Shingi’s Bible Commentary: Galatians Chapter 5 part 1
Study Guide:
Galatians Chapter 5: “The war between the flesh and the spirit”
Welcome to this explanatory guide, designed to illuminate the core ideas presented in Shingi’s Bible Commentary on Galatians Chapter 5. These notes serve as a clear and accessible resource for those new to biblical studies, simplifying complex theological concepts and providing a structured understanding of the text. Shingi’s primary teaching method in this commentary is to unpack the allegory of Abraham’s two sons from Galatians 4, using it as a lens through which to interpret the entire chapter. This guide will walk you through the central theme of the commentary: the profound difference between living under the burden of religious law and living in the freedom offered through Christ.
1. The Core Conflict: Liberty vs. The “Yoke of Bondage”
The study frames Galatians 5 around a central conflict between two opposing ways of living: one defined by Christ-given liberty and the other by a legalistic “yoke of bondage.”
1.1. What is the “Liberty” We Are Called To?
According to Teacher Shingi, the liberty discussed is the freedom that Christ has bestowed upon all believers. This freedom is not something that must be earned but is a direct result of one’s spiritual birth. This is allegorically explained as being “born of the free woman,” which signifies being born into Christ and becoming part of the “Jerusalem which is above, which is free”. The key benefit of this liberty is that it is an inheritance of freedom, a foundational aspect of the believer’s new identity, not a reward for good works.
1.2. What is the “Yoke of Bondage”?
Teacher Shingi defines the “yoke of bondage” as the act of becoming entangled with the Law of Moses and attempting to be justified by it. This “yoke” represents several interconnected ideas:
- The Law from Mount Sinai: Teacher Shingi explicitly links this bondage to the law that Moses received at Mount Sinai.
- The Pursuit of Circumcision: The act of circumcision is used as the primary example of trying to adhere to the law for justification before God.
- The “Flesh”: The source of this bondage is the “flesh,” which Shingi directly links to the attempt to live by the Law of Moses received at Mount Sinai.
Apostle Paul issues a stark warning: anyone who attempts to be justified by the law becomes a “debtor to do the whole law,” and for that person, Christ becomes of “no effect”. Shingi highlights the severe consequence of this path, noting that if you fail to keep even one point of the law, you have violated the whole law and are therefore “worthy of death”.
This fundamental conflict between liberty and bondage is illustrated by Teacher Shingi through two distinct spiritual origins, or “births.”
2. Understanding the Two Births: Flesh vs. Spirit
The commentary draws upon the allegory from Galatians 4—the story of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac—to illustrate the difference between a life lived under the law (“born after the flesh”) and a life lived in Christ (“born after the Spirit”).
| Born After the Flesh | Born After the Spirit |
| Linked to Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the “bond maid.” | Linked to Isaac, the son of Sarah, the “free woman.” |
| Represents a life lived “under the law” and in a state of spiritual “bondage.” | Represents being “born of the promise,” free from the law, and possessing an “inheritance of freedom.” |
| The commentary notes that those born this way historically persecute those born of the Spirit. | These are the “children of promise,” just as Isaac was, who receive God’s favor by faith, not works. |
Having established these two distinct spiritual lineages, Shingi proceeds to explain how a person who is “born after the Spirit” is meant to live out their newfound freedom.
3. The Christian’s New Way of Life
For the believer born of the Spirit, the old system of law is replaced by a new, internal operating principle.
3.1. What Replaces the Law? “Faith Which Works by Love”
Shingi states that in the new life in Christ, external markers like circumcision or uncircumcision are irrelevant. The only thing that now matters is “faith which works by love”.
To define this principle, Shingi makes a critical cross-reference to Galatians 6:15, where the same formula (“neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision”) is followed by the phrase “but a new creature.” By connecting these two verses, he argues that “faith which works by love” is synonymous with being a “new creature.” It is the very “living composition” and “spiritual genetic makeup” of a believer’s born-again spirit.
Shingi explains that this faith operates in two distinct but connected ways:
- Awakened by God’s Love for Us: Faith is first activated by the transformative realization of God’s unconditional love. Shingi emphasizes that this love was proactively demonstrated when Christ died for us while we were still sinners, before we even knew we needed saving. Understanding this profound, unmerited love makes faith in God’s promises both logical and easy.
- Expressed Through God’s Love in Us: Once a person is born again, God places His own love inside them through the Holy Spirit. This enables the believer to naturally and unconditionally love others, regardless of how they are treated, because it flows from an internal, divine source.
3.2. What Does it Mean to “Walk in the Spirit”?
Teacher Shingi offers a distinctively practical definition for this often-misunderstood phrase. He asserts that the Bible is the only definitive source of information about the spirit realm. Based on this foundational premise, he concludes that to “walk in the Spirit” is simply to “walk in the Word”.
The reasoning behind this definition is as follows:
- The Bible is described as “the spirit world in writing” and “the realm of the Spirit in written form”.
- Therefore, walking in the Spirit is not a mystical or an “airy fairy” experience. It is the practical act of aligning one’s life, decisions, and beliefs with the written Word of God.
He grounds this interpretation by drawing a sharp terminological distinction between praying “in the Spirit” (praying in accordance with the Word of God) and praying “with the Spirit” (praying in tongues by the power of the Holy Spirit).
This explanation of how a believer should live leads directly to the tangible outcomes produced by the two opposing lifestyles—one led by the flesh and the other led by the Spirit.
4. The Two Lifestyles and Their Outcomes
Shingi links the two opposing lists in Galatians 5 back to the allegory of the two births, showing that each lifestyle produces a distinct type of evidence or “fruit.”
4.1. The “Works of the Flesh”
These behaviors are presented as the manifest results of a life not led by the Spirit. Shingi further connects the “works of the flesh” directly to the spiritual lineage of the “bondwoman” (Hagar and Ishmael).
The list of these works includes:
Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Heresies, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings.
4.2. The “Fruit of the Spirit”
In stark contrast, the “fruit of the Spirit” is the natural outcome of a life born of and led by the Spirit. This fruit is connected to the spiritual lineage of the “free woman” (Sarah and Isaac).
The list includes:
Love, Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.
5. Conclusion: A Call to Live in Freedom
The central insight of Shingirai Mudyirwa’s commentary on Galatians 5 is a call for believers to fully embrace their identity in Christ. The Christian life presented is not one of striving to adhere to an external list of religious rules (the law) but one of confidently living in the liberty that Christ has already secured. This freedom is realized by walking in the truth of God’s Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to naturally produce His fruit, which is the ultimate expression of a faith that works by love.