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Gal.5:1. Stand therefore in the freedom that Christ has given us, and do not again be subjected to the yoke of slavery. “With the freedom with which Christ freed us, stand, and do not remain under the yoke of work.” The Apostle calls life outside the law “freedom,” and “the yoke of work” is life under the law. For this is what the divine Peter said in Acts: “Because you tempt God, to lay a yoke on your disciples’ necks, which neither the fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10) Gal.5:2. Behold, I, Paul, say to you: if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye are circumcised, Christ profiteth you nothing.” I tell you directly and clearly, putting my name first, that you will not receive any benefit from faith in Christ by accepting circumcision. Gal.5:3. Again I testify to every man who is circumcised, that he must fulfill the whole law. “I testify again to every man who is circumcised, that he must eat the whole law.” And very justly, because the law curses those who do not fulfill everything prescribed by it. Moreover, one who arbitrarily leaves freedom and decides to be in slavery obeys all the orders of his master. Gal.5:4. You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ and have fallen from grace. “Abolish yourself from Christ.” Why are you saying this? “Though you are justified by law, you have fallen away from grace. “He who gave the law promised to give grace. Therefore, when grace is given, it is shown that the law is ineffective and unnecessary. Therefore, those who choose a life under the law deprive themselves of the gifts of grace. Gal.5:5. But we in spirit wait and hope for the righteousness of faith. “We wait in spirit from faith for the hope of righteousness.” Having received the pledge of the Spirit and believing in the promises, we look forward to the hoped-for life, which, adorned with immortality, is free from the attacks of sin. Gal.5:6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love. “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision is able, nor uncircumcision, but faith pursues love.” Are you a lover of the law? Keep what is necessary in the law, acquire love for your neighbor; by it the whole law is fulfilled. The difference between circumcision and uncircumcision was destroyed by faith. For in warriors, military leaders do not look for whiteness or blackness, but for military experience. Gal.5:7. You walked well: who stopped you from submitting to the truth? “Now it’s good: who forbids you not to repent of the truth!” He praises their flow and mourns that their flow has ceased. Gal.5:8. This conviction is not from the One who calls you. “The controversy is not from him who called you.” It is God's nature to call, and those who hear the call are to obey. Gal.5:9. A little leaven leavens the whole dough. “A little kvass leaves the whole mixture.” I cry for you; I’m afraid that the disease will spread to others. Gal.5:10. I am confident of you in the Lord, that you will not think otherwise; but the one who troubles you, no matter who he is, will bear condemnation. “I hope for you in the Lord, that you will understand nothing else.” He didn’t say “you understand”; but: “you will understand.” For he reproaches for what has already been done, but wants to see a change for the better. The one who troubles you will suffer sin, no matter who it is.” Again he expressed himself vaguely: “whoever it is,” so that even if they have high opinions about themselves, they will know that they must be punished by God. And since these crafty defenders of the law said that the Apostle himself keeps the law and does not preach the same thing everywhere, then of necessity he is justified in this. Gal.5:11. Why are they persecuting me, brothers, if I still preach circumcision? Then the temptation of the cross would cease. “But, brothers, even if I still preach circumcision, why do I still persecute? For the temptation of the Cross has been abolished." Why do the Jews hate me and are clearly hostile against me if I preach circumcision and command the keeping of the law? For if I do this, the preaching of the Cross is unnecessary, and the temptation of the Jews is destroyed. He also says this to the Corinthians: “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks” (1 Cor. 1:23). Gal.5:12. Oh, that those who disturb you were removed! “Oh, that those who corrupt you may be cut off.” Oh, that those who seduce by circumcision would be completely separated from you! Gal.5:13. You, brethren, are called to freedom, so long as your freedom is not an excuse to please the flesh, but serve one another through love. “You should quickly call for freedom, brethren.” You are freed from the slavery of the law. “Let not your freedom be the guilt of the flesh.” The Apostle now moves on to moral advice and commands us to take care of active virtue. It is not for this, he says, that we have been freed from the slavery of the law, so that we can sin without fear. And from this it is clear that, sweeping away what is unnecessary in the law, he commands to preserve what is necessary, and, firstly, love. For this is what he says: “But work with love for one another.” For he who sincerely loves does not refuse to serve his beloved. Gal.5:14. For the whole law is contained in one word: love your neighbor as yourself. “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” By fulfilling this one commandment, you can fulfill the whole law. Gal.5:15. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be destroyed by one another. “If you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be destroyed from one another.” This Apostle makes it clear that some, having been deceived, were circumcised, while others remained firm in the faith. However, those who praised living under the law and marveled at the gifts of grace argued among themselves. That is why I first of all offered them advice to remain in love. Gal.5:16. I say: walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. “I say: walk in the Spirit, and do not commit carnal lust.” If you want to prevail over carnal passions, then follow the spiritual commandments. Gal.5:17. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh: they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you would like. “For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: but these oppose one another. The Apostle calls “flesh” the inclination of the will towards the worse, while “spirit” is indwelling grace, because it guides the soul towards the better. How is it possible to overcome carnal passions? “Do whatever you want, do it.” Do not follow inappropriate thoughts, that is, overcome them, having the grace of the Spirit as your companion. Gal.5:18. If you are led by the spirit, then you are not under the law. “If you are led by the spirit, you are under the law.” The law did not provide this. If some, even living under the law, received spiritual grace, then very few were granted prophecy. And here everyone is worthy of saving baptism. Gal.5:19. The works of the flesh are known; they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Gal.5:20. Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, quarrels, envy, anger, strife, discord, (temptations,) heresies. Gal.5:21. Hatred, murder, drunkenness, disorderly conduct and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. “The essence of the matter of the flesh has been revealed.” Again he calls carnal wisdom the flesh. “These are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, adultery, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, zeal, envy, rage, incitement, strife, heresy of envy, murder, drunkenness, disorderly cries and the like.” It is clear that idolatry, sorcery, and the like are not characteristic of the flesh, but of the soul. Therefore, it is not the flesh that is blamed, but carelessness in the way of thinking. “I tell you, as I also predicted, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” The divine Apostle also spoke this in his Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Gal.5:22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith. Gal.5:23. Meekness, abstinence. There is no law against them. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.” If the above deeds were the deeds of the body alone, then the deeds of the soul would also have to be shown. But the Apostle did not indicate them. Therefore, it is clear that he called carnal wisdom, that is, the inclination of the soul towards the worse, flesh, and called this grace spirit. That is why I called love, joy, and so on spiritual fruit. For with the assistance of the Spirit the soul prospers in each of these matters. “There is no law against such.” For the law is superfluous for those who excel in virtue, because “the law does not lie with the righteous” (1 Tim. 1:9). Gal.5:24. But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. And “they who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with passions and lusts,” that is, having buried themselves in Christ, they have made the body dead to sin. Gal.5:25. If we live by the spirit, then we must act by the spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit,” not living according to the law, but following grace. Gal.5:26. Let's not be vain, irritate each other, envy each other. “We are not vain, annoying each other, envious of each other.” Vanity and envy gave rise to this division. For, perhaps, those who were firm in the faith, constantly condemning those who wavered, stirred up quarrels. It is them who the Apostle exhorts to give a hand to those who bowed to the law. You might be interested in: