In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
– Galatians 4:3 ESV

GREEK
στοιχεῖα/stoicheia: fundamentals; the ABCs

CONSIDER
As we begin our Change of Pace series at Centerway, a Because and Therefore statement of ours will often take center stage. The statement reads like this: Because of what Jesus has done we value CELEBRATION therefore we talk about Jesus a lot, rejoice over life-change, readily encourage and honor one another, and uplift our local communities. It reminds us that any change we celebrate in our life actually stems from the work of Jesus long before we were born. If we fail to recognize this, we risk wasting our one and only life trying to find meaning and freedom in things that could never deliver on the promises they make. Paul eloquently compares our life before knowing Jesus Christ to the way a slave operates in their master’s home. He states that during that time, we were enslaved to the stoicheia (fundamentals; ABCs) of the world. We were expected to serve the rituals of the Mosaic Law down to the smallest detail, hoping that it might somehow rescue us from continually falling short of the glory of God. But instead of enduring the perpetual cycle of hard work and dashed hopes, we have been adopted as sons and daughters of the only One who could bring the change we need! Jesus came to earth not as an autocrat demanding our service but as a king with a heart to serve (see Matthew 20:28). His death and resurrection ensured our adoption and proved that he always keeps his promises.

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What promise will I hold onto this week?​

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
– Galatians 4:4 ESV

GREEK
πλήρωμα/plērōma: total possible amount; entire space

CONSIDER
Have you ever thought God had mistimed events in your life, only to discover later on how necessary that season was? Maybe it was a promotion that never materialized or an unexplainable change to your life plan. Experiences like these serve to remind us that hindsight is 20/20. Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard said it this way: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” And while this doesn’t mean that life will always make sense “later on” or that God is the author of confusion, we can take heart that he is mighty enough to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). This truth is embedded in Paul’s teaching on God’s timing in sending Jesus for our redemption. He states that “when the plērōma (total possible amount; entire space) of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” In the 1,300 years between the Mosaic Law and the arrival of Jesus, it may have often seemed as if God was late in sending the Messiah. However, Paul’s argument is that because He is both omniscient and exists outside of time, God knew what he wanted in place both spiritually and culturally for this momentous event. In hindsight, we can see that the historical moment Jesus came to earth provided the perfect blend of political infrastructure, common language, and spiritual hunger for the gospel to spread like wildfire throughout the world. Thank God we can trust the plērōma of his timing, even if it requires faith and patience to fully comprehend it.

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What promise will I hold onto this week?

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
– Galatians 4:6 ESV

GREEK
κρᾶζον/krazon: [involuntarily] shrieking; the sound a raven makes when it crows

CONSIDER
What promise will I hold onto this week? It’s good to remind ourselves that the promises made by God are based on what He has done rather than what we may or may not do. As a result, we are better equipped to trust Jesus as He reveals God as a loving Father (see Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 23:34, and John 10:15). Paul goes to great lengths to remind us of the same idea, successfully articulating the grace and blessings of being adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God. Today’s verse expresses one of those blessings: And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, krazon ([involuntarily] shrieking), “Abba! Father!” The Greeks used this word as onomatopoeia, mimicking the sound a raven makes when it crows. Here, Paul argues that the gift of the Spirit is such an identity-shaping experience that it marks us as His child, and we cannot help but shriek in delight as a result. Much like a good father who knows exactly what his child needs, when God imparts the Spirit to his children, we can trust that it identifies us as those with whom he has a loving and caring relationship. His willingness to go to such great lengths to completely change our identity from slaves to heirs allows us to claim His promises with childlike faith.

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What promise will I hold onto this week?

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
– Galatians 4:9 ESV

GREEK
πτωχὰ/ptōcha: miserable, completely lacking resources

CONSIDER
Even for the most prepared athlete, a marathon can be a seriously miserable experience. Weather, course conditions, and the fact it’s a 26.2-mile endurance race leave just about every runner exhausted and agonized. So imagine how it would feel if it took more than 54 years to complete one! That’s exactly what happened to Shizo Kanakuri. At the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, 22-year-old Kanakuri competed for Japan, but heat exhaustion left him with nothing in his energy tank and forced him to withdraw close to the 19-mile mark. The only problem is that he never told anyone he was withdrawing, and when the race ended, no one knew his whereabouts. Swedish authorities labeled it a “missing persons case.” Because of two World Wars and several decades of political unrest, it wasn’t until 1966 that they discovered Kanakuri living in a small Japanese village as a running coach. He was invited to finish the marathon he had never completed, and when he did – at age 76 – Kanakuri set a world record… for the slowest marathon time in history!
Much like Shizo Kanakuri in 1912, we can easily run our spiritual race on empty. And Paul tells us that if we look to anything other than the gospel for our strength, we will always find that thing weak and ptōcha (miserable, completely lacking resources). But knowing God means that we have access to an endless supply of grace, peace, joy, love, and everything else we need to live out our faith, serve those around us, and proclaim the reality of Heaven. If we have experienced that truth already, why would we turn back again to lesser things? In a ptōcha, temporal world that can never deliver on eternal promises, the Good News of Jesus stands out as an oasis of hope.

