction in the
Christian life
in order for them to live godly lives by grace through faith - which
instruction is largely located in the epistles of the Greek bible -
those books which are letters sent to local churches. The epistle of
First John is especially instructive for this purpose
4) (Gal 5:13b) Believers Secure In Their Salvation Can And Do Commit Sins All The Time
(Gal 5:13b NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" =
So
it is possible for genuine believers secure in their salvation , as born again children of God by a moment of
faith alone in Christ alone, (Jn 1:12-13 ) who cannot be unchilded , to walk in the flesh and even practice
the egregious sins mentioned in the vice list, (cf. Gal 5:16, 17, 21, 25 and
26), without
losing their salvation.
For Galatians chapter 5, Ephesians 4, and many other passages in Scripture warn believers not to sin, which indicates that believers do have such a potential. The truth of the matter is that, although God has broken the enslavement of the believer to the sin nature by crucifying it with Christ.
The
context of Galatians chapter 5 and the rest of Scripture explicitly
reject the false doctrine of the required perseverance of the saints in
order to demonstrate that one is saved unto eternal life . Rather than affirming that all
true believers will walk in the Spirit, Paul commands the believers at
the churches of Galatia to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Such an admonition would be misplaced if addressed to an unbeliever
since it is impossible for those devoid of the Holy Spirit to walk in
the Spirit.
There
are clear examples in Scripture of genuine believers who have not
persevered in good works, but who instead have walked in the flesh, who
are nevertheless secure in their salvation, (ref Gal 5:5 ).
a) Solomon ended his life as an idolator (1 Kings 11).
b) Many of the believers in Corinth, although five years old as Christians, were carnal and fleshly - yet they are called babes in Christ (1 Cor 3:1-3).
c) One believer at Corinth was actually living in immorality with his stepmother and was brazenly unrepentant (1 Cor 5:5).
d) A number of believers in Corinth were sick, and some had already died, as a result of their selfish and drunken disregard for the sacredness of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:30).
e) Demas, whom Paul at least twice referred to as his co-laborer in Christ's service (Col 4:14; Phlm 24), later is said by Paul to have 'forsaken me, having loved this present world' (2 Tim 4:10).
f) Likewise James refers to the need to turn back fellow believers who have wandered from the truth (Jas 5:19-20)
g) No
believers can say that
they have no sin nor say that they have not sinned in their mortal lives
(1 Jn 1:8 NASB) "If we [apostles and fellow believers, 1 Jn 1:1-4; cf. 1 Jn 2:2] [should] say that we have no sin, we [deceive] ourselves and the truth is not in us.
(1 Jn 1:10 NASB) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
5)
(Gal 5:13b) Since Believers Secure In Their Salvation Can And Do Commit
Sins All The Time, Then They Still Have An Intrinsic Sin Nature As Well
As The Indwelling Holy Spirit. It's A Matter Of Personal Choice Which
Lead They Will Follow: The Old Sin Nature Or The New Nature Within Them
(Gal 5:13b NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" =
Galatians chapter 5 and many other passages in Scripture warn believers not to sin, which indicates that believers do have such a potential. Verses 13 through 21 of Galatians chapter 5 indicate that believers have a propensity to and do sin. This is brought about by the intrinsic sin nature in that believer which still has the potential to produce sin.
a)
[Compare Gal 5:16-17, 25-26]:
(Gal 5:16 NASB) "But I say, walk by the Spirit, [Ro 8:4; Gal 5:24ff] and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh [Ro 13:14; Eph 2:3].
(Gal 5:17 HOLMAN) For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, [Ro 7:18, 23; 8:5ff] and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.
(Gal 5:25 NASB) If we live by the Spirit, [we should walk] let us also walk by the Spirit [Gal 5:16].
(Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us not become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil 2:3]"
Although God has broken the enslavement of the believer to the sin nature by crucifying it with Christ, they still have the potential to lapse back into slavery to their sin natures, letting sin once again gain a foothold in their lives.
At this point, one might ask those who claim that there is no intrinsic sin nature in the believer, 'What is it in him then that has the potential to sin which this passage is pointing to - certainly not the new nature?
b) [Compare Eph 4:20-24: The New Nature Of The Believer In Christ]:
(Eph 4:20 NASB) "But you did not learn Christ in this way,
(Eph 4:21 NASB) if [= since] indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
(Eph 4:22 NASB) that, in
reference to your [believers', (v. 4:1)] former manner of life, you lay
aside the old self, [ton palaion anthropon =
the old man, i.e., the old sin nature which still exists in the
believer, (cp. Ro 7:21-25 )], which is being corrupted in
accordance with the lusts of deceit,
(Eph 4:23 NASB) and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
(Eph 4:24 NASB) and put on the new self, [the regenerate self which is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit], which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
(Ro 6:6 NASB) "Knowing this, that our [believers'] old self [lit., old man, Gal 2:20; 5:24; 6:14] was crucified [made dead] with Him, [Eph 4:22; Col 3:9] in order that our body of sin [Ro 7:24] might be done away with, [lit. be made powerless] so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
(Ro 6:7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin [i.e., the controlling influence of the sin nature, (v. 12)]"
The believer still has that sin nature as part of his intrinsic being and he can indeed succomb to its desires at any time:
(Ro 6:12 NASB) "Therefore do not let sin
["sin" = sin, singular = sin nature in this context. Notice that there is a choice to return control of ones life to the sin nature] reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
(Ro 6:13 NASB) and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness [Ro 6:16, 19; 7:5; Col 3:5]; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
(Ro 6:14 NASB) For sin shall not be master over you, [Ro 5:18; 7:4, 6; Gal 4:21] for you are not under law but under grace [Ro 5:17, 21]."
Notice that the "old self," the sin nature is still present in the believer which is at odds against the new, regenerate self.
(Ro 8:6 NASB) "For the mind set on the flesh is death [Gal 6:8; Ro 6:21; 8:13], but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
(Ro 8:7 NASB) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God [Jas 4:4]; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
(Ro 8:8 NASB) and those who are in the flesh [Ro 7:5] cannot please God."
6) (Gal
5:13c) Believers Were
To Called To Freedom; But They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom In Christ
Into An Opportunity For The Flesh / The Sin Nature Within Them; But
Through Agape / Godly Love They Are To Serve One Another
(Gal 5:13 NASB) "For you were
called to freedom, brethren; only do
not turn your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one
another." =
In Gal 5:13c, author
Paul wrote, "But through love serve one another." The Greek word,
"agapes" rendered "love" is a genetive, singular noun form of the verb
"agapaO," to love, which is defined as follows:
[The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, Joseph Henry Thayer, Hendrickson, Peabosy, Ma, 1981, p. 3]:
"agapaO
..... to love, to be full of good-will and exhibit the same... to have
a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of ... often of the
love of Christians towards one another; of the benevolence which God in
providing salvation for men, has exhibited by sending His Son to them
and giving Him up to death... of the love which led Christ, in
procuring human salvation to undergo sufferings and death... of the
love with which God regards Christ..."
This definition is confirmed by
the last part of Gal 5:13c, "but through love serve
one another,"
wherein, the "agapes" love is evidenced when one serves another with
regard to the welfare of the other - a self-sacrificial love without
regard to emotional content, but with regard to the other's welfare and
needs. So instead of reverting
to the control of the sin nature, believers in Christ are to
voluntarily serve / enslave themselves to one another out of agape /
godly love for one another.
Gal 5:14-18 which follows provides further corroboration of the meaning author Paul intended for the phrase rendered "but through love serve one another," especially the word rendered "love' in Gal 5:13:
B) (Gal 5:13-14) Believers Were To Called To Freedom; But They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom In Christ Into An Opportunity For The Flesh / The Sin Nature Within Them; But Through Agape / Godly Love They Are To Serve One Another. For The Whole Law Is Fulfilled In One Word, In The Statement, 'You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself .'
(Gal 5:13 NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5:14 NASB) For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " [Ro 13:8, 10; Jas 2:8; Mt 7:12] =
1) Manuscript
Evidence for Gal 5:14
WH, Sinaticus (1), A, B, C, 33, Lach, Treg, Alf, Word, Tisc, Weiss, Sod, UBS, various modern versions have "has been fulfilled."
D, K, L, P25, byz have "is fulfilled" best fits the context in the sense that each moment of time one demonstrates love for ones neighbor then that fulfills the Law in that moment of time; and the manuscript evidence is substantial - such that all popular versions have "is fulfilled."
2) (Gal 5:13-14) Believers Were To Called To Freedom; But They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom In Christ Into An Opportunity For The Flesh / The Sin Nature Within Them; But Through Agape / Godly Love They Are To Serve One Another. For The Whole Law Is Fulfilled In One Word, In The Statement, 'You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself .'
(Gal 5:13 NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5:14 NASB) For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " [Ro 13:8, 10; Jas 2:8; Mt 7:12] =
In Gal 5:13, author Paul stated
"For you
were
called to freedom, brethren; only do
not turn your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one
another;" whereupon in Gal 5:14 he completes the thought
especially of the last phrase with, "For
[= because] the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the
statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " So the
expression of agape / godly love toward ones neighbor / fellow man
throughout ones life is tantamount to fulfilling the whole Law in the
sense of being credited with the Righteousness of God by the grace of
God - the
standard of godly behavior which the Law represents, (ref. Ro 2:13 ).
(Jas
2:8 NASB) "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to
the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are
doing well.
****** EXCERPTS FROM ROMANS CHAPTERS 12 & 13 ******
(Ro 13:8 NKJV) "Owe no one anything except to [agape / godly] love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled law.
(Ro 13:9 NKJV) For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
(Ro 13:10 NKJV) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of law."
Believers Are To Owe No One Anything Except To Express Agape / Godly Love Toward One Another. A Lifestyle Characterized By Agape Love Toward Others Qualifies As Fulfilling The Righteous Standard Of The Law, i.e., Rules Governing Human Conduct - Specifically The Mosaic Law
(Ro 12:1 NIV) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. (Ro 12:2 NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Ro 13:8 NKJV) Owe no one anything except to [agape / godly] love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled law." =
Paul continues to stipulate specific things for the believer to obey in order to achieve the transformation in view in Romans 12:1-2: To "offer [their] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God ... [and to] not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but [to] be transformed by the renewing of [the] mind. Then [they] will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." So the believer is to be transformed by the conforming of his conscience to the will of God through a study, acceptance and application to his life of the words of God's Word which explain His will]. Author Paul says that one is to "owe no one anything except to love ["agapan" = express godly love toward] one another.
A Paramount Characteristic For Believers To Exercise Is Agape / Godly Love Toward Others Which Is Without Pretense - A Self-Sacrifical Regard For The Welfare Of Another - A Regard Which Nature It Is To Abhor What Is Evil And To Cling To What Is Godly
(Ro 12:1 NIV) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. (Ro 12:2 NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Ro 12:3 NIV) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Ro 12:4 NIV) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (Ro 12:5 NIV) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Ro 12:6 NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, [let him use it] in proportion to his faith. (Ro 12:7 NIV) If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; (Ro 12:8 NIV) if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Ro 12:9 NKJV) [Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. [Abhoring] what is evil. [Clinging] to what is good." =
Verses 4 through 8 of Romans chapter 12 continue to elaborate upon Apostle Paul's authoritative exhortation to Gentile believers in 12:1-2 to offer their bodies to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Paul explains in 12:4-5 that each member of the body of believers in Christ belongs to one another and has varying functions within that body. He lists a number of gifts given to the members by God which are to be utilized to perform those varying functions in accordance with His grace and the proportion of faith given to them by God to exercise those gifts. Whereupon verse 9 moves to characteristics which the body of believers are to exemplify in their lives as part of the offering of their bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Verse 9a lists the first and evidently paramount characteristic to exercise which is agape / godly love without pretense / hyposcrisy followed by two participle phrases which further define agape love: "abhoring what is evil" and "clinging to what is good."
So the believer is not to owe anything to others, neither material, nor emotional nor spiritual things to others. He is to operate according to the grace of godly agape love toward others, to not operate on the intention of receiving credit. If necessary for the sake of godliness, he is to do without rather than to incur debt. This implies a lifestyle which is openly honest, unwilling to be indebted to others - one which freely gives and freely receives when freely offered. So believers are not to be involved with individuals or circumstances that put them in a position of indebtedness - except for agape / godly love. Such a gracious and godly lifestyle is hence described as fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law - the Law of Moses, referred to Ro 13:9.
(Ro 8:3 YLT) "For what the Law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn ...sin in the flesh.
