Kinder 1
NT Exegesis Step 1—Historical Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
- For the Book:
o Who was the author?
Paul the apostle (1:1, Παῦλος ἀπόστολος).
This almost completely undisputed in this
particular book by reason of Paul’s personal
account of his life in the beginning of the
epistle which is consistent with the Acts
account.
o Who were the intended recipients?
There is much debate over this. The simple
answer is “the churches of Galatia” (1:2,
ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας). The question
is, what was Paul meaning by the term
Galatia? Two views are offered: the northern
Gallic Kingdom of Galatia that was annexed
into the Roman Empire in 25 B.C. (An
Introduction to the New Testament 458), or
the Roman Provence of Galatia which included
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many cities in the south which we know Paul
visited. Although the evidences are not so
compelling on either side as to be
dogmatically certain, the Roman Province
(South Galatia) view is preferred for the
following reasons. First, the cities that
are excluded by mention of simply the
northern region are key cities which Paul
visited on his first missionary journey:
Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch
(The Bible Knowledge Commentary 588, Acts 13-
14). Second, geographically speaking,
Northern Galatia would be an odd place for
Paul to end up in his missionary journeys,
even more odd would be the opposition of
foreign Judaizing radicals to show up in such
an undeveloped area to oppose his teachings
(An Introduction to the New Testament 459-
60). Finally, Paul, being Roman, would
naturally use the Roman imperial names for
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the Provinces rather than a more historical
name (INT 459).
o What was the place of writing?
Taking the southern Galatia view, the place
could be best estimated as Antioch of Syria
(The Bible Knowledge Commentary 588).
o What was the date of writing?
Again, the southern Galatia view advocates
for A.D. 48 (New Testament Survey 270)
o What kind of relationship existed between the
author and intended recipients?
Although Paul and Barnabas founded these
churches (Acts 13-14), the Judaizers brought
Paul’s apostleship under question, and the
Galatians were apparently slipping from
orthodox soteriology (An Introduction to the
New Testament 466, The Bible Knowledge
Commentary 588). Paul was apparently accused
of teaching circumcision (5:11), and of
preaching the gospel in order to please men
Kinder 4
and to gain status (1:10, An Introduction to
the New Testament 467-68). As a result, the
relationship between the churches and Paul is
questionable. There were doubtlessly still
loyalties to Paul’s teaching in the church,
but the relationship was strained enough that
Paul felt compelled to try to mend their view
of him in the first two chapters of the book
by defending his apostolic authority.
o What situation caused the writing?
The “gospel perverters” or Judaizers were the
main focus of and reason for the epistle
(1:7, 4:17).
o What is the purpose of the writing? Is it
explicitly stated?
Paul sets out to defend his apostolic
authority (1:8-9), to affirm the doctrine of
justification by faith alone (3:1-3), to have
them “zealously affected” in a good thing
Kinder 5
(ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ) (4:18), and to defend
Christian liberty (5:1).
o What was the city of the intended recipients? What
was it like—it’s history, geography, religions,
economy, politics, population size, population
type, etc?
The recipients were not a city, but a
Province. Southern Galatia was part of the
Roman Empire, and was heterogeneous. There
were three major people-groups that were
settled in the area: the Celts, the
Phrygians, and the Hebrews. The largest
group, the Celts, was actually the people for
whom they named the province. Galatia is an
adapted word and a cognate for Celts. These
people settled the land from modern day
France, and were very slow to adapt to
Hellenistic culture (with the exception of
language). They were prone to fighting for
honor, and had a naturalistic religion that
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was centered in the elements. The Phrygians
were a people group that was conquered by the
Celts prior to Roman annexation. These
people as a result made up much of the slave
class in this province. Their religion has
striking similarities to old Jewish religion.
They believed in a “mountain-mother” goddess
named Cybele and her companion Attis who was
an androgynous being. According to their
religion, Attis castrated himself, and this
became the norm for any priests of Cybele’s
temple. Coincidentally, both the Celtic and
Phrygian people abstained from pork because
Attis was supposedly killed by a wild boar.
The Hebrews were present as the result of a
deportation of 2,000 Jews into the area in
210 B.C. They were well assimilated by the
time of Paul’s day. These considerations
show the appeal for the circumcision-gospel,
with the combination placing spiritual
Kinder 7
significance on abstaining from unclean meats
and from circumcision as a physical ritual to
demonstrate piety before God. (Rand).
- For the Passage:
o What is mentioned in the passage that is of a
historical, cultural, etc nature?
Galatians 5:1-6 is mostly theological in
nature, although circumcision is mentioned
several times. See note on intended
recipients.
o What did you learn about these historical, etc
things from a Bible encyclopedia/dictionary and/or
commentary?
According to Nelson’s Bible Dictionary,
circumcision was “a symbol for purity of
heart and readiness to hear and obey.” He
notes that circumcision, while physical, is
not necessarily for God’s favor even in the
Old Testament, but rather is a sign of a
spiritual heart-circumcision (Lev. 26:41-42).
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The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary also
notes that more than just Jews practiced
circumcision in ancient times. Hebrews,
Arabians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and
Egyptians all practiced this ritual, while
Babylonians, Assyrians, Canaanites, and
Philistines did not.
Works Cited
Moo, Douglas J. and D. A. Carson. An Introduction to the New
Testament. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.
Kinder 9
Rand, Thomas A. "Set Free And Set Right: Ritual, Theology,
And The Inculturation Of
The Gospel In Galatia." Worship 75.5 (2001): 453-468.
ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 1 Apr.
2013.
Tenney, Merrill C. New Testament Survey. Grand Rapids: WM.
B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1985. Print.
—. The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Publishing
House, 1967. Print.
Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge
Commentary. Colorado
Springs: David C Cook, 1983. Print.
Youngblood, Ronald F. Nelson’s Student Bible Dictionary: A
Complete Guide to
Understanding the World of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson, 2005. Print.
Kinder 10
NT Exegesis Step 2—Literary Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
- For the Book:
o What is the genre of the book [see UGM 95-96]?
The genre for the book would be epistle. The
book’s genre goes from narrative (chapters 1-
2) to doctrinal treatise (chapters 3-4), to
exhortation and instruction (chapters 5-6).
o What are the themes of the book?
The themes of the book are justification by
faith alone, warning against defection from
the one true gospel, and Christian living in
light of Christian liberty. There is also a
defense of Paul’s apostleship that could be
considered a theme.
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o What is the outline of the book?