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What area of life do I need accountability?

What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
– Galatians 4:15 ESV

GREEK
μακαρισμὸς/makarismos: the condition of receiving eternal benefits from God

CONSIDER
How does a world-famous athlete go from being one of the highest-paid stars in his sport to making less than the league minimum in the span of the same contract? When you’re Magic Johnson, it’s by signing a 25-year deal to play basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers! In 1984, Johnson agreed to play for the Lakers for 25 years at the enormous sum of $25 million in total, taking him through the 2009 season when he would have been 49 years old. And while Lakers owner Jerry Buss admitted the contract was a publicity stunt (he paid Magic far more over the course of his career), that deal would have been less than any other player with his experience when it ended.
Thankfully, the promises of God age far better than NBA contracts do! For Paul, returning to the elementary principles of this world to find hope is akin to walking away from eternal spiritual blessings. So he is understandably puzzled when he hears that the Galatians had moved away from total commitment to the gospel and instead had returned to the elementary principles of the world. In verse 15, he asks, “What then has become of your makarismos (ability to receive eternal benefits from God)?” This Greek word has roots in the adjective meaning long extended blessings, denoting the truth that God’s goodness toward humanity starts in the here and now, but keeps its strength throughout the ages. The gospel will never lose its power, potency, or predominance, so there is no reason to pursue any other avenue to eternal life!

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What area of life do I need accountability?

I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
– Galatians 4:20 ESV

GREEK
ἀποροῦμαι/aporoumai: I have no way out; I am at a loss

CONSIDER
Whether you’re a parent, a sibling, a classmate, or a friend, we all can relate to how Paul felt about the Galatian church. Paul himself compares his emotions to those of a parent, wanting the best for their child and yet frustrated with their decisions and thought processes. He said, “ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for aporoumai (I have no way out; I am at a loss) about you.” Here is a man whose wisdom constitutes more than two-thirds of the New Testament and, like the rest of us, still finds himself at a loss for words. On one hand, Paul loved these people as his own children; yet love for them drove him to feel exasperated and disheartened.
One of our Because and Therefore statements at Centerway explains how these two things can co-exist. It says, “Because he first loved us we value LOVE FIRST therefore we say ‘come as you are’ and welcome people to belong before they believe. Because we truly love people, we will speak the truth in love.” Authentic Biblical love for a person is far different than letting someone act any way they want. Speaking the truth to them is what we do because we love them! Paul was at a loss regarding how to respond to the Galatians, and yet the rest of his letter was replete with the truth of the gospel and how it applied to their lives. It isn’t easy and is often messy, but speaking the truth in love is the most caring act we can do for our loved ones who have looked for peace and hope in something other than the gospel.

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What area of life do I need accountability?

But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
– Galatians 4:23 ESV

GREEK
ἐπαγγελίας/epangelias: officially sanctioned and binding guarantee

CONSIDER
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
– Russell Kelso Carter

In times of trouble, people often tend to make grand promises. We say things like, “If you get me out of this hospital bed, I’ll pray an hour each day,” or “Help me out of this financial jam, and I’ll tell everyone I know about Jesus.” We can easily recognize our inability to get out of physical trouble in our own strength, so why, when it comes to our salvation, do we seem to default to working it out on our own? 19th-century hymnist Russell Carter reminds us that when life is darkest, the importance of “standing on the promises that cannot fail” is greatest. This idea is seen in Galatians too. Paul tells his readers that instead of taking matters into our own hands (like Abraham did with Hagar), we should trust the epangelias (officially sanctioned and binding guarantee), by which Isaac was born to Sarah. This Greek legal term was used in antiquity to refer to a legally binding guarantee given by an official. The epangelias was able to be trusted because of who was making the promise and what would happen if it wasn’t kept. Abraham and Sarah started off being unable to trust God’s epangelias because it required patience and trust to see it come to fruition. But that’s exactly why God needed to make it in the first place! He recognized far better than we do that our circumstances would require a power beyond our ability, and so he sent Jesus to accomplish what we never could. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail us, Jesus’ work on our behalf makes standing on the promises of God the safest thing we can do.

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Where will I accept God’s leading in my life?