(Ro 8:4 NASB) so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to [the] flesh but according to [the] Spirit." "
Note that the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in believers who walk according to the Spirit. So to live in accordance with the Spirit is to live in accordance with the will of God which fulfills the righteous requirement of the Law. Such a lifestyle which can be described as a transformation:
(Ro 12:1 NIV) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
(Ro 12:2 NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Note
that the avenue to the renewing of the mind of the believer - the
control center for all human behavior having to do with the human will,
i.e., ones volition - begins with the careful study of Scripture as
directed by the Spirit, ()
****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM ROMANS CHAPTERS 12 & 13 ******
Throughout
his letter to the Galatians, Paul has been arguing against keeping the
Law of Moses in
order to be justified unto the righteousness of God so as to receive
eternal life. On the other hand, since the standard of Law of Moses is
the Righteousness of God, Paul stipulates that when Christians
love and serve others with an agape / self-sacrificial love, albeit
imperfectly, i.e., not without sin, (cf. 1 Jn 1:8-10 ), through the grace of God, then the Righteous
standard of the
Law is fulfilled in those moments in the believer's temporal life.
C) (Gal 5:13-15)
Believers
Were
To Called To Freedom; But They Are Not To Turn Their Freedom In Christ
Into An Opportunity For The Flesh / The Sin Nature Within Them; But
Through Agape / Godly Love They Are To Serve One Another. For The Whole
Law Is Fulfilled In One Word, In The Statement, 'You Shall Love Your
Neighbor As Yourself .' But If You
Bite And Devour One Another, Take Care That You Are Not Consumed By One
Another.
(Gal 5:13 NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5:14 NASB) For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Gal 5:15 NASB) But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." =
That agape love is needed to be mutually expressed in the Galatian churches and amongst all believers is made clear in what Paul wrote in Gal 5:13-15. As a result of the inroads of the false teachers, the church was divided and engaged in bitter strife. The followers of the legalists and those who remained steadfast were biting and devouring each other. And it threatened the churches in Galatians with destruction, as it has throughout the world even today!
D) (Gal
5:16) But I Say, Walk By The Spirit,
And You Will Not Carry Out The Desire Of The Flesh.
(Gal 5:16 NASB)
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will
not carry out the desire of the flesh." =
As
a believer goes through life, he is commanded to depend upon the
indwelling Holy
Spirit for guidance and power, (cf. Ro 15:13; Eph 3:16). But the Spirit
does not operate
automatically within the believer. He waits for the believer to decide
to depend upon Him and obey His leading accordingly. When a
Christian does yield to the Spirit's control, the promise is that he
will not in anywise (the double negative in the Greek, "ou mē" is
emphatic) gratify
(telesēte, "complete, fulfill" in outward action) the desires of the
flesh - the sinful nature. Thus, while no believer will ever be
entirely free in this life from succombing to the evil desires that
stem from his
fallen human nature, (1 Jn 1:8-10 ), he need not capitulate to them.
He may experience
victory by following the leading of the Spirit, albeit imperfectly and
nevertheless be credited with godliness and fellowship with God by the
grace of God
as he walks in the light of the Spirit's leading - in the Light of the
Righteousness of God, (1 Jn 1:7 ) - confessing his sins, (1 Jn 1:9 ).
(Gal 5:25 NASB) "If [= since] we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit."
Since
we live by the Spirit in the sense of since we are alive unto eternal
life and now guided by the Spirit, having trusted in Christ to be
justified, then we
should walk by the Spirit and live up to our position of freedom in
Christ as born again children of God, (cref. Jn 1:12-14 ).
****** EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 8 ******
(Ro
8:3 NASB) "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the
flesh, God did: [having sent] His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
(Ro 8:4 NASB) so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to [the] flesh but according to [the] Spirit."
IN VIEW IN 8:3 IS THE WEAKNESS OF THE LAW THROUGH THE FLESH TO ACCOMPLISH A KEY PURPOSE OF THE LAW: TO CONDEMN / JUDGE AND SENTENCE SIN IN THE FLESH SO THAT MEN MIGHT WALK ACCORDING TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW. SO GOD DID IT: HE SENT HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH WITHOUT INTRINSIC SINFULNESS AND FOR SIN DID JUDGE SIN AND DID PAY THE PENALTY FOR IT IN HIS HUMANITY PROVIDING THE MEANS BY WHICH MAN CAN NOW EVIDENCE RIGHTEOUS, GODLY BEHAVIOR BY BECOMING IN CHRIST JESUS (= BELIEVERS) AND WALKING NOT ACCORDING TO FLESH BUT ACCORDING TO SPIRIT
(Ro 5:20 NKJV) "Moreover [the] law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Ro 5:21 NKJV) so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ro 7:10 NKJV) And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. (Ro 8:1 ASV) There is therefore now no [eternal] condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. (Ro 8:2 ASV) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and of death. (Ro 8:3 NASB) For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: [having sent] His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, (Ro 8:4 NASB) so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to [the] flesh but according to [the] Spirit." =
.... The Son of God not only passed a judicial sentence upon sin for the sake of sin and justice, He took upon Himself the punishment for sin in a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the whole world, (cf. Ro 3:21-25).
In view in 8:3 is the weakness of the Law through the flesh to accomplish a key purpose of the Law: to condemn / judge and sentence sin in the flesh so that men might walk according to the righteousness of the Law. So God did it: he sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh without intrinsic sinfulness and for sin did judge sin and did pay the penalty for it in His Humanity providing the means by which man can now evidence righteous, godly behavior by becoming in Christ Jesus (= believers), (notice the "us" in verse 8:4 which refers to we believers), and walking not according to [the] flesh but according to [the] Spirit.
(Ro 7:5 ASV) "For when we were in the flesh, [= controlled by the sinful nature within], the sinful passions, which were through the Law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." =
In this context the word "sarki" rendered "flesh" in Ro 7:5 is defined then as that part of an individual's mentality before he became a believer that was controlled by the sin nature and was demonstrated via sinful activity in the members of the physical body, i.e., the flesh.
So a key purpose of the Law = a set of godly and righteous rules to live by - in view here is to make man conscious of sin so as to hold man accountable to God for unrighteous living with the intended result that man will live righteously. But since man is fleshly, i.e., sinful by nature, he refuses to accept and obey this purpose of the Law and sins all the more instead, (cf. Ro 5:20-21). Hence the Law is made weak through the flesh, (Ro 8:3). It requires another solution from God. So God is stipulated as having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Note the Greek phrase "en homolOmati sarkos," literally "in likeness of flesh" in verse 8:3 and rendered in the YLT, "in the likeness of sinful flesh" conveys what the rules of language afford in accordance with the context, namely an appearance of sinful flesh without the intrinsic sinfulness, i.e. a Man without sin. This resulted in the Son's condemnation (judgment) of sin in the flesh, i.e., ungodly behavior of mankind through God's incarnate and sinless Son, i.e., in His perfect Humanity. So sin was condemned / judged by God in the flesh, i.e., in the Son's perfect Humanity, as utterly sinful, evidently paying the penalty for the sins of the whole world as part of that judgment, (Ro 3:21-24); so that "the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled" in man. Evidently, then one must first be "in Christ," i.e., a believer, in order to be in position to have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in their lives by walking not according to flesh, but according to Spirit. Notice that the phrase "mE kata sarka peripatousin alla kata pneuma" rendered "not according to [the] flesh, but according to [the] Spirit" in verse 8:4 in the NASB, omits the two definite articles shown in brackets, emphasizing the quality of each. The word "pneuma" rendered "Spirit" in the NASB refers not to the human spirit but to the quality of God the Holy Spirit which demands an influence of godly behavior and hence best fits the context of the passage.
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, Walvoord and Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, USA, 1988, p. 469]:
"8:3-4. Having stated the fact of freedom, Paul then explained how it is achieved. He declared again the impossibility of attaining freedom over sin through the (Mosaic) Law. It was powerless to free from sin. Not that the Law was weak in itself (as many translations suggest), for it was good (7:12). But because of sinful human nature, the Law could not deliver from sin. The words 'sinful nature' translate sarx (lit., 'flesh'), which can mean either human sinfjul corruption or human weakness (cf. 7:5, 18, 25; 8:4-5, 8-9, 12-13).
God accomplished deliverance over sin, however, by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man (lit., 'likeness of flesh of sin'). Jesus was sent not in sinful flesh but in the likeness of it. His human nature was protected and preserved from the indwelling principle of sin that has plagued all other human beings since Adam... He was also sent, literally 'concerning or for sin' (peri harmartias, not as the NIV has it, to be a sin offering). In other words He came to do something about sin. What He did was to condemn it: by His death on the cross, He condemned sin (katekrinen, 'passed a judicial sentence on it'' cf katakrima, 'punishment,' Rom 8:1) so that those in Christ are not condemned. The goal of this was so that the righteous requirements of the Law - a life of holiness... - could be fully met as believers do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. The provision of deliverance from the power of sin is through the death of Jesus Chrsit, but experiencing it in one's daily conduct comes through the controlling power of the Holy Spirit."
Note that as is the nature of being in the position of judge in order to judge sin properly, the Son of God had to be without sin. Since one must be sin free in order to judge sin, then the phrase "in the likeness of" sinful flesh in verse 8:3b, "God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn ...sin in the flesh," must be limited to that which is in the likeness or appearance of sinful flesh, as opposed to that which actually is sinful flesh. Certainly our Lord was human in every way except he was never sinful.
This is corroborated by the fact that in order for redemption to come by Jesus Christ, through faith in Him providing a righteousness from God, Jesus Christ Himself had to be in the likeness of flesh but absolutely righteous, i.e., a man without sin:
(Ro 3:21 NIV) "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
(Ro 3:22 NIV) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference.
(Ro 3:23 NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Ro 3:24 NIV) and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(Ro 3:25a NAS) Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith [for a display].
(Ro 3:25b NAS) This [display] was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed"
[Expositors Bible Commentary, NIV, Vol. 10, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Frank E Gaebelein, Gen. Editor, Everett F. Harrison, writer, 1976, pp. 86-7]:
[(Ro 8:2 ASV) "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and of death."]
"But how was this freedom gained (Ro 3)? The opening statement about the powerlessness of the Law because of the weakness of the sinful nature to which its commands are addressed is an obvious reminder of the major thrust of chapter 7. The Law makes demands, and it condemns when those demands are not met, but it cannot overcome sin. This inability of the Law required the personal action of God in Christ. He sent 'his own Son.' The mission could not be entrusted to anyone else or any one less than His Son. While the preexistence of the Son is not formally taught here, it is implied...
The Son was sent 'in the
likeness of sinful man' (man' is literally
'flesh'). Observe with what care the incarnation is stated. Paul does
not say 'in sinful flesh,' lest the Son's sinlessness be compromised,
nor 'in the likeness of flesh,' which would convey a docetic idea and
thereby deny the reality of the humanity of our Lord, making it only an
appearance of corporeality."
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 8 ******
E)
(Gal 5:16-17) But I Say, Walk By The Spirit, And You Will Not Carry Out
The Desire Of The Flesh. For The Flesh Desires What Is Against The
Spirit, And The Spirit Desires What Is Against The Flesh; These Are
Opposed To Each Other, So That You Don't Do What You Want
(Gal 5:16 NASB) "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Gal 5:17 HOLMAN) For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want." =
Paul
emphatically declares that the flesh and the Spirit are contrasted as
mutually exclusive opposites relative to godly human behavior. The
flesh, i.e., the sin nature of man,
does no godly good at all; nor does it desire to. And the Spirit Who
resides in the made alive human spirit of the regenerated / born again
individual - the believer
desires never to do evil, but only godly good. So it is the Spirit of
God Who prompts the believer to do godly things through the regenerated
human spirit within the believer.
But some have maintained because of their misinterpretations of Scripture that there is no conflict within the believer because of their false contention that the old nature governed by the flesh has been eradicated.
(2 Cor 5:17 NASB) "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
One
who is in Christ, i.e., has believed in Christ Jesus for eternal life
is a new creature in the sense of that he is no longer a Jew or Greek,
but a part of the body of Christ. This does not include a creature that
does not have the capacity to sin .
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." =
In Gal 3:28, author Paul
provides further results when an individual believes in Christ Jesus
relative to his new position in Christ: For those who are believers in
Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave
nor free man, there is neither male nor female. The believers' union
with Christ surpasses temporal things such as ones nationality, ones
religious affiliations,
ones social status in life, ones sex, etc. Believers are spiritually
and eternally all one in Christ Jesus - each one a part of His body
without regard for temporal matters such as stipulated. Everyone who
has expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ Jesus alone for eternal
life - Jew or Gentile - will receive the gifts of the Righteousness of
God and eternal life as God promised to Abraham and all mankind . And
those of the faith in Christ Jesus in this age, (ref. Gal 3:25), will
become sons of God in the sense of becoming children of God as part of
the eternal family of God. And they will be baptized into Christ in the
sense of (1) receiving the Spirit of God, (ref. Gal 3:1-2); (2)
becoming clothed with Christ; (3) belonging to Him; (4) being one in
Christ Jesus in the sense of without temporal distinctions such as
religion, race, sex, social status, (ref. Gal 3:29), and much .
