Gal 5 1 15 for freedom you are free

Christ Conversation Sunday, April 24, 2016 Galatians 5:1-15 – Set Free for Freedom For Paul, the imperative necessarily follows the indicative.

INDICATIVE 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free 5:13 “For you were called to freedom” 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit”

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IMPERATIVE stand firm therefore

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“do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” “let us also keep in step with the Spirit”

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Paul uses the term, “Stand fast” in other places: 1 Corinthians 16:13; Philippians 1:27; 4:1

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Do not submit – reiterating the standing fast – yourself again to the yoke of slavery.

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Yoke is used in a literal sense (think oxen) as well as a figurative manner: the yoke of the Law. See Acts 15:10

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Galatians 1:4; 3:13; 4:4-5, 31 already reflect the ongoing theme of freedom and law/slavery.

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In 5:2, the Apostle uses his authority and position to make an unequivocal statement: It’s Christ or circumcision. There is no middle ground.

In 5:3, Paul makes it clear that if you would depend on circumcision for righteousness, you must go on to depend on the entirety of the Law.

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In 5:4, it could sound like Paul is saying that if you do circumcision – you have fallen from grace; a seeming statement of apostasy. Just as one, if choosing circumcision, could never attain righteousness – worse yet is the idea that they have rejected the only way real righteousness can come to them. Grace is the avenue God travels.

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In 5:5, Paul makes it clear that it is through the Spirit, in faith, that we attain righteousness. Verses 16-25 use three expressions about the Spirit: walk by the Spirit; led by the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit.

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In 5:6 there is only one basis for union: in Christ. The question of circumcision or no circumcision falls away and only Christ remains. There is no male or female, Jew or Greek, servant of free: it is Christ.

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FALSE TEACHERS The IVP New Testament Commentary points out six identifying marks of false teachers in this passage:     

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First, false teachers distract Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel (v. 7) Second, false teachers replace the call of God with their own deceptive persuasiveness (v. 8) Third, false teachers gain control over the whole church (v. 9) Fourth, false teachers cause confusion and discouragement (v. 10).

Fifth, false teachers spread false reports about spiritual leaders (v. 11). See Acts 16:13 – they may have quoted this event to show Paul agreed with them.

Sixth, false teachers emphasize sensational rituals (v.

12). (NSFW comment: The priests of Cybele, the mother goddess of the earth, castrated themselves with ritual pincers and placed their testicles in a box.

This was a regular routine in the Galatian pagan temples.)

LOVE AS THE MORAL IMPERATIVE Like those who misconstrued Paul’s teaching on grace (see Romans 6), the Galatians might interpret Paul’s arguments regarding the Law and Freedom to mean that they could do whatever they wanted – they were FREE! No. Love compels and constrains. The phrase in v. 13, ‘opportunity for the flesh’ is a military idea: it was the base of operations or the starting point of a military offensive.

toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back--in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”     

How do you stand fast?

Have you ever been misled by false teachers?

In what way do you depend on the Spirit?

Why is it easier to obey the Law rather than love?

Commit Matthew 22:34-40 to memory. Then, pray for ongoing realization of its truth.

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Paul has spent much time speaking of the Spirit and in Galatians he contrasts the ‘flesh’ to the Spirit. Just as the flesh cannot attain righteousness through the Law – in freedom the flesh cannot exert itself – there is only room for the Spirit in freedom.

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Now Paul reminds us of our Lord’s teaching: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Refer to Matthew 22:3440 where all the Law us summed up in loving God and loving your neighbor.

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Verse 15 reminds me of a quote by Frederick Buecher, in his book, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC:

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“Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun.

To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last

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