Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Galatians 5

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Stand fast

Phl 4:1; Gal 2:5.

yoke of bondage

Act 15:10; Col 2:8.

Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

if ye be circumcised

Act 15:1.

Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

he is a debtor to do the whole law

Rom 2:25.

Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

no effect

i.e. of no experimental effect: the sense of liberty is lost. Gal 2:21; Col 1:23.

justified

Justification. Tit 3:7. (Luk 18:14; Rom 3:28).

fallen

fallen away. Gal 4:9.

grace

Grace (in salvation). Scofield Gal 1:6, note. (Rom 3:24; Scofield John 1:16, note.)

Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

wait for the hope

Rom 5:2, 5.

by faith

Scofield Romans 10:10, note.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Jesus Christ

Christ Jesus.

circumcision

Gal 6:15; Gal 3:28; Rom 10:12.

faith

Rom 3:22; 5:1.

which worketh by love

1Th 1:3; Jas 2:20-26.

Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Ye did run well

Gal 3:3.

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

leaven

Leaven. Mat 13:33. (Gen 19:3; Mat 13:33.)

Gal 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

suffer persecution

Gal 6:12.

offence of the cross

1Co 1:23; 2Ti 3:11-12.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

called unto liberty

Gal 5:1; Rom 8:2.

occasion to the flesh

Rom 6:1, 15-22; 1Pe 2:16.

by love serve one another

1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:16-18.

Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

Lev 19:18.

Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

bite and devour

Jas 3:13-16.

be not consumed

Isa 9:18-21.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Walk in the Spirit

Gal 5:25; Rom 8:12-13.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

lusteth

Rom 7:22-23.

cannot

should not.

Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

led of the Spirit

Rom 8:14.

under the law

i.e. not under bondage of effort to please God by law-works. 2Co 3:17.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

works of the flesh

Rom 1:26-31; Eph 5:11-12; 2Ti 3:1-4.

Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

they which do such things shall not inherit

1Co 6:9-10; Rev 21:8.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

the fruit of the Spirit

Christian character is not mere moral or legal correctness, but the possession and manifestation of nine graces:

• love, joy, peace—character as an inward state;
• longsuffering, gentleness, goodness—character in expression toward man;
• faith, meekness, temperance— character in expression toward God.

Taken together they present a moral portrait of Christ, and may be taken as the apostle's explanation of Gal 2:20, "Not I, but Christ," and as a definition of "fruit" in Jhn 15:1-8. This character is possible because of the believer's vital union to Christ (Jhn 15:5; 1Co 12:12-13), and is wholly the fruit of the Spirit in those believers who are yielded to Him (Gal 5:22-23).

faith

faithfulness.

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

such

such things.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

flesh

Flesh. Gal 5:13, 16-21, 24; 6:8, 13. (Jhn 1:13; Jde 1:23.)

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Spirit

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Gal 5:5, 16-18, 22, 25; Gal 6:8. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

vain glory

Phl 2:3.