Galatians 5:18

Galatians 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
• New International Version (NIV)But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Context of Galatians 5:18

16So this is what I say: Let God's Spirit show you how to live in a good way. Then you will not do the wrong things that you may want to do, as people who are weak and human. 17The things that you want to do as a weak person are opposite to the things that God's Spirit wants. The things that God's Spirit wants are the opposite of what we want as weak people. Our own thoughts fight against what God's Spirit wants us to do. As a result, you are not free to do the things that you really want to do. But if God's Spirit leads you, then the rules of God's Law have no authority over you. 19Everyone knows the kinds of bad things that weak people want to do. They have sex with people that they are not married to. They do things that are bad and disgusting. 20They worship idols. They do magic to hurt people. They become enemies and they fight one another. They are jealous of other people. They become very angry. They want to please themselves and to be important. They cause trouble. They make people belong to different groups.

Galatians 5:18 word by word

εἰ δὲ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• ye be ledἄγωagō · to bringG71
• of the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• ye areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• underὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551

Cross-references for Galatians 5:18

• Galatians 5:16So this is what I say: Let God's Spirit show you how to live in a good way. Then you will not do the wrong things that you may want to do, as people who are weak and human.
• Galatians 4:6Because we are his children, God has sent his Son's Spirit to live inside us. His Spirit causes us to call God, ‘Father, my Father’.
• Psalms 25:4Lord, help me to understand your ways. Teach me your good paths.
• Psalms 143:8Every morning, help me to remember your faithful love, because I am trusting in you. Show me how I should live to please you, because I know that I belong to you.
• Proverbs 8:20I walk along the way that is righteous. I follow the path of justice.
• Isaiah 48:16Come near to me! Listen to my message! From the beginning, I have not spoken secretly. When these things happen, I will already be there.’ Now the Almighty Lord has sent me, with the power of his Spirit.
• Ezekiel 36:27I will put my Spirit in you, so that you obey my commands. You will be careful to obey my laws.
• John 16:13But the Spirit will come. He is the one who shows people true things about God. When he comes, he will be a guide to you. He will help you to understand everything that is true. He will not speak on his own authority. He will tell you only what he hears from the Father. He will tell you about things that will happen after this time.
• Romans 8:12So, my Christian friends, we must not obey what our weak human thoughts tell us to do. We no longer have to live like that.
• 2 Timothy 1:7Be strong, because God has given us his Spirit. And his Spirit does not cause us to be afraid. Instead, his Spirit causes us to be powerful to serve God. He helps us to love God and other people. And he helps us to control ourselves properly.
• 1 John 2:20But Christ, the Holy One, has given you the Holy Spirit. As a result, you all know what is true.
• Galatians 4:5In that way, he made us free from the authority of the Law. Before that, we were like slaves under the Law. But God's Son paid our debt, so that God would accept us as his true children.
• Romans 6:14Sin will no longer have authority over you. You do not have a new life because you obey the Law which God gave to Moses. You have a new life because God is very kind to you.

Commentaries on Galatians 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18But, if ye be led of the Spirit - If ye receive again the Gospel and the grace of Christ, and permit yourselves to be influenced by the Holy Spirit whom you are now grieving, ye are not under the law - ye will not feel those evil propensities which now disgrace and torment you; but they must prevail while you are not under the influence of the grace and Spirit of Christ.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit - If you submit to the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ye are not under the law - You are under a different dispensation - the dispensation of the Spirit. You are free from the restraints and control of the Mosaic law, and are under the control of the Spirit of God.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-26Verses 16-26 If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of the blessed Spirit, though we may not be freed from the stirrings and oppositions of the corrupt nature which remains in us, it shall not have dominion over us. Believers are engaged in a conflict, in which they earnestly desire that grace may obtain full and speedy victory. And those who desire thus to give themselves up to be led by the Holy Spirit, are not under the law as a covenant…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18People guided by the Holy Spirit follow the Spirit's authority, not the law. They answer to the Spirit of God, not the law. Paul did not intend to justify breaking civil laws (see Romans 13:1–7; Titus 3:1; compare 1 Peter 2:13–17). He was talking about how to achieve spiritual righteousness before God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. "If ye are led (give yourselves up to be led) by (Greek) the Spirit, ye are not under the law." For ye are not working the works of the flesh (Ga 5:16, 19-21) which bring one "under the law" (Ro 8:2, 14). The "Spirit makes free from the law of sin and death" (Ga 5:23). The law is made for a fleshly man, and for the works of the flesh (1Ti 1:9), "not for a righteous man" (Ro 6:14, 15).Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 5:18

• Holy Spirit
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Affection
• Bite
• Contrary
• Cross
• Crucify
• Debtor
• Flesh
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Meekness

Commentaries on Galatians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings