The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (212 page)

4:28 children of promise:
Paul concludes that those in Christ (3:27) share the Abrahamic blessings that were promised to come through Isaac to the world (3:14).
See note on Gal 3:16
. 
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4:29 persecuted:
Paul follows a Jewish tradition that interprets the "playing" of Abraham's sons in Gen 21:9 as a power struggle between the boys, with the older Ishmael taunting the younger Isaac. The current harassment by the Judaizers links them with Hagar and the Ishmaelites, whose descendants were among the traditional enemies of the covenant people (1 Chron 5:10; Ps 83:5-6). 
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4:30 Cast out the slave:
A citation from Gen 21:10. • This is the moment when Ishmael is expelled from Abraham's family and disqualified from being a rightful heir. It refutes the logic of the Judaizers that circumcision is the sign that entitles one to a share in the blessings of Abraham. In effect, Paul is reminding them that Ishmael and Isaac were
both
circumcised, yet Ishmael was disinherited and Isaac alone received his father's blessing.
See note on Jn 8:35
. 
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5:1 yoke of slavery:
An image of the Mosaic Law, with its burdensome ceremonial requirements (Acts 15:10). It stands in stark contrast to the
freedom
of faith in Jesus Christ (Mt 11:29-30), who alone liberates us from sin and death (Acts 13:38-39; CCC 1972). For Paul, the two are mutually exclusive, since to
accept
the yoke of the Law as a requirement for salvation is to
reject
Christ as the sole foundation of our redemption and spiritual life (Gal 2:21). • The Council of Florence (1442) declared that Christians cannot observe the Mosaic ceremonies of the Old Covenant as necessary for salvation without sinning gravely (Session 11). Although it was permitted for Jewish converts to maintain their ancestral traditions in the earliest days of the Church, this grace period ended with the wide dissemination of the gospel. Thereafter neither Jews nor Gentiles could lawfully uphold circumcision, animal sacrifices, or dietary distinctions as legitimate practices in the New Covenant. 
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5:3 keep the whole law:
Circumcision is the doorway into the Old Covenant, and so those who embrace it are obligated to observe the Mosaic Law in its entirety. Ironically, the Judaizers are hypocrites in this regard (6:13). 
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5:6 faith working through love:
Faith alone is insufficient to justify the sinner. If it stands by itself and fails to join with love in acts of generosity and service, it is empty and vain (1 Cor 13:2; Jas 2:14-26). The parallel passage in 1 Cor 7:19, which likewise asserts the irrelevance of circumcision, suggests that Paul associates the labor of faith and love with keeping the moral commandments of God. Love has precisely this focus in Pauline theology (Gal 5:13-14; Rom 13:8-10) (CCC 162, 1814). 
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5:9 A little leaven:
Symbolic of a hidden but evil influence (Mt 16:12; 1 Cor 5:6-8). If even a few of Paul's readers submit to circumcision at the insistence of the Judaizers, it could have a disastrous effect upon all the Galatian Christians. 
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5:11 stumbling block of the cross:
In the eyes of the Judaizers, this would consist in the exemption of converts from the ritual demands of the Mosaic Law. 
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5:12 mutilate themselves:
Paul wishes sarcastically that the Judaizers, in their zeal to promote circumcision, would go even farther by castrating themselves (Phil 3:2). 
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5:13 called to freedom:
Christian liberty is not a license to indulge in sin and selfishness. We are free, rather, to mature in grace and become the saints we are called to be (Jn 8:31-32). Once Christ has freed us from sin (Rom 6:20-22), the ceremonies of the Old Law (Acts 15:1-11), the curses of the Law (Gal 3:13), and the tyranny of our fallen nature (Rom 8:2), it is grossly irresponsible to despise his grace by reverting to the old ways. This would lead again to spiritual slavery, putting offenders in a worse position than ever before (2 Pet 2:19-22) (CCC 1740-42). 
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5:14 the whole law:
The chief aim of the Torah is to promote the love of God, neighbor, and self (Mt 22:34-40; Rom 13:8-10). Jesus lived this intention of the Law to perfection, so that the law of love has become the "law of Christ" (Gal 6:2; 1 Cor 9:21). Our ability to fulfill this law is made possible by the grace of the Spirit (Rom 5:5; 8:4).
You shall love your neighbor:
A citation from Lev 19:18. Observance of this law was sorely needed in Galatia, where the Judaizing crisis spawned bitterness and strife between fellow Christians (Gal 5:15). • It may be asked why the apostle mentions love of neighbor but not love of God. Yet who can love his neighbor if he does not love God, since it is only by the gift of God that one can love his neighbor? Since neither precept can be observed unless the other is observed, it suffices to mention one of them (St. Augustine,
Exposition of Galatians
45). 
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5:16-24
Paul alerts readers that a hidden war is waged in the heart of every Christian. It is a struggle between the
Spirit
and our
flesh,
i.e., our fallen nature that inclines us toward evil (Rom 8:5-8). Unless we follow the Spirit's lead, the lusts of the flesh (concupiscence) will dominate our lives and enslave us in sin. When we respond to grace, we enable the Spirit to work powerfully in us by clearing out the vices that lead us away from God. Because of our weaknesses, victory in this struggle is possible but not easy (1 Cor 9:25-27) (CCC 2515-16; 1426; 2744). 
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5:19 works of the flesh:
The sins of the flesh include more than just sins of the body (5:19-21). They consist of every act of immorality and injustice that stems from a disordered love of the world (Jas 4:1-5; 1 Jn 2:15-17). These grave sins sever offenders from Christ (Gal 5:4) and will block their entrance into heaven if repentance is neglected (CCC 1470, 1855). 
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5:21 shall not inherit the kingdom:
Even Christians can forfeit their salvation if they stifle the Spirit and submit to the flesh (Rom 6:15-16). Paul posts this warning in several of his letters (Rom 8:12-13; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 5:5). 
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5:22 the fruit of the Spirit:
The indwelling of the Spirit produces holiness in the lives of believers (Mt 12:33; Jn 15:1-6). The first fruit of this divine presence is love, the source of all that is good and the virtue upon which others are built (Rom 5:5; 2 Cor 1:22). It may be significant that Paul says "fruit" (singular) instead of "fruits" (plural), suggesting that life in the Spirit is integrated and whole, not fragmented or divided (CCC 736, 1695, 1832). 
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5:24 crucified the flesh:
Baptism unites believers with the saving death of Jesus, so much so that Paul says we are "crucified with Christ" (2:20; cf. Rom 6:3-4). In addition to receiving forgiveness, we die to our former way of life through the Spirit, who gives us new strength to master our
passions
and selfish
desires
(Rom 7:21-8:2) (CCC 2543, 2848). 
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6:1 restore him:
Fraternal correction is an unpleasant but necessary task to promote the welfare of fellow Christians and, beyond that, the whole Body of Christ. This must be an act of mercy and encouragement, not severity. Paul speaks from experience in this regard (2:11-16). 
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6:2 the law of Christ:
The entire life of Jesus is the law of Christian living (Mt 11:29). It is summarized in the commandment of love (Jn 13:34-35) and calls us to carry the
burdens
of others as Christ did for us (1 Pet 2:24). Christian charity prohibits indifference toward our neighbor but encourages us instead to bear up with his weaknesses (Rom 15:1) and make his joys and sorrows our own (Rom 12:15; 1 Cor 12:26; CCC 196570). 
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6:4 test his own work:
It is important to examine our lives before God and not to compare ourselves with others (2 Cor 13:5). In the end, everyone is responsible for his own actions and will give an account to the Lord (1 Cor 4:5). 
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6:6 share all good things:
This probably refers to material and financial support that local congregations rightfully owe their spiritual leaders (Lk 10:7; 1 Cor 9:11-14). 
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6:7-9
The principle of sowing and reaping is an inflexible law of the spiritual life (Job 4:8; Jer 17:10). Just as farmers invariably harvest the same crop they planted, so every thought, word, and deed sown in this life has a consequence that springs directly from it in the next. Those who sow in the
Spirit
will reap holiness and heavenly glory; those who sow in the
flesh
can expect nothing but death and decay. Since Paul speaks of a lifetime of
well-doing,
patience and perseverance are needed to see the fruit of our labors (Mt 24:13; Rom 2:6-7; Heb 3:14). 
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6:11 I am writing:
Paul penned the postscript of Galatians himself, whereas the body of the letter was dictated to a secretary, as in Rom 16:22 and 2 Thess 3:17. He writes with
large letters
either for emphasis or because of poor eyesight (4:15). 
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6:12-13
The Judaizers were driven by fear of persecution, probably from Jewish nationalists who pressured them to make circumcision the focus of their missionary efforts. Paul accuses them of abandoning the true gospel, not out of conviction, but out of cowardice. See notes on Gal 2:3 and 2:14. 
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6:14 crucified to me:
Paul reiterates what he said in 2:20 and 5:24, that in Christ our sins and worldly passions are put to death. Paul thus emphasizes that the Cross—not circumcision— is the sign of our salvation (6:15; 1 Cor 1:18). 
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