Although it is true
that believers in this age become new creatures; the old things passed
away; behold, new things have come, (2 Cor 5:17 ); and that believers are one in
Christ Jesus, (Gal 3:28 );
according
to Paul's epistle to the Galatians, the flesh - the sin nature - is
still present in the believer. Nevertheless, it is supposed to
become
increasingly subdued to a godly way of life as the believer endeavors
to
learn by the grace of God to walk in the Spirit as a result of an
earnest
and ongoing study of and obedience to Scripture. The sin nature is
never
eliminated in the mortal lives of believers. Hence there is a need for
the believer to receive instruction from the study of Scripture,
especially the epistles which are addressed directly to the believer of
this age and apply most directly. So the believer is never
released from the necessity of consciously
choosing to go in accordance with what he has learned from Scripture
which the Holy Spirit utilizes in order to lead the believer to God's
way; and away from the inflence of the sin nature, the evil world
system and the devil.
(Ro 7:18 ASV) "For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but [in me] to do that which is good is not.
[Paul
explained that as a believer in Christ nothing good dwells in his
"flesh," in the
sense of somewhere inside of himself - somewhere in his mind. Earlier
in Ro 7:14, which
reads, "For we know that the Law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, [having been] sold under sin;" author Paul
used the Greek word "sarkikos" rendered "carnal" or "fleshly" which has
the same root word as "sarki" rendered
"flesh" in Ro 7:18. Both verses describe a facet of the
believer's mentality which is
"sold under sin." Evidently the phrase "in me" in Ro 7:18
refers to Paul's own person - his mentality - being responsible for his
sinful behavior which is demonstrated by expresion in the members of
his body in every believer in Christ Jesus.
So Paul explains that he knows that in his 'flesh', i.e. a part of his mentality previously defined as sold under sin and controlled by the sin nature, no godly good dwells. So despite the fact that the desire to do good is also present with him - somewhere in his mind, nevertheless the impetus to carry that desire out and do godly good is not present.
So Ro 7:18 continues to portray the struggle of Paul, as an example of all believers - a struggle within their minds between that part of their mentalities defined as "sarki" and rendered "flesh," (Ro 7:18); and "sin that dwells in me," (Ro 7:18); i.e., the sin nature which nature is "sold under sin," (Ro 7:14); within which "nothing good dwells," (Ro 7:18); doing what he [Paul] hates, (Ro 7:15); and not what he wants to do, (Ro 7:15); but which is always committing acts of sin;
and another part of Paul's mentality which is defined as the "inward man," (Ro 7:22); which is portrayed as always wanting to do good, (Ro 7:18); especially doing that which the Law commands, (Ro 7:16); which is viewed by the "inward man," (Ro 7:22), as holy, just and good, (Ro 7:12).
Notice that Paul often uses the personal pronouns "I" and "me" in this chapter to portray both parts of his mentality as an example of all believers: one part of which is controlled by the sin nature and the other part of which is motivated to do good as exemplified by the righteousness of the Law.
Paul elaborates on this
perspective of the sin nature warring against the inner man within the
believer in verses 19-25]:
(Ro 7:19 NKJV) For the good that I will [want] to do, I do not do; but the evil I will [want] not to do, that I practice.
(Ro 7:20 NKJV) Now [but] if I do what I will not to do [= don't want to do], it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
(Ro 7:21 KJV) "I find then a law, that, when I would [want to] do good, evil is present with me.
(Ro 7:22 NKJV) For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
(Ro 7:23 NKJV) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
(Ro 7:24 NKJV) "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
(Ro
7:25 NKJV) I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with
the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin," .
F)
(Gal 5:18) Since Believers Are Led By The Spirit By Virtue Of Their
Having Become Believers And Thereby Placed Into Christ By The Indwelling Spirit, Then They Are
Not Under Law = Rules Governing Human Behavior Relative To Being
Justified Unto Eternal Life And Relative To Leading Godly Lives
(Gal 5:18 NASB) "But if
[=since] you are
led by the Spirit, you are not under [law] [Ro 6:14; 7:4]." =
The Greek English interlinear reads,
"ei de pneumati agesthe, ouk este hupo nomon"
"if but by Spirit you are led, not you are under law"
In
the phrase rendered "But if you are led by the Spirit," the Greek verb
form "agesthe" rendered "you are led," is 2nd person plural, indicative
mood, present tense conveying a first class condition "if" statement,
meaning "if and it is true," i.e., "since," . Hence all believers are
by definition led by the Spirit of God in the sense that the
indwelling of the Spirit
puts the Spirit in the position of authority over the believer as
leader. For the Spirit has placed the believer into Christ Jesus, (ref.
Gal 5:6), upon His indwelling when he became a believer, (ref. Gal
3:1-3; Eph 1:13-14). The
phrase they "are not
under law," is without the definite article before "law," signifying
that believers are no longer under any
rules of human
doing relative to justification unto eternal life. Romans 6:14 which is
posted below corroborates this position of the
believer:
(Ro 6:14 HOLMAN) "For sin will not rule over you [believers, Ro 3-13] because you are not under law but under grace."
Ro 8:9, 11 and 14 have the same
first
class condition "if" = "since," as Gal 5:18 does.
(Ro
8:9 NKJV) "But you
are not in [the] flesh but in [the] Spirit, if [= since] indeed [the]
Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have [the] Spirit
of Christ, he is not His. (Ro 8:11 NASB) "But if [= since] the Spirit
of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised
Christ Jesus from the dead will also give [eternal] life to your mortal
bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. (Ro 8:12 YLT) So, then,
brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the
flesh; (Ro 8:13 YLT) for if according to the flesh ye do live, ye are
about to die; and if, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body ye put to
death, ye shall live. (Ro 8:14 YLT) for as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" =
a)
The Indwelling Of The Spirit Puts The Spirit In The Position Of
Authority Over The Believer As Leader. As Many Individuals As Are Led
By The Spirit Of God Are Those Who Are Indwelt By The Spirit - Only
These Are The Sons Of God - Regardless Of Their Response To The
Leading. Living In Accordance With The Spirit Gives Evidence Of This
Leading. But There Are No Guarantees That Faithfulness Will Be Observed
In The Mortal Lives Of Believers In This Age
Verse
8:14 explains why one is obligated to live by the leading of the Spirit
and not according to the flesh, (Ro 8:13): the believer is a son of God
and is by definition led by the Spirit of God because his human spirit
is indwelt by the Spirit of God in a leadership position . Previously in Ro 8:9, it was
stipulated that a believer by definition has the Spirit of God dwelling
in him and thereby belongs to Christ. Having the indwelling Spirit
signifies that the believer is under the control of or led by the
Spirit. The believer is led by the Spirit and under His control
regardless of how the believer follows. On the other hand, if one does
not have the
Spirit dwelling in him, then he is not a believer and does not belong
to Christ.
(Ro 8:9 NKJV) But you are not in [the] flesh but in [the] Spirit, if [= since] indeed [the] Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have [the] Spirit of Christ, he is not His."
"But [you are] in [the] Spirit, if [since] indeed [the] Spirit of God dwells in you" = But you are under the Spirit's authoritative and godly rule since the Spirit dwells in you - His indwelling means He rules. Verse 8:9 defines who the believer is: the one who has indwelling in him [the] Spirit of God / Spirit of Christ and by this is led by the Spirit.
So there is a distinction between being led by the Spirit of God - which is defined as when one is indwelt by the Spirit; and living according to the Spirit which is defined as when one obeys the leading of the Spirit. The indwelling of the Spirit puts the Spirit in the position of authority over the believer as Leader. So one cannot say that one must live according to the leading of the Spirit in order to be a child [son] of God. Once one has the Spirit indwelling one, he is a child of God. Being indwelt / led by the Spirit of God does not warrant the conclusion that a child of God will always be faithful. This would contradict the message of Ro 7:14-25 which portrays the believer's struggle between the sin nature and the mindset that is influenced by the Spirit unto godly behavior. Depending upon the individual believer, there may not be discernible points of observation of the believer's living by the Spirit which evidence would corroborate that one is led by the Spirit. Inspite of lack of evidence, one cannot conclude that one is not a child of God, a believer. Evidence of such leading, if there is any, may only be discernible by the most mature of believers, albeit finite and flawed at best, and God.
Being
under the rule of the Spirit does not compute to a believer always
responding to God's rule with an obedient and godly lifestyle as some
maintain; especially in view of the previous chapter 7 which speaks of
the struggle of the believer between his mind which wants to do good
and his members which do not, (Ro 7:14-25 ).
G)
(Gal 5:19-21) The Deeds Of The Flesh Are Evident, Which Are:
Immorality, Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery, Enmities, Strife,
Jealousy, Outbursts Of Anger, Disputes, Dissensions, Factions, Envying,
Drunkenness, Carousing, And Things Like These, Of Which I Forewarn You,
Just As I Have Forewarned You, That Those Who Practice Such Things Will
Not
Inherit - In The Sense Of Becoming Co-Owners / Co-Rulers Of The Kingdom
Of God With Jesus Christ
(Gal
5:19 NASB) "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21],
Impurity, Sensuality, ... (Gal
5:20 NASB) idolatry, sorcery, [Rev 21:8] enmities, [2 Cor 12:20],
strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes [NKJV: selfish ambitions],
dissensions, factions [NKJV: heresies] [1 Cor 11:19], (Gal
5:21 NASB) envying [Ro 13:13], drunkenness, carousing, and things like
these, of
which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
1) (Gal
5:19) The Deeds Of The Flesh Are Evident, Which Are: Immorality,
Impurity, Sensuality, ...
(Gal 5:19 NASB) "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21], Impurity, Sentuality, ..." =
a) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 5:19:
(Gal
5:19 NASB) "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21],
Impurity, Sentuality, ..." =
WH, NU, Sinaiticus*, A, B, C, P, 33, 1739*, syr(p), cop have "fornication" (or "sexual immorality")
TR, Sinaiticus(2), D, F, G, Psi, 1739(mg), Maj, syr(h) have "adultery, fornication"
Although it could be argued that "moicheia" rendered "adultery" was accidentally deleted due to homoeoteleuton (the next word "porneia" rendered "fornication" has the same last three letters), the manuscript evidence speaks against this. The additon of "adultery" to this list of the works of the flesh most likely exhibits a scribal attempt to harmonize Paul's list with Jesus' list of vices, as recorded in Mark 7:21-22. This insertion found its way into the majority of manuscripts and into TR, followed by KJV and NKJV.
b) (Gal
5:19) The Deeds Of The Flesh Are Evident, Which Are: Immorality,
Impurity, Sensuality, ...
(Gal 5:19 NASB) "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21], Impurity, Sensuality, ..." =
At
Gal 5:19, author and apostle Paul begins to contrast works of the
flesh - the sin nature, (Gal 5:19-21) - with works of the Spirit, (Gal
5:22-23). If an individual's conduct is
characterized by the traits in the first
list, then he is either not a believer or else a believer who is not
being led by God's Spirit within him.
When
Paul says that the acts of the flesh are obvious, he does not mean
that they are all committed publicly where they may be seen. Some are,
some are not. Instead, he means that it is obvious in the sense of
discernable to all who are properly biblically oriented that such
acts originate with the sinful nature, and not with the nature given
believers by God through the indwelling Holy Spirit within the human
spirit.
It is impossible to tell whether or not Paul was thinking in categories of sin as he wrote. But whether or not he did, four divisions in his list are obvious: first, three sins that are violations of sexual morality; second, two sins from the religious realm; third, eight sins pertaining to conduct in regard to other human beings - i.e., social sins; and finally, there are two typically pagan sins—drunkenness and the revellings accompanying it.
The
first three words, then, cover sexual sins. "Sexual immorality" or
"fornication" (porneia) is the broadest term, denoting any immoral
sexual intercourse or relationships. It is often translated
"fornication." In starting with this vice,
Paul begins with what was acknowledged to be the most open and
shameless vice of the Greek and Roman world. From this word comes the
term "pornography." "Porneia" refers to any and all forms of illicit
sexual relationships.
"Impurity" (akatharsia)
is a broad term referring to moral uncleanness in thought, word and
deed. It originally meant the state of being dirty but later developed ethical
overtones, referring to a person who was either morally or ceremonially
unclean. Paul uses it almost exclusively of moral impurity and perhaps
of unnatural vice.
And
"sensuality" or "debauchery" (aselgeia) which connotes an open
shameless and brazen display of these evils. In this regard it is a
fitting term
for what is probably
intended to be a climax of a number of evils on display all at
once.
