Galatians 5:26

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
We must not feel proud and boast about ourselves. We must not cause trouble for each other or be jealous of each other.

Revised Standard Version
Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Let vs not be vayne glorious provokinge one another and envyinge one another.

Hebrew Names Version
Let's not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

New American Standard Bible
Let's not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

New Century Version
We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other.

Update Bible Version
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

English Standard Version
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

World English Bible
Let's not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Be not desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Weymouth's New Testament
Let us not become vain-glorious, challenging one another, envying one another.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
be we not made coueytouse of veyn glorie, stirynge ech othere to wraththe, or hauynge enuye ech to othere.

English Revised Version
Let us not be vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

Berean Standard Bible
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.

Contemporary English Version
But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.

Amplified Bible
We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

American Standard Version
Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bible in Basic English
Let us not be full of self-glory, making one another angry, having envy of one another.

Complete Jewish Bible
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Darby Translation
Let us not become vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

International Standard Version
Let us stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another.Philippians 2:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and let us not be vain-glorious, contemning one another, envying one another.

Murdock Translation
And let us not be vain-glorious, despising one another, and envying one another.

King James Version (1611)
Let vs not be desirous of vaine glory, prouoking one another, enuying one another.

New Living Translation
Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

New Life Bible
Let us not become proud in ways in which we should not. We must not make hard feelings among ourselves as Christians or make anyone jealous.

New Revised Standard
Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let vs not be desirous of vaine glorie, prouoking one another, enuying one another.

George Lamsa Translation
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let us not become vain-glorious, - one another, challenging, one another, envying.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let vs not be desirous of vayne glorie, prouoking one another, enuying one another.

Good News Translation
We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.

Christian Standard Bible®
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

King James Version
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Lexham English Bible
We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Literal Translation
Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

Young's Literal Translation
let us not become vain-glorious -- one another provoking, one another envying!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let vs not be vayne glorious, prouokinge one another, and envyenge another.

Mace New Testament (1729)
let us not be vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

New English Translation
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.

New King James Version
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Do not be proud, irritating, or jealous of one another.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let us not become those with vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.

Contextual Overview

¹³It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? ¹⁶My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? ¹⁹It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom. ²²But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. ²⁴The Life of Freedom Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment. As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then—it would be so watered-down it wouldn't matter one way or the other. Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves! It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom. But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. ²⁵Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

desirous: Luke 14:10, 1 Corinthians 3:7, Philippians 2:1-3, James 4:16

provoking: Galatians 5:15, James 3:14-16, 1 Peter 5:5

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 19:43 - our advice 2 Kings 17:17 - used Luke 9:46 - General Acts 17:5 - moved Romans 13:13 - strife 1 Corinthians 1:11 - that there 1 Corinthians 13:3 - though I bestow 1 Corinthians 13:4 - envieth 2 Corinthians 12:20 - debates Philippians 2:3 - nothing Philippians 2:14 - disputings Colossians 3:8 - anger 1 Thessalonians 2:6 - of men 1 Timothy 6:4 - words James 5:9 - Grudge not

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let us not be desirous of vain glory,.... Ambitious of being thought wiser, and richer, and more valuable than others; of having the preeminence in the management of all affairs, and of having honour, esteem, and popular applause from men: this may well be called vain glory, since it is only in outward things, as wisdom, riches, strength, and honour, and not in God the giver of them, and who can easily take them away; and therefore is but for a time, and is quickly gone, and lies only in the opinion and breath of men.

Provoking one another; not to good works, which would be right, but to anger and wrath, which is contrary to Christian charity, or true love; which, as it is not easily provoked, so neither will it provoke others to evil things. The Syriac version renders it by

מקלין, "slighting", or "despising one another"; and the Arabic version, "insulting one another"; vices to which men, and even Christian brethren in the same communion, are too prone.

Envying one another; their gifts and abilities, natural and spiritual; their rank and station in the world, or in the church. These were sins the Galatians very probably were subject to; and where they prevail, there is confusion, and every evil work, and are therefore to be watched and guarded against.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let us not be desirous of vainglory - The word used here (κενόδοξοι kenodoxoi) means “proud” or “vain” of empty advantages, as of birth, property, eloquence, or learning. The reference here is probably to the paltry competitions which arose on account of these supposed advantages. It is possible that this might have been one cause of the difficulties existing in the churches of Galatia, and the apostle is anxious wholly to check and remove it. The Jews prided themselves on their birth, and people are everywhere prone to overvalue the supposed advantages of birth and blood. The doctrines of Paul are, that on great and most vital respects people are on a level; that these things contribute nothing to salvation (notes, Galatians 3:28); and that Christians should esteem them of little importance, and that they should not be suffered to interfere with their fellowship, or to mar their harmony and peace.

