Galatians 5:1-26

Galatians 5:1:

^5:1To freedom Christ freed us – therefore you must stand-firm and you must not again be held-in by a yoke of slavery.

Having already taught the Galatian holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God) that all holy-people are brothers, and we are not children of the servant-girl (Hagar) but we are children of the free-woman (Sarah) allegory-wise (Galatians 4:22-31), Paul continues: to freedom Christ freed us. Christ has set us at liberty from slavery – to where? Freedom (liberty)! Paul emphasizes that it is "to freedom" by putting this at the start of the sentence. Christ did not free us to go back into slavery again! All holy-people have been freed by Christ to freedom.

Logically following on from this truth, you holy-people must presently and actively stand-firm (stand fast as opposed to falling) and you must not again be held-in (caused to be held within a limited space) by a yoke which-is and belongs-to slavery (servitude's wooden/metal bar or frame by-which you are forced to work and live within its limitations, like oxen are yoked when plowing a field). Such slavery can only be available in the walk/behavior category because spiritually Christ has already redeemed us (Galatians 3:13).

[Reference: John 8:31-36; Acts 15:10; Romans 8:2, 15, and 21; Galatians 2:4; II Corinthians 3:17.]

Verses 2-4:

^.2Look!, I Paul, I say to you that if-ever you may be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing; ^.3but I witness again to every man being circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law: ^.4you, the-people-who are being made-righteous in law, were rendered-ineffective away-from Christ, you fell-from the grace.

Look! (behold!, see!), emphatically I Paul, not someone else, I lay this out before you that if it should ever happen that you would be circumcised (cut-around removing the foreskin in the flesh) then Christ will profit (benefit, advantage) you not one-thing.

You holy-people have received the gift of holy spirit and so nothing in the flesh category can change or add-to or subtract-from your sonship relationship with God. But if you circumcise yourselves now you are saying to Christ that even though you did believe what God said about him at one time you are now doubtful that he really was able to do everything that God asked him to do and so you are going to do it all by yourself by reverting back to the covenant of circumcision and law so that you can fulfill it because he did not!

The Lord Jesus Christ has already accomplished redemption and has set all holy-people free – therefore whatever any holy-person may do in the flesh to somehow gain 'more' from God is without any profit from Christ because God by means of Christ has given every holy-person every spiritual blessing that is presently available for us to receive (refer to Galatians 3:9 and 14; Ephesians 1:3).

But I bear witness from myself (I attest to the information and knowledge that I have and can therefore confirm it on the strength of my-own authority) again to all/every man who is presently being circumcised (thinking that by doing such an action he will gain some kind of favor with God) that this man is a debtor (one who owes something to someone or something else, indebted, under obligation on some account, obliged to perform a certain duty - which is) to do the entire law! If that is what somebody wants to do and live-by then doesn't he realize that by circumcising himself he puts himself under obligation to perform, to carry-out the instructions of the whole law, not just one part of it!

You people who are in your own opinions presently being made-righteous (causing yourselves to become justified, setting yourselves forth by a judicial act making you righteous) within the sphere of action of the law by endeavoring to do what the law says, were rendered ineffective (caused to be inoperative, inactive, useless) because by doing what you are doing in law you are staying away-from Christ and all that he has accomplished, and you have fallen out-from the grace (the unmerited favor which God has made available to you by means of the Lord Jesus Christ since the day of Pentecost when the gift of holy spirit was poured-out).

[Reference: Acts 15:1-12; Romans 2:17-29; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 2:4-9; Hebrews 12:15; James 2:10, 11.]

Verses 5 and 6:

^.5For we with spirit from belief eagerly-await (the) hope of righteousness, ^.6for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is strong (in) something nor uncircumcision but belief being caused-to-in-work by means of love¹.

In truth, emphatically we holy-people are presently eagerly awaiting (waiting to accept, to subjectively receive to ourselves what will be presented to us, which will be) the hope of righteousness (the expectation that we have of the still-future event of, belonging-to, and proceeding-from justness, justice, being and doing what is just/right, righteousness’ hope). All of us holy-people are righteous now before God having holy spirit-life within us, and our hope of righteousness will come into full fruition and manifestation when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to gather us all together with him and the total fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and his seed (refer to I Corinthians chapter 15; I and II Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation, specifically chapters 21 and 22).

