Galatians 5:13

ὑμεῖς γὰρ. St Paul takes up the ὑμᾶς of Galatians 5:12 and defends his wish that the false teachers would so act that their real character would be seen. For you (emphatic) were not meant to do as they desire. You were called on the footing of freedom. He thus returns to Galatians 5:1, but, in accordance with his custom, finds his point d’appui in the immediately preceding verse.

It is probable that in this and the succeeding verses, besides St Paul’s primary desire to remind his readers of their practical duty, he intended also to enter a caveat against the hostile interpretation of his teaching of grace, that it meant freedom from the restrictions of the Law and therefore license to sin (Romans 6:1 sqq.).

ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἐκλήθητε (Galatians 1:6; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 5:8), καλ. with ἐπί[140]. For ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ compare the note on ἐξαγοράσῃ, Galatians 4:5. Ramsay (Gal., pp. 442 sqq.) calls attention to the numerical preponderance of ἐλεύθερ-ος-ἱα-ὁω in this Epistle, and suggests that this is due to St Paul’s desire to stir up the idea of individual freedom, which was weak in South Galatia (Phrygia) though strong in Asia and Achaia. Yet if St Paul was writing to the N. Galatians, with whom the idea of political and personal freedom was, presumably, strong, he might well appeal to this feeling, from the sense that liberty in Christ is at once the germ and the crowning fruit of all.

[140] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

μόνον μὴ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. The accusative is due to a verb being understood after μή, e.g. τρέπετε or, better, ἔχετε. Cf. Matthew 26:5. For the thought compare Aristides quoted by Wetstein, λυσιτελέστερον μὲν εἶναι δουλεύειν, ἤ κακῶν ἐφόδιον τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἔχειν. The article may be generic, but is probably personal, “your liberty.” Similarly in διὰ τῆς�, infra.

εἰς� (1 Timothy 5:14), properly a base of operations in war, thence a pretext, occasion. διὰ τῆς�, Colossians 3:24; cf. 1 Peter 2:16. Here not without reference to its usage already in this Epistle: you had experience of wrong service (Galatians 4:8) to which you are wishing to go back (Galatians 4:9), although Jerusalem (your would-be standard in religion) is in bondage (Galatians 4:25); now be in what is true service, to one another and thus (Galatians 5:14) to the Law.

ἀλλήλοις. After touching on this here and in the two following verses he returns to it at greater length in Galatians 5:26 to Galatians 6:6.