Galatians 5

Freedom of the Christian

¹For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, ^a then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. ^{b 2}Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. ³Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. ⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. ^{c 5}For we eagerly await ^d through the Spirit, by faith, the hope ^e of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith ^f working through love. ^g

⁷You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? ^{h 8}This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ^{i 9}A little leaven ^j leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ^{k 11}Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross ^l has been abolished. ¹²I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!

¹³For you were called ^m to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity ⁿ for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled ^o in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.^p,^{q 15}But if you bite and devour ^r one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

The Spirit versus the Flesh

¹⁶I say, then, walk by the Spirit ^s and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires ^t 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. ^{u 18}But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: ^v sexual immorality, ^w moral impurity, ^x promiscuity, ^{y 20}idolatry, ^z sorcery, ^aa hatreds, ^ab strife, ^ac jealousy, ^ad outbursts of anger, ^ae selfish ambitions, ^af dissensions, ^ag factions, ^{ah 21}envy, ^ai,^aj drunkenness, carousing, ^ak and anything similar. I am warning you about these things #— #as I warned you before #— #that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ^al

²²But the fruit of the Spirit ^am is love, ^an joy, ^ao peace, patience, ^ap kindness, ^aq goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, ^ar and self-control. ^as The law is not against such things. ^{at 24}Now those who belong to Christ Jesus ^au have crucified the flesh ^av with its passions and desires. ^{aw 25}If we live ^ax by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. ^ay