How are we able to eagerly-await the hope of righteousness? With/by the holy spirit-life which we received out-from belief, the belief that God gives to believe regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Galatians 3:5, 22-27). If God had not given us this belief to believe then we could not have received holy spirit, and then we would not be able to eagerly await the hope of righteousness.

For within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus (who has already received his spiritual body having been raised from among the rest of the dead-people by God and is now seated at the right-hand side of God)…

neither circumcision (having physically cut-around removing the foreskin)
nor uncircumcision (still physically having foreskin)

…has any strength today during the time-period of the covenant of spirit.

But contrary to circumcision or uncircumcision, the thing that is strong (what has strength) today in Christ Jesus is:

belief (faith, the information that God makes known to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety) presently being caused to in-work (caused to do work within, producing effects by being in work, being energized) by means of love¹ (through God's love, which is the action or agency by way of which the initiated progress passes-through in order to reach the accomplishment of the belief being energized within us).

Belief is caused by God to work within holy-people (Christians) in our holy spirit-life, which is the spirit of Christ in us, by means of love¹ (God’s love in Christ in us; refer to I Corinthians chapter 13).

Before we became holy-people, i.e. while we were unsaved without holy spirit within us, we believed the belief that God has given everyone to believe regarding Himself and the resurrected Christ, then we received holy spirit-life becoming righteous, saved, etc. Now that we are holy-people having holy spirit within us God continues to in-work, to energize His belief regarding specific and different things within us by means of love¹ which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We holy-people eagerly-await the hope of righteousness, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is strong in something nor uncircumcision but belief being caused to in-work by means of love¹.

[Reference: Romans 1:17, 8:23-25, 35-39, and 9:30-33; I Corinthians 1:7, 7:19, 12:31-14:1; Galatians 3:22-29; Philippians 3:20, 21, and 4:13; I Timothy 1:14; Hebrews 9:28, 11:1; I John 5:1-3.]

Verses 7-9:

^.7You used-to-run beautifully; who obstructed you (for you) not to be persuaded by the truth? ^.8The persuasion (is) not from the (One) calling you. ^.9A small leaven leavens the whole lump.

You Galatian holy-people were continually running beautifully (you used-to hasten, hurry, quickly-move with a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness) with God's Word during the everyday living of your lives; but let me ask you: who obstructed you (who cut-in blocking your way like digging a trench in the way of an enemy to impede him, who thwarted you) resulting in that now you are caused to not-be persuaded (convinced) by/with the truth which is what God says, the words of the good-message concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the covenant of spirit? The persuasion (conviction which remains arising from words that influenced you and won you over but that obstructed you from the truthful words) is not coming out from the One Who is presently and actively calling you. God is the One Who is inviting you to listen and believe and obey what He says so that you walk/behave yourselves according to His will.

A small-amount of leaven in a loaf of bread leavens the whole lump of bread. Leaven is a substance used for fermentation in dough or a liquid such as sourdough. It is like yeast, or a material such as baking powder used to make a gas to lighten or raise dough or batter. Leaven is something that modifies in some respect and degree. It permeates mingling-with and altering what it comes in contact with. It is something introduced into something else so as to affect the other throughout. It either vitalizes or corrupts the total quality, itself being included in the whole.

A small leaven put into a mass of something leavens (affects with itself) the total mass. No part of the original mass remains unaffected by the infusion of the leaven; it does not confine itself to its own small area but it spreads its influence and effects over the entire area where other parts of the mass are.

Paul is showing them by comparison that it is the same within the churches of Galatia: even a little bit of leaven – such as the people who were wanting to affect the minds of the Christians within the churches with their wrong doctrine of continuing to stick to parts of the covenant of circumcision and law even though the covenant of spirit is now in effect – would begin by "fermenting" or affecting a few Christians within the churches and then would continue to spread its influence until it reached every person!

