Galatians 5:6 – Faith operating through love

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is availing anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, operating through love.

“Christ Jesus” is a formulation found only with Paul. Very often even. The order in the name refers to how Paul came to know his Lord: first and foremost is the resurrected and glorified Christ, who identified himself as the Jesus who walked here on earth and whom Paul did not know. In the resurrection life and the new creation being circumcised or not is completely irrelevant (6:15).

Powerful is what God has done and is doing in Christ Jesus . Not our work but his work is decisive. That is the message and that is what we believe. Know what God says and promises to do.

Paul adds something to this: “faith operating through love ”. Later (in 5:22) he makes it clear that love is “the fruit of the Spirit”. Love is not an achievement or merit but a logical and living effect of God’s Spirit. If we believe God and get to know Christ Jesus, we inevitably also learn to understand the love of God (=agapé). This is a love that is unconditional and universal . Believing is not work, but through love it has an enormous inward and outward effect!

Delen: