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Hello again. Here’s what the Spirit helped me find this week:

Last Week’s Work

REPETITION

I noticed six emphasized terms in my review for repetition:

• free/freedom in v1 (twice) and v13 (twice).
• love in vv6, 13-14, 22.
• circumcision/uncircumcision in vv2-3, 6, 11.
• the law in vv3, 4, 14, 18, 23.
• desires in vv13, 16-17, 24.
• the flesh in vv17, 19, 24.

Paul tells the Galatians they were called to freedom, and it’s the reason Christ set them free. He cautions them not to abuse freedom by prioritizing obedience to law (which I suspect circumcision represents) over love. Nor should they succumb to the desires of the flesh. He points out love of neighbor fulfills all law and emphasizes love as the first listed fruit of the Spirit.

SPECIAL STATEMENTS:

I noticed several of these:

Six commands:

• stand firm (v2)
• do not submit … to a yoke of slavery (v2)
• do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh (v13)
• through love serve one another (v13)
• you shall love your neighbor as yourself (v14)
• walk by the Spirit (v16)

Three promises:

• the hope of righteousness (v5).
• in Christ Jesus … only faith working through love counts (v6).
• if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (v18).

Three curses:

• those who seek justification by the law are severed from Christ and have fallen away from grace (v4).
• the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty (v10).
• those who do [works of the flesh] will not inherit the kingdom of God (v21).

Six warnings:

• if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you (v2).
• every man who accepts circumcision … is obligated to keep the whole law (v3).
• this persuasion isn’t from him who calls you (v8).
• a little leaven leavens the whole lump (v9) (though I don’t yet know what he means by this).
• if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another (v15).
• those who do [works of the flesh] will not inherit the kingdom of God (v21).

Two requests:

• let’s keep in step with the Spirit (v25).
• let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (v26).

LISTS

The fifteen listed works of the flesh (vv19-21) are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, plus a catchall phrase, things like these.

Then he listed nine fruit(s?) of the Spirit (vv22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Next week in my comparison notes, I’ll comment more about the contrasts I see between these lists.

Dig-In Challenges

This week, let’s wrap up Step 3 by:

1. PRAYING: Use the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
2. MINING: Read through the passage again looking for comparisons in or related to your focus verses. These may be statements of similarity featuring key words such as like, as, or so; qualitative comparisons indicating how one item is more or less than another; and/or contrasts that highlight or discuss how one concept differs from another.
3. MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors. In this study text, look for four connectors: therefore, for (where it means the same as because), that (where it means so that), and to (where it means in order to). Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason or explanation for that action. For example: in the sentence, I went to the store, for I was out of milk:
   the action = I went to the store for [because] the reason = I was out of milk.
   NOTE A: the words for, to, and that don’t always connect an action and a reason. To determine if they do here, read the sentences containing each, substituting the original word with the synonymous word or phrase below:
   For: substitute because
   To: substitute in order to
   That: substitute so that
   If the sentence(s) created from this exercise make(s) sense and mean(s) the same as the original, note (1) the action statement (typically before the for, to, or that); and (2) the reason (after the for, to, or that).
   NOTE B: In Galatians 5:1, the action-connector-reason order above may not apply depending on your translation. If you’re using my (ESV) Scripture study sheet, you’ll find both the actions and reasons before the for and therefore in that verse. It might be easier for you to use a different translation (for example, the New American Standard Bible) to search in verse 1.
4. MINING: Finally, see if you can find any conditions that trigger action in this narrative and/or descriptions of how action happens or should happen.
   – For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition exists, some action should or does take place?
   And/or
   – Does the author describe a particular method by which something happens? In other words, does he describe specific action(s) that achieve(s) something (e.g., in Romans 12:1, how does the author recommend the Romans accomplish spiritual worship)?
   Or
   – Does he indicate how action is accomplished more generally by or through attributes or actions, e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)?
   Finally,
   – Does the text include any adverbs (typically words ending in ly) that describe how action happens?

These exercises are more involved, I know, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.

GO TO WEEK 5 >