[Reference: I Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 1:6.]

Verse 10:

^.10I was persuaded² into you in (the) Lord that you will think nothing other, but the (person) disturbing you will lift-up the judgment, he-whom if-ever he may be.

Paul now tells them: emphatically I was and still am persuaded (convinced) into or regarding you in/within the sphere of action of the Lord (basing my conviction on that-which the Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to me) that you will at a future time think not one other thing (nothing else, you will have no other thoughts in your mind) only the truth of God's Word – this will completely be a reality when Christ will come to gather all of us holy-people with him and give us our new spiritual bodies.

But the person who is presently and actively disturbing you (stirring you up, agitating you just like a normally calm pool of water is agitated and moves when something else is thrown into it breaking through its surface and causing a rippling effect over the whole pool) will at a future time lift-up (bear, support, carry as a heavy burden) the judgment (the decision made or arrived-at issuing from the judging process, the sentence passed or pronounced against that person), whoever the person should be – it does not matter what "status" he may have within the churches of Galatia at that time.

Why would a judgment be made against this person? Because he was misleading God's children away from the accuracy of the truth of the covenant of spirit even though he too had received holy spirit-life within him! Spiritually from God's point of view, this person has already been judged in Christ and found righteous, however in his walk through life at that time, which should have been with and for God and the Lord Jesus Christ, he was instead walking against God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus a sentence against his behavior will be made unless he changes his mind and asks God for forgiveness in the fellowship-relationship category (I John 1:9). No sentence can ever be made against his sonship-relationship with God because that can never change from the moment he first received the gift of holy spirit.

[Reference: II Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 1:7; Philippians 2:24; II Thessalonians 3:4.]

Verse 11:

^.11But I, brothers, if I yet herald-forth circumcision, why am I yet persecuted? – consequently the offense of the cross was rendered-ineffective²!

Again Paul addresses the Galatian holy-people as "brothers" thus reminding them that they all, including himself, have the same holy spirit-life within them, they are all children of God Who is their Father.

He asks: but I, brothers, if it were true that for the duration of time to the present day I herald-forth (proclaim) circumcision (being cut-around in the flesh) as being a requirement for salvation as I used-to preach before I believed what the Lord Jesus Christ himself told me and I became a holy-person (Acts chapter 9), which some people claim that I am doing now, why am I still presently being persecuted (being pursued with hostility as though I were the enemy) by those people?

And then correspondingly to that logic if it were true, the offense (the stumbling, the trap-stick, as when bait is fastened to a stick whereby if a person did not take heed to it but struck against it then he would get himself caught in the trap, the cause for stumbling) which is the cross, everything that Jesus Christ accomplished by his crucifixion, has been rendered ineffective (inoperative, inactive, useless) and it is still ineffective!

If God was able to give holy spirit-life and all that He promised Abraham and his seed on the basis of a person being physically circumcised, then there was no need for Jesus Christ's crucifixion to accomplish redemption and salvation!

[Reference: Romans 9:31-33; I Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 4:29.]

Verses 12-15:

^.12I wish the (people) unsettling you also may cut-themselves-away; ^.13for you were called on freedom, brothers, only (you must) not (use) the freedom for a starting-point with the flesh but you must serve one-another as-slaves by means of love¹, ^.14for all the law in one word was fulfilled², in the (word): "You will love¹ your neighbor as yourself"; ^.15but if you bite and devour one-another you must observe (that) you may not be consumed by one-another!

I express my wish that the people who are presently and actively unsettling you (inciting, exciting or causing you to stand-up as though stirring you up to sedition and commotion and throwing you into confusion) by insisting on circumcision would cut themselves away, amputate themselves so that they cannot unsettle you anymore!

In truth you were called (invited) resting or based upon freedom (liberty), brothers – we all have the same holy spirit-life within us, we are all children of God – you were called on the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, only you must NOT use this freedom for (into, directed-to, resulting-in) a starting-point with the flesh (a base of operation or grounds, an apparatus for accomplishing anything with/by/for the flesh). Our freedom in Christ Jesus is not a license with/by/for the flesh to commit sin in the walk/behavior category.