I. Paul defends his apostleship and condemns
the Galatian Church for their apostasy from
the true Gospel (chapters 1-2)
1:1-1:5, Introduction and benediction
1:6-1:8, Problem stated: the gospel perverted
1:9-1:12, Paul’s defense of the Divine nature
and origin of his Gospel
1:13-24, Paul’s past as a persecutor as a
testimony of his present convictions and
Divine Gospel
2:1-10, Paul’s approval by the Jerusalem
Church as a testimony of his commission to be
an apostle to the Gentiles
2:11-21, Paul’s rebuke of Peter in Antioch as
a demonstration of his apostolic authority
II. Paul defends the doctrine of
justification by faith and unravels his
opponents’ arguments (chapters 3-4)
3:1-5, Galatians rebuked for their
foolishness, the logic of their doctrine
unraveled, and the consistency of their faith
confounded
3:6-9, Grace given to Abraham demonstrates
justification without the Law
3:10-12, The curse of the Law explained
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3:13-14, Christ’s absorption of the curse to
secure the Abrahamic promise to us
3:15-18, The promise of inheritance to
Abraham predating the Law demonstrates that
the Law cannot add stipulations to achieving
what has already been promised
3:19-25, The reason for the Law explained: a
restrainer of sin, a schoolmaster to point us
to Christ, and a judge to condemn all under
sin
3:26-29, The alternative of adoption into
God’s family through Christ presented as a
great equalizer and the true way to secure
the realization of the promises of God
4:1-7, The concepts of the tutelage of the
Law and us as heirs of God expounded
4:8-11, The Galatians’ turn to Jewish Law is
compared to the paganism of their former
religions characterized by idolatry
4:12-20, Paul marvels at their apparently
quick demonization of him under the influence
of the Judaizers when they formerly loved him
4:21-31, The story of Hagar and Rachel made
into an allegory to illustrate the
relationship between the Gospel of liberty
and the gospel of bondage
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III. Paul encourages the Galatian Church to
apply the truths of Christian liberty to
their lives and demonstrates how this is
practically possible (chapters 5-6)
5:1-6, In light of the former arguments, Paul
encourages the Galatians to stand strong in
the liberty of Christ and His Gospel,
concluding that following the Law only
condemns and enslaves the circumcised and
keeps them away from God’s grace which is
realized by faith alone
5:7-12, Paul directs an attack at his
opponents the Judaizers, warns not to allow
them to bring in false doctrine to the church
5:13-15, Encouragement to fulfill the Law in
another way; namely, through love
5:16-26, The miracle of the Spiritual fruit
replacing the carnal fruit as a demonstration
of the effectiveness of the way of grace in
forgiving sin and freeing man from the power
of present sin
6:1-5, A demonstration of how Christ’s law of
liberty works in relation to a sinning
brother
6:6-8, A demonstration of how God’s plan of
economy works itself out in Christian
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liberty, an encouragement to be generous to
ministers
6:9-10, A summary encouragement to do good to
all men as a result of the truth of Christ’s
Gospel that we shall one day reap from
6:11-13, Paul attacks the character of the
Judaizers, exposes their true intent and
cowardice
6:14-18, Paul defends his own character
again, argues from his own scars of
persecution that he has preached the truth
without fear, closing benediction
- For the Passage:
o Why do you think this passage is a complete unit
of thought, i.e. a paragraph, distinct from the
verses before and after?
The presence of οὖν in verse 1 (therefore)
demonstrates that this is a new paragraph;
also there is an obvious change in content
following the allegory of Rachel and Hagar.
Following verse 6 we see a question that
changes the subject from what the Judaizers
taught (circumcision) to who the Judaizers
were (leaven, them that “trouble” the
Galatians).
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o What is the genre of the passage [see UGM 95-96]?
The genre is exhortation, as seen by the
imperatives στήκετε (stand firm) and μὴ
ἐνέχεσθε (do not be subject).
o What are the themes of the passage?
The themes in these verses are Christ’s
liberty vs. the debt of the Law, and the
uselessness of circumcision and
uncircumcision
o How do this passage’s themes relate to the rest of
the Bible as a whole? (i.e., Canonical Context)
The theme of Christian liberty is seen mostly
in the New Testament. Such a liberty of
Spiritual guidance as opposed to guidance by
means of the Law is alluded to in the Old
Testament (Jer. 31:33), but never came to
fruition until Christ came to liberate us
from the Law (Rom. 8:2-4). The Bible teaches
elsewhere of an obligation to fulfill the Law
completely or to inherit Abraham’s promises
through faith (Rom. 4:16). Such an ultimatum
has been present throughout the Old and New
Testaments, whether there was a Law or not.
Circumcision has been a theme throughout the
Bible. It was first seen in Abraham as a
sign of God’s covenant to him (Gen. 17:10),
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as was described as a “token” of the covenant
between God and Abraham. This ritual was
expounded on in the Law (Lev. 12:1-3). Most
of Israel’s neighbors did not practice
circumcision, and so this practice
distinguished them from other nations. The
Old Testament also speaks of the circumcision
of the heart (Deut. 30:6). This circumcision
that is not physical is symbolic for a love
for God, and of a yielding obedience to His
commands (Deut. 10:6). Israel is compared
with Gentile nations when they are
“uncircumcised in heart” (Jer. 9:26). The
New Testament takes the idea of circumcision
and apparently (though not explicitly, so a
comparison must not be too closely drawn)
replaces it with baptism as a token of
devotion to God. As a result, New Testament
instances of circumcision are more usually
talking about the covenant of Abraham or of
devotion to God rather than of physical
circumcision (but see Acts 16:3). Paul
speaks elsewhere of circumcision as a
cutting-off of the sinful flesh, which Jesus
personally performs on us upon our Spiritual
rebirth (Col. 2:11).
Kinder 17
o How do this passage’s themes relate to other
passages of the Bible? (i.e., Canonical Context)
The doctrine of Christian liberty can be seen
best expounded in Romans 7:1-6. This teaches
us that there is a direct correlation between
our death to sin and our release from the
Law. The Law is to restrain our sin nature
while it is unrestrained by the Holy Spirit.
When we through Christ are dead to sin, we
are married to Christ and are released from
the obligation of the Law, because our bodies
are dead to it. Paul drives home the
doctrine of circumcision in Romans 2:25-29.
According to this passage then, there is a
decision to either trust circumcision and to
keep the whole Law, or to be circumcised in
the heart and be saved.
o How do this passage’s themes relate to the rest of
the book as a whole? (i.e., Remote Context)
Galatians 5:1-6 is the beginning of a new
section of the book where Paul begins to
encourage the Galatians to live out the
liberty that Christ has set before them.
Christian liberty from the Law was already
Kinder 18
defended in the book (3:1-5, 10-14, 4:5-7,
21-31). This passage is not so much an
original argument as it is a summary of his
arguments in the form of an exhortation.
Paul’s conclusion from his arguments is that
to be circumcised means to be obligated to do
the whole Law, and to be cut off from the
grace of Christ. Circumcision is not
addressed directly in the beginning of the
epistle except regarding Paul’s rebuke of
Peter (the Jews being those “of the
circumcision”). So this passage is actually
an introduction of this concept of
circumcision, both concluding the fallacy of
the legalism of the Judiazers, and
introducing a refutation of the necessity of
circumcision as taught by the Judaizers as a
result. Paul visits the concept of
circumcision one other time in the epistle as
a final warning before closing the book
(6:12-15).
o How do this passage’s themes relate to other
passages of the book? (i.e., Remote Context)
Christian liberty is explained and defended
in chapters 3 and 4. Paul uses arguments
from Abraham (3:1-9), from the nature of the
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Law itself (3:10-25), from the concept of
sonship (3:26-4:7), and from an allegory of
the bondwoman and freewoman (4:21-31).
Circumcision is only mentioned elsewhere in
this book in 2:11-14, and 6:13-15. The first
passage is where Paul refers to Jews as “the
circumcision” when he rebukes Peter. The
second is Paul’s final warning not to be
deceived by those who desired to have them
circumcised.
o How does this passage relate to the immediately
previous and immediately following sections of the
book [In other words, what led to this passage and
why and what in this passage leads to the
following passage]? (i.e., Immediate Context)
This passage immediately follows his allegory
of Rachel and Hagar, which was used to
illustrate the difference between the Law and
Christian liberty through grace. Paul picks
up from his instruction to provide a
practical exhortation to the Galatians with
his arguments in mind. He encourages them to
stand firm against the temptation to bring
themselves under the yoke of bondage again.