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
– Galatians 4:29 ESV

GREEK
ἐδίωκεν/ediōken: leveraged the bulk of one’s resources to focus on or hunt

CONSIDER
Would you feel comfortable with a doctor delivering your baby just minutes after performing an autopsy… without washing their hands first? That’s exactly what was routinely happening in Europe in the mid-1800s. A Hungarian obstetrician by the name of Ignaz Semmelweis noticed that the mortality rate in infants who were delivered by these double-duty doctors was twice as high as in the wing where midwives performed the deliveries. Semmelweis initiated a handwashing protocol before his doctors could deliver babies, and the mortality rate in his wing dropped by a whopping 16 percent! The good doctor then traveled around Hungary, initiating the same techniques with the same results. It seems that Ignaz Semmelweis should have been a household name in 19th-century Europe. Instead, he was ridiculed for believing that microscopic bugs, which we now call germs, could be the cause of so many deaths. People outside of Hungary assumed that if their hands looked clean, they were clean. Semmelweis was mocked so severely throughout the rest of Europe that his mental health declined, and he died in an insane asylum.
In Paul’s allegory of trusting in the law versus trusting in God’s promise, he brings up a moment in Genesis 21:9 in which “he who was born according to the flesh ediōken (leveraged the bulk of one’s resources to focus on or hunt) him who was born according to the Spirit.” In this verse, Hagar’s son, conceived through human orchestration, focused his derision on Sarah’s son, conceived through divine orchestration. And Paul goes on to say that those who look to the Law for salvation are still guilty of this today. Putting our hope in the free gift of God is akin in many ways to the work of Ignaz Semmelweis: the promise can be invisible to the naked eye and involve a fair measure of trust, but it can also produce results that define one’s legacy. Paul reminds us that those who live in this freedom continue to be ediōken by those who don’t. For them, living up to the letter of the law is visible and obvious, but impossible to attain perfectly. Only Jesus could live the sinless life the law demands and, in so doing, become the very way to access the promises of God.

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Where will I accept God’s leading in my life?

But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
– Galatians 4:30 ESV

GREEK
κληρονομήσει/klēronomēsei: be assigned blessing

CONSIDER
In Luke 10, a lawyer approached Jesus with a poignant question: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus responded by asking him if he knew what the Law said, it was clear that the lawyer was familiar with it. He told Jesus that the Law said to love the Lord and love your neighbor. This is certainly a noble and important thing to do, and Jesus himself commended his answer. But to the lawyer, this command to love was simply a means to an end, so he followed his first question by asking, “And who is my neighbor?” Clearly, this man wanted to know how much (or how little) love he had to display to God and people by defining the boundary of what was necessary. Jesus went on to tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan, in which a man who was considered outside the bounds of the Law became the example of loving one’s neighbor well. To Jesus, something greater was at play than keeping track of how well or poorly the law was upheld. The law of love wasn’t something to keep score with; love was the outflow of a changed life.
This is Paul’s point, too, when he teaches that “the son of the slave woman shall not klēronomēsei (be assigned blessing) with the son of the free woman.” Using allegory as a literary tool, his point is that the law was never designed to be the vehicle through which eternal life would flow. The ability to klēronomēsei only happens through God’s promise by faith. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus, who became an even greater illustration of love than the Samaritan in his parable. By leaving the glory of Heaven and laying down his life, Jesus both fulfilled the law and demonstrated to his followers that their lives would be marked by extravagant love – wherever God’s leading may take them.

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Where will I accept God’s leading in my life?

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
– Galatians 5:1 ESV

GREEK
ζυγῷ/zygō: a heavy beam used to connect oxen while plowing

CONSIDER
For hundreds, if not thousands of years, agricultural work was essentially performed the same way around the globe. Humans would plow the fields by hand, or if they had the means, an animal would help them complete the task. Then, historians believe around 2700 BC, a technological breakthrough changed global food production forever. Was it a new iron tool? A hybrid seed creation? How about a complex drainage system? Turns out the thing that revolutionized agriculture was a simple piece of wood. Farmers discovered that if they tethered two animals together using a yoke, production would increase exponentially. The beauty of the yoke was that it leveraged the combined force of two animals. The downside was that it allowed the stronger and more determined animal to dictate their direction. And while the farmer saw to it that the beasts of burden typically stayed on course, inevitably, there were times when they didn’t follow where they were being led.
Depending on how in sync the two animals were, the yoke was either a productivity tool or a jail cell. And as Paul summarizes the folly of living up to the law, he warns his hearers not to “submit again to a zygō (a heavy beam used to connect oxen while plowing) of slavery.” This simple piece of wood can easily become a prison when someone chooses to join themselves to something that is headed in the wrong direction. Paul’s point is that the law does not have freedom as its intended destination, and so it will always lead to slavery. A zygō – the word from which our genetic term zygote is derived – joins two things together so they become one entity. Christ chose to join himself to humanity through his obedience to his Father’s plan. In fact, Jesus encourages us to willingly and intentionally yoke ourselves to him (Matthew 11:30). We can live in the freedom of the gospel when we leverage the freedom of the easy yoke.

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How will I stand for the Gospel in my spheres of influence?