But on the contrary, you must serve each other as slaves by means of love¹.

During the time-period of the writing of the Bible, to be a "slave" was quite an honorable and responsible position to hold and the "master" was to take very good care of those slaves who served him as they ought; it was a mutually beneficial relationship between master and slave. Today, the word "slave" has been changed from God's original design of a working-relationship to what mankind twisted, corrupted and perverted it to mean as a position of demoralization or degradation, etc. – we who are students of God's Word must consider this word "slave" as God considers it.

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

You must serve one-another as slaves by means of (through) Godly-love, for all the law (every law in the law concerning how God's people ought to behave towards one-another) was fulfilled and is still fulfilled (filled-up, accomplished) within one word (one spoken-account of the inner-thoughts of God) which He revealed and is recorded in writing: you (singular, individual you) will Godly-love your neighbor as you are to Godly-love yourself. You ought to manifest Godly-love towards that person who is near you from-among all holy-people as you ought to manifest Godly-love towards yourself. This is how we are to live our lives interacting with one-another now that we have received holy spirit – you are to do this and I am to do this! We are not to treat ourselves less-than to Godly-love ourselves – this is what God says.

But if – instead of Godly-loving your neighbor as yourself – all of you presently and actively bite (like dogs) and devour (bring down and eat as a lion eats his prey) one-another, then you must observe (be mentally aware and contemplate, even though you may not physically see anything with your physical, fleshy eyes) to the end that you may not be consumed by one-another!

If you bite and devour one-another, you must look-at what you all are doing to the end that you are not caused to be used-up or spent and have nothing left in the walk/behavior category by the power of (under the hand of) one-another, whereby you are all the efficient or instrumental agents of this action of consuming one-another! This, of course, is not the way Christians are to treat one-another, for this kind of behavior would truly be disappointing and heart-breaking.

[Reference: Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 9:43, 45; John 18:10; Acts 17:6; 27:32; Romans 6:12-18, 13:8-10, 14:13; II Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 2:4; II Thessalonians 2:8; I John chapter 4.]

Verses 16-18:

^.16But I say: you must walk by spirit, and let you never complete (the) intense-yearning of flesh, ^.17for the flesh intensely-yearns against the spirit but the spirit (is) against the flesh, for these-things are adverse to one-another in order that you may not do these-things which if-ever you may intend; ^.18but since you are led by spirit you are not under law.

I lay this out before you: you holy-people must walk (literally: move the feet around, go on foot; figuratively: walk around during the everyday living of life, behave or conduct yourselves) by/with/in spirit (be receptive to your holy spirit-life, listening and believing what it communicates to you and obeying it) during the everyday living of your lives, and you ought never (not-not, double negative for emphasizes) bring to its ending-issue the intense-yearning of flesh (the strong-desire fixed or attached upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God, lust that belongs-to, pertains-to, issues or proceeds from flesh).

In truth, the flesh (that part of every holy-person which is not holy spirit, i.e. the body with its soul-life) presently and actively lusts in a downward direction against (contrary to) the holy spirit-life within you, but the holy spirit-life within you is against the flesh. Why? For these, the flesh and the holy spirit, are adverse to one-another (they oppose, are in opposition, figuratively put themselves in the position of lying/laying against each other) for the purpose and result that you would not do (perform) these-things – what things? – the things which if it should happen that you would intend (will) to do.

If you intend to do that-which is according to flesh – the holy spirit-life within you will communicate something contrary to the flesh's will to you. If you intend to do that-which is according to your holy spirit-life – your flesh will communicate something contrary to the spirit's will to you! It is not a case of "doing whatever I want to do" or "I feel like it"! Whatever things you may intend to do you ought to be aware whether these-things are emanating from your flesh or from your holy spirit-life – is this intention according to God or not?

But since you are presently led (directed, conducted or conveyed – this does not say "forced" nor "possessed" nor "controlled" nor "pushed-around" – since you are led) by/with/in spirit you presently and actively are not under (not legally subject or in submission to) law, the old covenant law that included fleshy circumcision. You could not be led by holy spirit-life if you had not previously received it from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, for this gift of holy spirit is the token of the covenant which has replaced the covenant of law and circumcision.

