Galatians 5:14

Context

This verse belongs to the Epistle to the Galatians, a letter Paul sent to the churches of the region of Galatia. At the time, certain teachers were requiring Gentile believers to be circumcised and to observe the law. In response, Paul has argued throughout the letter that a person is justified not by the works of the law but by faith. In 5:1 he declares that believers have been set free, speaking of "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." In verse 13 he urges them to "use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Verse 14 quotes Leviticus 19:18 as the basis for this exhortation: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Verse 15 warns against quarrels in which believers "bite and devour one another," and from verse 16 onward Paul contrasts the Spirit and the flesh.

Interpretation

The Greek verb rendered "is fulfilled" means "to fill" or "to bring to completion." For this reason the verse is commonly read to mean that the whole law is brought to completion in love of neighbor. Traditions differ, however, in what they emphasize.

• Lutheran reading: Martin Luther distinguished between law and gospel. He regarded love of neighbor not as a condition of justification (being accounted righteous before God) but as the fruit of the faith of one who has already been justified.
• Reformed reading: The tradition following John Calvin holds that love does not replace the law but summarizes the content of the moral law. It emphasizes that the law remains valid as a standard guiding the believer's life, the so-called "third use of the law."
• Wesleyan reading: John Wesley and the Methodist and Holiness traditions regard perfect love toward God and neighbor as the goal of sanctification (the process of being made holy). This verse is cited as one of the grounds for that view.
• "New Perspective on Paul" reading: This interpretation is associated with certain scholars, such as James D. G. Dunn and N. T. Wright. They read the verse to mean that love, rather than ethnic boundary markers such as circumcision, is the mark of the people of God. Scholars who oppose this view criticize it for downplaying the issue of individual justification.

Debates and Issues

• Relationship to 5:3: Paul says that anyone who is circumcised "is a debtor to do the whole law." Regarding the same "whole law," verse 3 speaks of "doing," while verse 14 speaks of "being fulfilled." Many interpreters hold that the two verses address different dimensions.
• Omission of love for God: Whereas Jesus named love for God and love for neighbor together as the great commandment, this verse mentions only love of neighbor. Commentators explain this either by the situation of conflict within the church or by the view that love of neighbor is the sphere in which love for God is made manifest.
• "As thyself": Some take this expression as a command to love oneself. Many commentaries, however, regard it as a comparison that presupposes that people already care for themselves.
• Translation: Romans 13:9, which expresses the same idea, uses a different verb meaning "to sum up" (KJV: "it is briefly comprehended in this saying"). For this reason, some translations render the present verse in the sense of fulfillment, while others render it closer to the sense of summary.
• Citation out of context: Some have pointed out that quoting the verse to mean "as long as there is love, the law does not matter," while omitting the qualification in verse 13, does not fit the context. In debates over ethical questions, the verse is sometimes cited in support of opposing conclusions.

In Korean Churches

The verse is frequently cited, together with Romans 13, in sermons on love of neighbor, almsgiving, and conflict within the church.

Related Passages

• Leviticus 19:18
• Romans 13:8–10
• Mark 12:28–34
• Galatians 5:6
• Galatians 6:2