Galatians 5

Stand firm in freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.a ²Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.b

⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.c ⁵But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness.d ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.e

⁷You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?f ⁸Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. ⁹A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.g

¹⁰I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be. ¹¹Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!

¹³For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.h ¹⁴The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”i ¹⁵But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.j

The fruit of the Spirit

¹⁶So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.k ¹⁷For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.l ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.m

¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;n ²⁰idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.o

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,p ²³gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.q ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.r

²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.s ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.t