If you are being led by your holy spirit-life then you are God's child and Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the law. You are free, at liberty to walk and talk with God and the Lord Jesus Christ manifesting Godly-love towards them and towards yourself and towards one-another. The spirit of Christ in you communicates God's will to you – of course it is up to your own freedom of will whether you behave in accordance with your holy spirit or in accordance with your flesh.

[Reference: Romans 7:14-25, 8:12-15, 13:14; I Corinthians chapters 12-14; Philippians 2:13.]

Verses 19-21:

^.19But the works of the flesh are manifest, which-things are: fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, ^.20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, rages, works-for-ambitious-purposes, dissensions, sects, ^.21envies, drunkennesses, revelries, and the like-things to these-things which I say-beforehand to you according as I said-beforehand that the (people) practicing the things-of-this-kind will not inherit (the) kingdom of God.

The works (things that are wrought, deeds, the effects-produced having acted expending energy) of, belonging-to and proceeding-from the flesh are manifest (evident, brought to light, shown-forth; they can be seen and known). The flesh's works are:

fornication (wrongful sexual activity or relations),
uncleanness (the state of not being free from mixture of that-which is against God, being mixed with something else, having impurity from God's viewpoint mixed with it),
licentiousness (the state of being in debauchery),
idolatry (practicing rites and rituals of worship and service to so-called 'gods,' instead of only worshipping and serving the one-and-only true God Who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ),
sorcery (the preparation and use of medicines, drugs, potions, poisons, like pharmacy but used in the bad sense of the magical arts of enchantment, incantations, spells, witchcraft, wizardry, etc),
enmities (oppositions, hostilities),
strife (any form of it, such as rivalry, wrongful-competitiveness, contention or disputing and quarrelling),
jealousy (which is zeal in the bad sense, wrongfully boiling with passion against someone or something),
rages (intense passions or heated-outbursts from the mind as sudden flames from a burning-fire),
works-for-ambitious-purposes (labors being achieved solely from selfish-ambition, looking-for wages as if purchasing a favor and promotion by canvassing, causing factions),
dissensions (discords, causing people or things to stand apart from each-other),
sects (heresies, choices, opinions or chosen-ways which are different to the traditional way of thinking, used here in the bad sense of choosing what is against God),
envies (being jealous or resentful of another's considered-advantage with the desire to gain the same 'advantage' for oneself),
drunkennesses (the results of the excessive drinking of alcohol),
revelries (the merrymaking after feasts dedicated to the devil and his devil-spirits, demons, such as the false-god bacchus or Chemosh), and…

…the like-things (similar things) to these things written above which things I presently and actively lay before you in advance (I foretell you before it may occur), just as I have previously said (definitely communicated with words) to you, that the people who are practicing (habitually doing and in the process of accomplishing) the things of this sort (such things) will not in the future inherit the kingdom of God. They will not become inheritors or heirs of an allotted-portion in God's kingdom (all that is contained within God's sovereignty, His kingly or royal dominion and government and rule and territory and power, etc, which of course is holy and spiritual because God is the Holy Spirit).

We must recognize that Paul is listing the works of the flesh, that flesh which rejects God and His words, and so the people doing these things to which Paul is referring are those who have not believed what God has said and thus have not received holy spirit-life from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. These people will not inherit God's kingdom.

All Christians are presently belonging to the kingdom of God in the spirit category, and we will all inherit the totality of the kingdom of God because that is part of God's promise to Abraham and his seed. But, if a Christian chooses to behave and walk during his everyday life in accordance with the people who do not have holy spirit-life within them, then he/she will still be gathered together with every other Christian when Christ comes to be present, but he/she will not receive any benefit for the works done in accordance with the flesh. Therefore there is no reason for the Christians in the churches of Galatia to want to do the same things as those who are dead from God's point of view!

[Reference: Luke 21:34; Romans 1:28-32, 13:13, 14, 14:17, 16:17, 18; I Corinthians 3:12-15, 6:9-11, 15:50; II Corinthians 5:10, 12:20, 21; Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 21:8.]

