Galatians 5:16-26 – Walk in the Spirit!

 

 

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*****  Update:  I’ve changed the center of my original chiasmus to that suggested by Craig A. Robinson’s in Comments.  My original center looked like this:

D

a    19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,

b    of which I forewarn you

b’    just as I have forewarned you –

a’   that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

D’ 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;

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*****  Update 2:  Wes Coddington, in comments, suggested that E’ should really be the chiasmus’ main point – rather than F/F’.  He may very will be right.  I suggested the following possibility for the center (E/F/F’/E’ are collapsed into E (a/b/b’/a’)):

E

a    and things like these, 

b    of which I forewarn you

b’   just as I have forewarned you –

a’   [Me: final line / main point]  that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

By doing it this way, a’ becomes part of the center E.  And in fact, it becomes the final line of the center, which is an important position.

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14  …  “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

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***   15  But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.

A    16 But I say, walk by the Spirit,

B    and you / will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

(17 For  (a)  the flesh sets its desire against  (b)  the Spirit, and  (b’)  the Spirit against  (a’)  the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.)

C    18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

D    19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing,

E    and things like these,

F    of which I forewarn you

F’    just as I have forewarned you –

E’   that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

D’   22 But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;

C’   against such things there is no law.

B’   24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus / have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A’   25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

***   26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

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Galations 4:1-7 – Redeemed: From Slave to Son to Heir

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Here I’m going back to the ‘same well’ as the post before.  From here.  (To be fair I’ll try to resist his paper from here on in.  :-).  It has many more chiasmi you may be interested in.)

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A    1  Now I say, as long as the   (a)   heir is a   (b)   child, he does not differ at all from a   (c)   slave although he is owner of everything,

B    2  but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.  3  So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

C    4  But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,

D    born under the Law,

D’   5  in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

C’   6  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son

B’   into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!“

A’   7  Therefore you are no longer a   (c’)   slave, but a   (b’)   son; and if a son, then an   (a’)   heir through God.

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Galatians 3:5-14 – The Righteous Man shall Live by Faith

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The following chiasmus is from Kenneth E. Bailey‘s book “Poet and Peasant“.  Another nice center:  “The righteous man shall live by faith”.  As with the center, the chiasmus also ends with “faith”.  :

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A    5  Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  6  Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

B    7  Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.  8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”  9  So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

C    10  For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.”

D    11  Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident;

E    for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.“

D’   12  However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.”

C’   13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”–

B’   14  in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles,

A’   so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit / through faith.

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Here’s Bailey’s comment on the above chiasmus:

The parallels in the above inversion are as follows:

A    Spirit, Faith, Righteousness

B    Gentiles, Blessing of Abraham

C    Curse

D    Law

E    Righteousness by Faith

D’   Law

C’   Curse (Christ)

B’   Gentiles, Blessing of Abraham (Christ)

A’   Spirit, Faith, Righteousness

All the parallels are strong and unmistakable.  The climax is in the center.  The center is related theologically to the beginning and the end.  This is particularly clear when the two quotes in A and E are compared.  The second half introduces Christ, who is the significant missing element in the first half.

Bailey’s book, the above chiasmus, and many other chiasmi can be viewed online here.

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