He was essentially comparing the bondage of
the Judaizers as no better than the bondage
Kinder 20
of the old Phrygian and Celtic religions
(4:8-10). Notice δουλεύειν in 4:9 compared
to δουλείας in 5:1. The observance of
holidays and abstention from pork and self-
castration was no worse than the observance
of Jewish feasts and abstention from unclean
meat and practicing circumcision. They were
both bondage and slavery. Paul continues
from this passage to make an emotional appeal
to the Galatians: “Ye did run well; who did
hinder you that ye should not obey the
truth?” (5:7). He argues that if
circumcision is taught, then there is really
no offense to the cross and no reason to
suffer persecution. He concludes on his
discourse on circumcision by noting—almost
sarcastically—that he wishes that the
Judaizers would go ahead and castrate
themselves (αποκοψονται is a future middle
indicative meaning ‘to cut away’,
demonstrating that Paul was not wishing them
to go to Hell, but rather literally to cut
themselves loose), which was the custom of
the day for pagan priests of that area.
Kinder 21
NT Exegesis Step 3 – Textual Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James KinderI. Preliminaries
a. Biblical Reference: Gal. 5:1b. Delineation of Problem:
i. List the readings. [chart below]ii. Label each reading as to the kind of variation is
involved (e.g., omission, addition, transposition of words, substitution). [chart below]
iii. Translate the alternatives so as to bring out the differences in meaning that each conveys. [chart below]
iv. List the major English versions that base their translation on each reading. [chart below]
Readings (UBSReading 1st)
Kind of Variationfrom the Other
Readings
Translation Major EnglishVersions UsingThis Reading
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε οὖν
Christ freedus for freedom; therefore stand!
ESV, NIV,NASB, YLT
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ transposition of Christ freed ESV, NIV, NASB
Kinder 22
Χριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε οὖν
words
us for freedom; therefore stand!
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε οὖν
substitution
Christ freedus for freedom; therefore stand!
-
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετε
addition, omission
The freedom in which Christ set us free; stand!
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳοὖν, ᾗ
Χριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετε
addition,transposition of
words
Therefore with the freedom, with which Christ set us free; stand!
KJV
ᾗ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε οὖν
substitution
For which freedom Christ set us free; therefore stand!
II. External Evidence
a. Accumulation of Evidence.i. List readings. [chart below]ii. Record the evidence for each from the textual
apparatus of UBS4: [chart below]
Readings Evidenceτῇ
ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς
Χριστὸς
A B (D* omit οὖν) P 33 (l1590 transpose οὖν after ,*אἐλευθερίᾳ) copsa, (bo)
Kinder 23
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖντῇ
ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖν
2א , C* (C2 ἐλευθερίᾳ οὖν) Ψ (0150 transpose οὖν afterἐλευθερίᾳ) (81 Χριστοῦ [sic]) 1241 1739 1881 Lectpt
Didymus
τῇἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε
οὖν
H 256 365 1175 (1319 omit οὖν) 1573 1962 (2127 omitἡμᾶς)
τῇἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
D1 (D2 ἡμᾶς, ᾗ Χριστός) 075 (6 104 424c 459 2464 l 596στήκετε οὖν) 263 (1912 στῆτε οὖν) syrh(mg) geo slav
(Cyril)
τῇἐλευθερίᾳοὖν, ᾗΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετε
424* (436 / 1439 ὁ for ᾗ) 1852 2200 Byz [K L] Lectpt. AD (/165 / 170 στήκωμεν) Asterius Basil Marcus-Eremita
Theodoret
ᾗἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
F G it(ar), (d), (f), g, (o), (r) (vg) (Marcionacc to Tertullian);(Victorinus-Rome) (Ambrosiaster) (Jerome) (Pelagius)
Kinder 24
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
b. Distribution of Evidence. Segregate the support for each reading into the various text types (cf. NTTC Appendix 2). [chart below]
Readings Byzantine Alexandrian Western Others/Unknowns
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
οὖν
A B P 33 *אcopsa, (bo) D* l 1590
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
οὖν
2א C* Ψ 811739
0150 12411881 LectptDidymus
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε οὖν
H 1175256 365 13191573 1962
2127
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
6 104 D
075 424 4592464 l 596263 1912 geoslav Cyril
syrh(mg)
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳοὖν, ᾗ
Χριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
K L
424* 436 l1439 1852
2200 Lectpt, AD
l 165 l 170Asterius
Basil Marcus-EremitaTheodoret
ᾗ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
it(ar), (d), (f),
g, (o), (r) (vg)F G
Ambrosiaster
Marcionacc to
Tertullian;Victorinus-Rome JeromePelagius
Kinder 25
οὖν
c. Date of Evidence. For each text type, record the century of all the evidence except the minuscules and lectionaries (cf. UBS4's Introduction). [chart below]
Readings Byzantine Alexandrian Western Others/Unknowns
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
οὖν
IV - *אA - VB - IVP - IX33 – IX
copsa, (bo) –IV, IX
D* - VI l 1590 - XIII
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
οὖν
2א - IVC* - V
Ψ - IX/X81 - 10441739 - X
0150 - IX1241 - XII1881 - XIV
Lectpt - IX-XIVDidymus - IV
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε οὖν
H - VI1175 - X
256 - XI/XII365 - XII1319 - XII1573 -XII/XIII
1962 - XI/XII2127 - XII
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
6 - XIII104 - 1087 D - VI
075 - X424 - XI459 - 10922464 - IX
l 596 - 1146263 - XIII1912 - Xgeo - Vslav - IXCyril - V
syrh(mg) - VIIτῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ
οὖν, ᾗΧριστὸς ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
K - IXL - IX
424* - XI436 - XI/XIIl 1439 - XII1852 - XIII2200 - XIV
Lectpt, AD - IX-XIV
l 165 - XI
Kinder 26
l 170 - XIVAsterius - IVBasil - IVMarcus-
Eremita - VTheodoret - V
ᾗ ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε
οὖν
it(ar), (d), (f),
g, (o), (r) - IX,V/VI, IX,IX, XV,VI/VII
(vg) - IV/V
F - IXG - IX
Ambrosiaster - IV
Marcionacc to
Tertullian -I(?)/II
Victorinus-Rome -IV
Jerome - IV/VPelagius -
IV/V
d. Evaluation of Evidence. Provide the reading that is best supported by the external evidence and provide the rationalesupporting this reading over the other readings. [chart below]
Reading Rationale
τῇἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖν
There were six different readings of this verse. Thethird reading has little support from late manuscriptsfrom one locality, and so can be dismissed. The fourthreading has wider geographical support, but not by much,and its manuscripts are later. The fifth reading haslate manuscripts, although it has some early churchquotations. It is also localized. The sixth readinghas some early support in the church fathers (though nomanuscripts are early), and some versional evidence from
the Byzantine versions, but the lack of earlymanuscripts cast doubt on the authenticity of this
reading. The first and second readings are very closeboth in meaning and in witnesses. The first reading canbe preferred because it has slightly more witnesses thatare early witnesses, although the verdict is not very
certain.
III. Internal Evidencea. Transcriptional Probabilities. Assuming that a reading is
not the original, provide several reasons for how it would have developed based on known types of scribal errors (cf. NTTC pg.16-17 and Appendix 1). [chart below]
Readings Possible Transcriptional Errors
Kinder 27
τῇἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
This would be a simple accidental transposition of words. Compared with reading 3, this would be a substitution.
τῇἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖν
This would also be a simple accidental transposition of words. It is possible that the scribe was influenced bythe word order in verse 2 (Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς). Compared withreading 3, this would be a substitution.
τῇἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε
οὖν
This would be a substitution, and could be intentional, but not certainly since the words are spelled and mean almost the same thing. στῆτε is the 2nd person plural imperative (or 2nd plural subjunctive) of ἵστημι which means “stand.” The word is very similar in meaning to στήκω, which means “stand firm” or “persevere.”
τῇἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
This is an addition plus an omission. The word ᾗ is added, possibly intentionally to clarify the meaning of the passage that the scribe thought Paul was communicating. The οὖν is dropped because of the grammatical consistency of this reading. If οὖν is present then the ᾗ doesn’t seem necessary anymore. On the one hand Paul would be saying “Christ freed us for freedom; stand therefore,” as if to say that Christ’s freeing action is the reason we should stand. On the other hand Paul would be saying “stand in the liberty with which Christ set us free,” as if to say that Christ’s liberty is the means by which we are able to stand. The theological significance of this reading makes the addition and omission not look so coincidental.
τῇἐλευθερίᾳοὖν, ᾗ
This is an addition and a transposition of words, and could possibly be a conflation (since it is one of the latest readings), or it could possibly be an attempt to clarify the 6th reading. Οὖν is placed in the beginning
Kinder 28
Χριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετε
of the clause, and ᾗ is added right after. This could be intentional or unintentional. The translation would be something like “Therefore we stand on the freedom which Christ freed us with.” With the οὖν placed so early in the passage, its force is placed on the fact ofthe freedom of Christ, rather than on the standing firm.Standing firm would then be taken as an indicative rather than imperative, since the writing seems now to be stating a fact rather than admonishing the believer. It would be a grammatical change for the scribe, not theological.
ᾗἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
This would be a substitution of words. ᾟ replaces τῇ, and is probably unintentional. The change would make the translation more confusing and difficult syntactically to understand. This is because ᾗ has no apparent antecedent, and seems out of place in the text.
b. Intrinsic Probabilities. Examine each variant from the standpoint of the author’s style, vocabulary, and teaching [especially this context]. [chart below]
Readings Author’s Style Author'sVocabulary
Author's Teaching
τῇἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
These variationsare so minor that
it does notreally affect theoverall style ofthe passage.
στήκετε (or someform of it) isused 6 timesoutside thispassage in 6
different Paulineepistles, 5 ofwhich are the
exact same form.So this is commonin his vocabulary(for all readings
except 3).
The 1st-3rd
readings teachthe same thing,
and areconsistent withPauline doctrine.It teaches thatwe should standfirm as a result
of Christ’sfreedom.
τῇἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
- - -
Kinder 29
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖν
τῇἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・στῆτε
οὖν
-
στῆτε comes fromἳστημι which is avery common Greek
word, and isnaturally used alot by Paul aswell, although
this form is onlyused one other
time as a command(Eph. 6:14)
-
τῇἐλευθερίᾳᾗ Χριστὸς
ἡμᾶςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
-
ὃς is extremelycommon and isused frequentlyby Paul (forreadings 4, 5,
and 6)
While the firstthree readingsteach that we
ought to stand asa result ofknowing thatChrist set us
free for the sakeof liberty,
readings 4 and 5teach that weshould stand upfor the libertywhich Christ
freed us to. Inthis case itwould be an
encouragement todefend thedoctrine of
liberty againstothers.
τῇἐλευθερίᾳοὖν, ᾗΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
- - -
Kinder 30
στήκετεᾗ
ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς
Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
- -
The grammaticaldifficulty ofthis readingmakes this a
difficult readingto deduce a
certain teaching.
c. Evaluation. Provide the reading that is best supported by
the internal evidence and provide the rationale supporting this reading over the other readings. [chart below]
Reading Rationaleτῇ
ἐλευθερίᾳἡμᾶς
Χριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖνORτῇ
ἐλευθερίᾳΧριστὸςἡμᾶς
ἠλευθέρωσεν・
στήκετεοὖν
These two readings are identical when examinedinternally since they have no differing vocabulary,
style, or teaching. None of the readings can really bepreferred on the basis of vocabulary or style. Theteaching is different for readings 4-6, and become
problematic as a result. The 6th reading isunintelligible, and can be ignored. The 4th and 5th
readings seem to teach something that is more universalin nature than the author intended. The rest of thepassage is about personal freedom, but these readings
would make it sound more corporate. The type oftranscriptional error required for at least the 4th
reading requires some intentional editing. The 3rd
reading could be attributed to a careless omission ofκε, since the different words mean the same thing. The
scribal error is essentially the same as 1 and 2,although it is possible to theorize that reading 2 came
out of the influence of the word order in verse 2.
IV. Conclusion
Provide the reading that you believe is most likely to be original and provide a rationale that encompasses all areas of investigation.
ReadingBelieved tobe Original
Concluding Rationale
Kinder 31
τῇἐλευθερίᾳ
ἡμᾶςΧριστὸςἠλευθέρωσ
εν・στήκετε
οὖν
The 4th-6th readings can be easily cast out fortheological difficulty and for lack of good manuscriptevidence. The 3rd reading has the most difference in
meaning from the other readings, and since it is late inthe manuscript data, and localized, it can be cast outas well although it isn’t theologically fatal. Reading2 can internally be said to have copied from verse 2,but I don’t think that possibility makes reading 2 anyless likely, since the case could also be made for
reading 1 by combining the consensus of all 6 readingsconcerning the order of the two words. If all of thewitnesses of readings 2-5 (which say Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς) wereput together against the witnesses of readings 1 and 6(which say ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς), then the 2nd reading would win
overwhelmingly. Metzger’s commentary gives a goodrationale for the changes, “Amid the variety of
readings, that adopted for the text seems to accountbest for the origin of the others. The apostle’s abruptintroduction of exhortations was softened by inserting
the relative ᾗ before or after ἐλευθερίᾳ, or bytransferring οὖν to the preceding clause” (528).
Works Cited
Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New
Testament. 2nd ed.
Kinder 33
NT Exegesis Step 4—Lexical Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
1. What word are you studying? Give the word's reference,
the Greek form in the text, the Greek lexical form in
brackets, and the English word it is translated as with
the English version's initials in parenthesis
following. Example: 2 Peter 2:1, δολον, [δολος, ου, ο],
deceit (NKJV)
Galatians 5:4, ἐξεπέσατε, [ἐκπίπτω], ye are
fallen (KJV)
2. What are its possible dictionary meanings? Look in the
resource below and record each option of meaning.
a. The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature (3rd Edition) [BDAG]
1. To fall from some point
2. To drift or be blown off course and run
aground
Kinder 34
3. To change for the worse from a favorable
condition
4. Become inadequate for some function
3. How is the same word used in other passages by the same
author (also look for contextual nuances/flavors/shades
that won't be found in a dictionary)? Give the
reference and an explanation for every other passage.
Romans 9:6—It is obvious by process of
elimination that the 4th meaning is used
here. Paul is speaking about the Word of God
concerning the promises of Abraham, and says
that the Word of God can’t “fail.” This
isn’t a physical failing (which would be the
first two meanings), and although the meaning
could include the 3rd, the 4th meaning best
represents it, since Paul is talking about
the Israelites’ promises and benefits.
4. Does the word have any special connotative meaning
(connotative meaning is emotional value attached to
Kinder 35
certain words by certain people especially in certain
contexts)? Explain.
None.
5. Are there any synonyms or opposites of this word in the
context that can help to define its meaning? For each,
give the reference, the Greek word, the English
translation, and an explanation.
None.
