By James Riley Strange, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament, Samford University
Serve
Galatians 5:13–15; 6:1–5, 10
Today is the fourth in our series on traits that can mend and strengthen relationships among Christians.
Our passage comes near the end of a letter in which Paul addresses a problem: in the region of Galatia, Gentiles who responded to the gospel that Paul preached are now requiring males to be circumcised. That explains Paul’s famous statement at the beginning of chapter 5: “For freedom Christ has set us free [from the law].”
The letter is infamous for its acrimony (1:6; 3:1, 3), against which the gentler sections stand out.
In fact, Paul makes his harshest comment in 5:12 before abruptly switching to this instruction on mutual service and love.
Start reading at 4:21 for context.
Show your love by serving the other person. (5:13–15)
The Greek word translated “freedom” can mean both manumission of a slave and license to behave as one wishes. Paul will play on both senses.
Gentiles who turn to Israel’s God because of the gospel must not keep the Jewish law if they think they will be justified with God by doing so. That is a form of spiritual slavery (5:1). Neither, however, are they free to indulge their desires (literally, “the flesh”). Rather, they are to control their desires through another type of servitude: devotion to one another through love. (Paul also contrasts desire and love in 1 Thess. 4:1–12.)
Paul says that the whole law is fulfilled in the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18; compare Rom. 13:9). Jesus quoted this Scripture in a similar way (Matt. 22:37–40; Mark 12:28–33; Luke 10:27). This is probably what Paul calls “the law of Christ” in Gal. 6:2.
In verse 15 we learn what Paul means by desires/“the flesh” in this instance: strife in the congregation (see the “works of the flesh” in 19–21).
Here Paul uses two metaphors of food: Paul likens strife to fellow believers devouring one another. The antidote to these destructive works is mutual servitude — what Paul also calls living “by the Spirit” (verse 16). Such living produces “fruit” (virtues) that feeds the congregation (22–26).
Serving others means helping to carry their burdens. (6:1–5)
Paul has a few more things to say about the congregation. The first is who is qualified to correct a wrongdoer (those who “have received the Spirit”) and how they should do it (“in a spirit of gentleness” — a fruit of the Spirit).
“Bear one another’s burdens” is another reference to mutual servitude. In Christ, all statuses are leveled (Gal. 3:28): all “are nothing” and deceive themselves if they “think they are something.” Paul alludes to the fact that slaves occupied the lowest rung in the Roman household, below even the children they taught. This is the attitude that members of the congregation are to adopt toward one another.
Verse 5 sounds like it contradicts verse 2, but we should assume coherence. According to Paul, the obligation to help one another does not relieve each Christian of responsibility for his or her own “work.” Paul often uses “work” or “works” to refer to how a person lives (see Gal. 5:19). “Works of the law” do not justify (Gal. 2:15–21), but we will be judged according to our deeds (Rom. 2:6–11).
Seize every opportunity to serve. (6:10)
This is the last sentence Paul dictates before taking up the pen in verse 11. Here again he uses the word “work,” now a verb (NIV: “do”), and he expressly ties it to the idea of “the household of faith.” As household members who serve one another, how often will opportunities to “work for the good of all” arise? Until the Lord returns, they will never end.
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