Chapter 5
V1-6 v1 cf Acts 15:10. Seeking justification by works without faith in Yeshua is the yoke of bondage. Becoming a proselyte through circumcision as a means of seeking justification DEFEATS the purpose of the Abrahamic covenant’s law of circumcision. By forcing proselytization upon a Gentile as an entry level into justification, brings that Gentile into bondage of the curses of the law for which Yeshua died for us to erase. If one new to the faith believes that circumcision is the means to justification, then because there are another 612 laws to keep, it would hence be expected of him to observe all of them too, in order to be justified by works.
Because it is impossible to do so of our own volition, Yeshua died for us to set us free from these curses, and hence made us heirs of the promise given to Abraham that we shall be justified by faith in his seed/Yeshua, and be granted Holy Spirit power for that law to be written in our hearts and minds, and be able to observe in spirit and in truth, not in carnality. These 6 verses do not in any way abolish Torah as wrongly taught, but are teaching that there is a procedure that needs to be followed in the right sequence.
Seek justification by faith first, in order to then be able to follow Torah by the Holy Spirit, as there is no other effective means of so observing it. The cart must not be placed before the horse. Abraham was justified by faith first, then circumcised 24 years later. We must be justified first as new converts to a faith that was once alien to us, then follow Torah after having been taught it and brought to understand its relevance in our lives. Cf v6 with Jm 2:24. Note v6 categorically expresses that this faith works by love. It is not a faith free of works. The works rather need to be by love. What is this love? Let us explore scripture: Jn 14:15; 15:10; 1 Jn 2:6; 3:24. Need I say more?
V7-8 Paul then wonders how the congregation which had been in this truth, could have been hindered by these false teachers.
V9 All Satan needs to do in order to corrupt truth is to mix it with the tiniest amount of falsehood, to set the believer in a trajectory that leads him far apart from his Messiah.
V10 The word translated otherwise is allos meaning another of the same kind. Paul is hence definitely referring to teachings of another kind of the same genre, that is to say relating to Torah, and not to paganism. Remember Paul in Gal 1:6-7 was berating the Galatians for being led astray unto another/heteros teaching i.e. that of another genre/kind altogether meaning that of paganism altogether. Hence it is without question that in this chapter thus far, Paul is preaching against Judaizers, who were falsely fomenting within the congregation, another understanding of Torah of works, which was contrary to Torah of faith by love.
Torah of works leads one back to bondage and condemnation of the curse of Torah, as it is impossible to keep of our own accord. However, Yeshua taught us the real way of obedience, which is by initially being justified by belief in Him, in order for Holy Spirit power to pour into our hearts and souls, to flush out the evil spirits that work on our carnal nature. By so doing the pure, contrite heart is able to be led by Holy Spirit power to follow the Torah by love. Hence in this verse Paul says he has confidence that the Galatians will not be led astray by the other/allos teachings of Torah by the Judaizers of Gal 4:17, and that these troublemaking Judaizers shall be answerable to Messiah’s judgement instead.
V11 Paul goes on to say if he is mistakenly accused of teaching the same as these Judaizers that circumcision is necessary to be justified i.e. as the entry point of covenant relationship with Yehovah, then why is it that he is persecuted by these very Judaizers? In effect he is repudiating any notion that he is peddling such an enslaving doctrine of the Messiah rejecting, justification by works promoting pharisaic Jews.
V12 If anything Paul wishes this duplicitous bunch of Judaizers, bringing trouble into the Galatian ecclesia through their false enslaving doctrines of justification by man’s works, could be extricated from the congregation of Israel altogether. He does not mince his words against false shepherds in the ecclesia, and neither should we. The conditioning of the churches of today into a soft approach to evil, especially taught by the misinterpretation of love thine enemies of Matt 5:44 to mean be accepting and condoning of false teaching in the church. We must be mindful of the fact that the verse specifically says love thine enemies, NOT love Elohim’s enemies.
Enemies of Elohim have no part in the congregation of Israel/body of Messiah and except they repent, their destiny only has one fatal termination. Let us chew on some scripture to expound for us how terrifying it is to be at enmity with Yah: Ps 5:5,10; 7:11; 11:5; Ex 12:15; Lev 7:27; Ex 31:14; Lev 20:18. To be cut off, as Paul relates to in reference to Judaizers, undoubtedly means to be removed from the congregation of Israel/body of Messiah and hence have no covenant relationship with Elohim. If Paul clearly received his teachings from Yeshua Himself, as most of Christendom believes, then why do we interpret Matt 5:44 to mean turn a blind eye to wilful enemies of Elohim, who are hell-bent on bringing back the flock of Messiah into the clutches of Satan?
We need to carefully weigh scripture before creating doctrines that may be contrary to the expectations required of us by Yah. Yes, we must show love towards, bless, be good and pray for our enemies to be brought into truth and be freed from Satan, but nowhere in the verse does it say we should condone their nature or behaviour. Yeshua’s prevalent clashes against the judaizing Pharisees and Sadducees is testament to this vital reality of truth.
V13-14 What liberty is Paul referring to? Let us search scripture cf Jm 1:25; 2:12; Ps 119:45; Jn 8:31-32; 15:9-10. It cannot be clearer that the liberty of verse 13 is referring to this quality in the law of verse 14. If we obey Torah through faith in Yeshua for justification, which works love Gal 5:6, then we can indeed fulfil the summary and purpose of all Torah which is quoted in Lev 19:18.
V15-17 One cannot follow Torah through the flesh but by the Spirit as Paul repeats over and over again throughout Romans, and Galatians, of which this teaching has also exhausted in commentary. Cf Rom 8:5-8;13; Jn 3:6; Ps 51:10-12; Eccl 7:19-20(wisdom is Messiah cf Matt 23:34, Lk 11:49; 1 Cor 1:24, Pro 8); Matt 26:41.
V18 Yehovah Almighty i.e. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are incapable of sinning. That which is incapable of sinning does not need a law to expose it of sin. Hence if one is led by the Holy Spirit, there is no need to be under the law, as being in a state of incapability to sin, the law is unnecessary. However, the moment one is no longer under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then he becomes fleshly again and is hence obliged to be instructed by Torah to define and expose the sin for him. This verse does not in any form or shape abolish Torah, but rather is logically and matter-of-factly stating reality that law is for the sinner’s sake, and this law cannot roll out its curses to the righteous man led by the Holy Spirit devoid of sin. There is no need to twist this scripture and preach that which is contrary to the rest of scripture which more than gratuitously extols Torah. Cf Rom 6:14-15; 1 Tim 1:9-11.
V19-21 Paul gives a non-exhaustive list of that which Torah exposes as sin. Many church goers feel attendance ensures them of acceptance into the kingdom of Elohim. Oh, how great is Satan’s deception. They are lulled into false security, and disregard the need to work their faith by love i.e. by abiding to Torah-living in Spirit and in truth.
V22-23 Furthermore he outlines the fruit of the spirit i.e. the qualities found in Torah living saints, qualities of which do not succumb to exposure of sin by Torah nor suffer condemnation from Torah.
V24-26 Hence it goes without saying that one living a Holy Spirit led life, is immune to fleshly desires which are antagonistic to Torah. We must not claim to be living in the Spirit if our fruits clearly are to the contrary. We can only testify so, by manifestation of good works wilfully not by fleshly attempts. Envying one another and competing to see who is most righteous is evidence of attempts to be justified by works of the flesh.