6. Does the word's use in history prior offer any useful
information or illustration or is there appropriately
useful theological information? Look in the resources
below and record any useful information/illustration.
a. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One
Volume [TDNT abridged]
“This word means ‘to fall out of or down
from,’ ‘to make a sortie,’ ‘to go forth,’ ‘to
deviate or digress,’ ‘to be cast ashore,’ ‘to
be expelled,’ ‘to be omitted,’ ‘to stretch,’
and ‘to let slip.’ It is mostly literal in
the LXX for various Hebrew terms… The range
Kinder 36
of meaning is very great in the ten NT
instances. For the literal use one may turn
to 1 Pet. 1:24 and Jms. 1:11, as well as to
Acts 12:7… The sense ‘to lose’ occurs in 2
Peter 3:17. ‘To lose’ is also the sense in
Gal. 5:4. ‘To be in vain’ is the point in
Rom. 9:6: the promise of God to Israel has
not failed.”
b. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
“ekpiptō means to fall out of something, to
go out of something, e.g. to lose the way, to
give up hope; in the pass. sense, to be
driven out, excluded, or to lose something.
As a technical naval term it means to be
driven off course, to drift, to be cast
ashore, because of inability to follow the
course on which one has set out…”
7. Considering all that you have learned about this word
AND THE CONTEXT, what specific but fully nuanced
Kinder 37
meaning is the author communicating in this context?
Explain.
I believe that although this word has a wide
variety of meanings, that in this passage
Paul is using the word to describe a change
in the condition of his addressees.
According to NIDNTT, the word was used as a
naval term; so perhaps the visual effect was
that those who were addressed had blown off
course from what was right into what was
wrong. The controversy has to do with where
the addressees fell from, not with the
meaning of the word itself.
Works Cited
Brown, Colin. The New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology. Grand
Kinder 38
Rapids: Zondervan, 1975. Print.
Danker, Frederick W., Walter Bauer, and William Arndt. A
Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature .
Third ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000. Print.
Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey William. Bromiley, and Gerhard
Friedrich. Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1964. Print.
Kinder 39
NT Exegesis Step 5 – Syntactical Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
1. Are there any nouns? If so, explain below its case-
usage and its effect on the translation/interpretation
of this text making sure to include the verse number
and the noun itself.
v. 1, ἐλευθερίᾳ, Dative of Means, or Dative of
Cause. If it is a dative of means, then the sense
would be “Christ freed you with freedom” or “it is
with freedom that Christ has set you free.” If it
were a dative of cause, then the sense would be
“Christ freed you for freedom,” or, “it is for the
purpose of freedom that Christ has set you free.”
Upon further reflection, I believe that the latter
usage is more probable. This would make more
sense in the argument proceeding: “therefore stand
Kinder 40
fast and do not be subjected again to a yoke of
slavery.” The sense of this argument would be
that since Christ freed us for the sake of being
free, it would be redundant and foolish to go
right back to the Law and be placed under it
again.
v. 1, Χριστὸς, Subject Nominative. This places
Christ as the subject of the verb “he set free.”
v. 1, ζυγῷ, Dative as Direct Object. The yoke is
the indirect object of “be subject to.” If we are
subjected again, we would be subjected to this
yoke, and be under its control.
v. 1, δουλείας, Genetive of Apposition. The
bondage described here is what the yoke is going
to be characterized by. This “yoke of bondage” is
what Christians ought to avoid and are told to
stand firm against. Such subjection would bring
us under a yoke that is described by and indeed
saturated with bondage to the Law.
Kinder 41
v. 2, Παῦλος, Subject Nominative. This simply
identifies Paul as the one who is speaking. This
is appositional to ἐγὼ.
v. 2, Χριστὸς, Subject Nominative. This
identifies Christ as He who will not benefit the
one who is circumcised.
v. 3, ἀνθρώπῳ, Dative as Indirect Object. Man who
has been circumcised is the recipient of this
portion of the letter.
v. 3, ὀφειλέτης, Predicate Nominative. A man who
is circumcised becomes a debtor.
v. 3, νόμον, Accusative as Direct Object. The Law
is the predicate of this clause, which means that
the Law is what the circumcised is obligated to
do.
v. 4, Χριστοῦ, Genitive after ἀπό. This form of
Christ is in order to grammatically direct the
preposition, and the sense is rendered “away from
Christ.”
Kinder 42
v. 4, νόμῳ, Dative after ἐν (Standard). The
Judaizers are trying to justify themselves using
the Law as their standard. They weren’t simply
following the Law for the sake of pride or self-
righteous piety, but they were doing it as a way
to salvation.
v. 4, χάριτος, Genitive of Separation. This usage
should be obvious by the verb ἐξεπέσατε “you
fell.” The genitive in this sense takes a sense
of separation, that the Judaizers have separated
themselves away from the grace that God had
provided for them in Jesus Christ.
v. 5, πνεύματι, Dative of Means. The verb of this
clause is ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, or “we wait.” The idea is
that we wait by the means of a spirit that comes
from faith. In other words, it is our spirit of
faith that gives us the ability (means) to wait
for this hope of righteousness. While the
Judaizers justified themselves by the Law (v. 4),
the Christians on the other hand had the faith to
Kinder 43
wait for their righteousness that would come from
Jesus.
v. 5, πίστεως, Genitive after ἐκ. This
prepositional usage of the genitive directs the
meaning to emphasize that our spirit proceeds out
of our faith.
v. 5, ἐλπίδα, Accusative of Direct Object. While
a spirit of faith is the means, the hope is the
end result. It is this hope—or rather perhaps,
the fulfillment of our hope—which we are waiting
for.
v. 5, δικαιοσύνης, Genitive of Apposition. This
substance of our hope, that is, what we hope for,
is righteousness. So to complete the thought, our
spirit that is characterized by faith is the means
that enables us to patiently wait for the
fulfillment of the hope that we have that one-day
we will also be righteous. The Judaizers tried to
achieve righteousness on earth; not understanding
that righteousness which comes from God has to
Kinder 44
come by faith, not by outward expressions of
morality. The time when our faith in Christ’s
righteousness becomes sight is later in heaven
when our bodies are glorified; this is why we wait
for it.
v. 6, Χριστῷ, Dative after ἐν (Spatial/Sphere).
The case-usage is prompted by the word ἐν. See
discussion on prepositions.
v. 6, Ἰησοῦ, Dative of Apposition. Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
are appositional and really ought to be taken
together.
v. 6, περιτομή, Subject Nominative. This word, as
well as ἀκροβυστία both takes the same verb,
ἰσχύει. It simply names them both as the subjects
of the verb.
v. 6, ἀκροβυστία, Subject Nominative. The verb
ἰσχύει takes two verbs.
v. 6, πίστις, Subject Nominative. Faith is the
subject of the implied ισχυει in this verse.
While circumcision and uncircumcision are found
Kinder 45
weak and powerless, faith is able to do what they
could not.
v. 6, ἀγάπης, Genitive after δία (Means). That is
to say that faith works through love. Love is the
instrumentality by which faith can work itself
out. Faith is the worker, love is the tool, hope
is the result, and righteousness is the reward.
Compare this with the Judaizer’s scheme, and it is
evident that faith is deprived because of human
responsibility, love is diluted because of legal
obligation, hope is diminished because of
uncertainty in the outcome, and righteousness is
dead because of futility of effort.
