Galatians 5:12

Paul was very angry with the false teachers. In some *Gentile religions, the male priests cut off their male sex parts. The *Jewish law did not allow any such behaviour. Paul was saying that the false teachers were very evil. Perhaps Paul meant that the false teachers were not part of God’s family. They should completely leave the *church. This was a serious judgement. However, the false teachers were spreading serious errors in the *church.

The Holy Spirit and our selfish desires

v13 My dear Christian brothers and sisters, God invited you to be free. You are free now. But do not use your freedom to satisfy your own desires. Rather, serve each other because you love each other. v14 All the *Jewish laws together are really equal to only one law; ‘You must love other people as you love yourself.’ v15 Be careful that you do not continue to hurt each other. And do not continue to damage each other. Otherwise, you will spoil each other’s lives.

v16 But this is what I say. Live in the way that the Holy Spirit tells you to live. Do not do whatever your selfish desires want you to do. v17 Our selfish desires are opposite to the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is opposite to our selfish desires. These two fight each other. And you cannot do what you want to do. v18 But the Holy Spirit leads you. You are not under the authority of the *Jewish laws.