zPericope: Gal. 5	Word Study (5 words) use studylight.org: “Lexicon”	
3 Questions or Initial Thoughts		
1.	 How does my good works interact with the Law, the Spirit and with the Gospel?   How might I best articulate this sentiment to my neighbor in one relevant sentence?

2. How does community interact with Christian individualism?  Am I “free” to work for myself only, or am I “bound” to serve my brethren, even if I disagree with them?  When does what others want become Judiazing or legalism?

3. How does the 5th chapter serve to show anything new concerning Paul’s argument?  What new insight or emphasis is unique to this section?

	1.	eÍleuqeriða (eleutheria): brought out from slavery. 
Gal: 3, Rom: 1, James: 2
Jas 1:25: But who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

2.   o)feileÑthv (Opheiletes): a debtor, one who is bound to   duty or punishment as a sinner. 
Gal: 1,Matt: 2, Rom. 1 
Mt. 6:12:And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

3.	douleu/w (douleo): To submit to, be a slave under. 
Col. 3:24: Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ
Rom. 16:18: For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

4.	a)podeÑxomai (Apekdechomai): To eagerly yet patiently await. 
Rom: 3, 1 Cor: 1, Gal:1
Rom. 8:23: And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
	
3 Translation Comparisons(highlight variations in grammar)
bible.cc “translation comparison” Gal. 5:6	Theological Analysis (teachings, problems addressed, connections to rest of scripture) wlsessays.net	
1.NIV: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

2. NLT: For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

3. ESV: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

4. ABPE: For in The Messiah Yeshua, circumcision is not anything, neither is uncircumcision, only faith that is perfected in love.	1.	 Paul makes clear in Phil. 3:2 that circumcisers are “mutilators of the flesh” in connection to salvation.  When done without the covenant, it has only a negative meaning.

2.   Paul makes a parallel to the salvific act of circumcision (never its intention) to the “separation” of ourselves to Christ.

3.   Paul makes a further parallel and dichotomy between the actions of the flesh and the actions of the Spirit.  Being forced under the law is to be put under control of the flesh.  Because Christ has freed us from the law and the flesh, we are to walk in the Spirit.  Paul is making a clear case for the maturity allegory of coming to full knowledge and understanding of the nature and rights as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom.  While not under the law, the Spirit guides are behaviors towards the original intent/protection of the law in teaching peace and self-control.
	
3 Historical-Cultural Points (cite source)	Christocentric Analysis (Symbols, prophecies, archetypes, and events connected to Jesus)	
1.	 RC believes 5:6 that faith is perfected by works.  This is a major point of difference during the reformation. “In theology a tiny error overthrows the whole teaching”
2.	In fact, this letter was written at a time when anti-semitism was particularly rife in the Romans empire.64 The Jews were expelled from Rome by order of the emperor Claudius in about A.D. 49.65 According to the historian Suetonius,66 by “disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.” Since the confusion of “i” and “e” was not unknown in Latin renditions of Greek, it is possible to conclude from this statement that the Roman Jews had become unusually agitated and disorderly over the proclamation of Jesus as the Christ (Christus), provoking the emperor to take action against them.67 But by the time Paul was writing to the church (most probably early A.D. 57), the Jews had come back to Rome, but now found themselves to be in the minority, and it is quite likely that the Gentile Roman Christians looked down on them with disdain.	1.	Reference to Christ’s “a little leaven”.  Christ is the show bread of life, one who has taken on humanity and has perfectly earned the love of God under the covenant of the Law.
2.	Christ both fulfills the whole law (holos) regarding the letters therein, as well as the whole law (pas) regarding the essence as a unit.  Christ not only does the law, but does it to serve neighbor.  Community and Individual.
3.	 The Fruit of the Spirit (cluster, like grapes) is conntected to the vine of Christ.  The Spirit harvests that which is, in essence, already granted as part of the healthy vine.
	
Structural Analysis (immediate context)	3 Commentary points	

5:1-6: Burden of Slavery v. Freedom

5:6-12: Preaching Christ alone is perfect to salvation. “A little leaven”

13: “Called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh”

16-18: Spirit is contrary to the flesh.  The leaven also applies to my conduct as  a Christian.

19-26:  acts of flesh v fruit of the Spirit: one is an individual “deed”, the other dependent on the” vine”.  Being free is enslaving to Christ and neighbor

Sin/law
Dichotomy

Called/
Indulge

Fruit/Deed Dichotomy

	5:23 there is no law. Rhetorical understatement; the fruit of the Spirit goes far beyond the Law’s requirements. “Faith must be the mother and source of works that are truly good and well pleasing to God, which God will reward in this world and in the world to come” (FC SD IV 9).
5:15 bite and devour. A vicious dogfight to the death, animals snapping at one another with bared fangs, portrays the ugliness of bitter partisan strife in the congregation.
5:7 running well. Athletic metaphor of running a race, like a runner striding smoothly forward (cf 1Co 9:24–27; Php 3:14). Who hindered you. Lit, “cut in front of,” to break a runner’s stride and impede progress. The Judaizers in effect tripped the Galatians.
5:6 Circumcised or not, one’s physical condition has no impact on one’s relationship to God. It is irrelevant. working. Gk energeo, in the active sense. Luth: “Faith … is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God.… O it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good incessantly” (AE 35:370). “Love ought to follow faith” (Ap IV 111). 	
Trinitarian Analysis (describe the interaction of Father, Son, and Spirit)	

Father:  The father establishes the Laws and precepts through the son.  He gives those laws to the Jews to care for and teach their neighbors concerning the messaiah.  He cultivates the earth and provides the seed for the one who will defeat sin and death.

Son:  The perfect showbread who sheds blood for us (sacramental language).  He is the vine upon which the branches can grow fruits in unity with the essence of the law.

Holy Spirit:  Cultivates in individuals in connection with the community (balance and harmony, essence of law fulfilled perfectly in the Christian) by bringing about virtues that are eminently rational, good, and true.  Works with the whole of the person to serve not themselves, but others.	
Prayer (Use your data to write back to God!  Tell Him your concerns throughout the week)	
Thank you for being the showbread without leaven sacrificed for my sins.  You teach that the essence of the law is to love our neighbor, yet left to our own devices; we resort to selfish individualism and survival.  We abuse your command to “not worry about tomorrow” by failing to “love our neighbor as ourselves” today.  We fail to plan our lives in accordance with how best to serve others, to not trip up our Christian brethren, as well as our heathen neighbor. 

Let us reaffirm the importance of living in grace; let us recognize the solid and clear work of the Gospel alone in bringing salvation; Let us get out of the way with our egos and pride to build up a true foundation upon which the church may hang its heavenly treasure.  Let us recognize the fruit of the Spirit and live in accordance with the true vine; knowing that our fruits come in clusters, that they are hybrid with each of the saints, and that they will not fail because they are planted in the seed bed of the empty tomb.

Thank you for peace and civility in government, that we do not live in the precarious world of Rome in which you chose, beyond our  understanding, to be born under the forced political loyalty of evil and petulant men as Tiberius, Herod, Pilate.  Thank you for the effects of good governance based in the Christian balance of Individualism and Community.