2. Are there any pronouns? If so, explain below its case-
usage, its antecedent, and its effect on the
translation/interpretation of this text making sure to
include the verse number and the pronoun itself.
v. 1, ἡμᾶς, Accusative as Direct Object, no
antecedent. This is to identify the group of
people whom Christ sets free, “us.” This is
Kinder 46
probably inclusive of the Galatian believers
rather than exclusive, evidenced by the
exhortation following.
v. 2, ἐγὼ, Subject Nominative, Παῦλος. Paul uses
both his personal name, and the personal pronoun
“I” before using the 1st person singular verb
λέγω. He is very strongly emphasizing his
personality in this passage, perhaps because of
the emotion by which he speaks these things, being
a former Pharisee.
v. 2, ὑμῖν, Dative of Indirect Object, no
antecedent. He both identifies himself and his
addressees in this verse.
v. 2, ὑμᾶς, Accusative of Direct Object. This
identifies again in a personal way that Christ
will not profit you if you are circumcised. This
isn’t a doctrinal treatise, it is a personal
warning against defection.
v. 4, οἳτινες, Parenthetic Nominative (Generic
Relative Pronoun), κατηργήθητε. The word is
Kinder 47
translated “whoever,” and is a relative pronoun.
As a relative pronoun, Paul was widening his
target audience at this point (the Judaizers) to
whoever holds the same sentiments as they do with
the Law. He is not exempting the Church from
possibly committing this fallacy, as any of them
could, and it is his implicit desire that each
believer examine himself to determine whether he
is part of the group that justifies themselves by
acts of the Law.
v. 5, ἡμεῖς, Subject Nominative, antecedent is
debatable. “We” is the subject of “we wait.” On
the one hand, if it is an inclusive “we,” then
Paul is saying that “we all wait” by means of the
Spirit from faith for a hope of righteousness.
This seems to dull down the obvious spirited
animosity Paul has against the Judaizers; for this
reason, I believe that it is an exclusive “we,”
and that Paul is placing the “you” in verse 4 in
antithesis with the “we” of verse 5. Paul is
Kinder 48
essentially saying (very loosely), “whoever tries
to justify himself in the Law, you cut yourself
off from Christ and fall from His grace, but we on
the other hand wait for the hope of His
righteousness in a different way that requires a
spirit of faith.” Paul was demonstrating not only
the superior reward of the latter group, but also
of its reliance on faith rather than the Law.
v. 6, τι, Accusative of Direct Object. This word
is difficult to even include in the translation,
but it is important. The definition is “a certain
one, certain thing, anyone, anything.” Paul is
emphasizing that circumcision and uncircumcision
are not just weak; they are not able to do
anything at all.
3. Are there any participles, infinitives, subjunctives,
optatives, or imperatives? If so, explain below its
mood-usage and its effect on the
translation/interpretation of this text making sure to
Kinder 49
include the verse number and the
participle/infinitive/subjunctive/optative/imperative
itself.
v. 1, στήκετε, Imperative of Command. Paul is
simply commanding the Galatians to stand firm as a
result of the freeing power of Christ. This is to
say that Christ can free someone from sin, but
that person still has to personally stand in that
freedom and claim it. It is possible to be stuck
in a legalistic rut with the salvation of Christ.
v. 1, ἐνέχεσθε, Imperative of Prohibition. Paul
is prohibiting the Galatians from ever being
subject again to the yoke of bondage. Since it is
present tense, it is possible (but not necessary
or certain) to read it as if Paul was telling them
to stop being subject to the yoke of bondage. The
implication would be that they were subject to
this yoke, and they need to get out of it and
never go back to it.
Kinder 50
v. 2, περιτέμνησθε, Conditional Subjunctive (3rd
class condition). This subjunctive with ἐάν
constructs a 3rd class condition. See discussion
on conditional sentences.
v. 3, περιτεμνομένῳ, Adjectival Participle. The
antecedent of this word is ἀνθρώπῳ, and describes
man attributively. The conveyed thought is a
“circumcised man.”
v. 3, ποιῆσαι, Infinitive of Result. To include
this nuance into a translation creates stilted
English, but the conveyed thought is that “he who
is circumcised is obligated as a result to do the
whole law.” The obligation is the direct result
of the circumcision.
v. 6, ἐνεργουμένη, Adverbial Participle of Means.
This could possibly be a participle of purpose,
but theologically it is not likely. That would be
as if to say that the purpose of having faith is
to work it out in love. More probably, Paul is
Kinder 51
emphasizing that faith avails by working through
love.
4. Are there any conditional sentences? If so, explain
below its class of condition and its effect on the
translation/interpretation of this text making sure to
include the verse number and enough information for
others to know what you are referring to.
v. 2, 3rd class conditional sentence. Paul was
not certain that they had been circumcised, but he
saw it as a possibility. This is a true “if”
statement. “If you are circumcised” forms the
protasis, “Christ will not profit you at all” is
the apodosis.
5. Are there any significant uses of person, number,
gender, tense, or voice? If so, explain them below
making sure to include the verse number and enough
information for others to know what you are referring
to.
Kinder 52
v. 4, δικαιοῦσθε, Middle/Passive Conative Present.
This verb can be middle or passive, but either
way, this is definitely a conative present.
According to Wallace, a conative present “is used
to indicate that an attempt is being made in the
present time (indicative mood). Often it bears
the connotation that the action will not be
completed; it is thus an unsuccessful attempt in
progress” (534). Although this is not necessarily
going to show through a translation, the basic
sense of this use would render “whoever is trying
to be justified in the Law” or (if it is a
middle), “whoever is trying to justify himself in
the Law.” This wording is not necessary in the
translation (since it requires a lot of extra
wording from the translator and could be perceived
as biased or opinionated), but the effect of this
usage is to demonstrate that Paul doesn’t actually
believe that the Judaizers (or anybody) could be
justified by the Law, but even to try
Kinder 53
automatically disqualifies you from the one way
one can be justified: grace.
v. 4, ἐξεπέσατε, Connotative/Dramatic Aorist. On
the one hand, this can be interpreted as a blanket
statement and simplified by Paul “you fell from
grace.” It could be dramatic, to emphasize the
close relationship between the self-justification
by the Law and the falling, “you just fell from
grace.” This could mean that salvation is
something that can be lost and regained
perpetually on the basis of legalism, or it could
mean that falling from grace is something that a
believer does perpetually but does not amount to
loss of salvation, or it could mean (which is the
preferred view in my opinion) that the addressees
were not saved and since they missed the entire
point of the gospel of grace they fell even
further away from obtaining it.
6. Are there any significant presences or absences of the
article? If so, explain them below making sure to
Kinder 54
include the verse number and enough information for
others to know what you are referring to.
v. 4, τῆς χάριτος, Abstract Article. This grace
is identified as “the grace.” It is a certain
type of grace, not just a general grace. A man
who has fallen from grace has not fallen from all
types of grace, and it doesn’t mean that he
doesn’t have any grace in any way. It does mean
that he has fallen from a type of grace that can
only be available when he is joined with Christ,
since being cut off away from Christ is what
caused him to fall.
7. Are there any significant word, phrase, or clause
orders? If so, explain them below making sure to
include the verse number and enough information for
others to know what you are referring to.
v. 5, πνεύματι ἐκ πίστεως precedes ἐλπίδα
δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα. The sentence seems
backwards in English: “for we with a spirit from
Kinder 55
faith a hope of righteousness wait for it.” To
smooth out the translation we say “for we wait for
a hope of righteousness with a spirit which comes
from faith.” The emphasis on “spirit from faith”
is to place it in direct comparison with “in the
Law” in verse 4.
8. Are there any significant uses of prepositions,
conjunctions, or particles? If so, explain them below
making sure to include the verse number and enough
information for others to know what you are referring
to.
v. 1, οὖν. This word demonstrates that our
standing should be a direct result of Christ’s
freedom.
v. 2, Ἲδε. This word, combined with the personal
pronoun and Paul’s personal name, cause this verse
to be a very personal and somber plea to the
Galatians. For good reason too, one must only
look at what he’s saying.