2) (Gal
5:19-20) The Deeds Of The
Flesh Are Evident, Which Are: Immorality, Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery, Enmities, Strife,
Jealousy, Outbursts Of Anger, Disputes, Dissensions, Factions
(Gal 5:20 NASB) "idolatry, sorcery, [Rev 21:8] enmities, [2 Cor 12:20], strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes [NKJV: selfish ambitions], dissensions, factions [NKJV: heresies] [1 Cor 11:19]," =
Paul goes on to list two sins of religion: "idolatry" (eidololatria), a worship of the creature - of pagan gods by bowing to idols, and even sexual sin in connection with heathen religion - rather than worshipping the Creator, and "sorcery" or "witchcraft" (pharmakeia), a secret tampering with and at times a worship of the powers of evil. In ancient times the worship of evil powers was accompanied by the use of drugs to create trances. These two terms are also arranged in an ascending horror of evil and indicate that the works of the flesh include offenses against God as well as against ourselves or our neighbors.
Neighbors
are in view in the third section of Paul's list, since this section
includes much of what would today be called social offenses. "Enmities"
or "Hatred" ("echthrai"), is in plural form to denote multiple
manifestations of the quality. It means "enmities" such as those
between
classes, nations and individuals. It is these enmities that have been
broken down for those who are in Christ (Gal 3:28; Eph 2:14-16).
"Strife" or "discord" (eris) is
the natural outcome of hatred both in
the world and
in the church. Four out of six of Paul's uses of the word are connected
with church life.
"Jealousy" or "fits of rage"
(zelos) refers not to
the godly form of jealousy (thumoi), but to the sinful and
self-centered type. "Thumoi" is a godly zeal as well as
righteous anger. When zeal or anger originate from selfish motives and
hurt pride, they are evil and harm others, as Paul implies here.
"Selfish ambition" (eritheiai)
may be translated in many ways:
contention, strife, selfishness, rivalry, intrigues. Its basic meaning
is a selfish and self-aggrandizing approach to work. This and the
preceding three words occur in the same order in 2 Corinthians 12:20.
"Dissensions" ("dichostasiai") and "factions" ("haireseis") denote a
state
of affairs in which men are divided and feuds flourish.
3)
(Gal 5:19-21) The Deeds Of The Flesh Are Evident, Which Are:
Immorality,
Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery, Enmities, Strife, Jealousy,
Outbursts Of Anger, Disputes, Dissensions, Factions,
Envying, Drunkenness, Carousing, And Things Like These, Of Which I
Forewarn You, Just As I Have Forewarned You, That Those Who Practice
Such Things Will Not Inherit - In The Sense Of Not Becoming Co-Owners /
Co-Rulers Of The Kingdom Of God With Jesus Christ
(Gal
5:19 NASB) Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, [i.e., sexuality immorality, 1 Cor 6:9, 18; 2 Cor 12:21],
impurity, sensuality, (Gal
5:20 NASB) idolatry, sorcery, [Rev 21:8] enmities, [2 Cor 12:20],
strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes [NKJV: selfish ambitions],
dissensions, factions [NKJV: heresies] [1 Cor 11:19], (Gal
5:21 NASB) envying [Ro
13:13], drunkenness, carousing, and things like
these, of
which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
a) Manuscript
Evidence For Gal 5:21
(Gal 5:21 NASB) "envying [Ro 13:13], drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
WH NU P46, Sinaiticus, B, 33, cop(sa), Irenaeus, Clement have "envyings, drunkennesses"
TR, A, C, D, F, G, Psi, 1739, 1881, Maj, it, cop(bo) have "envyings, murders, drunkennesses"
Although it could be argued that "phonoi" rendered "murders" was accidentally deleted due to homoeoteleuton (the previous word, "phonoi", has the same last four letters), the manuscript evidence speaks against this. The addition of "murders" to this list most likely exhibits some scribe's attempt to harmonize Paul's list with Jesus' list of vices, as recorded in Mark 7:21-22, or with Paul's list of vices in Ro 1:29-31. As in 5:19, this insertion found its way into the majority of manuscripts.
b)
(Gal 5:19-21) The Deeds Of The Flesh Are Evident, Which Are:
Immorality,
Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery, Enmities, Strife, Jealousy,
Outbursts Of Anger, Disputes, Dissensions, Factions
Envying, Drunkenness, Carousing, And Things Like These, Of Which I
Forewarn You, Just As I Have Forewarned You, That Those Who Practice
Such Things Will Not Inherit - In The Sense Of Not Becoming Co-Owners /
Co-Rulers
Of The Kingdom Of God With Jesus Christ.
(Gal 5:21 NASB) "[envyings, drunkennesses, carousings], and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
The
three key Greek words in Gal 5:21a, "phthonoi" [envyings or hatreds],
"methai,"
[drunkenesses] and "kOmoi" [carousings] are plural
to convey multiple instances of egregiously sinful behavior, cf. Ro 13:13. Although "phthonoi" rendered
"envyings" is closely
related to the Greek word, "zelos" rendered "jealousies," "phthonoi" is
always bad, whereas "zelos" is not.
The last two sins describing notable sinful activities in Gal 5:21a are concerned with sins related to alcohol abuse: "methai" [drunkenesses] and "kOmoi" ["revels" or "orgies" or "carousing"]. They denote pleasures that have degenerated an individual into debauchery. There are more sins that could have been mentioned. For Paul added the words "and the like," indicating that the list is not exhaustive. These three key sins in Gal 5:21 serve with all the other key sins stipulated in vv. 19-20 to demonstrate the active existense of the "flesh" - the sin nature - that is within all of mankind except for Christ Himself. Together they make people acutely aware of the irreconciliable depravity of mortal man without the supernatural intervention of God Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.
And
to the list of egregious sins which encompasses verses 19-21, Paul
adds a solemn warning, saying that those, (believers, v. 13), who
practice
such sinful activities will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This does
not mean that
if a believer falls into sin such as one or more of the sins listed in
Gal
5:19-21, he thereby loses his salvation from hell unto eternal life.
For loss of salvation is not
in view given that the context is addressing believers, who are
eternally
secure in their salvation from hell unto eternal life . Yet through
unfaithfulness they may jeopardize
their inheritance / co-ownership of the Kingdom of God with Jesus
Christ; but not their
residence in it.
So the wayward believer will
not inherit co-ownership
/ co-rulership of the Kingdom of God with Jesus Christ.
Contrary
to those that contend otherwise, the Greek present participle verb
"prassontes" rendered "practicing" does not need to be and is not
accompanified by a Greek
adverb rendered "habitually," in order to fabricate a false distinction
between someone who is practicing such sins as stipulated in Gal
5:19-21 more
egregiously than someone who is doing them less frequently. The
lifestyle of believers who are practicing sins
in the sense of Gal 5:19-21 may be characterized automatically as
habitually sinful without needing the additional word rendered
"habitually." So to practice sins is to repeat them in an habitual
manner. Note that believers
who practice sin might lose their eternal inheritance of the Kingdom of
God, but none are in danger of losing their
salvation from hell unto eternal life / residence - but not ownership -
in the Kingdom of God.
(1 Cor 6:9 NASB) "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
(1 Cor 6:10 NASB) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."
ii)
(Gal
5:19-21) The
Phrase Rendered "Those Who Live Like This Will Not Inherit The
Kingdom Of God," Is A Warning To Believers, Secure In Their Salvation
From Hell Unto Eternal Life, To Not Be Unfaithful Because If They Are
They Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God - In The Sense Of Not Becoming
Co-Owners And Co-Rulers Of The Kingdom Of God With Jesus Christ. Individuals
Who Were Never Saved In The First Place Are Not In View Who Will Not
Inherit The Kingdom Of God, As Some Contend, For Believers Can Behave
Dispicably And Disqualify Themselves From Their Heavenly Inheritance.
And Neither Is The Loss Of Salvation From Hell Unto
Eternal
Life In View As Corroborated By Earlier Passages In Galatians
And Numerous Other Passages.
(Gal
5:21 NASB) "[envyings, drunkennesses, carousings], and things like
these, of
which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
Since
passages in Galatians, Paul's other epistles and elsewhere in Scripture
teach that eternal life - the salvation
from hell unto eternal life - is secure within
the believer, ; then the loss of salvation from hell unto
eternal life
is not scriptural and cannot be in view in Gal 5:19-21:
ii_a) (Gal 5:13b) Believers Secure In Their Salvation Can And Do Commit Sins All The Time Even To The Point Of Disqualifying Themselves From Receiving All Or Part Of Their Heavenly Inheritances
(Gal 5:13b NASB) "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" =
So
it is possible for genuine believers secure in their salvation , as born again children of God by a moment of
faith alone in Christ alone, (Jn 1:12-13 ) who cannot be unchilded , to walk in the flesh and even practice
the egregious sins mentioned in the vice list, (cf. Gal 5:16, 17, 21, 25 and
26), without
losing their salvation.
The
context of Galatians chapter 5 and the rest of Scripture explicitly
reject the false doctrine of the required perseverance of the saints in
order to demonstrate that one is saved unto eternal life . Rather than affirming that all
true believers will walk in the Spirit, Paul commands the believers at
the churches of Galatia to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Such an admonition would be misplaced if addressed to an unbeliever
since it is impossible for those devoid of the Holy Spirit to walk in
the Spirit.
There
are clear examples in Scripture of genuine believers who have not
persevered in good works, but who instead have walked in the flesh, who
are nevertheless secure in their salvation, (ref Gal 5:5 ).
1) Solomon ended his life as a hedonist and an idolator (1 Kings 11).
2) Many of the believers in Corinth, although five years old as Christians, were carnal and fleshly - yet they are called babes in Christ (1 Cor 3:1-3).
3) One believer at Corinth was actually living in immorality with his stepmother and was brazenly unrepentant (1 Cor 5:5).
4) A number of believers in Corinth were sick, and some had already died, as a result of their selfish and drunken disregard for the sacredness of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:30).
5) Demas, whom Paul at least twice referred to as his co-laborer in Christ's service (Col 4:14; Phlm 24), later is said by Paul to have 'forsaken me, having loved this present world' (2 Tim 4:10).
6) Likewise James refers to the need to turn back fellow believers who have wandered from the truth (Jas 5:19-20)
7)
Since no believer can say that
he has no sin nor say that he has not sinned in his mortal life, then
no believer can say that he has been absolutely faithful in a single
moment so as to prove out his salvation by demonstrating a changed life:
(1 Jn 1:8 NASB) "If we [apostles and fellow believers, 1 Jn 1:1-4; cf. 1 Jn 2:2] [should] say that we have no sin, we [deceive] ourselves and the truth is not in us.
(1 Jn 1:10 NASB) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
ii_b)
Gal 4:1-7 Corroborates The Eternal Security Of The Believer
ii_c)
Gal 5:1-5 Corroborates The Eternal Security Of The Believer
ii_d) Gal 3:1ff And Gal 6:6-10 Work Together To Establish The Eternal Security Of The Salvation From Hell Unto Eternal Life Via A Moment Of Faith Alone In Christ Alone Apart From Any Godly Works For The Believer; Yet Together The Passages Also Establish The Availability Through The Spirit Of God Received Via The Believer At The Point Of His Faith In Christ In Order To Enhance That Eternal Life By His Sowing To The Spirit In The Sense Of Performing Godly Works In Order To Reap Eternal Life More Abundantly
Just as Gal 3:1ff and so many other passages have established
that justification / salvation from hell unto eternal
life is secured forever solely via and at the point of a moment of
faith alone in Christ alone apart from any
godly works before, during or afterward that moment; so Gal 6:6-10
establishes that the believer may build upon his eternally secure
salvation from hell unto eternal
life by sowing to the Spirit of God through the grace of God in order
to reap additional blessings as he lives out his mortal life to
further enhance the already secured salvation from hell unto eternal life initially
given to him as a free gift at that first moment of faith alone in
Christ alone, (ref. Gal
3:1-2 ). So Gal 6:6-10
does not
refute the eternal security of the believer by interjecting
faithful godly works in order to be saved from hell unto eternal life.
On the other hand, Gal 6:6-10, does
exhort the believer to sow to the Spirit in
order to reap an ongoing harvest of an enhanced eternal life - an accumulation of the
enhancement of the value
of the believer's eternal destiny with what he continually sows
to the Spirit throughout his mortal life.
But
for those moments when a believer might sow to the
flesh, then he will reap corruption / destruction upon himself
diminishing the value of his eternal life in the sense of losing some
or all of his inheritance of the Kingdom of God, but without
canceling his eternal destiny of salvation from hell unto eternal life
which has already been secured through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone
apart from any godly works, (Gal
5:19-21 ).
(Gal 6:6 NASB) "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
(Gal 6:7 NASB) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
(Gal 6:8 NASB) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
(Gal 6:9 NASB) Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
(Gal 6:10 NASB) So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
(Jn 10:7 NASB) "So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
(Jn 10:8 NASB) All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
(Jn 10:9 NASB) I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
(Jn 10:10 NASB) The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly."
