Galatians 5:13–6:10
From here on Paul gives more-specific teaching about Christian living, a life of true freedom, and rejects some misconceptions of what this freedom means. To have an accurate understanding of Paul’s theology in Galatians, it is necessary to hold together his doctrinal teaching (3:1–5:12) and his practical instruction (5:13–6:10).
By itself, the presence of an entire section devoted to exhortation indicates something important, since otherwise one could easily conclude that Paul’s †gospel does not entail any teaching about conduct, but only a proclamation of the †faith that †justifies without works. Rather, Paul demonstrates that salvation by faith does not mean that people are saved merely through knowledge of the truth, which was the claim of certain pagan mystery religions and later of the heretical Gnostics. Nor is faith to be equated with mere assent to the truth or a powerful spiritual experience. Instead, faith involves the whole person and is intended to bring about a complete transformation. It requires a commitment not merely of the intellect but also of the will and the affections, and it expresses itself in action. Galatians 5:6 says that what “counts” is “faith working through love.” This is why when Paul preaches faith he always includes a call to †live by faith.
Theologians sometimes distinguish two aspects of Paul’s teaching by noting a change in his predominant usage from †indicative verbs, which present the facts of a situation (e.g., “As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts,” 4:6), to †imperative verbs, which summon readers to appropriate action in response (e.g., “Serve one another,” “Bear one another’s burdens,” 5:13 and 6:2). Paul uses indicative verbs to tell about the gift of God, then follows with imperative verbs that instruct readers how to respond. What is stated in the indicative is always the foundation: it announces what God has done and what he has given to human beings, the radical transformation that Christ has accomplished. However, the indicative is not enough. God’s gifts need to be received. Since these gifts convey life and activity, they cannot be received without human action that corresponds to the divine gift. God’s gift of inner transformation always precedes and indeed makes possible our change in behavior.
In this respect the life of faith differs from life under the †law. It is true that under the law of Moses there was also an indicative that preceded the imperative. In the account of the Sinai †covenant, God’s saving actions on behalf of Israel, his gifts (Exod 19:4; 20:2), are recalled before the commandments are imposed (20:3–17). However, there is an important difference. Under the first covenant, the gifts of God that preceded his commands were external interventions culminating in the exodus. There was no inner transformation of the people; the connection between the indicative and the imperative remained external. People needed to act according to the imperative, and if they did so they were considered righteous. In contrast, in the New Covenant, the indicative that comes first also includes interior transformation, a righteousness freely given by God in the Holy Spirit, and this interior gift is what makes it possible for his New Covenant people to do his will, to live out the imperatives of apostolic teaching.
Paul’s writing in this section, as often in Galatians, seems rather spontaneous and improvised rather than carefully planned, requiring effort to understand the coherence of his thought. For example, Paul says that Christians are called to freedom (Gal 5:13) but in the same verse exhorts them to make themselves slaves of one another (the literal meaning of the Greek), which at first glance seems a contradiction. Then, having proclaimed freedom from the law, Paul presents fulfilling the law as an ideal (5:14), and then again says, “You are not under law” (5:18). In 6:2 the Apostle says, “Bear one another’s burdens,” but he affirms in 6:5 that “each will bear his own load.” Paul does not seem concerned to express his ideas clearly enough to eliminate every possible confusion. Because of his manner of expressing himself, it is easy to draw false, incomplete, or one-sided conclusions from Paul’s letters, as St. Peter observes in 2 Pet 3:16. Instead of seeking precision in his wording, Paul goes off first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. The result for the reader who succeeds at following the twists and turns of his logic is a certain equilibrium that is full of lively tensions, dynamic rather than static.
This third part of the letter (Gal 5:13–6:10), devoted to exhortation, begins with a contrast between the †flesh—that is, our self-centered tendencies—and love, which focuses on the good of others (5:13–15). Then Paul draws another forceful contrast between the Spirit and the flesh (5:16–25), followed by advice for community life (5:26–6:6). The Apostle concludes with a powerful exhortation to the Galatians to do good, showing that Christian faith entails a serious commitment demonstrated by works (6:7–10). Paul’s insistence on the need for works in a letter that has energetically proposed justification by faith could be confusing. Is Paul being unfaithful to his own doctrine? On the contrary, his vigorous exhortations to action contribute to a clearer understanding of his teaching. While Paul does not want works of the law to be regarded as the foundation of Christian life, a role reserved exclusively for faith, neither does he want faith to be sterile. He thus calls for works of charity that spring from faith (5:6), the fruit of a †grace to which believers must actively respond (1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 6:1).