Kinder 56
v. 2, οὐδὲν. Paul could have used a less emphatic
negation such as οὐ, but instead he uses a word
that means “not at all, in no way.” It is not
enough to say that Christ will not really profit
you anymore; Paul has to increase the severity of
his warning by saying that Christ will not profit
you in any way whatsoever.
v. 3, πάλιν. Paul has apparently spoken on this
issue to them before, perhaps when he was in
Galatia personally.
v. 5, ἐκ. This description of a believer’s spirit
is very vivid; the believer has a spirit that
proceeds out of faith. The origin of faith is an
important factor for a believer’s spirit. A
person can have a spirit that proceeds from
religion, legalism, fear, hate, spite, or even
zeal (Gal. 1:14). None of these will do, only a
spirit proceeding from faith will give someone
hope for righteousness.
Kinder 57
v. 6, ἐν. Paul concludes the prior discussion by
defining a new sphere of operations (ἐν + dative).
This new sphere is the sphere where Christ’s
righteousness is at work. In the sphere of
Christ, circumcision (legalism) and uncircumcision
(lawlessness) have no bearing on an individual’s
salvation, but rather faith. This is a strong
statement by Paul, and one of his crucial
doctrines. The implication is that both of these
extremes, while unhealthy, are not bad enough to
cause you to lose Christ. You cannot be fooled
into being too legalistic and lose your salvation
that way, neither can you be so sinful that Christ
does not profit you anymore. The only way for
Christ to not profit you is for you to not have
faith in His atonement (v. 2).
v. 6, δι᾽αγάπης. Wallace gives four ways that δία
can be used with the genitive: agency, means,
spatial, and temporal (368-69). The spatial and
temporal are obviously not the case in this
Kinder 58
instance because the passage is talking about
ideas, not things. Agency is not likely, since
agency talks about the personal agent that enables
an action. We could speculate that since God is
love that it is agency, but it is much safer and
less assuming to read this as means.
Kinder 59
Work Cited
Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar: Beyond the Basics: An
Exegetical Syntax of the
New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996. Print.
Kinder 60
NT Exegesis Step 5 – Translation
James Kinder, Galatians 5:1-6
V.1: τῇ ἐλευθερία ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν・στήκετε οὖν καὶ
μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.
Rough: [To the] [freedom, liberty] [you (pl)] [Christ]
[he/she/it set free]; [(you {pl}) stand!] [therefore]
[and, even, also, namely] [not, lest] [again] [to/with
yoke] [of slavery] [(you [pl]) be subject to!].
Smooth: Christ freed you for freedom; therefore stand
and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery again.
Kinder 61
InflectedWord
PersonCase
Num Gender/Tense
Voice Mood Lexical
FormInflectedMeaning
ἠλευθέρωσεν 3 s aor act ind ἐλευθερό
ω he set free
στήκετε 2 pl pres act imp στήκω you (pl) stand!
ἐνέχεσθε 2 pl pres m/p imp ἐνέχω subject yourself!
V.2: Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς
ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει.
Rough: [See!, Behold!] [I] [Paul] [I say] [to/with you
(pl)] [that, since, because] [if, whether] [you (pl)
may/would be circumcised], [Christ] [you (pl] [in no
way] [he/she/it will profit].
Smooth: Behold I Paul say to you that if you are
circumcised, Christ will not profit you in any way.
InflectedWord
Person
CaseNum Gender/
TenseVoice Mood Lexical
FormInflectedMeaning
λέγω 1 pl pres act ind λέγω I sayπεριτέμνησθε 2 pl pres m/p sub περιτέμν
ωyou may be circumcised
ὠφελήσει 3 s fut act ind ὠφελέω he will profit
Kinder 62
V.3: μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ ὅτι
ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.
Rough: [I testify] [but, and] [again] [to/with all]
[to/with man] [being circumcised] [that, since,
because] [debtor, one who is obligated or guilty,
sinner] [he/she/it is] [whole] [the] [law] [to do].
Smooth: But I testify again to every man who is
circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law.
InflectedWord
Person
CaseNum Gender/
Tense Voice Mood LexicalForm
InflectedMeaning
μαρτύρομαι 1 s presmid(dep)
ind μαρτύρομαι
I testify
περιτεμνομένῳ dat s masc/
prespass ptc περιτέμν
ω
being circumcised
ἐστὶν 3 s pres act ind εἰμι he isποιῆσαι aor act inf ποιέω to do
V.4: κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε,
τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.
Rough: [you (pl) were cut off (from)] [(away) from] [of
Christ], [whoever] [in, on, among] [to/with law] [you
(pl) are justified], [of the] [of grace] [you (pl) fell
away from].
Kinder 63
Smooth: You cut yourselves off from Christ, whoever is
justified in the Law; you fell from grace.
InflectedWord
PersonCase
Num Gender/Tense Voice Mood Lexical
FormInflectedMeaning
κατηργήθητε 2 pl aor pas
s ind καταργεώ
you are cut off from
δικαιοῦσθε 2 pl pres
m/p(dep)
ind δικαιόω you are justified
ἑξεπέσατε 2 pl aor act ind ἐκπίπτω you fell
V.5: ἡμεῖς γὰρ πνεύματι ἐκ πίστεως ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης
ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
Rough: [we] [for] [to/with spirit/Spirit] [(out) from]
[of faith] [hope] [of righteousness] [we wait].
Smooth: For we with the spirit that comes from faith
wait for the hope of righteousness.
InflectedWord
PersonCase
Num Gender/Tense Voice Mood Lexical
FormInflectedMeaning
ἀπεκδεχόμεθα 1 pl pres
m/p(dep)
ind ἀπεκδέχομαι we wait
V.6: ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει οὔτε
ἀκροβυστία ἀλλὰ πίστις δι᾽ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη.
Kinder 64
Rough: [in, on, among] [for] [to/with Christ] [to/with
Jesus] [neither, nor] [circumcision, foreskin] [a
certain one, a certain thing, anyone, anything]
[he/she/it is of value] [neither, nor] [uncircumcision]
[but, except] [faith] [through, on account of] [of
love] [being at work (for itself, of itself)].
Smooth: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is
worth anything nor uncircumcision but faith working
itself out through love.
InflectedWord
PersonCase
Num Gender/Tense
Voice
Mood
LexicalForm
InflectedMeaning
ισχύει 3 s pres act ind ἰσχύω it avails
ἐνεργουμένη nom s fem/
pres mid ptc ἐνεργέω
working (for itself)
NT Exegesis Step 6 – Structural Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν
στήκετε οὖν
Kinder 65
καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.
Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε
Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει.
μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ
ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν
ὅλον τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.
κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ,
οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ
δικαιοῦσθε,
τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.
ἡμεῖς γὰρ πνεύματι ἐκ πίστεως
ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει
οὔτε ἀκροβυστία
ἀλλὰ πίστις
δι᾽ἀγάπης
ἐνεργουμένη.
Christ freed you for freedom;
therefore stand
Kinder 66
and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery
again.
Behold I Paul say to you that if you are circumcised,
Christ will not profit you in
any way.
But I testify again to every man who is circumcised
that he is a debtor
to do the whole Law.
You cut yourselves off from Christ,
whoever is justified in
the Law;
you fell away from grace.
For we with the spirit that comes from faith
wait for the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision is worth anything
nor uncircumcision
but faith working itself out
through love.