****** EXCERPT FROM STUDY ON GAL 6 ******
(Gal 6:8 NASB) "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." =
Since the reception of
salvation from hell unto eternal life is stipulated in
Scripture as a once for all time moment of faith alone in Christ alone
excluding any human doing ;
and since sowing and reaping is an ongoing process of human doing, whether good or bad, such that as one continually sows one continually reaps;
then Gal 6:8 cannot be depicting the reception of salvation from hell unto eternal life, but rather the reaping/accumulation of the enhancement of the value of a believer's eternal life with what the believer continually sows in his mortal life to the Spirit.
[Dr. Zane Hodges, "The Gospel Under Siege", Redencion Viva Publishers, Dallas, Texas, Second Edition, 1992, pp. 86-89]:
'''It is important to see exactly what this text [Gal 6:6-10] says. "Everlasting life," Paul states, is the direct consequence of sowing to the Spirit, of doing good. Corruption is what you reap if you do evil. It is all part of the law of the harvest. A man gets what he deserves to get.
It goes almost without saying that there is nothing said here about the "inevitable" results of saving faith. Indeed, the hortatory thrust of the passage shows the opposite. The Galatians must be careful about how they sow. They must never suppose that they can "mock" God or avoid the inexorable law of the harvest. The final reaping is not a foregone conclusion, but rather it is contingent on not "growing weary" while doing good [Gal 6:9].
But equally there is nothing here about justification by faith or the concept of a free gift. Nothing is plainer than that the "everlasting life" of which Paul speaks [in Gal 6:6-10] is not free, but based on the moral merits of those who reap it. To deny this is to deny the most obvious aspect of the text.
All becomes clear, however, if we simply remember that the Apostle is addressing believers.
(Gal 3:2 NASB) "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
(Gal 3:3 NASB) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
(Gal 3:4 NASB) Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
(Gal 3:5 NASB) So
then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among
you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"
So Paul is addressing those who have already been justified by a moment
of faith
alone in Christ alone and who thereby possess salvation from hell unto
everlasting life as a free gift forever - but without any enhancements.
Naturally Paul knew
that eternal life was freely given (Rom. 6:23; 5:15-18),
just as the Apostle John knew this, (Jn 1:12-13 ; 3:16; 5:24 ; 6:1ff ). But Paul is not speaking about what
the Galatian believers already have, but about what they may yet
receive. Herein
lies the key to this text]'''
ETERNAL LIFE IS EXPERIENCED IN MORE THAN ONE DEGREE
"It must not be forgotten that eternal life is nothing less than the very life of God Himself. As such it cannot be thought of as a mere fixed and static entity. Rather, its potentialities are rich beyond the power of the mind to conceive them. Thus we find Jesus declaring, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). From this we learn that eternal life can be experienced in more than one measure or degree.
But it cannot be experienced at all unless first received as a free gift [by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone]. Not surprisingly, the Creator of the universe has illustrated this with every human life that is born into the world.
No man or woman possesses physical life at all except by his parents imparting it to him. Even physical life, therefore, is a free gift! But when a child is born into this present world, the capacities of human life (all present at birth) must be developed by himself under the guidance of his parents and subsequent teachers. How "abundantly" he will experience human life is determined by his response to instruction and to experience itself.
So it is in the spiritual realm too. In order to have life "more abundantly," one must meet the conditions for this. One must respond properly to his heavenly Parent.
Here it should be stated clearly that in the New Testament eternal life is presented both as a free gift and as a reward merited by those who earn it. But one important distinction always holds true. Wherever eternal life is viewed as a reward, it is obtained in the future. But wherever eternal life is presented as a gift, it is obtained in the present.
Naturally, it goes without saying that no one can ever receive eternal life as a reward who does not first accept it as a free gift. This is the same as saying that a person must first have life before he can experience it richly.
"If Galatians 6:8 is understood as speaking only of a man's final salvation from hell, then it teaches clearly that this final salvation is by works. Not to admit this is not to be candid. But no one excludes works from his doctrine of salvation more vigorously than Paul does, and he insists that to mix works and grace is to alter the character of both (see Rom. 11:6).
Galatians 6:8 is irreconcilable with fundamental Pauline truth so long as one holds the view that final salvation is under discussion.
But why hold this view? It is easy to understand how the measure and extent of one's experience of God's life must depend on the measure of his response to God. From that perspective the image of a harvest is exactly right. The nature and quantity of the seed we sow determines the nature and quantity of the harvest.
It is obviously wise for a Christian to be reminded that every act he performs is like a seed sown in a field. Its harvest will be either corruption or eternal life. And is there a Christian alive who has not sown much more often to his flesh than he ought to have done? Clearly the Church needs this reminder about the law of life. To make the issue here a man's final destiny in heaven or hell is to lose the whole point of the exhortation.
If the matters just discussed are kept in mind, other passages which
offer eternal life as a future experience based on works can be
understood in their proper bearing. One might think especially of
Matthew 19:29 with its parallels in Mark 10:30 and Luke 18:30. The
eschatological "harvest" is in view in these places. Obedient men reap
an experience of eternal life precisely because they are obedient. But
this in no way conflicts with the reality that such obedience must be
preceded by, and motivated through, a gift of life given freely and
without any condition but faith alone.'''
ii_e)
Numerous Other Passages Corroborate The Eternal Security Of The
Believer
Individuals who have trusted alone in Christ alone unto eternal life immediately have their eternal destiny sealed and secured in heaven by God Himself, (Eph 1:13-14), and have salvation from hell unto eternal life immediately as a possession, (Jn 3:16).
iii) (Gal 5:19-21) The Phrase Rendered "Those Who Live Like This Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God," Is A Warning To Believers, Secure In Their Salvation From Hell Unto Eternal Life, To Not Be Unfaithful Because If They Are They Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God - In The Sense Of Not Becoming Co-Owners And Co-Rulers Of The Kingdom Of God With Jesus Christ. It Is Not A Warning To Anyone To Be Faithful In Order To Attain Salvation From Hell Unto Eternal Life; Nor Is It An Exhortation To Believers To Act Like - In The Sense Of live Up To - Their Assured Eternal Destiny Of Being Transformed Into Righteous Eternal Beings To Occupy The Eternal Kingdom Of God.
(Gal 5:21 NASB) "[envyings, drunkennesses, carousings], and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." =
The Book of Galatians is addressed to genuine believers (ref. Gal 1:8-9). There is no indication in the context of chapter five that unbelievers are being warned, as some contend. In 5:13 Paul refers to those addressed in 5:13-26 as brethren. Furthermore, in 6:1, Paul again refers to those being warned as brethren, and he gives instructions for the spiritual among them to restore those who become ensnared by the deeds of the flesh.
Although
there are passages which do exhort believers to live faithful lives in
consideration of their assured eternal destiny, (Gal 5:1 ; Heb 4:14-16; 10:23, 36; 1 Pet 4:19; Ro 12:1ff ; Eph 6:13; 2 Ti 2:11-13 ;
1 Cor 15:58; 16:13), the phrase in Gal 5:19c, rendered, "Those who live
like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God," is not an appeal to
believers' consciences to be faithful because the eternal Kingdom of
God is to be a residence for Righteousness, (ref. Ro 14:17 ); thereby shaming / exhorting
them to live faithful lives in order to represent to the world who they
are in Christ - that their eternal destiny is the Righteous Eternal
Kingdom of God.
iv) (Gal 5:19-21) The Phrase Rendered "Those Who Live Like This Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God," Is A Warning To Believers Of The Possibility Of Loss Of Their Eternal Inheritance. It Is Not A Warning To Believers That They Might Lose Their Salvation From Hell Unto Eternal Life If They Commit Such Sins As Specified In Gal 5:19-21
The Phrase Rendered "Those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God," is a warning to believers of the possibility of loss of their eternal inheritance of the Kingdom of God. It is not a warning to believers that they might lose their salvation from hell unto an inheritance of eternal life if they commit such sins as specified in Gal 5:19-21.
[= NO IMMORAL OR IMPURE PERSON OR COVETOUS MAN, OR ONE WHO IS AN
IDOLATOR BE HE BELIEVER OR UNBELIEVER HAS AN INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM
OF GOD ]:
(Eph 5:1 NASB) "Therefore [believers, v. 4:30)] be imitators of God, as beloved children;
(Eph 5:2 NASB) and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma..
(Eph 5:3 NASB) But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
(Eph 5:4 NASB) and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
(Eph 5:5 NASB) For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
(Eph 5:6 NASB) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
(Eph 5:7 NASB) Therefore do not be partakers with them;
(Eph 5:8 NASB) for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
(Eph 5:9 NASB) (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
(Eph 5:10 NASB) trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
(Eph 5:11 NASB) Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
(Eph 5:12 NASB) for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
(Eph 5:13 NASB) But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
(Eph 5:14 NASB) For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
Ephesians
5:1-14 defines the situation of a believer who is not walking in
fellowship with God, who is not producing fruit, who is not producing
work for the Lord and is even involved in a lifestyle of sin. The
passage exhorts believers to imitate God in their daily walk. In so
doing it indicates the undesirability and the consequences of a
disobedient life. Verses 7-12 indicate the shamefulness of going back
to the disgusting lifestyle of the world after Christ had sacrificed
Himself so that the believer would not have to be a slave to sin and
suffer eternal condemnation, (v. 2). The passage says to act instead
like the person that a believer is: a child of light possessing eternal
life, (v. 8), rather than to act like the world and suffer the
consequence of losing one's inheritance in, (and not one's destiny to),
the kingdom of Christ for being immoral, (v. 5): .
[= BELIEVERS WHO LIVE UNFAITHFUL LIVES WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF
GOD]:
(1 Cor 6:1 NASB) "Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?
(1 Cor 6:2 NASB) Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
(1 Cor 6:3 NASB) Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
(1 Cor 6:4 NASB) So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
(1 Cor 6:5 NASB) I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
(1 Cor 6:6 NASB) but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
(1 Cor 6:7 NASB) Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?
(1 Cor 6:8 NASB) On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
(1 Cor 6:9 NASB) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
(1 Cor 6:10 NASB) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
(1 Cor 6:11 NASB) Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
(1 Cor 6:12 NASB) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
(1 Cor 6:13 NASB) Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immortality, but the LORD, and the Lord is for the body.
(1 Cor 6:14 NASB) Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
(1 Cor 6:15 NASB) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
(1 Cor 6:16 NASB) Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, 'The two shall become one flesh.'
(1 Cor 6:17 NASB) But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
(1 Cor 6:18 NASB) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
(1 Cor 6:19 NASB) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(1 Cor 6:20 NASB) For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."
iv_c) [Compare Col 1:9-12, 21-23]:
[= LIVE A WORTHY LIFE AND THE BELIEVER WILL SHARE IN THE INHERITANCE OF THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT]
(Col 1:9 NASB) "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
(Col 1:10 NASB) so that you [believers, (v. 2), will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
(Col 1:11 NASB) strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
(Col 1:12 NASB) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
(Col 1:21 NASB) And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
(Col 1:22 NASB) yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach -
(Col 1:23 NASB) if
indeed [= especially since] you [Colossion believers] continue in the
faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the
hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all
creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister."
In Col 1:23 the verb form "epimenete" in
the Greek phrase "eige epimenete te pistei" rendered "if indeed you
continue in the faith" is in the indicative mood with the Greek word,
"eige" rendered "if indeed," conveying together the sense of
"especially since." For "eige" + the indicative mood is a first class
if-then expression meaning "since" [it is indeed especially true] .This
is a deliberately emphatic expression
emphatically exclaiming / declaring how faithful the Colossian
believers were, (ref Col 1:4-8). Paul was stating, 'surely you - the
faithful Colossian
believers - will all the more be presented holy and blameless and above
reproach in
His sight," (v. 22) - albeit their presentation as holy and blameless
will be solely by the
grace of God through a single moment of faith alone in Christ alone +
nothing else; because of what Christ did on the cross and not due in
any way to what a believer might do.
[= BELIEVERS ARE TO WORK FOR THE LORD SO THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE AS A REWARD WHEN THEY GAIN ENTRANCE INTO HEAVEN]
(Col 3:23 NASB) "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
(Col 3:24 NASB) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ Whom you serve.' "
Since
eternal life in the sense of salvation from hell is only received
through a moment of faith alone, not by any works, (ref. Eph 2:8-9 ), and not as a reward, but as a gift;
then
the "reward of the inheritance" for performing works for the Lord in
view in Col 3:23-4, is evidently something more than salvation from
hell - an inheritance as a reward that the believer receives when he enters heaven for his faithfulness during his mortal life.
iv_e) Compare 2 Timothy 2:11-13]:
[= IF
WE BELIEVERS ENDURE, I.E., LIVE FAITHFUL LIVES, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH
HIM. IF WE BELIEVERS DISOWN CHRIST'S OWNERSHIP OF US, I.E. BE UNFAITHFUL, HE
WILL DISOWN OUR INHERITANCE OF REIGNING WITH HIM]
(2 Tim 2:11 NASB) "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
(2 Tim 2:12 NASB) If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
(2 Tim 2:13 NASB) If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."