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
– Galatians 5:6 ESV

GREEK
ἐνεργουμένη/energoumenē: being energized; becoming activated

CONSIDER
How does electric current transform into an illuminated lightbulb? How does adenosine triphosphate develop into muscle power? How does gasoline combusted in an engine cause a vehicle to move? In all of these scenarios, the answer involves energoumenē. Electricity, ATP, and gas all become activated by a specific process that turns them into something extremely useful in our lives. Without that activation, these things may have potential, but that is where it ends. Our faith can be understood in a similar way. For Paul, the faith that we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ counts when it is energoumenē (being energized; becoming activated) through love. This Greek word is where we get our words energy, energize, and energetic. He tells his Galatian readers that although faith is available to all, it becomes powerful when it is energized through loving God and loving others. Faith is the raw material that gets energized through serving a friend in need of help on moving day, a neighbor who is struggling to find a sitter, or a coworker who is falling behind on a project. How will I stand for the Gospel in my spheres of influence? No matter how we answer, love will always be what activates the faith necessary to respond effectively.

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How will I stand for the Gospel in my spheres of influence?

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
– Galatians 5:7 ESV

GREEK
ἐνέκοψεν/enekopsen: cut off and blocked

CONSIDER
It was touted as the race of the year, but it would be remembered for what took place long before the finish line. The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles pitted veteran running legend Mary Decker of the U.S. against a record-setting teenager from South Africa named Zola Budd in the 3,000 meter final. Budd idolized Decker and was looking forward to meeting her. Decker had spent her life dreaming of this final, especially because boycotts and injuries had caused these Olympics to be her first. Halfway through the race, Decker was in the lead when suddenly Zola passed her. Some incidental contact was made and seconds later Decker was on the ground, wailing because Budd had cut her off and effectively ended her dream of Olympic glory. Zola Budd went from wunderkind to villain in a matter of moments. Upon review, Budd did nothing illegal, and Decker actually tripped trying to push Budd out of the way. But to this day, Zola Budd’s name is synonymous with cutting off America’s Sweetheart.
Running and racing has often been used as a metaphor for one’s spiritual journey. When Paul used this metaphor with the Galatian church, he wondered aloud who enekopsen (cut off and blocked) you from obeying the truth after running the race of faith so well. This Greek verb is a running term used when one athlete crosses the path of another too closely and so hinders their race. For Paul, the thing that hindered the Galatians from running toward the gospel of grace was the law. Although no one forced them off course illegally, these Christians were enekopsen by trying to earn that grace. They looked as perfect as possible on the outside, but internally that pursuit was causing spiritual destruction. Today, Paul’s question is just as poignant for us as it was for the Galatians. What is that thing in our own lives that is hindering us from fully running toward the gospel of grace? Whatever the answer may be, it’s worth avoiding at all costs to experience the fruitfulness that running after Jesus brings.

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How will I stand for the Gospel in my spheres of influence?

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
– Galatians 5:13 ESV

GREEK
ἀφορμὴν/aphormēn: a base of operations; a base camp

CONSIDER
In 2023, a record number of climbers on Mount Everest lost their lives. In all, 18 people (more than 2.5% of all climbers) died attempting to reach “the roof of the world.” And yet, officials estimate that at least 11 of these 18 deaths were preventable through making wiser decisions. As odd as it sounds, one choice that proved fatal to a group of climbers was to spend too little time at base camp. Why? Base camp is a welcoming place in which to linger, providing a sense of community in the vast wilderness of Everest. With support, supplies, and serenity readily available, it can be a destination unto itself. But leaving base camp too soon can prove deadly because the altitude gain from there is too much for one’s body without being properly acclimatized. It’s the perfect location to pursue your dreams – so long as you have the patience to use it correctly.
This is how Paul thought of the freedom we have in Jesus. He tells us in Galatians 5:13, “do not use your freedom as aphormēn (a base of operations; a base camp) for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” In other words, he is urging us not to allow our freedom to be the starting point or base of operations for selfish living and greedy activity. This often happens by not spending enough time in the presence of God found there. Instead, we must leverage the rest, liberty, and peace of our freedom to listen for his voice as we acclimate ourselves to the heights of caring for people. When we live this selflessly, the freedom that Christ has earned on our behalf can also serve as aphormēn to display his glory.

APPLY
Who do I need to serve out of love?

