Paulus
The Call to Freedom and Warning Against the Law
Paul urges believers to stand firm in the freedom Christ has given them and strongly warns against returning to the yoke of the law or allowing themselves to be circumcised, as this means falling from grace. He emphasizes that in Christ what counts is faith working through love, not ritual acts. Finally, he sharply rebukes those who confuse the church and lead people away from the truth.
Galaterbrevet 5,1-12
1For freedom Christ has set us free. So stand firm, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ⸂ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν· στήκετε οὖν⸃ καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.
2Listen: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all.
Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει.
3Again I testify to everyone who receives circumcision that he is obligated to keep the entire law.
μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.
4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
κατηργήθητε ⸀ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.
5For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly await the righteousness we hope for.
ἡμεῖς γὰρ πνεύματι ἐκ πίστεως ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα.
6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor the lack of it counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ πίστις διʼ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη.
7You were running well. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?
Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς· τίς ὑμᾶς ἐνέκοψεν ⸀τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι;
8That persuasion did not come from the One who calls you.
ἡ πεισμονὴ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς.
9A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.
μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ.
10I am confident in the Lord that you will think nothing else. But whoever is throwing you into confusion will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε· ὁ δὲ ταράσσων ὑμᾶς βαστάσει τὸ κρίμα, ὅστις ⸀ἐὰν ᾖ.
11But brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
ἐγὼ δέ, ἀδελφοί, εἰ περιτομὴν ἔτι κηρύσσω, τί ἔτι διώκομαι; ἄρα κατήργηται τὸ σκάνδαλον τοῦ σταυροῦ.
12As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would go all the way and castrate themselves!
ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται οἱ ἀναστατοῦντες ὑμᾶς.