Translation
And I say, walk in the spirit and do not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the spirit, and the spirit desires what is against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, in order that you may not do whatever you desire. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under law. But the works of the flesh are revealed, these are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, selfish rivalry, jealousy, rage, selfishness, dissension, religious division, envy, drunkeness, orgies, and things like these, of which I warn you, just as I warned you before, that those who practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control; law is not opposed to these things. And those who are of Christ have cucified the flesh, together with the passions and the desires. If we live in the spirit, may we also walk in the spirit. May we not become conceited, irratating each other and envying each other.
Reflections
As a translation piece, this section was a bit tedious, particularly the vice catalogue that Paul reels off. Beyond that, though, this is a section with quite a bit of symmetry and balance. Paul describes the ethical life rather dualistically. There is very little gray here; Paul’s Galatians letter is just as black and white morally as it is theologically. If Paul had been portrayed as loose ethically, which is easy to imagine given the rest of the letter, this section gives another picture. Interestingly, the sentence about those who are under spirit not being under law seems out of place. I’ll have to think more about that. Perhaps Paul doesn’t want to seem legalistic even in this moral section?
This section does provoke me to consider the life of the spirit. It is opposed to the desires of the flesh, it results in a different moral demeanor. The spirit has consequences.