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
– Galatians 5:14 ESV

GREEK
πεπλήρωται/peplērōtai: is crammed to capacity

CONSIDER
With some 472 stations, the New York subway system is an engineering and logistical wonder. It moves 3 million people per day using more than 6,000 train cars. Anyone who has ever used the subway during rush hour may relate to the experience of wondering – either silently or aloud – if it’s physically possible to squeeze another person onto the car they’re riding in. But on October 29, 2015, a record 6.2 million people rode the subway in New York, more than twice the average number of patrons. Although no significant safety issues were reported that day, just the idea of riding a train that full could cause a visceral reaction for many!
The Galatian church would have heard a wonderful and revolutionary message when they first read the following: For the whole law peplērōtai (is crammed to capacity) in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” To many Israelites, adherence to the law was a means to very specific individual ends. Should you live the way the law required, you would be rewarded with the benefits of Heaven. But when Paul came proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, he taught that the law had the potential to be far more than a personal vehicle to glory. The law is actually crammed to capacity through sacrificially loving our neighbor as ourselves! God’s expectations for how we live our lives are the avenue through which those around us can be taken care of. And because serving people in love is so robust, there is absolutely nothing that can be added to it. The unique thing about caring for our neighbors this way is that, much like the subway system on a busy day, God gives us a seemingly endless capacity to love as we leverage our time, talent, and treasure for his glory. And when we do, we are following Jesus’ lead, who came to fulfill the law (see Matthew 5:17) with the life he laid down for us.

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Who do I need to serve out of love?

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
– Galatians 5:15 ESV

GREEK
κατεσθίετε/katesthiete: eat up until there is nothing left of

CONSIDER
Psalm 69 is a poem that describes the Psalmist’s passion for the house of the Lord. It’s a passion that causes those around him to mock and even turn away from him. But despite this rejection from others, his desire to be where God is completely consumes his thoughts and energy. When Jesus began his earthly ministry, people with varying opinions of the Rabbi from Nazareth linked him to this Psalm (see John 2:17). He was despised and rejected by many, and still his thoughts and energy were swallowed up by his desire for the house of the Lord.
Paul knew a thing or two about passion for the house of the Lord as well. Before his conversion to Christ, he was so consumed with purity for God’s house that he killed those who followed Jesus, thinking he was cleansing the synagogues of heresy. After meeting Jesus, Paul’s energies were eaten up by proclaiming his name to as many people as possible. So the warning he shares with the Galatians about misdirected passion is a poignant one. “But if you bite and katesthiete (eat up until there is nothing left of) one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Paul understood the human tendency to allow something that we care deeply about to completely consume our reserves of compassion and strength. We sometimes fixate on things that are far less significant than the presence of God, and misdirect that passion in a way that can katesthiete our ability to serve others out of love. Politics, sports, and careers are easy to point at, but the truth is just about anything can distract us from our mission to love God and others if we let them. Only by letting the gospel of Jesus katesthiete every part of us can we fully tap into the power to serve the people God has placed in our lives.

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Who do I need to serve out of love?

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
– Galatians 5:16 ESV

GREEK
τελέσητε/telesēte: bring a longing to a complete end by fulfilling

CONSIDER
Pickles and ice cream. Chips and relish. Chicken and toothpaste. The list of cravings reported by pregnant women is as long and numerous as the aisles in the grocery store. Some soon-to-be Moms do their best to hold out and resist the temptation as long as they can, while others satisfy their cravings as swiftly as possible. Either way, the persistent nagging of these strong desires is real and aggressively demands to be addressed.
But it’s not just our stomachs that develop cravings. Paul, in the book of Galatians, speaks of multiple desires of the flesh. And these fleshly cravings can go unfulfilled through walking by the Spirit. The apostle wants his readers to know that being in lock-step with the Spirit is the way to ensure that we will not telesēte (bring a longing to a complete end by fulfilling) the desires of the flesh. We may think that whatever impure, sensual desires we have will only come to an end by giving in to those desires. But Paul wants us to know that following the guidance of the Holy Spirit is a far more effective way to eliminate our fleshly passions. Because the power of the Spirit is greater than the power of this world (1 John 4:4), he is able to both guide us away from temptation and provide us with the things that our whole selves authentically need. In the moments when our flesh seems to be the loudest voice in our lives, it’s good to know that the Spirit can cut through the din with a faithfulness that produces lasting fruit.

APPLY
Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in your life.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
– Galatians 5:25 ESV

GREEK
στοιχῶμεν/stoichōmen: walk in cadence; walk in an orderly line

CONSIDER
In 1863, chemist Joseph Wilbrand thought he had struck it rich. After a lengthy trial and error process, he believed that he had finally perfected trinitrotoluene for use as a yellow dye. Things seemed to shake out the way Wilbrand had hoped and for roughly 30 years this substance was a fairly effective coloring agent. However, at the turn of the 20th century, trinitrotoluene – or TNT – was discovered to have devastatingly powerful explosive properties. Although it has many positive applications today, TNT earned notoriety for being the explosive of choice for both sides of both World Wars. In the years after his death, the agent that shaped Wilbrand’s legacy altogether stopped being used as a dye and was instead used to cause an untold number of deaths worldwide.
It can be upsetting, to say the least, when someone’s life takes an unexpected turn for the worse. But when that turn could have been avoided altogether, it can lead to significant anger, resentment, and loss. Throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has been concerned that his readers would not be misled by things that could never deliver on their promises. So it seems that today’s verse could be a summary of his thoughts on the matter: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also stoichōmen (walk in cadence; walk in an orderly line) with the Spirit.” Paul states here that if the Galatians were being made alive through the Spirit’s power at work in their lives, they should keep in lock-step with Him and not begin marching to the beat of another drummer. It’s as if his readers were growing in freedom and vitality, but had found a way to use their newfound freedom to stoichōmen with things that lead away from life. Paul himself knew first-hand the joy of walking in an orderly line behind the One who could lead to abundant life. As the Spirit we follow points to Jesus (John 14, 1 John 5), may we direct others toward the gospel of grace with the fruit of our lives.

