BIBLE DISCUSSION: Galatians Chap. 5

[Pablo Rafael]

Thread for is for posting any thoughts about the fifth chapter of Galatians.

[Dumbledore]

1For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
The Nature of Christian Freedom

2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working* through love.

7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? 8Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. 10I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. 11But my friends,* why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offence of the cross has been removed. 12I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;* only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,* but through love become slaves to one another. 14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 15If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
The Works of the Flesh

16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy,* drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Fruit of the Spirit

22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

[BenL]

Chap. 4's great theme was adoption. Chapter 5 builds on that with the theme of freedom, liberation. "Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Paul plays with the theme, admonishing his readers: "For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another." Slaves to loving your neighbor as yourself.

Here are the signs of slavery to sin instead of love: "fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these." Here's what's supposed to replace them: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

I didn't see homsexuality mentioned in the first list, but I sure do see the kinds of things I want in my intimate relationships with God and with my spouse listed in the second: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness ...

The little reading I have done on attachment and addiction talks about how one gets from the first set of behaviors to the second. It's not easy when psyche and neurology team up to enslave a person. It's all in letting go, allowing grace (unmerited divine power and love) into the quiet places between our attachments, the way we used to be when we were children before we developed addictive behavior. Gerald May, who wrote "Addiction and Grace" calls addiction the idolatry of our age. We become so attached to the objects of our desires that they become for us false gods. The addicted person builds a life around paying homage to those idols.

For me, freedom only comes through the Divine. For me, that means through Christ, but I don't box God's power into only one path of revelation and salvation. We all search for that transcendant kind of freedom, the kind that brings true, soul-satisfying peace. Sounds like grace to me. Others call it something else. The name is far less important than the reality.

[Dumbledore]

Great entry Ben L. I wanted to add one thing from the Greek

ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματός ἐστιν
the fruit of the Spirit is...

καρπὸς = singular, fruit
καρποὶ = plural, fruits

In this verse fruit is singular. God's indwelling transforms us into one beautiful juicy piece of fruit:rainbow:. The one fruit looks like love, peace, goodness, etc. But the point is that transformation is a wholistic act of God in the heart.

It is the relationship with God that changes us. Like you said, focus on the reality, focus on the relationship

[Pablo Rafael]

1For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;* only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,* but through love become slaves to one another. 14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

This chapter of Galatians is quoted quite extensively in the book The Children Are Free. I think this book is probably the best and clearest of any that deal with same-sex relationships and the Bible.

Those of us who are LGBT can rejoice that Christ has set us free. Free from sin, free from the leglism of those who wish to oppress us, free to love each other.

I think that the greatest change I have had in my outlook on life since coming to terms with being gay is freedom. Religion is less about knowing every doctrine or following every rule; it is more about living a life of love no matter what and accepting people no matter who they are. The Bible has become less a book to be deciphered and more a guide. It's been a good change.

[missmari]

hi I was wondering if anyone here can clarify to me Romans 1: 26-32.

26) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men and committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Also why is it that God always uses the man and the woman as figure examples? like adam and eve, and also referring himself as the Husband of his wife, the church...and not using same sex figures instead?

I would really appreciate any clarification....



thanks guys!

^_^

[u-dog]

hi I was wondering if anyone here can clarify to me Romans 1: 26-32.

26) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men and committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Also why is it that God always uses the man and the woman as figure examples? like adam and eve, and also referring himself as the Husband of his wife, the church...and not using same sex figures instead?

I would really appreciate any clarification....
thanks guys!

^_^


Missmari,

Could you move this post to another thread? This thread is for talking about gay affirming texts in Galatians. This Romans passage has been treated over and over and over again. Try using the "search" function to find some of the older discussions. They will be VERY helpful to you. Also, the pamphlet in the resources section entitled "What the Bible Really says about Homosexuality" has a nice section on the Romans passage.

U-dog

[missmari]

of course! sorry!!

thanks!

[sailaway58]

This chapter of Galatians is quoted quite extensively in the book The Children Are Free. I think this book is probably the best and clearest of any that deal with same-sex relationships and the Bible.

Those of us who are LGBT can rejoice that Christ has set us free. Free from sin, free from the leglism of those who wish to oppress us, free to love each other.

I think that the greatest change I have had in my outlook on life since coming to terms with being gay is freedom. Religion is less about knowing every doctrine or following every rule; it is more about living a life of love no matter what and accepting people no matter who they are. The Bible has become less a book to be deciphered and more a guide. It's been a good change.
I am reading The Children Are Free now and I really like it.
I had fallen behind on Galatians, I am studying it on my own and We are moving to fast for me. I am using comments here as well as other study material to present this book to the current bible study I lead. (We plan to start our GLBT affirming group in January. I want to use Galatians)
Any way I agree we are free in Christ but free like a river. Without the banks the water would disperse into stagnant water.
Free with responsibility.


(from my study guide)

What is the ultimate consequence of following your own desires? (Verse 5:21)

envy,* drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul doesn't mince any words about this. He says plainly and directly that you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now this doesn't mean that those who sin will go straight to hell. We all sin. But Paul is saying that if you deliberately follow the sinful nature and do not look to the Holy Spirit for guidance and to the Father for forgiveness, you are doomed.

[Pablo Rafael]

Any way I agree we are free in Christ but free like a river. Without the banks the water would disperse into stagnant water.
Free with responsibility.



I like this analogy. The freedom we have through Christ is not freedom to sin but freedom to love. The law does have purpose in my life, it shows me how to love others and how to get the focus off of myself.

I think that when we are motivated by love, we act more responsibly that when we are motivated only by the law. I know that I will do far more for someone whom I love than I will for someone I don't. When we have love we WANT to serve others; we don't HAVE to serve others.