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READ   Galatians 4:8-9   8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?     Paul reminded the Gentiles that in their unsaved state they were slaves to their gods. Now that they had come to know and be known by the true God, why would they want to

READ   Galatians 4:10-12   10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws. You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you.     The apostle Paul had come out of a system of observing special days, months,

READ   Galatians 4:13-16   13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become

READ   Galatians 4:17-18   17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.     Paul told the Galatians about the motives of the false teachers. They were jealous of Paul and did not want the Galatian readers to take him ser

READ   Galatians 4:19-20   19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.     Paul felt as if he were experiencing labor pains as he sought to help the people trust in Jesus and be free from the law. Now they were returning to their old ways, and he was e

READ   Galatians 4:21-23   21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.     Paul used an example from Abraham and Sarah’s life. Abraham was imp

READ   Galatians 4:24-25   24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law.     Paul referred to the law system as represented by Hagar. Abraham tried to accomplish through self-effort and good works what God had promised. Those who follow that patte

READ   Galatians 4:26-27   26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman,   you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”     Sarah represented the heavenly Jerusalem, mentioned in Revelation 21:1-2. She is the “free woman,” that i

READ   Galatians 4:28-29   28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.     Paul stressed that the believers in Galatia were children of promise as Isaac was. They were saved by grace through faith. Those who thought one could become right with God by kee

READ   Galatians 4:30-31   30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.     Paul wrote that believers in the law would never inherit what the believers in Jesus would. In this parallel, believers are children of the free woman. The law was given

READ   Galatians 5:1-4   1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with

READ   Galatians 5:5-6   5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.     Paul reminded his readers that if they had trusted in Christ by faith, then what they had done or not done concerning a command of the law was not important. A legalist is one wh

READ   Galatians 5:7-10   7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.     Those who had been called to freedom from the law had become

READ   Galatians 5:11-12   11 Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. 12 I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.     Paul was being persecuted and that indicated he was preaching a message of grace rather than one of law-keeping

READ   Galatians 5:13-15   13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.     Some people erroneously think that if salvation is by grace a per

Galatians 5:16-18   16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under ob

READ   Galatians 5:19-21   19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.     Jesus said you would know

READ   Galatians 5:22-23   22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!     Galatians 5:19-21 lists the characteristics of unbelievers. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the characteristics of believers. Remember, you will know them by their fruit. Because the word “fruit” is singular, some think it refers to “love” and the others flow

READ   Galatians 5:24-26   24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.     Paul used the expression of something nailed to the cross to tell the Galatians to do so with their sinful nature’s passions an

READ   Galatians 6:1-3   1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.     Paul urged spiritual believers to help other b

READ   Galatians 6:4-6   4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.     Paul continued to warn believers about not comparing themselves to other believers. Each person should try to be his or her best for Je

READ   Galatians 6:7-8   7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.     Paul stressed that the way one lives will be evident later. It is important for people to realize the way they live will have consequences. Choices in life hav

READ   Galatians 6:9-10   9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.     Many Christ-followers are weary. It takes physical energy to have a spiritual ministry. Paul encouraged them to keep on with their good work. Note this should be done for everyone but especially for fe

READ   Galatians 6:11   11 NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING.      The New Living Translation capitalizes all of these words to emphasize Paul’s point. Not all translations do this. The statement is also what gives more evidence to some who believe that Paul had eye problems. They join this with what Paul wrote in Galatians 4:15. The letter was dictated to a secretary and then Paul signed this one in his own large handwriting