Galatians 3:2

3:2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law ¹  or by believing what you heard? ² 

Galatians 4:17

4:17 They court you eagerly, ³  but for no good purpose; ⁴  they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. ⁵ 

Galatians 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ⁶  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ⁷  of slavery.

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¹ tn Grk “by [the] works of [the] law,” a reference to observing the Mosaic law.

² tn Grk “by [the] hearing of faith.”

³ tn Or “They are zealous for you.”

⁴ tn Or “but not commendably” (BDAG 505 s.v. καλῶς 2).

⁵ tn Or “so that you would be zealous.”

⁶ tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

⁷ sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.