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5:12 Never one to mince words, Paul says that he wishes those who were pushing the Galatians towards circumcision would castrate themselves!
5:13 What does freedom mean? Paul recognizes that the word is open to misinterpretation and he is quick to clarify. Freedom does not mean license. Our freedom is the freedom to love God and one another, and to love God in one another.
5:19 The “works of the esh” include sins that a ect us individually—drunkenness, for example—but mostly sins that distort or pervert our relationships with others-- licentiousness, factions, rivalry. Similarly, the life of the Spirit is expressed in our relationship with ourselves--”self-control”— and with others: patience, kindness, generosity.
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GALATIANS 
cross has been abolished.i 12Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves!* Freedom for Service.* 13For you were called for freedom, brothers.j But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the esh; rather, serve* one another through love. 14For the whole lawk is ful lled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”* 15But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
16l I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the esh.* 17For the esh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the esh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.m 18But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.n 19* Now the works
of the esh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,o 20idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of sel shness, dissensions, factions,p 21occasions of envy,* drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,q 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.r 24Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have cruci ed their esh with its passions and desires.s 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.t 26Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.u
* [5:13–26] In light of another reminder of the freedom of the gospel (Gal 5:13; cf. Gal 5:1), Paul elaborates on what believers are called to do and be: they ful ll the law by love of neighbor (Gal 5:14–15), walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16–26), as is illustrated by concrete fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
* [5:13] Serve. . .through love: cf. Gal 5:6.
* [5:14] Lv 19:18, emphasized by Jesus (Mt 22:39; Lk 10:27); cf. Rom 13:8–10.
* [5:16–25] Spirit. . . esh: cf. Gal 3:3 and the note on Rom 8:1–13.
* [5:19–23] Such lists of vices and virtues (cf. Rom 1:29–31; 1 Cor 6:9–10) were common in the
ancient world. Paul contrasts works of the esh (Gal 5:19) with fruit (not “works”) of the
Spirit (Gal 5:22). Not law, but the Spirit, leads to such traits.
* [5:21] Occasions of envy: after the Greek word phthonoi, “envies,” some manuscripts add a
similar sounding one, phonoi, “murders.”
i. [5:11] 6:12, 14; 1 Cor 1:23.
j. [5:13] 5:1 / Rom 6:18; 1 Cor 8:9; 1 Pt 2:16.
k. [5:14] Lv 19:18; Mt 22:39; Rom 13:8–10.
l. [5:16] 5:24–25; Rom 8:5.
m. [5:17] Rom 7:15, 23; 8:6.
n. [5:18] Rom 6:14; 8:14.
o. [5:19–21] Rom 1:29–31; 1 Cor 6:9–10; Col 3:5–6, 8.
p. [5:20] Rev 22:15.
q. [5:22] Eph 5:9 / 1 Cor 13:4–7; 2 Cor 6:6; 1 Tm 4:12; 2 Pt 1:6.
r. [5:23] 1 Tm 1:9.
s. [5:24] 2:19; Rom 6:6; 8:13. t. [5:25] 5:16.
u. [5:26] Phil 2:3.