APPLY
Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in your life.

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
– Galatians 5:26 ESV

GREEK
κενόδοξοι/kenodoxoi: full of empty glory

CONSIDER
Not many people in their late 60s can legitimately boast about their athletic accomplishments from high school, but Kathy McMillan is certainly one of them. As an 18-year-old in 1976, McMillan set the National long jump record, leaping an astonishing 22 feet 3 inches. Not only did this shatter the previous best jump, but the 48-year-old mark remains the oldest national high school record to be untied or unbroken. While some adults reminisce about being a gym-class hero and try to bask in the glory of feats that become embellished over time, Kathy McMillan has enjoyed nearly 5 decades of empirical evidence that she really was the best to ever do it.
However, as impressive as that is, today’s verse provides incredible insight into why boasting about one’s accomplishments can be so dangerous. It says, “Let us not become kenodoxoi (full of empty glory), provoking one another, envying one another.” This Greek adjective is a compound word composed of kenos (empty) and doxa (glory), so quite literally it means “boastful where there is nothing to boast about.” There’s a double-barreled warning here; when we become kenodoxoi we not only impact people externally by needlessly provoking them with our boasts, but we also impact ourselves internally because our empty words leave us envious of the achievements of others. Our exploits will always leave us empty because they were never designed to fill the spiritual void our sin creates. But they can still serve a purpose by being a tangible reminder that the gospel of grace is the only thing robust enough to satisfy the longings of our spirit.

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Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in your life.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
– Galatians 6:1 ESV

GREEK
πραΰτητος/prautētos: gentle strength; power with reserve

CONSIDER
After sharing about the fruit people can expect to develop from being connected to the Holy Spirit, Paul immediately turned his attention to how that fruit can tangibly impact our lives. He gives the example of a person being caught in any transgression, and how those of us who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of prautētos (gentle strength, power with reserve). At first this definition may appear to be an oxymoron; how can strength be gentle, or power be used in reserve? But this Greek word isn’t an adjective that describes a person’s behavior, it’s a noun that describes what a person possesses! In other words, prautētos – a fruit of the Spirit – is what grows in us as Spirit-Led people, not simply how we choose to act. So Paul is commanding his readers to do the difficult work of relationship restoration by being people who direct the gentle strength they have received from the Spirit. If this sounds too hard to put into practice, we must remember that without Christ’s power, it is too hard to put into practice! But because Jesus modeled this very prautētos through his obedience to the Father on his journey to the cross, we can cultivate the fruit that his Spirit longs to develop in us.

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What relationship is God asking me to invest in?

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
– Galatians 6:2 ESV

GREEK
βαστάζετε/bastazete: pick up and carry away

CONSIDER
At Centerway, we have a Because and Therefore statement that is rooted in the reality of today’s verse: Because God gave us everything we value GENEROSITY therefore we are open-handed and happily go above and beyond with our time, our talent, and our treasure. We steward our spiritual gifts and serve. We are contributors not consumers.
It was Paul’s conviction that the way to completely inhabit the law of Christ was to bastazete (pick up and carry away) one another’s burdens. This Greek verb expresses an action that goes way beyond simply being nice or offering condolences for what someone is going through. Choosing to bastazete one another’s burdens means to lift the weight they are experiencing and carry it away as if it were ours! For Paul, being open-handed with one’s resources fulfills the law Christ expects us to adhere to. Why? Because while we were enemies with God, Jesus was open-handed with his considerable resources so that he could bear our burdens (Romans 5:8). Make no mistake – shouldering the load of responsibility for the burden of others will require our time, talent, and treasure. But when we reflect the generosity of Jesus with our lives, we are also cultivating the fruit that the Spirit has planted in the soil of our hearts.

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What relationship is God asking me to invest in?

