| Chapter 5 |
1 |
Christ having made us gloriously free--stand fast and do not again be hampered with the yoke of slavery. --
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2 |
Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing. --
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3 |
I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses. --
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4 |
Christ has become nothing to any of you who are seeking acceptance with God through the Law: you have fallen away from grace. --
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5 |
*We* have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith. --
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6 |
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love. --
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7 |
You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth? --
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8 |
No such teaching ever proceeded from Him who is calling you. --
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9 |
A little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough. --
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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. --
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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! --
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12 |
Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves. --
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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. --
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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.' --
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15 |
But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another. --
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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. --
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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. --
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18 |
But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not subject to Law. --
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19 |
Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery; --
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20 |
enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of passion, intrigues, dissensions, factions, envyings; --
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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. --
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22 |
The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence; --
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23 |
good faith, meekness, self-restraint. --
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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. --
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25 |
If we are living by the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power. --
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26 |
Let us not become vain-glorious, challenging one another, envying one another. --
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