If we, i.e., believers, who are secure in our eternal life, (Eph 1:13-14), endure the difficulties and testing and live a faithful, productive life - full of divine good production, then we believers will not only have eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven because of our one time expression of faith in Him; but we will also reign, i.e., co-rule, with Him and receive unimaginably glorious rewards.
If we believers disown, i.e., disavow Christ's ownership of us by acting in thought, word and deed in disobedience and unfaithfulness, (cp 1 Cor 6:19-20), then Christ will disown our ownership, i.e., our inheritance of eternal rewards and co-rulership with Him, (cp Col 1:10-12; 3:23-24; Eph 5:5; Gal 5:21).
[=
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY OF CHOOSING THE POOR TO BE HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM AND
BELIEVERS' FREE WILL CHOICE TO PERSEVERE UNDER TRIALS UNTO THE
RIGHTEOUS LIFE THAT GOD DESIRES RESULTING IN BECOMING AN HEIR TO THE
KINGDOM ARE BOTH IN VIEW]:
(Jas 2:1 NASB) "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
(Jas 2:2 NASB) For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
(Jas 2:3 NASB) and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' and you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,'
(Jas 2:4 NASB) have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
(Jas 2:5 NASB) Listen,
my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be
rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who
love Him?"
iv_g) [Compare Mt 10:32-33, 37-39 ]:
[= TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND BE WORTHY: CONFESS AND BE CONFESSED BEFORE THE
FATHER; OR DENY AND BE DENIED YOUR ETERNAL INHERITANCE BUT NEVER YOUR GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE]:
(Mt 10:32 NASB) "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in heaven.
(Mt 10:33 NASB) But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
(Mt 10:33 NASB) He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(Mt 10:33 NASB) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
(Mt 10:33 NASB) He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."
iv_h) [Compare Mt 5:1-5, 9-12 ]:
[= THE BEATITUDES: THE MEEK, THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL, SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH]:
(Mt 5:1 NASB) "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
(Mt 5:2 NASB) He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,"
["He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying ..." =
Nine beatitudes are hereafter presented by our Lord to the disciples and the crowd on the mountainside; but His message this time is specifically directed to believers, especially His disciples and especially about believers being rewarded in heaven for being faithful:
(Mt 5:3 NASB) "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs [i.e., their inheritance] is the kingdom of heaven.
["Blessed are.." = The term beatitude or blessed comes from the Latin 'beatus' which means blessings, and in this context temporal plus especially eternal blessings or rewards.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit" = Our Lord is not describing poverty types. The word poor means aware of one's own spiritual poverty, i.e., spiritual bankruptcy, relative to the righteousness of God. Thus through recognition of one's true poverty in spirit one can rely on the grace of God instead of one's own 'righteousness' for eternal life. One is thereby blessed by God's grace with eternal life so that one may inherit eternal life. But this verse goes further than that for those believers who are "poor in spirit" for it rewards those who continue to be poor in spirit with an inheritance of the kingdom of heaven:
"for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" = implies ownership as well as occupancy of the kingdom. Believers who recognize their own spiritual poverty and thereby rely on God's gracious working through them via the leading of the Holy Spirit in them, (v. 16) rather than doing what they perceive as righteous acts, will be following the path of a faithful lifestyle leading to the reward of their actual inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.
(Mt 5:4 NASB) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
(Mt 5:5 NKJV) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
[i.e., they shall inherit the Kingdom of God which comprises the earth. ["meek" = gentleness, obedience, self-control - under the control of the Spirit.
Since an obedient lifestyle is excluded from what is required for an individual to be saved, (Eph 2:8-9 )
...then salvation is not in view but the reward for the obedient believer of inheriting the earth certainly is.
No believer inherits the earth unless he is faithful. When a believer is faithful he is under the control, i.e., filled with or in submission to the Spirit, (Gal 5:16; Eph 5:18-21). He is obedient to the will of God. That's what produces the true meekness and the gentleness in a believer: submission and obedience.
[Wilkin, op. cit., p. 33]:
"The Lord Himself is a perfect illustration of the truth of the beatitudes. He was meek and poor in spirit, and He willingly accepted persecution for righteousness' sake. As a result He Himself will inherit the earth and receive the kingdom. In Ps 2:8 God the Father says....."
(Ps 2:6 NASB) "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.
(Ps 2:7 NASB) I will declare the LORD’s decree: He said to Me, 'You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.
['He [God the Father] said to Me [the Son of God], 'You are My Son; today I have become your Father [in the sense of now granting His Son all the privileges of royalty: rulership and ownership of the Kingdom of God due to His Son's absolute obedience in going to the cross for the sins of the whole world]:
(Ps 2:8 NASB) 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.' "
[Compare Heb 1:8-9 and 12:2 which reaffirm this point]:
(Heb 1:8 NASB) "But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter is the scepter of His Kingdom.
(Heb 1:8 NASB) 'You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above Your companions.' "
(Heb 12:2 NASB) "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
[Robert N. Wilkin states, (Journal of the GRACE EVANGELICAL SOCIETY, "Christians Who Lose Their Legacy: Galatians 5:21", pp. 32-33)]:
"Receiving the kingdom of heaven in this context is a rewards concept. This is easily seen by comparing vv. 10 and 12. Verse 10 says that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake will receive the kingdom of heaven. Verse 12 says that those who are persecuted for Christ's sake should 'rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.' Receiving the kingdom of heaven is parallel to receiving great reward in heaven just as persevering under persecution for Christ's sake.
Of course, eternal salvation cannot be in view here since it is not a reward for holding up under persecution. It is a free gift (John 4:10ff; Rom 3:24; Eph 2:9; Rev 22:17).
Receiving the kingdom in this passage thus refers to some reward. In light of other passages, rulership and its attendant privileges and responsibilities must be in view. All believers will be in the kingdom; however, only faithful believers will rule and possess it (Luke 19:11-27; Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 2:12).
Since inheriting the earth is a synonymous expression to receiving the kingdom, it too refers here to ruling and possessing the kingdom. After all, the kingdom will take place on earth (cf. Rev 20-22). To receive the kingdom is to inherit the earth. Those who are meek [i.e., obedient] will be co-heirs with Christ and will share in kingdom rule and glory]
This eternal inheritance of the Kingdom of God is especially evident in verses 9-12 which cap off the passage and bring home this context:
(Mt 5:9 NASB) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(Mt 5:10 NASB) Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Mt 5:11 NASB) Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."
[Notice that faithful believers only are in view here, as confirmed by the next verse]:
(Mt 5:12 NASB) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
[Since entrance into heaven is a free gift - an inheritance of eternal life, (Eph 2:8-9 ,
then the reward for believers' service to the LORD must be something
more to occur after the believer enters heaven; and not
in order to enter heaven - which the latter is a free gift not dependant upon service / works for the LORD]
(Gal 6:6 NASB) "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
(Gal 6:7 NASB) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
(Gal 6:8 NASB) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
(Gal 6:9 NASB) Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
(Gal
6:10 NASB) So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
Since
Galatians
5:19-23 and 6:6-10 are passages within the same book and within the
same
context: believers walking
in the
Spirit enhancing their own eternal inheritances versus believers
walking in the flesh
resulting in losing their inheritance of the Kingdom of God;
and
since we
have in view the one [= a believer, (Gal 6:6)] who sows to please his
sinful nature, who from
that nature will reap corruption [phthoran = corruption, destruction];
as contrasted to the [believer, (Gal 6:6)] who sows to please the
Spirit, who from the Spirit will reap
eternal life; then the expression rendered "will reap corruption" in
Gal 6:8 is
parallel to not inheriting the kingdom in Gal 5:2. Whatever
corruption
means in Gal 6:7-10 must be parallel in meaning to what the phrase
rendered, "will not
inherit the kingdom"
means in Gal 5:21. The word "phthora" rendered corruption in Gal
6:8 therefore refers to the ruin, destruction, dissolution,
deterioration,
or corruption of all or part of ones enhanced eternal inheritance to be
received in the eternal Kingdom of God. On the other hand, according to
Gal 6:8, the believer who
sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life - in
the sense of reaping an enhanced / enriched eternal life, i.e., an
inheritance of the Kingdom of God, i.e.,
receiving co-ownership and a co-rulership of some kind within the
Kingdom of God with Jesus Christ enhanced by ones faithful sowing to
the Spirit.
These verses are dealing with something which believers reap for work done, because salvation from hell = inheriting eternal life is not a reward for work done, it is a free gift of ones eternal destiny with God. On the other hand, inheriting the eternal Kingdom of God in Gal 5:21 is equivalent to the continual / repetitive reaping toward ones eternal life in Gal 6:8 which has to do with enhancing / enriching the salvation from hell unto eternal life the individual first and forever received when he believed in Christ as a gift.
Inheriting
eternal life unto residence in the Eternal Kingdom of God is not the
same thing as inheriting ownership of that Kingdom:
(Ro 3:21 NASB) "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Ro 3:22 NASB) "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
(Ro 3:23 NASB) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Ro 3:24 NASB) being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;"
[Note
that in the context of Ro 3:21-24, the Greek word rendered "are
justified," means are declared / established to be Righteous by God
unto salvation from hell with an immediate and present tense possession
/ an inheritance of eternal life through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus] .
(Eph 2:8 NASB) "For by grace you have been saved through faith [from hell unto the heavenlies, (ref Eph 2:6)]; and that [salvation because that is neuter] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
(Eph 2:9 NASB) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
(Heb 1:14 NASB) "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"
[Those
meaning those to whom the Book of Hebrews is addressed: those who are
"holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, [who are to] consider
Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession" [of faith in
Him], [v. 3:1]
(Lk 18:18 NASB) "A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
[Jesus'
answer put the keeping of the Law or anything to do with good works not
within the capacity of man - so the ruler went away without qualifying
himself to inherit eternal life by his own doing - by faithful, godly
works]
(Mk 10:17 NASB) "As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
[Jesus' answer in vv. 18-31 put
the keeping of the Law or anything to do with good works not within the
capacity of man - so the ruler went away without qualifying himself to
inherit eternal life.
Then at the end of the passage in Mk 10:29-30 and the parallel passage in Mt 19:29 there is the implication in Jesus' answer that those who not only believe in the name of Jesus Christ for salvation, but who sacrifice for His name's sake, i.e., for the cause of believing in Him for eternal life will not only receive eternal life, but will be rewarded many times what they sacrificed in their temporal lives]
(Lk 10:25 NASB) "And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
(Lk 10:26 NASB) And He [Jesus] said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?'
[And the lawyer's answer which Jesus affirmed afterward was as follows]:
(Lk 10:27 NASB) And he [the lawyer] answered, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
[Whereupon the lawyer's answer implied his limiting his obligation to express godly / agape love to only his 'kind' and not to a non-Jew; which Jesus responded to with]:
(Lk 10:28 NASB) And He [Jesus] said to him, 'You have answered correctly; 'Do this and you will live.' [quoting Lev 18:5 and Ezek 20:11]
[Whereupon Jesus followed immediately with an illustrative parable of
a good Samaritan - a people whom the Jews despised, which indicated
that all men were the lawyer's neighbor, not just priests, Levites and
fellow Jews - the implication being that perfectly keeping the Law was
just not going to be possible with man in order to have eternal life
because of the nature of man, (vv. 30-37]
(Mt 19:29 NASB) "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life."
[In Mt 19:29 and in Mk 10:29-30 there is the implication in Jesus' answer that those who not only believe in the name of Jesus Christ for salvation, but who sacrifice for His name's sake, i.e., for the cause of believing in Him for eternal life will not only receive eternal life, but will be rewarded many times what they sacrificed in their temporal lives]
(Rev 2:26 NASB) "He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, 'To him I will give authority over the nations;' " [Ps 2:8; Rev 3:21; 20:4]
[Since
verse 26 has already saved unto eternal life from hell: believers who
overcome in view - who keep Christ's deeds until the end, (vv. 18-19);
then the context is eternal rewards based on works, not salvation from
hell based on a moment of faith alone in Christ alone. See study on
overcomers - those who are believers first who follow up with
overcoming faithfulness ]
So the phrase rendered "reap corruption" in Gal 6:8 refers to the loss
of eternal treasure and to the loss of present joy, even
premature death in the temporal life as well, (1 Jn 5:16-17); and the parallel expression
in Gal
5:21 of "will not
inherit the kingdom" conveys the same sense of losing out of the
co-possession, co-rulership of the Kingdom of God with Jesus Christ,
both in the temporal and eternal life.