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
– Galatians 6:3 ESV

GREEK
φρεναπατᾷ/phrenapata: he acts from a distorted perspective toward

CONSIDER
Is there anything more hilarious than a story or interaction that culminates in the phrase, “Do you know who I am?” Typically, the person saying it is indignant that they are being treated like a commoner because, in their mind, they are entitled to some privilege based on their identity. Whether it’s a speeding ticket, a slow line at the store, or a better seat at the table, it can be downright comical to watch someone argue for different treatment because they are better than other people! Ironically, the need to ask the question indicates that this person doesn’t have the kind of influence they think they do.
Today’s verse is best understood in the context of the verse that comes before it. Paul commands us to bear each other’s burdens in verse 2, and then warns of what happens when we think the command doesn’t apply to us: “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, phrenapata (he acts with a distorted perspective toward) himself.” The unique thing about this Greek verb is not only that it is the only time it is used in the entire Bible, but scholars believe that Paul might have actually coined this phrase. These verses together imply that if anyone believes they have an excuse for not bearing each other’s burdens they are acting with a distorted perspective on themselves and are confused inside and out. Much like people who ask, “Do you know who I am?” each of us is guilty of believing that the law of Christ doesn’t apply to us at one time or another. But Paul calls that perspective distorted and doesn’t excuse anyone from serving like Jesus. He is the only human to ever live whose pedigree, credentials, and connections were legitimate enough to be exempt from serving others. Instead, Christ emptied himself and bore the burdens of humanity so that we could live in true righteousness forever (1 Peter 2:24). The best way to keep from self-deception is to take our eyes off ourselves and keep them firmly fixed on his character.

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What relationship is God asking me to invest in?

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
– Galatians 6:8 ESV

GREEK
φθοράν/phthoran: decay, decomposition

CONSIDER
Whether you know it or not, several monumental events took place in 1832. That was the year the first wagon train crossed the Rocky Mountains, the year President Andrew Jackson was elected to a second term, and the year Jonathan the Tortoise was hatched. Why does Jonathan make this list? Because as of June 2024, he is the oldest living land animal at 191 years of age! For further perspective, Jonathan was one of the first animals to be photographed in the 1880s on the island of St. Helena when he was more than 50 years old. He has slowed considerably and has lost his sight and ability to smell, but Jonathan is enjoying his twilight years grazing on his tropical island.
It probably goes without saying, but humans love to celebrate Jonathan because we recognize that living things eventually die. Some life spans are measured in days, some in years, and others in decades. Put morbidly, each day we live is one day closer to our last. But in Galatians, Paul lays out a simple principle to avoid the sting of death. He tells us, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap phthoran (decay, decomposition), but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” It’s known as the principle of sowing and reaping: As the years cause our flesh to phthoran, sowing – or investing – in fleshly things will produce a harvest of phthoran. Thankfully, Paul teaches that sowing to the Spirit of God will cause us to reap eternal life from the Spirit. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, he was entitled to a harvest of eternity with the Father. But because of his great love, He chose instead to confer what he deserved to us and, at the cross, exchanged our decay for his vitality. Now we are free to diligently sow spiritual seed as a response to the life-giving work Jesus finished on our behalf.​

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Where is God calling me to remain diligent?

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
– Galatians 6:9 ESV

GREEK
ἐκλυόμενοι/eklyomenoi: willingly turn from the source of our strength; succumb to that which wears one out

CONSIDER
In Matthew 15, Jesus and his disciples had a difficult decision to make. There was a crowd of over four thousand people that had been following them around for three days, and they hadn’t eaten in that span of time. As tempting as it was to command them to disperse and fend for themselves, Jesus instead had compassion on the crowd. He knew that unless they were given a meal, they would lose all their strength and succumb to their inner fatigue. Seven loaves of bread and a few fish later, Jesus had miraculously stretched a meal for a handful of folks into a feast with leftovers! Christ’s heart for weary people was the catalyst for his supernatural work.
We all know what it’s like to run on fumes. In seasons of life when our energy is failing, it’s good to remember that Jesus sees us and is moved with compassion. It can be tempting to assume that our ability to make the right decisions is in direct proportion to our personal reserve of internal strength. But Paul indicates here in Galatians 6:9 that we have a source of power completely apart from our personal reserves! He says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not eklyomenoi(willingly turn from the source of our strength).” In seasons of weariness, the thing that will bring a harvest of blessing is to press into Jesus and the Good News of his love. Make no mistake, giving up won’t happen simply because we grow physically or emotionally weary; it happens when we forget where our true source of strength is found. Because of Jesus, we have the grace to remain diligent until our promised harvest is ripe for the picking.

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Where is God calling me to remain diligent?

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
– Galatians 6:10 ESV

ἐργαζώμεθα/ergazōmetha: we should work for [the]; we should commit to laboring toward doing

CONSIDER
Whether it was incredible foresight or just dumb luck, Chris Clark struck it rich in a way many of us find ourselves daydreaming about. In 1994, Clark bought the domain pizza.com for $20, hoping this internet thing would really take off. Year after year, he simply clicked a button and renewed his site thinking that someone would eventually buy it for more than he paid for. In 2008, Clark’s dream became a reality and pizza.com sold at auction for an amazing $2.6 million! Although he had high hopes, Chris Clark never imagined his $20 investment and marginal effort would yield a 130,000x profit in a relatively short 14 year span.
As silly as it may sound, this is how some people approach their relationships with others. We invest a relatively small amount, do a bit of annual maintenance, and hope that this work will somehow benefit us in the long run. But within Paul’s command to his readers in Galatians 6:10, there is an important verb that must be properly understood if we are to care for people well. He tells us, “So then, as we have opportunity, ergazōmetha (we should labor toward doing) good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” This verb goes well beyond passively wishing someone well; it’s Paul’s conviction that those who follow Jesus should expend their resources in the attempt to do good to everyone. Jesus modeled this attitude. He didn’t just wish that his Father’s will would be enacted – he left the majesty of Heaven to sweat, weep, and even bleed for people to have access to the goodness of God. It requires both intentionality and maximum effort on our part if we want to obey this command fully. So while it might be nice to wish for relationships that produce good things without requiring we work for them, striving to match Jesus’ compassion for people demands we roll up our sleeves and put effort into ensuring we’re part of the process!

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Where is God calling me to remain diligent?

It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
– Galatians 6:12 ESV

GREEK
εὐπροσωπῆσαι/euprosōpēsai: to show-off through their outward appearance

CONSIDER
What an incredible series this has been! Throughout Galatians, Paul has been adamant about how the grace of God leads to a change of pace from striving to look the part spiritually, to resting in the finished work of the Gospel. Now, in his final words to his readers, Paul reiterates the importance of that rest, and points out the folly of “those who want euprosōpēsai(to show-off through their outward appearance) who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
It brings to mind one of our Because & Therefore statements at Centerway:
Because we’ve been awarded grace we value AUTHENTICITY…
therefore we honestly do life together, don’t try to hide our mess, and don’t lead second rate versions of our one and only life.
While the desire to “look the part” held huge appeal for 1st-century Christians, the temptation to show off through outward performance is as strong today as it’s ever been. Thankfully, Paul experienced the kind of grace that disarms the desire euprosōpēsai and chose to share that grace with us. He refers to it as the Gospel of Jesus Christ – God’s Good News for humanity. In a world that is desperate for authenticity, it’s the Gospel that frees us to express love to the Lord and serve everyone around us without regard for how we look or who gets the credit.

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Start every morning this week speaking the Gospel over your life.

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
– Galatians 6:15 ESV

GREEK
καινὴ/kainē: fresh, unused

CONSIDER
When God’s people cried out to him as slaves in Egypt, he responded by parting the Red Sea and providing manna to eat in the wilderness. When they were on the brink of dying of thirst during that time, God caused water to pour out of a rock. When blind, deaf, lame, and broken people approached Jesus to be healed, he lovingly performed miracle after miracle, yet never doing so the same way twice. It seems as though God enjoys rescuing his people in diverse and creative ways. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet warns not to reflect on the past as a template for how God will work in the present because he is about to do something new as he makes highways in the wilderness and streams in the desert (see Isaiah 43:18-19). And in many ways, Paul instructs us in today’s verse to approach God in the same way. He tells us, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a kainē (fresh, unused) creation.” In other words, the argument in his day over how to best please God doesn’t amount to anything because, through Jesus, we have become a completely fresh and unique creation. He is doing a work in us that no amount of rule-following could ever mimic, and as he does, we are being designed for a greater purpose than we could ever imagine! The Gospel reminds us that we should reflect on our past to remember what God has brought us from, but that our past cannot define us because the cross of Christ has made us kainē.

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Start every morning this week speaking the Gospel over your life.

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
– Galatians 6:17 ESV

GREEK
στίγματα/stigmata: physical imprints such as branding symbols or tattoos

CONSIDER
Throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has been asserting that the physical act of circumcision isn’t necessary to display authentic faith in Jesus. Because of the Gospel of grace – his finished work on the cross – Christ invites us to rest in him since his sacrifice fulfilled the law on our behalf. But just because Jesus’ body was broken for us doesn’t mean that faithfully living for him won’t come with its share of scars. Paul himself says that he should be treated with respect, “for I bear on my body the stigmata (branding symbols or other physical imprint) of Jesus.” This is the only time in the entire Bible that this Greek word is used, and it specifically refers to a mark that would be burned onto the skin of a slave in New Testament times, indicating that they belonged to a specific owner. Throughout Paul’s life as a Christian, he had been subjected to stonings, beatings, and other punishments that left his physical body broken and marred. But instead of using these stigmata as proof of his righteousness (the way his peers used circumcision), Paul saw them as proof that he belonged to Jesus, whose own broken body had earned righteousness for Paul! For us today, living an authentically Christ-centered life may not necessarily result in stoning or beatings. But because Christ demands our all, our lives will be indelibly marked in a unique way that will bring him ultimate glory and us ultimate joy.

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Start every morning this week speaking the Gospel over your life.