Galatians 5 Breakdown

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Be persistent with the authority Yeshua has given to us when freeing us from the marriage law of the old covenant. Do not allow yourself to go back to the pagan bondage you had partaken in before you knew Him.

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

To be circumcised with the intent of salvation, you will gain nothing. The reason this is the case is because by doing the deeds for salvation, salvation is then expected and owed, but that is not the way YHWH intended it. We follow laws out of love for YHWH, not because we expect to be saved by them.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Those who follow the law with the purpose of salvation, and not out of love, must keep the whole law given. To do this, you are not keeping the law out of faith YHWH’s Word is better than man’s word. These people are teaching and following the keeping of the law as a burden to bear to receive salvation.

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Paul tells these people by keeping the laws as a burden, they are now separate from Yeshua. See, he specifically states they are trying to be justified or saved because they are keeping the law. They are not doing this out of love, just as many of the sect of the circumcision Jews taught, it was required for salvation. This is the point I am trying to show. Keeping the law is not bad when it is done out of love. Keeping the law is bad when it is done to earn salvation.

5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

With the Spirit, which causes us to desire to follow the law out of love according the prophecy found in Ezekiel, we can hope for salvation by our faith.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Paul here again points out it is not circumcision which causes us to be saved, as the certain sect of Jews were teaching, but it is the deeds done through love out of faith that we use to hope for righteousness.

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

He says the Galatians were doing well for a time, but then asks, who changed their minds from obeying the law out of love? Paul did not teach them all the laws of Torah from the beginning because they would be taught them over time each Sabbath.

Acts 15:21

For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.

It seems it is because of this reason they were persuaded to lean toward deeds based salvation.

8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

He outrights states deeds based salvation does not come from YHWH.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Leaven is comparable to sin, and is symbolic in the Feasts of YHWH as sin. It is to be removed from the house, which is symbolic of the body. What Paul is saying is a little sin causes sin throughout. It is sinful to keep His law out of necessity or for a reward. That is what the pagans do. One of YHWH’s commands is to not worship Him as the pagans worship their gods.

10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

Paul says he has the confidence in these men, along with YHWH, that they will turn back to YHWH and the men who taught them differently will be judged by YHWH for this problem they causes.

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

Here you can see, Paul does in fact still preach circumcision, he does it though not as a requirement for salvation, but out of love for YHWH.

12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

Paul is extremely upset at this point and comes out to say he wishes the teachers of the requirement of circumcision would emasculate themselves. I believe he does this in reference to Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 23:1

"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

These believers should take the freedom they were called to and use it to serve others through love. They should not use this freedom to teach against keeping the law, which is to sin. It is sin the flesh wants to partake in. Basically, he is saying do not sin because keeping God’s law is not required, but rather continue loving your neighbors, as well as YHWH because you are saved.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Paul quotes from the Old Testament law here when he says the whole law is fulfilled in one word.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

This should stand out to all of us, in that because this is quoted from the “old law”, but it is said that it is all about loving our neighbor. Think about that for a bit.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Fighting against each other is not profitable for us. As believers, we should not be bitter toward one another, especially over small disagreements.

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

This is huge, walking in the Spirit keeps us from going after lusts of the flesh. Now, consider the prophecy of Ezekiel 36, which states the Spirit will cause us to keep YHWH’s laws. Now couple that with the idea that the lusts of the flesh directly contradict what YHWH tells us to do. Therefore, keeping the law of God is the best way to avoid following the lusts of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

He is reiterating that point here. The flesh goes against the Spirit, we know the Spirit of YHWH causes us to desire to follow His law. Because we are living in the flesh we desire sinful things. But living in the Spirit will cause us to desire YHWH’s lawful things ultimately avoiding partaking in sinful activities.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Being led by the Spirit, we are not under the law? This is a bit confusing now after what Paul has just said. So either Paul is arguing in favor of both keeping and not keeping God’s law, or there is a different law he is referring to. I lean toward the idea of a different law because he specifically names multiple laws throughout his letters. In this case, it is the law of sin he is referring to. An example of Paul referring to this law can be found in Romans 7.

Romans 7:23

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.

The law in his members is the law within his flesh, and that is the law of sin. The law in his mind is the law of YHWH, which is what he wants to keep.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul is naming many sins in relation to not following YHWH’s law. Each of these are mentioned within the Old Testament law. He then goes on to say by partaking in any of these sins there is no inheritance. This can only mean keeping the commands of YHWH in order to avoid these things. How can one not keep the commands of God meaning partaking in these desires of the flesh, and still inherit God’s kingdom? It does not make sense, and according to Paul, it is impossible.  

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The Spirit of YHWH which again causes us to desire to keep YHWH’s law, brings these things with it. This means God’s law is made up of these things and it is not bad or sinful to keep His law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If you believe in Christ, you have given up the desires of the flesh, and replaced them with the desires of YHWH’s law. It is really a simple argument that has been twisted for centuries.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If we live in the Spirit, meaning we have the desire to follow the law of YHWH, Paul says we should also walk in the Spirit, meaning keeping YHWH’s law. But again, this is not out of necessity, but out of love for YHWH.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

We should not become conceited, thinking we are better than other believers, causing them to envy us.