H)
(Gal 5:22-26) But The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Love, Joy, Peace,
Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control;
Against Such Things There Is No Law. Now Those Who Belong To Christ
Jesus Have Crucified The Flesh With Its Passions And Desires. If We
Live By The Spirit, Let Us Also Walk By The Spirit. Let Us Not Become
Boastful, Provoking One Another, Envying One Another
(Gal 5:22 NASB) But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, (Gal 5:23 NASB) gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal
5:24 NASB) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus [lit., "are of Christ
Jesus," (Gal 3:26] have crucified the flesh [Ro 6:6; Gal 2:20; 6:14]
with its passions and desires [Gal 5:16f]. (Gal 5:25 NASB) If [= since]
we
live by
the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit [Gal 5:16]. (Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us
not
become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil
2:3] =
(Gal 5:22 NASB) "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, (Gal 5:23 NASB) gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law." =
a) Manuscript
Evidence for Gal 5:23
TR, WH, NU, P46, Sinaiticus, A, B, C, P, 33, 1739*, cop represented in almost all versions have "self-control."
D*, F, G, it have
"self-control, purity"
Several Western witnesses add another virtue to Paul's list, that of "purity" or "chastity." This interpolation may have been influenced by 1 Tim 4:12, which includes "hagneia," rendered "purity" in a list of virtues in the latter verse. Or it may have been added to provide an antidote to the sexual impurities listed in 5:19; showing its respect for the Western text. The version NJB is the only notable version which notes the variant.
b) (Gal
5:22-23) But
The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control; Against Such Things
There Is No Law.
(Gal 5:22 NASB) "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, (Gal 5:23 NASB) gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law." =
Author
Paul moves from believers practicing egregious sins
which Paul warns may lead to their being disinherited of co-ownership /
co-rulership of the Kingdom of God, (Gal 5:19-21 ); but not the loss of salvation
from hell unto eternal life; to those moments when believers are
demonstrating in their lives the fruit of
the Spirit of God.
It is important to know
that the demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit comes via the Holy
Spirit working through a believer during those moments when he is
sowing to the Spirit, (Gal 6:8 ) -
in the sense of a believer first having properly studied Scripture, (), in order to then properly recognize and follow
the leading of the Holy Spirit, (ref Ro 8:9-14 ) through what he has learned from God's Word.
The word rendered "fruit" is singular, indicating that the qualities
which Paul stipulates, (albeit not all inclusive), in Gal 5:22-23,
constitute a unity of multiple godly character traits which are to be
found in
a believer while he lives under the control of the Spirit, i.e., as he
is demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit.
In the ultimate sense this 'fruit' is the life of Christ lived out in moments in a believer's mortal life when he is following the leading of the Spirit within him. Apostle and author Paul wrote about this in his epistle to the Colossians chapter 3:1-17:
(Col 3:1 NASB) "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
(Col 3:2 NASB) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
(Col 3:3 NASB) For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Col 3:4 NASB) When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
(Col 3:5 NASB) Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
(Col 3:6 NASB) For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.
(Col 3:7 NASB) and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
(Col 3:8 NASB) But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
(Col 3:9 NASB) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
(Col 3:10 NASB) and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him -
(Col 3:11 NASB) a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
(Col 3:12 NASB) So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
(Col 3:13 NASB) bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
(Col 3:14 NASB) Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
(Col 3:15 NASB) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
(Col 3:16 NASB) Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
(Col 3:17 NASB) Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
So with Col 3:1-17 just quoted above in mind that the fruit of the Spirit of God is the life of Christ lived out in a believer's mortal life, author Paul indicates in his letter to the Galatians, that the Spirit of God is characterized by a number of things, some of which he stipulates in Gal 5:22-23; beginning with the believer's demonstration of godly agape love, then joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The apape love is that attribute of God, (ref. Jn 3:16; Ro 5:8; 1 Cor 13:4-7) which may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
Godly
agape love,
("agape"), is listed first and foremost in Gal 5:22-23 because it is
the foundation
for all of the other godly attributes of the fruit of the Spirit as
demonstrated in the behavior of the believer who sows to the Spirit of
God, (ref. Gal 6:6-10 ). Agape love is a godly love - a self-sacrificing
love
for God and mankind .
It may be expressed toward God and others. For example, the apostle
Paul
stipulated instructions in his letter to the Roman believers concerning
the expression of agape godly love toward fellow believers, (Ro 15:1-3 ).
(1 Cor 13:4 NASB) "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
(1 Cor 13:5 NASB) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
(1 Cor 13:6 NASB) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
(1 Cor 13:7 NASB) bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things."
(Ro 12:9 NASB) "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
(Ro 12:10 NASB) Be devoted to
one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
"
The joy that is an attribute of God, (Ps 104:31) may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
The next godly characteristic demonstrated by believers of the fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul in Gal 5:22-23 is "joy" ("chara"). In the context of Gal 5:22-23, it is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those believers while they abide in Christ in the sense of while they are in fellowship with God and fellow believers.
(Jn 15:11 NASB) These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."
The words rendered "these
things" refers to the first 10 verses which exhort believers to abide
in Christ.
The
context of John chapter 15 cannot be salvation because it focuses upon
the believer keeping God's commandments and thereupon abiding in Christ
/ in God's
love. Unbelievers are never asked to abide in Christ or in God's love.
This has to
be learned by the individual once he becomes a believer through
continual study and obedience to Scripture - moving on to spiritual
maturity over time, albeit always via the grace of God attributing
success to the imperfectly operating, finite believer. For obedience to
the Word and loving God is never
perfect with any believer, (1 Jn 1:8, 10, Jn 15:8-10 ).
Nor is it a specific requirement for becoming a believer unto salvation
from hell unto eternal life. Nevertheless, fellowship with God is
available moment by moment through confession of sins, (ref. 1 Jn 1:9).
The term 'abide in Christ's love' is synonymous with 'having fellowship' with God' in 1 Jn 1:9 - an indication of the demonstration of the believer of exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit:
(1 Jn 1:3 NASB) "[Who = Jesus Christ] we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
(1 Jn 1:4 NASB) [And] these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
(1
Jn 1:9 NASB) If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The
godly "joy" that the believer experiences through the Spirit within him
does not depend upon his
circumstances. For in those moments he experiences godly joy, it is as
a result of trusting in God's sovereign control of all
things for the benefit of the believer - for the benefit of all of
those who are have been justified through a moment of faith alone in
Christ alone unto salvation from hell unto eternal life. And God will
indeed deliver his born from above child to that eternal destiny:
vi) [Compare Ro 8:28-37 - especially
38-39 ]:
(Ro 8:38 NASB) "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
(Ro 8:38 NASB) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(1 Pet 1:3 NASB) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(1 Pet 1:4 NASB) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
(1 Pet 1:5 NASB) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Pet 1:6 NASB) In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
(1 Pet 1:7 NASB) so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
(1 Pet 1:8 NASB) and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
(1 Pet 1:9 NASB) obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."
The peace that is an attribute of God, (Jn 14:27) may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
Following the characteristic of "joy" stipulated in Gal 5:22, is another of the components of the fruit of the Spirit in the believer who sows to the Spirit as stipulated in Gal 5:22-23: the word rendered "peace," ("eirene"). This peace is an inner repose and quietness, even in the face of adverse circumstances; it defies human understanding, yet implies a faith in the sovereignty of God in all things:
(Phil 5:5 NASB) "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
(Phil 5:6 NASB) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
(Phil 5:7 NASB) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Phil 5:8 NASB) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
So
the godly peace of God that a believer will experiences as the fruit of
the Spirit within him will not include an aspect of trouble or fear.
For the fruit of the Spirit does imply that the believer for the moment
is exercising his faith in God given to one through Christ in order to
see one through all
trials and tribulations beginning with a moment of faith alone in
Christ alone unto salvation from hell unto eternal life:
(Ro 14:17 NASB) "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
(Jn
14:27 NASB) "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor
let it be fearful."
The patience that is an attribute of God, (2 Pet 3:9, 15) may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
The next characteristic of exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit in the believer in Gal 5:22-23 is a godly patience, ("makrothumia") - especially in the context of Gal 5:22-23 including endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs = the quality of forbearance even under extreme provocation.
The kindness that is an attribute of God, (Eph 2:4-7; Ro 2:4; 11:22), may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
The next characteristic of exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit in the believer in Gal 5:22-23 is a godly kindness ("chrestotes") - a benevolence in action such as God demonstrated and continues to demonstrate toward men, (Eph 2:4-7; Ro 2:4; 11:22). It is doing thoughtful deeds for others. Since God is kind toward sinners (cf. Rom. 2:4; Eph. 2:7) a believer should display the same virtue (cf. 2 Cor 6:6; Col. 3:12; Eph 4:32).
The
goodness that is an attribute of God, (Ps 31:19), may be
exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
The next characteristic of exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit in the believer in Gal 5:22-23 is a godly goodness ("agathOsune"). Godly goodness may be thought of both as an uprightness of soul and as an action reaching out to others to do good even when it is not deserved - a showing of generosity to others.
The
faithfulness that is an attribute of God, (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; Heb
10:23), may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite,
imperfect way:
The next characteristic of exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit in the believer in Gal 5:22-23 is a godly faithfulness. Faithfulness ("pistis") is the quality which renders a person trustworthy or reliable, like the faithful servant in Luke 16:10-12. It is defined as trustworthiness and reliability.
(2 Thes 1:3 NASB) "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
(2 Thes 1:4 NASB) therefore,
we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your
perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and
afflictions which you endure."
The gentleness that is an attribute of God, (Mt 11:29; Eph 4:2), may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
Gentleness ("prautes") marks a person who is submissive to God's Word (cf. James 1:21) and who is considerate of others when discipline is needed (cf. 'gently' in Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:25; 'gentle' in 1 Cor. 4:21; 'gentleness' in Col. 3:12; 1 Peter 3:15-16).
The Greek word "prautes" can
also mean meekness, (1 Cor 4:21); and humility, (2 Cor 10:1).
(1 Pet 3:8 NASB) "To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
(1 Pet 3:9 NASB) not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
(1 Pet 3:10 NASB) For, 'The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
(1 Pet 3:11 NASB) He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
(1 Pet 3:12 NASB) For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,' [vv.10-12 = Ps 34:12-16].
(1 Pet 3:13 NASB) Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
(1 Pet 3:14 NASB) But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. 'And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,'
(1 Pet 3:15 NASB) but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
(1 Pet 3:16 NASB) and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame."
The self-control that is an attribute of God, ("enkrateia"), may be exemplified in the believer, albeit in a finite, imperfect way:
Self-control ("enkrateia") denotes self-mastery and no doubt primarily relates to curbing the fleshly impulses just described. Such a quality is impossible to attain apart from the power of God's Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:16).
The phrase at the end of Gal 5:23 rendered, "against such things there is no law," is a final, summary statement by way of an emphatic affirmation of the value of the attributes of God being expressed by believers: There is surely no law against such virtues!!
(Gal
5:24 NASB) "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus [lit., "are of Christ
Jesus"] have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires [Gal
5:16ff].
(Gal 5:25 NASB) If [= since] we
live by
the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit [Gal 5:16].
(Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us not
become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil
2:3]
a) Manuscript
Evidence for Gal 5:24
WH, NU, Sinaiticus, A, B, C, P, Psi, 0122(1), 33, bo, 1739, cop, Lach, Treg, Alf, Tish, Weiss, sod have "Christ Jesus"
TR, P46, D, F, G, 0122*(2), Maj, it, syr have "Christ"
Since the names "Jesus" or "Christ" were often expanded throughout the course of textual transmission, it is possible that "Christ" originally stood in the text. On the other hand there is considerable and diverse textual evidence for "Christ Jesus" as well.
b)
(Gal 5:24-26) Now Those Who
Belong To Christ Jesus Are Believers - Sons Of God Through A Moment Of
Faith
Alone In Christ Jesus Alone. They Have By Virture Of That Moment Of
Faith
Crucified The
Flesh - The Sinful Nature - With Its Sinful Passions And Desires In The
Sense Of That Their Lives Are No Longer
Under The Absolute Control Of That Sinful Nature. They
Are Now Under The Control Of The Spirit, And Are Exhorted To Walk By
The Spirit. They Are Not To Become Boastful, [Provoking] One Another,
Envying One Another.
Gal 5:24 has in view
those who belong to Christ Jesus,
literally, those who "are of Christ Jesus." And according to Gal 3:26 they
"are all sons
of God through faith" - through a moment of faith alone in Christ Jesus
alone," ().
