Flesh Contra Spirit – Galatians 5:13-26

Having thoroughly condemned the theological error which animated the Judaizers, (Namely requirements of the law as a prerequisite for salvation) The Apostle turns his attention to another prevalent error: that of Licentiousness (acting lawlessly with antinomian disregard for holiness as if your status grants you license to pursue your worst desires). Gal 5:1 provides a helpful conceptual theme to organize Paul's thoughts in this regard, he has said: “For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”. The 2nd portion of chapter 5 warns of other 'yokes of slavery'. While men are easily ensnared by arbitrary standards of piety and pursue woks as a means of atonement Paul addresses a yoke of a different type here: the works of the flesh. In so doing, Paul extends a larger structural theme of his epistle to the Galatians – that of pointed contrasts. As commentators have noted: this distinction between Spirit and flesh joins the list he has compiled to this point including: True Gospel vs. false Gospel, faith vs. works, law vs. grace, liberty vs. legalism, and sonship vs. salvation...