Galatians 5

New Matthew Bible

He labours to draw them away from circumcision. He shows them the battle between the Spirit and the flesh, and the fruits of them both.

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty whereby Christ has made us free, and do not wrap yourselves again in a yoke of bondage. ² Behold, I Paul say to you that if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing at all. ³ I testify again to every man who gets circumcised that he is bound to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are gone quite from Christ, as many of you as would be justified by the law, and are fallen from grace. ⁵ We look for and hope in the Spirit to be justified through faith. ⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither is circumcision worth anything, nor yet uncircumcision, but faith, which by love is mighty in operation.

⁷ You were running well. Who got in your way, that you should not follow the truth? ⁸ This counsel is not of him who called you. ⁹ A little leaven does leaven the whole lump of dough.

¹⁰ I am confident of you in the Lord, that you will not be otherwise minded. He who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. ¹¹ Brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I then yet suffer persecution? For then the offence that the cross gives is put away. ¹² I would to God they were separated from you, those who trouble you.

¹³ Brethren, you were called into liberty – only let not your liberty be an occasion for the flesh, but in love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, which is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. ¹⁵ If you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be consumed by one another.

¹⁶ I say then, walk in the Spirit, and do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit resists the flesh. These are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot do that which you would. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, then are you not under the law.

¹⁹ The deeds of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, dissension, ambition, anger, rivalry, factious uprisings, sects, ²¹ envying, murder, drunkenness, gluttony, and suchlike – of which I warn you, as I have told you in time past, that people who commit such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.

²⁴ Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the appetites and lusts. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not be vainglorious, provoking one another and envying one another.