Galatians 5
1 Christ having made us gloriously free--stand fast and do not again be hampered with the yoke of slavery.
It is in order that we might live without (being obliged [to/having to]) [obey all the Jewish rituals] that Christ freed us [from God condemning us because of our disobeying those rituals]. So, firmly [reject the false teaching that someone must circumcise you, and] do not [live like] slaves again [MET] [by letting others force you to obey those rules and rituals again].
2 Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing.
Consider very carefully what I, Paul, [an apostle], now tell you: If, [to fulfill Jewish ritual laws], you are permitting yourself to be circumcised {someone to circumcise you}, what Christ [has done for you] will not benefit you at all.
3 I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses.
Instead, I solemnly declare again to every man who is circumcised {has someone circumcise him} [in order for God to accept him], that you must [perfectly] obey all of the laws [that God gave Moses, in order for God to save you].
4 Christ has become nothing to any of you who are seeking acceptance with God through the Law: you have fallen away from grace.
Those of you who are sure that God will erase the record of your sins because you obey the laws [that God gave to Moses], you have separated yourselves from Christ. You have abandoned/rejected [God’s true method of saving you, which was] by kindly erasing the record of your sins, in a way that you did not deserve.
5 We have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith.
But we who have a relationship with Christ and who trust in Christ are eagerly waiting to receive what God’s Spirit assures us that we can expect. We can expect to receive it because God has erased the record of our sins.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love.
As for us who have a relationship with Christ Jesus, God is not concerned whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. Instead, God is concerned about whether we trust [in] Christ, with the result that we love [other people].
7 You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?
You were progressing well [spiritually] [MET]. You should not have let someone influence you so that [now you] are not believing the true [message about Christ] [RHQ]!
8 No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you.
[God], the one who chose you, is not the one who is persuading you to think like this!
9 A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough.
[Remember that this false doctrine that someone is teaching you will affect all of you, just like] [MET] a little yeast causes all of the dough to swell up.
10 For my part I have strong confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt my view of the matter. But the man--be he who he may--who is troubling you, will have to bear the full weight of the judgement to be pronounced on him.
[Nevertheless], because of my relationship with the Lord, I am certain that you will think only as I do [about forcing people to obey rules and rituals]. Furthermore, [God] will punish anyone who is confusing you [by teaching this false message], even if he is an important person.
11 As for me, brethren, if I am still a preacher of circumcision, how is it that I am still suffering persecution? In that case the Cross has ceased to be a stumbling-block!
But, my fellow believers, [although someone claims that I am proclaiming that men must be circumcised, I certainly am not still proclaiming that. Remember that the Jews are still] ([persecuting me/causing me to suffer]). If I were still proclaiming that men must be circumcised [in order for God to accept them], (the Jews would not be persecuting me./why would the Jews be persecuting me?) [RHQ] [They would] [RHQ] not be [persecuting me]/causing me to suffer [because] then [the Jews] would no longer be offended. [They] ([are offended/do not want to accept what I teach]) [because I proclaim that Christ, the Messiah, died on] the cross [MTY].
12 Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves.
I [would even] wish that those who are disturbing you [by insisting that men be circumcised] would also emasculate [EUP] themselves, [with the result that they would be expelled from your congregations]!
13 You however, brethren, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an excuse for giving way to your lower natures; but become bondservants to one another in a spirit of love.
My fellow believers, [God] chose you in order that [you might live] without having to [obey rules and rituals]. But [do not assume that because] you are free [from having to obey rules and rituals], [God] permits you to [do whatever your] self-directed nature [desires]. Instead, constantly, as you love [each other], serve each other.
14 For the entire Law has been obeyed when you have kept the single precept, which says, "You are to love your fellow man equally with yourself."
Keep in mind that we can sum up all of the laws [that God has] given us in one law, which is: “You must love each person you come in contact with, just like [you love] yourself.”
15 But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another.
Since you are attacking and injuring [MET] each other [by the things that you say] [MET], I warn you that [if you continue doing that], you will totally ruin each other [spiritually].
16 This then is what I mean. Let your lives be guided by the Spirit, and then you will certainly not indulge the cravings of your lower natures.
[So] I tell you this: Constantly let [God’s] Spirit direct you. [If you do that], you will certainly not do the things that your self-directed nature wants [you to do].
17 For the cravings of the lower nature are opposed to those of the Spirit, and the cravings of the Spirit are opposed to those of the lower nature; because these are antagonistic to each other, so that you cannot do everything to which you are inclined.
Your self-directed nature (opposes [God’s] Spirit/does not [want you to do what] God’s Spirit [wants you to do]), but also his Spirit opposes your self-directed nature. These two are always (fighting with/opposing) each other. The result is that you do not [constantly] do the [good] deeds that you truly desire [to do].
18 But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not subject to Law.
But when you are led by God’s Spirit {when God’s Spirit directs you}, you [can do what pleases God], now that you are no longer obligated [to obey all] the laws [that God gave Moses].
19 Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery;
[You already know] how [people think and] act [PRS] because of their self-directed nature. These are [some of the things that they do: People] are sexually immoral. [People] commit unnatural sexual acts. [People] act indecently.
20 enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings;
[People] worship false gods [and] things [that] represent those gods. [People] perform (rituals in order that evil spirits might act for them/sorcery). [People] are hostile [to others. People] quarrel [with each other. People] are (jealous/resent other people’s status). [People] behave angrily. [People] try (to get others to think highly of them/to exalt themselves) and (do not consider what others want/act selfishly). People do not associate [with others. People] associate only with those who agree [with them].
21 hard drinking, riotous feasting, and the like. And as to these I forewarn you, as I have already forewarned you, that those who are guilty of such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.
[People] want what others have. [People] get drunk. [People] (revel/participate in wild parties). And [people do other] things like these. I warn you [now], just like I warned [you previously], that the ones [who constantly] act [and think] like that will not receive [what] God [has for his own people when he begins] to rule over us.
22 The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence;
But [God’s] Spirit causes [us to do these things]: We love [others]. We are joyful. We are peaceful. We are patient. We are kind. We are good. We are [ones whom] others can trust.
23 good faith, meekness, self-restraint.
We are gentle. We control our behavior. There is no law that says people should not [think and act in such ways].
24 Against such things as these there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their lower nature with its passions and appetites.
Furthermore, we who belong to Christ Jesus have [stopped obeying] our self-directed nature and [stopped doing] all the evil things that we desire to do [MET]. [It is as though] [MET] we nailed them to the cross!
25 If we are living by the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power.
Since [God’s] Spirit has caused us to [be spiritually] alive, we should [conduct our lives the way the] Spirit [directs us].
26 Let us not become vain-glorious, challenging one another, envying one another.
We should not be saying how great we are. We should not be making ourselves more important than others. We should not envy each other.