Kinder 67
As a result of Christ’s liberating act, we as
Christians should stand, and as a result not be bound by
slavery again. If a man is circumcised, he is obligated to
do the whole Law, cut off from Christ, and fallen from
grace. On the other hand, the Christian has a spirit that
proceeds out of our faith. With this spirit of faith we are
able to wait for a hope of future righteousness. In
summary, the sphere of Christ Jesus’ righteousness and grace
nullifies circumcision and uncircumcision, but it exalts and
enables faith, which works as a result through love.
NT Exegesis step 7—Rhetorical Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
- Is there alliteration? If so, explain. No.
- Is there anacoluthon? If so, explain. No.
- Is there anaphora? If so, explain. No.
- Is there anastrophe? If so, explain. No.
- Is there anticlimax? If so, explain. No.
- Is there antithesis? If so, explain.
Yes. Circumcision (περιτομή) and uncircumcision
(ἀκροβυστία) are placed in antithesis with each
other in verse 6. Also, there is antithesis
between the implied “you” in verse 4 and the
Kinder 68
exclusive “we” of verse 5. These two antitheses
work together. In verse 4, Paul describes the
inferior way in which the Judaizers (you) try to
justify themselves (circumcision—the Law). In
verse 5, Paul describes the way that the Christian
(we) is justified (faith—circumcision of the
heart). Verse 6 drives home the point that
neither circumcision (Law) nor uncircumcision
(lawlessness) are worth anything, but rather the
faith described in verse 4.
- Is there aposiopesis? If so, explain. No.
- Is there asyndeton? If so, explain. No.
- Is there chiasmus? If so, explain. No.
- Is there euphemism? If so, explain.
Possibly. If one were to interpret “you fell from
grace” (τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε) as a loss of
salvation, then this would basically be a
euphamism for “you lost your salvation,” or, “you
aren’t saved anymore.”
- Is there hendiadys? If so, explain. No.
- Is there hyperbole? If so, explain. No.
- Is there irony? If so, explain. No.
- Is there litotes? If so, explain. No.
- Is there meiosis? If so, explain. No.
- Is there metaphor? If so, explain. No.
Kinder 69
- Is there metonymy? If so, explain.
Yes. Circumcision (περιτομή) is placed in this
passage as a metonymy for an obligation to do the
law that comes from Judaistic expectations (v. 3).
Although it would seem to be a repetitive
statement, Paul’s point in this verse is not that
the Judaizers put on the Galatians an obligation
to obey the Law, but rather that the obligation is
total. The emphasis isn’t on “debtor,”
(ὀφειλέτης) but on “whole Law” (ὃλον τὸν νόμον).
Paul is making the point that if one is to
obligate himself under the Law (symbolized by
circumcision), then he is now a debtor to do the
whole Law completely. Further, to attempt to
justify oneself through the Law, then that person
has cut himself off from Christ, leaving only a
perfect adherence to every point of the Law as his
only chance. Such a person has fallen from grace,
and can only rely on the merciless Law, which does
not compromise. Such a usage of the word
“circumcision” is common for Paul. In fact, Paul
qualifies how he understands the word in Romans
2:28 when he says “For no one is a Jew who is
merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward
and physical.” Although he has used the word in
different ways, both as literal (Rom. 3:1) and as
Kinder 70
symbolic of something else (Col. 2:11), I believe
that Paul uses the word this way consistently
throughout the letter. In 5:11 he says “But if I,
brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I
still being persecuted? In that case the offense
of the cross has been removed.” Why would Paul
not use the word “Law” instead of circumcision,
since circumcision is only one part of what the
Judaizers preach as part of the Law? Even if the
literal circumcision was meant, an obligation to
obey the Law must be read into this word, since
many cultures of that age practiced circumcision
for health reasons. If Paul meant just people who
were literally circumcised without any reference
to the Law, then there would be a large portion of
the male population who would be disqualified from
grace because of a physical attribute.
- Is there paronomasia? If so, explain.
Yes. Profit (ὠφελήσει) and “one who is under
obligation” (ὀφειλέτης) are paranomasia. Paul is
essentially saying to the Judaizers, “Not only is
Christ not profitable (ὠφελήσει) for you, but you
are also obligated (ὀφειλέτης) to do the whole law
instead!”
- Is there periphrasis? If so, explain. No.
- Is there pleonasm? If so, explain.
Kinder 71
Possibly. Verse one has been translated in
various ways. The KJV says, “Stand fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage.” The ESV, “For freedom Christ has set us
free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit
again to a yoke of slavery. The ESV’s translation
using the Dative of Cause shows how the two words
ἐλευθερίᾳ and ἠλεθυέρωσεν are pleonastic with each
other.
- Is there polysyndeton (the opposite of asyndeton)? If so,
explain. No.
- Is there Zeugma? If so, explain. No.
Kinder 72
NT Exegesis Step 8-10—Homiletical Analysis
Galatians 5:1-6, James Kinder
The Main Ideas:
1. Christ’s purpose in giving us freedom is that we could
be free, and no longer slaves to the Law.
2. If someone is still a slave to the circumcision, then
Christ cannot profit him in any way.
3. The reason Christ does not profit him is because someone
who binds himself under the Law is obligated to do all of
it.
4. Because of this, he has rejected God’s salvation and
placed the Law in its place, cutting himself off from Christ
and His life-giving grace.
5. The Christian, on the other hand, ought to wait for the
hope they are given from Christ for righteousness; which is
what gave them freedom in the first place.
6. In conclusion, there is nothing in this world that is
sufficient enough or detrimental enough to alter a person’s
salvation status, but only faith.
Kinder 73
The Overarching Idea:
Since Christ has set the Christian free for the sake of
being free, he ought to avoid the temptation of being
legalistic once again, since freedom is superior in every
way to the bondage of the Law.
Title: Give me liberty, or give me death!
Message:
The Galatian church was riddled with heresy. There
were legalistic Jews who had migrated into their area who
taught that their salvation had to be accompanied by
circumcision and adherence to the Law. Not only that, but
they discredited Paul, and tried to tell the Galatians that
he too taught the doctrine of circumcision (5:11)! Paul had
to set them straight.
I. Christ freed you so that you could be FREE!
A. Stand firm against people who oppose this truth
B. Don’t look back to the past, this is a new way of
life
II. The man who trusts himself is FALLEN!
A. He has no freedom
Kinder 74
B. He is cut off from Christ
C. He is fallen from grace
III. The man who trusts in Christ is FORGIVEN!
A. We have hope for future righteousness—so believe
it!
B. Circumcision (legalism) does not have the strength
to make you righteous
C. Uncircumcision (lawlessness) is not able to depose
your standing in Christ
D. Only faith has any bearing with Christ, and from
that comes love!
Conclusion: Christ liberated us from the Law and from our
sin, and His desire for us is that we live freely. What
many people—like the legalistic Jews—don’t understand is
that Christ’s way of doing things actually produces more
righteous lives. If you trust your own works for salvation,
then you are only separating yourself further from Christ’s
plan for your life. You not only miss the point and beauty
of the Gospel of grace, but you become legalistic and
pharisaic. You are full of fear because the Law of God is
Kinder 75
your standard again instead of freedom in Christ, and you
are cut away from the life-giving grace that you need. Your
faith is deprived because of self-reliance, your hope is
diminished because of the fear of abandonment, you love is
diluted because of the obligation you feel to do the right
thing (it isn’t so selfless anymore), and most of all your
righteousness is dead because the Law does NOT save (Isa.
64:6)! There is another way; the way of liberty in Christ’s
sphere of grace rewards faith that produces love because of
our hope for righteousness from Him! So, when it comes to
our eternal destiny, there are really only two options:
liberty, or death!