Provoking one another - The sense is, that they who are desirous of vainglory, do provoke one another. They provoke those whom they regard as inferiors by a haughty carriage and a contemptuous manner toward them. They look upon them often with contempt; pass them by with disdain; treat them as beneath their notice; and this provokes on the other hand hard feeling, and hatred. and a disposition to take revenge. When people regard themselves as equal in their great and vital interests; when they feel that they are fellow-heirs of the grace of life; when they feel that they belong to one great family, and are in their great interests on a level; deriving no advantage from birth and blood; on a level as descendants of the same apostate father; as being themselves sinners; on a level at the foot of the cross, at the communion table, on beds of sickness, in the grave, and at the bar of God; when they feel this, then the consequences here referred to will be avoided. There will be no haughty carriage such as to provoke opposition; and on the other hand there will be no envy on account of the superior rank of others.

Envying one another - On account of their superior wealth, rank, talent, learning. The true way to cure envy is to make people feel that in their great and important interests they are on a level. Their great interests are beyond the grave. The distinctions of this life are temporary, and are comparative trifles. Soon all will be on a level in the grave, and at the bar of God and in heaven. Wealth, and honor, and rank do not avail there. The poorest man will wear as bright a crown as the rich; the man of most humble birth will be admitted as near the throne as he who can boast the longest line of illustrious ancestors. Why should a man who is soon to wear a “crown incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away,” envy him who has a ducal coronet here, or a royal diadem - baubles that are soon to be laid aside forever? Why should he, though poor here, who is soon to inherit the treasures of heaven where “moth and rust do not corrupt,” envy him who can walk over a few acres as his own, or who has accumulated a glittering pile of dust, soon to be left forever?

Why should he who is soon to wear the robes of salvation, made “white in the blood of the Lamb,” envy him who is “clothed in purple and fine linen,” or who can adorn himself and his family in the most gorgeous attire which art and skill can make, soon to give place to the winding-sheet; soon to be succeeded by the simple garb which the most humble wears in the grave? If men feel that their great interests are beyond the tomb: that in the important matter of salvation they are on a level; that soon they are to be undistinguished beneath the clods of the valley, how unimportant comparatively would it seem to adorn their bodies, to advance their name and rank and to improve their estates! The rich and the great would cease to look down with contempt on those of more humble rank, and the poor would cease to envy those above them, for they are soon to be their equals in the grave; their equals, perhaps their superiors in heaven!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Galatians 5:26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory — κενοδοξοι. Let us not be vain glorious-boasting of our attainments; vaunting ourselves to be superior to others; or seeking honour from those things which do not possess moral good; in birth, riches, eloquence, c., c.

Provoking one another — What this may refer to we cannot tell whether to the Judaizing teachers, endeavouring to set themselves up beyond the apostle, and their attempts to lessen him in the people's eyes, that they might secure to themselves the public confidence, and thus destroy St. Paul's influence in the Galatian Churches or whether to some other matter in the internal economy of the Church, we know not. But the exhortation is necessary for every Christian, and for every Christian Church. He who professes to seek the honour that comes from God, should not be desirous of vain glory. He who desires to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, should not provoke another. He who knows that he never deserved any gift or blessing from God should not envy another those blessings which the Divine goodness may have thought proper to bestow upon him. May not God do what he will with his own? If Christians in general would be content with the honour that comes from God, if they would take heed to give no provocations to their fellow Christians, if they would cease from envying those on whom either God or man bestows honours or advantages, we should soon have a happier and more perfect state of the Christian Church than we now see. Christianity requires us to esteem each other better than ourselves, or in honour to prefer one another. Had not such a disposition been necessary to the Christian character, and to the peace and perfection of the Church of Christ, it would not have been so strongly recommended. But who lays this to heart, or even thinks that this is indispensably necessary to his salvation? Where this disposition lives not, there are both the seed and fruit of the flesh. Evil tempers are the bane of religion and totally contrary to Christianity.