1 Svabadībai Kristus mūs ir atsvabinājis. Tad nu stāviet stipri un neļaujieties atkal iejūgties kalpības jūgā! 2 Redziet, es, Pāvils, saku jums: ja jūs tiekat apgraizīti, tad Kristus jums nekādā ziņā nepalīdzēs. 3 No jauna es apliecinu katram cilvēkam, kas tiek apgraizīts, ka viņam jāizpilda visa bauslība. 4 Jūs esat šķirti no Kristus, ja jūs bauslībā gribat tapt taisnoti, jūs esat žēlastību pazaudējuši. 5 Mēs garā gaidām un ceram uz ticības pamata iegūt taisnību. 6 Jo Kristū Jēzū nedz apgraizīšana ko spēj, nedz neapgraizīšana, bet ticība, kas darbojas mīlestībā. 7 Jūs bijāt skaistā gājienā, kas jūs ir kavējis paklausīt patiesībai? 8 Šis mudinājums nenāk no Tā, kas jūs aicina. 9 Nedaudz rauga saraudzē visu mīklu. 10 Es paļaujos uz jums ticībā Tam Kungam, ka jūs nepieņemsit svešas domas, bet tas, kas jūs sajauc, saņems sodu, lai būtu kas būdams. 11 Bet, ja es, brāļi, sludinu apgraizīšanu, kamdēļ tad es vēl topu vajāts? Tad jau Kristus krusta piedauzība ir beigusies. 12 Kaut jel tie sagraizītos, kas jūs musina! 13 Jo jūs, brāļi, esat svabadībai aicināti. Tik ne tādai svabadībai, kas dod vaļu miesai, turpretim kalpojiet cits citam mīlestībā! 14 Jo visa bauslība ir vienā vārdā izpildīta, proti, tanī: tev būs savu tuvāku mīlēt kā sevi pašu. - 15 Bet, ja jūs savā starpā kožaties un ēdaties, tad pielūkojiet, ka jūs cits citu neaprijat! 16 Bet es saku: staigājiet Garā, tad jūs miesas kārību savaldīsit. 17 Jo miesas tieksmes ir pret Garu, bet Gara tieksmes ir pret miesu, jo šie divi viens otram stāv pretī, ka jūs nedarāt to, ko gribat. 18 Bet, ja Gars jūs vada, tad jūs vairs neesat padoti bauslībai. 19 Bet zināmi ir miesas darbi: tie ir netiklība, nešķīstība, izlaidība, 20 elku kalpība, buršana, ienaids, strīdi, nenovīdība, dusmas, ķildas, šķelšanās, ķecerība, 21 skaudība, dzeršana, dzīrošana un tamlīdzīgas lietas, par kurām es iepriekš saku, kā jau esmu senāk sacījis: tie, kas tādas lietas dara, nemantos Dieva valstību. 22 Bet Gara auglis ir: mīlestība, prieks, miers, pacietība, laipnība, labprātība, uzticamība, lēnprātība, atturība. 23 Pret tādām lietām nav bauslības. 24 Bet tie, kas Kristum pieder, ir savu miesu krustā situši līdz ar kaislībām un iekārošanām. 25 Ja dzīvojam Garā, tad arī staigāsim Garā. 26 Nedzīsimies pēc tukša goda, cits citu izaicinādami, cits citu apskauzdami.
Christ Gives Freedom
1 Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.
2 I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised. 3 If you do, you must obey the whole Law. 4 And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his gift of undeserved grace. 5 But the Spirit makes us sure God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. 6 If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.
7 You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth. 8 And that person was certainly not sent by the one who chose you. 9 A little yeast can change a whole batch of dough, 10 but you belong to the Lord. This makes me certain you will do what I say, instead of what someone else tells you to do. Whoever is causing trouble for you will be punished.
11 My friends, if I still preach that people need to be circumcised, why am I in so much trouble? The message about the cross would no longer be a problem, if I told people to be circumcised. 12 I wish everyone who is upsetting you would not only get circumcised, but would cut off much more!
13 My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. 14 All the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself. 15 But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.
God's Spirit and Our Own Desires
16 If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. 17 The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. 18 But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.
19 People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. 20 They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are 21 envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.
22 God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25 God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. 26 But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.