Verses 22 and 23:

^.22But the fruit of the spirit is: love¹, joy, peace, patience, benevolence, goodness, belief, ^.23meekness, self-control – against the things-of-this-kind there is not law,

The fruit (produce, that-which is produced) of, belonging-to and proceeding-from the spirit – the what? – the holy spirit-life that is within you – the spirit’s fruit is:

love¹ (refer to above),
joy (rejoicing, the state of elation or enjoyment because of having received something good ultimately from God),
peace (tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement),
patience (long-suffering, long-forbearance towards or with others, long-temperedness),
benevolence (kindness, supplying what is appropriately needed for use in specific situations),
goodness (the quality of that-which issues from God),
belief (the information that God makes known to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety),
meekness (tender-receptiveness or receptivity towards God and the things of God),
self-control (being strong within itself, mastery or dominion over itself, exerting inner force, effecting power and exercising strength in itself)…

…there is not law (not even one law) in a downward direction against the things of this sort, such fruit.

The gift of holy spirit's fruit – this does not say 'works' – the spirit's fruit is: love¹, joy, peace, patience, benevolence, goodness, belief, meekness, self-control – against the things-of-this-kind there is not law! There is no law spoken or written by God prescribed against any of this fruit of holy spirit, not even if somebody were to attempt to misuse the law of Moses and circumcision to try to force the gift of holy spirit to stop producing its fruit. The holy spirit makes, produces fruit in accordance with what it is itself; it cannot produce fruit that is different to what it itself is.

It is up to the freedom of will of every holy-person to partake of this fruit of the spirit, like picking an apple which is fruit from an apple-tree and eating it thus partaking-of and receiving its nourishment and enjoying the fruit of that tree. When we partake of the fruit of the spirit we receive the full effects of that fruit and we live our everyday lives utilizing the effects of that fruit.

[Reference: Genesis 1:11 and 12; Matthew 7:16-20, 12:33; Revelation 22:2.]

Verse 24:

^.24but the (people) of Christ crucified the flesh together with the sufferings and the intense-yearnings;

The people who belong to Christ (Christ's people presently are all holy-people) have already crucified the flesh in conjunction with its sufferings (experiences of things which affect it) and its intense-yearnings (strong-desires fixed or attached upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God, lusts). How? Our true life is the holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us, and Christ has already been crucified in the flesh and has been raised from-among the rest of the dead-people by God and given his new spiritual body. Everything that the resurrected Christ has already accomplished and is presently accomplishing and will in the future accomplish, is and will be true of us also!

[Reference: Romans 6:3-11, 7:4-6; Colossians 3:1-4.]

Verses 25 and 26:

^.25since we live with spirit, let us walk-in-line-with spirit, ^.26let us not become empty-gloried provoking one-another, envying one-another.

Since it is true that we holy-people presently and actively live (we are alive) with/by/in spirit (our holy spirit-life, which is the only true life we have from God's viewpoint), therefore:

we should walk-in-line-with spirit (we ought to behave ourselves walking in line and advancing in an orderly manner, step-by-step, in accordance with our holy spirit-life, which is the spirit of Christ in us),
we should not become empty-gloried (come to pass to be empty or vain relative-to the importance, splendor, and renown that we have spiritually in our holy spirit) provoking one-another (calling or inviting one another before ourselves in a challenging manner as if to duel over some question to see who "was right" and competing with one-another as though in combat to get "ahead" of one-another), envying one-another (being jealous or resentful of another's considered-advantage with the desire to gain the same "advantage" for ourselves)!

All Christians are limbs/members of the one spiritual body of Christ and we all have exactly the same holy spirit-life within us with the same abilities and authority as the resurrected Christ himself. God is our Father and Christ Jesus is our Lord and brother – therefore we ought to listen and believe and obey God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ who always does those things which please God his Father and our Father.

[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

Since we live with spirit, let us walk-in-line-with spirit, let us not become empty-gloried provoking one-another, envying one-another.

Galatians Chapter 6