Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Life by the Spirit
13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”5:14 Lev. 19:18 15If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever5:17 Or you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Sloboda u Kristu
1Za tu nas je slobodu Krist oslobodio. Ustrajte u njoj i ne dopustite da vas opet upregnu u jaram ropstva.
2Slušajte me! Ja, Pavao, kažem vam: obrežete li se da biste bili pravedni pred Bogom, uzalud će vam biti Krist. 3Ponovit ću: pokušavate li steći Božju naklonost obrezanjem, morate se držati svih odredbi Zakona. 4Jer ako se pred Bogom trudite opravdati držanjem Zakona, prekinuli ste s Kristom! Ispali ste iz Božje milosti. 5Ali mi koji živimo po Duhu nestrpljivo iščekujemo da primimo sve što je obećano nama, pred Bogom opravdanima vjerom u Krista. 6Jer kad smo u Kristu Isusu, nije nimalo važno jesmo li obrezani ili nismo. Važna je vjera koja se očituje djelima u ljubavi.
7Dobro ste započeli trku. Tko vas je omeo i spriječio da i dalje slijedite istinu? 8Bog sigurno nije jer vas je upravo on i pozvao na slobodu. 9Dovoljno je malo zla da sve pokvari, kao što malo kvasca ukvasi sve tijesto. 10Pouzdajem se u Gospodina da ćete opet misliti kao i ja. A tko vas zbunjuje, ma tko to bio, bit će za to kažnjen.
11Neki govore da čak i ja propovijedam kako su obrezanje i Zakon nužni za spasenje. Da to doista propovijedam, Židovi me više ne bi progonili jer ih takva poruka, koja nije o križu, ne bi sablažnjavala. 12Da barem ti učitelji koji vas uznemiruju zahtjevom da se obrežete sami sebe uškope!
13Jer vi ste, draga braćo, pozvani živjeti u slobodi—ali ne da bi vam ona služila kao izlika za zadovoljavanje vlastite grešne naravi, već u slobodi da jedni drugima u ljubavi služite. 14Jer sav se Zakon može sažeti u jednu jedinu zapovijed: “Ljubi svoga bližnjega kao sebe samoga!”5:14 Levitski zakonik 19:18. 15Ali ako se međusobno grizete i izjedate, pazite da se međusobno ne istrijebite!
Život u sili svetoga Duha
16Želim, naime, reći: živite novim životom u Svetome Duhu pa nećete ugađati požudama stare, grešne naravi! 17Stara, grešna narav želi činiti zlo, što se protivi Svetome Duhu. A želje Svetoga Duha protive se našoj grešnoj naravi. To je dvoje neprestano u sukobu pa ne možete neometano činiti što biste htjeli. 18Ali, ako vas vodi Sveti Duh, niste više podložni Zakonu.
19Očito je kakvim djelima vodi stara, grešna narav tijela: bludnosti, nečistoći, razvratu, 20idolopoklonstvu, vračanju, neprijateljstvu, svađi, ljubomori, srdžbi, spletkarenju, razdorima i strančarenju, 21zavisti, pijankama, razuzdanim zabavama i sličnima. Još jednom ću vam ponoviti: koji tako čine, neće baštiniti Božjega kraljevstva.
22Ali kada Sveti Duh nadzire naš život, donosi drukčiji rod: ljubav, radost, mir, strpljivost, blagost, dobrotu, vjernost, 23krotkost i uzdržljivost. To se ne protivi Zakonu.
24Tko pripada Kristu, raspeo je strasti i požude svoje grešne, tjelesne naravi. 25Ako sada živimo po Svetome Duhu, u svemu se po njemu ravnajmo! 26Ne budimo umišljeni, ne izazivajmo jedni druge i ne budimo zavidni!
