Home
Galatians Chapter 5

Galatians Chapter 5

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Freedom
  1. The Anointed set us free for freedom, therefore stand firm and don’t entangle yourselves again in a yoke of slavery.
  2. Behold, I Paul tell you that if you circumcise yourselves, the Anointed will gain you nothing.
  3. And again, I testify to every man being circumcised: he is a debtor who must keep the whole law.
  4. Whoever is made righteous by the law, you were severed from the Anointed; you fell from grace.
  5. For we eagerly await the hope of righteousness by faith through the Spirit.
  6. For in Jesus the Anointed, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power, but only faith working through ^love.
  7. You were running well, who hindered you? (To not be persuaded of the truth?)
  8. This persuasion isn’t from the One calling you.
  9. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
  10. I *believe in you in the Lord, that you will think nothing else.  But the man deeply shaking you will endure the judgement, whoever he might be.
  11. And brothers, why am I still persecuted if I still preach circumcision?  (Then the stumbling block of the cross has been nullified.)
  12. O, I wish the men turning you upside downfn“turning you upside down” is one word in Greek, often translated “upsetting” here.  It literally mean to turn upside down, with a figurative meaning of upsetting or stirring up trouble. will also cut off their genitals.fn“cut off their genitals” the Greek word here literally means to “cut off” and can refer to removing the whole male reproductive organ, which is likely in this context.
  13. For you were called to freedom brothers, only, not freedom as a pretext for the flesh, but you must serve one another through ^love.
  14. For all of the law is *fulfilled in one statement, in the statement: “You shall ^love your neighbor as yourself.”fnQuotation/allusion to Leviticus 19:18
  15. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, lest you are consumed by one another.
Walking in Spirit vs. Flesh
  1. And I say: walk in the Spirit and you definitely won’t accomplish the craving of the flesh.
  2. For the flesh craves what’s contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what’s contrary to the flesh.  For these two stubbornly oppose one another, so you don’t do those things which you desire.
  3. But if you’re led by the Spirit, you aren’t under the law.
  4. Now, the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: [men having sex with another man’s wife,]fn“men having sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commit adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was typically called fornication. fornication, impurity, wanton debauchery,
  5. idolatry, sorcery,fn“sorcery” the Greek word here is “φαρμακεία” (pharmakeia) which is the root of our word “pharmacology” and “pharmaceuticals”.  It refers to mixing ingredients to produce effects when ingested, which can be either positive or negative depending on the context. As a doctor, Luke (author of Luke’s Gospel) would’ve engaged in “pharmakeia” in the positive sense of making medicine.  The negative sense was often associated with mixing compounds (often hallucinogenic) in order to contact spirits or other ‘gods’.  Such potions were also used in other ‘magical’ arts which the Bible condemns. hostility, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions,fn“selfish ambitions” this Greek word refers to attempting to attract followers, offices, and/or power for one’s own gain at the expense of others. pointless divisions, factions,fn“factions” This word could also be translated “sects”, and is the various “sects” of 1st century Judaism.  A modern equivalent might be “denominations”.  Also see 1 Corinthians 11:19.
  6. spiteful envy, [murders,] drunkenness, debauched parties, and things like these.  About which I forewarn you – just as I did forewarn you – that the men practicing such things won’t inherit God’s kingdom.
  7. But the fruit of the Spirit is: ^love, joy, peace, patience, benevolence,fn“benevolence” this Greek word refers to kindness that is both practical (meeting real needs) and morally upright.  It also contains the idea of integrity. goodness, faithfulness,
  8. gentle strength, and self-control; there isn’t a law against such things.
  9. Now the men who belong to Jesus the Anointed crucified the flesh with its passions and cravings.
  10. If we live by the Spirit, we should also march in lock-step withfn“march in lock-step with” is one word in Greek, which properly refers to walking in a regular cadence or rhythm, and thus can refer to military style marching in lock-step. the Spirit.
  11. We shouldn’t become conceited braggarts, provoking one another or envying one another.

 

Next: Galatians chapter 6

Previous: Galatians chapter 4

Up: The Book of Galatians

Up: BOS Bible Index

 

Note: If you think a word, phrase, or passage could be better translated - or is wrong - then Please Say Something. This is an open source Bible that's accountable to all Christians. See this link for details.

Legal Use: Please feel free to quote the BOS Bible, but follow the guidelines on the Legal Use page when doing so. They are easy and mostly common sense.