Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: GALATIANS #6 - 5:1-12)
J. 5:1 IF FREE: STAY FREE!
Tee-leu-theRIa [1658]heMAS ChrisTOS e-leuTHEro-sen [1659]:
For :freedom did Christ set us free:
STEke-te [4739]oun, kai mePAlin zuGOdouLEIas [1397]eNEches-the [1758].
stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
K. 5:2-12 THE DEADLY LEAVEN OF THE JUDAIZERS
1. 5:2-6 CHRIST CANNOT WORK THROUGH LAW: ONLY BY FAITH
a. 5:2 Behold, I Paul say to you, that, if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
Ide, eGOPAUlos LEgohuMIN, HOti, eAN pe-riTEMnes-the [4059], ChrisTOS huMAS ouDEN o-pheLEsei.
b. 5:3 CIRCUMCISION REQUIRES FULL OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW
marTUro-mai [3143]de PAlin panTI anTHROpope-ri-tem-noMEno,
And I testify again to every man circumcised,
HOti o-pheiLEtes [3781]esTIN HOlon ton NOmon poiEsai.
that he is debtor to do the whole law.
c. 5:4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by law; You are fallen from :grace.
ka-terGEthe-te [2673]aPO ChrisTOU, HOIti-nes en NOmodi-kaiOUSthe; tes CHAri-tos e-xePEsa-te.
d. 5:5 For we through theSpirit by faith wait for thehope of righteousness.
heMEIS gar PNEUma-ti ek PIste-os elPIda [1680]di-kai-oSUnes a-pek-deCHOme-tha [553].
e. 5:6 CHRIST DEPENDS ON FAITH ALONE WORKING BY LOVE
en gar ChrisTOIeSOU OUte pe-ri-toME[4061]ti isCHUei [2480],
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything,
OUte a-kro-buSTIa [203]; alLA PIstis di' aGApes e-ner-gouMEne[1754].
nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
2. 5:7-12 A WARNING TO HINDERERS OF THE GOSPEL
a. 5:7 You were running well; who hindered you that you should not obey truth?
E-TREche-te [5143]kaLOS; tis huMAS eNEko-psen [348]tea-leTHEIa [225]mePEIthes-thai [3982]?
b. 5:8 The persuasion isnot of him that calls you.
hepeis-moNE[3988]ouk ek tou kaLOUNtos [2564]huMAS.
c. 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
miKRA ZUme[2219]HOlon to PHUra-ma [2219]zuMOI [2220].
d. 5:10 PAUL'S CONFIDENCE IN THEM, AND WARNING TO JUDAIZERS
eGOPEpoi-tha [3982]eis huMAS en KuRIo, HOti ouDEN ALlo phroNEse-te:
I have confidence toward you in theLord, that you will not be otherwise minded:
ho de taRASson [5015]huMAS baSTAsei [941]to KRIma [2917], HOstis an e.
but who troubles you shall bear the judgment, whoever he is.
e. 5:11 CROSS, NOT CIRCUMCISION, CAUSES PERSECUTION
E-GOde, a-delPHOI, ei pe-ri-toMEN [4061]Eti keRUSso[2784], ti Eti diOko-mai [1377]?
But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
Ara kaTERge-tai [2673]to SKANda-lon [4625]tou stauROU [4716].
then has the stumblingblock of the cross been done away.
f. 5:12 I would that they that uusettle you would even mutilate themselves.
Ophe-lon [3785]kai a-poKOpson-tai [609]hoi a-na-staTOUNtes [387]huMAS.
“LIBERTY AND THE STANDARDS OF JESUS”- Oswald Chambers - MUFHH
Galatians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free ...”
A spiritually-minded person will never come to you with the demand - “Believe this and that”; a spiritually-minded person will demand that you align your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One whom the Bible reveals (see John 5:39-40). We are called to present liberty for the conscience of others, not to bring them liberty for their thoughts and opinions. And if we ourselves are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty - the liberty that comes from realizing the absolute control and authority of Jesus Christ.
Always measure your life solely by the standards of Jesus. Submit yourself to His yoke, and His alone; and always be careful never to place a yoke on others that is not of Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things exactly as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's view. There is only one true liberty - the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.
Don't get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you - with patience and with gentleness. But never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, “Go . . . and make disciples ...” (Matthew 28:19), not, “Make converts to your own thoughts and opinions.”
NOTE: Galatians 5:1 is really the introduction to 5:2-11. What Oswald Chambers has noted here, is also apropos to this passage. - J.A.W.