Galatians 5:7-15
"love fulfills the law"
Paul begins this passage by asking the Galatians a question. he asks them who deceived them? who gently slipped them from the true way to an alternate, false, way? This change, he says, did not come from God, instead it came from Satan the father of lies. These slippery false statements that were being propagated were very tricky. Paul even compares them to yeast in bread.
what was the issue? The judaizers wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised in accordance with the Jewish law and so, they were saying that Gentiles had to be circumcised and Paul, who taught that this was not necessary, was then being attacked (verbally, not physically) on his stance. Paul then, in defending the non-necessity of circumcision says that if he taught circumcision then why are people attacking him? if he taught circumcision, there would not be this problem. this predicament poses a bad situation to be in: teach the Gospel as is and be attacked, or modify it slightly so that it goes down better with the locals?
On a side note, then, Paul discusses the freedom God has given us - it's not a freedom to do sin/whatever we please (which usually results in sin). Instead we must serve each other in love. we must love our neighbor (not only the person next door) as much as we love ourselves. this means what we would have done to us, we do to others and likewise what we would not want done to us, we should not do to others. so many people forget the first part of the meaning of this passage and focus on the second. to them it has become a line with which to scold others when offended/hurt/negatively affected by something the other has said/ done. we need to remember that this verse also means we need to bless others like we wish to be blessed - that means going out of our way to help someone or do something for them.
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