And
by virtue of that moment of faith alone, they have crucified the flesh
within them,
(aorist tense = a completed action - once for all time; active voice =
an action taken by
the individual himself to believe in Christ Jesus for eternal life
whereupon God applied what His Son did on the cross centuries earlier
to
crucify the flesh / the sin
nature within that individual, (= "the old man" / "the old self," "the
body of
sin," (Ro 6:5-6 ). So the flesh - the body of
sin of an individual at the point of faith has been crucified by God
once and for all. The believer will no longer be a slave to sin
under the sin nature's absolute control of everything he does; albeit
the believer may choose
of his
own volition to commit acts of sin, as corroborated in Gal 5:25-26
which exhorts believers to be faithful; and Gal 5:19-21 which preceded
which exhorts believers not to sin, ().
(Col 3:9 NASB) "Do
not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil
practice,
[aorist tense =
completed
action, middle voice where the subject expresses a moment of faith
alone in Christ alone which results in God laying
aside the old self / the crucifying of the flesh / the
body of sin
- its control over the individual]
(Col 3:10 NASB) and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him -
(Col 3:11 NASB) a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all."
ii) [Compare Eph 4:20-24: The New Nature Of The Believer In Christ]:
(Eph 4:20 NASB) "But you did not learn Christ in this way,
(Eph 4:21 NASB) if [= since] indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
(Eph 4:22 NASB) that, in
reference to your [believers', (v. 4:1)] former manner of life, you lay
aside the old self, [ton palaion anthropon =
the old man, i.e., the old sin nature which still exists in the
believer, (cp. Ro 7:21-25 )], which is being corrupted in
accordance with the lusts of deceit,
(Eph 4:23 NASB) and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
(Eph 4:24 NASB) and put on the new self, [the regenerate self which is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit], which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
****** EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 6 ******
OR SKIP TO NEXT SECTION 
(v. 6:5) "For if [since] we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.
(v. 6:6) Knowing this that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -"
(Ro 6:5-6:6) THE BELIEVER'S UNDERSTANDING THAT HE HAS BECOME UNITED WITH JESUS CHRIST IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH AND THAT HE SHALL BE ALSO BE UNITED IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION LEADS TO KNOWING THAT HIS OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
(Ro 6:5) "For [= Since] we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection; (Ro 6:6 NASB) knowing this, that our old self was crucified (aorist, passive voice) with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;" =
The
believer's understanding
that he has become united with Jesus Christ in the likeness of
His death and the likeness of His resurrection by a moment of faith
alone in Christ alone to be justified unto eternal life, (Ro 5:1 ),
leads in the next chapter to author Paul stipulating in Ro 6:5-6 to the
believer knowing that his old self, lit., his "old man" = the "body of
sin" contained within himself, (Ro 6:6), that controls the individual's
actions to have likewise been crucified - aorist tense: a completed
past action of being destroyed (passive voice: God Himself performing
the
action once and for all time) in the sense of the body of sin within /
the sin nature within the individual who has trusted in Christ having
its absolute control over the individual's actions destroyed /
deactivated.
So at the moment
of becoming united with Christ in the likeness of His death which is
concurrent with being united in the likeness of His resurrection, one
at the same time has ones old sin nature crucified with Christ. It no
longer exercises absolute control over the individual's actions; albeit the believer may choose
of his
own volition to commit acts of sin, as corroborated in so many passages
that exhort
believers to be faithful, (ref. Gal 5:25 which follows Gal 5:24; and
not to sin such as earlier in the chapter at Gal 5:19-21 and others.
(Ro 6:5-6:6) THE OLD SELF = LIT, 'THE OLD MAN' = THAT PART OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL (INCLUDING BELIEVERS) WHICH CONTROLS THE PRACTICE OF EVIL WHICH HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED = PUT TO DEATH, I.E., IT'S CONTROL IS DEACTIVATED BUT NOT ANNIHILATED AT THE MOMENT ONE BECOMES A BELIEVER
(Ro 6:5) "For [= Since] we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection; (Ro 6:6 NASB) knowing this, that our old self was crucified (aorist, passive voice) with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;" (cont.) =
Since this passage deals with encouraging believers to not go on sinning so that grace may increase but to live a new life such that theirs is an example of a reign of righteousness;
and since being crucified signifies being put to death, i.e., made inactive;
then we must conclude that the old man being crucified refers to the capacity of the individual to sin being made inactive in its absolute control over the individual.
Notice that the verse
stipulates "that our old self was crucified with Him" indicating that
even before one person is physically born his old man was crucified,
i.e., put to death with Christ on the cross nearly 2000 years ago but
waiting to be deactivated the moment one becomes a believer!
Hence we must conclude that since all individuals are born with a capacity to sin which continues even after they become believers (Ro 5:20-6:1), then neither a condition of sinlessness, nor a lack of capacity to sin can be in view. Rather, we have the potential created at Calvary in history for an individual to have deactivated in him the absolute control of his sin nature which occurs within him at the moment he trusts alone in Christ alone unto eternal life to become a believer.
(Ro 6:5) "For [= Since] we have
become
united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be
also in the likeness of His resurrection;
(Ro 6:6 NASB) knowing this, that our old self was crucified (aorist, passive voice) with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin."
(Ro 6:6) THE RESULT OF OUR OLD SELF BEING CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, I.E., PUT TO DEATH, IS THE BODY OF SIN BEING RENDERED POWERLESS SO THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN
(v. 6:6) "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." =
touto ginOskontes hoti ho ..palaios hEmOn .anthrOpos sunestaurOthE
this ...knowing .......that the old .......our ........man ...........was crucified with
hina katargEthE ..........to ..sOma tEs ....hamartias tou mEketi ....douleuein ............hEmas
that .might be nullified the body ..of the sin ............the no longer to be subservient we
tE ......hamartia
to the sin
Since 'our old self', i.e., the believer's sin nature, has been crucified with Christ, i.e., put to death, (v. 3); then the body of sin, i.e., the sin nature is rendered "katargEthE" = useless, unproductive - but not annihilated as the verb does not carry this possibility of meaning. This is a verb in the 3rd person, singular, aorist tense signifying a completed action. It is in the passive voice indicating that the believer has had the action done to him as opposed to done by him, i.e., done by God Himself at Calvary ready for the individual to activate this completed action within himself at the moment he expresses a moment of faith alone in Christ alone for salvation unto eternal life. It is also in the subjunctive mood signifying objective possibility. In other words the rendering of the believer's sin nature useless, or unproductive is not absolute and may be reinstated in some manner, by the believer voluntarily doing this. This is elaborated upon later in this passage.
The situation is clear that the believer should no longer be a slave to sin because the reigning power of his body of sin, i.e., that intrinsic part of him that compelled him to sin as a matter of lifestyle = "our old self," the sin nature, has been crucified - put to death, i.e., rendered powerless in its absolute rule over him. The plug on the sin nature has been pulled and so it is rendered powerless. It lies dormant within the believer but the believer can always choose to plug it again. Sadly, this is so often the response amongst believers. And that's a key message that Paul addresses in the negative.
(Ro 6:6) SINCE HIS SIN NATURE WAS RENDERED POWERLESS, THE BELIEVER SHOULD NO LONGER BE A SLAVE TO SIN BUT HE CAN CHOOSE TO CONTINUE IN SIN. HOWEVER THE QUESTION WAS PREVIOUSLY ASKED WHY?
(v. 6:1) "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (v. 6:2) Far be the thought! Such ones as we, - who died to sin! How shall we any longer be living in it? (v. 6:6) "Knowing this that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -" =
Notice that Paul has defined here what he meant earlier by the phrases 'we have died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?' (v. 2); and in verse 6, 'our old self was crucified with Him that our body of sin might be done away with.' He declares that the result of dying to sin and our old self being crucified with Christ is that we should no longer choose to be slaves to sin in our experience.
Taking into account Paul's initial declaration in this section of Romans chapter 6, that where believers' sin increased, grace increased all the more; and his question, 'shall we believers go on sinning so that grace may increase?'; we come to the conclusion that Paul is indicating that the result of the individual becoming a believer is that he can choose to go on sinning so that God's grace will increase to cover that sin, but since the believer is no longer a slave to this compelling nature to sin as a result of receiving the benefit of Christ's death for him, Paul asks in the negative, 'Why should he go back to that lifestyle?' Answer demanded by the context might be stated as follows: 'By no means, absolutely not.' This reiterates the message in vv. 1-2.
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 6 ******
b cont.) (Gal 5:24-26 cont.) Now Those Who Belong To Christ Jesus, i.e., Believers / Sons Of God Through Faith In Christ Jesus Have By Virture Of That Moment Of Faith Crucified The Flesh With Its Illicit Passions And Desires In The Sense Of No Longer Being Under The Absolute Control Of The Sinful Nature. Since Believers Are Now Under The Control Of The Spirit, Let Us Walk By The Spirit. Let Us Not Become Boastful, Provoking One Another, Envying One Another.
(Gal 5:24 NASB) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus [lit., "are of Christ Jesus,"] have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:25 NASB) If [= since] we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit [Gal 5:16]. (Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us not become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil 2:3] (cont.) =If Gal 5:25 is not carefully
interpreted within the normal rules of language, grammar, context and logical sense of Gal 1:1-5:24 - especially
Gal 5:16 , one might conclude - as many people
contend - that the first phrase in Gal 5:25a, "If we live by the
Spirit," is dependant upon the second phrase being performed, "let us
also
walk by the Spirit," in the sense that one must prove out ones
salvation by walking by the Spirit, i.e., by performing consistent
godly works, in order to prove out that one lives by, i.e., has the
Spirit in the first
place, i.e., that one is saved at all.
But the first word of the first
phrase, "ei" rendered "if" is in the
indicative mood - a statement of fact which means "it is true," or
"since," ).
In other words, author and apostle Paul continues to address in
Gal 5:25, those who are believers - those who by
definition have the Spirit of God within them when they believed - the
Spirit of God
Who now directs them as believers from within them on how to live their
lives before
God, albeit it is their choice to obey, (ref. Gal 3:1ff ).
So
then the second phrase rendered, "let us also walk by the Spirit," by
virtue of
being in the subjective mood = objective possibility depending upon the
volition / the free will choice of the believer is thereby an
exhortation to the believer who is already saved forever unto eternal
life and possesses the Holy Spirit Whom believer is now under His
leadership by which the believer is to choose to live his life before
God. So it
is true that
the believer is under the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit which
allows for the believer to choose to obey or not.
(Gal 5:16 NASB)
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will
not carry out the desire of the flesh." =
As
a believer goes through life, he is commanded to depend upon the
indwelling Holy
Spirit for guidance and power, (cf. Ro 15:13; Eph 3:16). But the Spirit
does not operate
automatically within the believer. He waits for the believer to decide
to depend upon Him and obey His leading accordingly. When a
Christian does yield to the Spirit's control, the promise is that he
will not in anywise (the double negative in the Greek, "ou mē" is
emphatic) gratify
(telesēte, "complete, fulfill" in outward action) the desires of the
flesh - the sinful nature. Thus, while no believer will ever be
entirely free in this life from succombing to the evil desires that
stem from his
fallen human nature, (1 Jn 1:8-10 ), he need not capitulate to them.
He may experience
victory by following the leading of the Spirit, albeit imperfectly and
nevertheless be credited with godliness and fellowship with God by the
grace of God
as he walks in the light of the Spirit's leading - in the Light of the
Righteousness of God, (1 Jn 1:7 ).
b cont.) (Gal 5:24-26 cont.) Now Those Who Belong To Christ Jesus, i.e., Believers / Sons Of God Through Faith In Christ Jesus Have By Virture Of That Moment Of Faith Crucified The Flesh With Its Illicit Passions And Desires In The Sense Of No Longer Being Under The Absolute Control Of The Sinful Nature. Since Believers Are Now Under The Control Of The Spirit, Let Us Walk By The Spirit. Let Us Not Become Boastful, [Provoking] One Another, Envying One Another.
(Gal 5:24 NASB) "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus [lit., "are of Christ Jesus,"] have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:25 NASB) If [= since] we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [= we should walk] by the Spirit [Gal 5:16]. (Gal 5:26 NASB) Let us not become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another." [Phil 2:3] (cont.) =
Author Paul then stipulates in Gal 5:26 three things for the believer not to do that might typify that they are not walking by the Spirit, "Let us not become boastful, [provoking] one another, envying one another."
The Greek phrase "me ginOmetha kenodoxoi" rendered "Let us not become boastful" means let us not boast when there is nothing godly to boast about, in the sense of having a false estimate of oneself - of being conceited. And the phrase "prokaloumenoi allelois" rendered "Provoking one another" means to provoke one another - fellow believers and all individuals - for ungodly reasons. And finally, the word "phthonountes" rendered "envying [one another] means to be jealous of, resentful of another - in an ungodly sense. All three are examples of not following the leading of the Holy Spirit.