Galatians 5:13-25

So far in the letter to the Galatians, we have seen that there are two groups Paul addresses in the churches. There is a group that is causing trouble (Gal 5:10) by teaching a false gospel, and there is a group of people who Paul is reproving to not fall away from the true gospel (Gal 1:6). 

Paul’s vociferous defense of the gospel is evident by his language through the letter, however, even when seeking to save people from a false gospel – there is a proper attitude that we are to have (2 Tim 2:25). Even if we are fighting for the truth of the gospel, we are not authorized to sin (Eph 4:26). It seems that those in the Galatian church – whether in the right or wrong – were going about their disagreements in a manner that was tearing down the church (Gal 5:15, 26). They were not walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:22), but they were displaying works of the flesh (Gal 5:19).

God's Word informs the church how to walk in the Spirit so that they can disagree while maintaining unity around truth and not sinning against one another.