Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Truth to Learn
Once we are freed from the bondage of church laws and rules we are not to return to that form of bondage.
Behind the Words
There is a variant reading of the word order of this verse depending on the text that is followed, but the meaning is essentially the same for either of them.
The words “stand fast” are translated from the Greek word stēkō, which means “to remain stationary.”
“Liberty” is translated from eleutheria, which means “freedom.” You may notice the similarity with the word that was translated “freewoman” in the previous verse, eleutheros. They both have the same root. And, in fact, the word in this verse which is translated “has made us free” is from the verb form of the same word.
The word translated “entangled” is from the Greek word enechō, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in or upon” and echō, which means “to have or to hold.” Hence, this word means “to hold on.” In the current verse it is in the passive voice, so here it means “to be held onto.” Paul expresses this word in the imperative mood indicating a command.
The word translated “yoke” is dzugos, which is the noun form of the word meaning “to bind together,” so it refers to something which binds two things together, like a yoke which binds two oxen together in a single task.
Meaning Explained
This verse should have been included with the previous chapter rather than separating it out with this one. It is a statement of conclusion based on the fact that we are children of the freewoman. Since we are born free in our spiritual new birth, we need to remain firmly in place with regard to that freedom that Christ has given us. We are not to allow ourselves to become bound again by the works of the law.
The freedom which Paul talks about is not freedom to do as we please, or to sin without restraint. The freedom he refers to is the freedom from religious rules and practices. In other words, we have been set free from the requirements of rules and rituals that the former way of seeking God’s favor imposed on us. They could not make us righteous because righteousness only comes through faith. We are not to turn again to rules and rituals now as part of our relationship with God.
Again, let me say that we are not free to act as we please. God has given us specific instruction in the New Testament as to how a Christian is to behave in the world. Our actions are now to be based on a father-son relationship with our God, not on what a particular church or denomination says we have to do.
Application
If you are a born-again Christian then you have been set free from rituals and church rules. The proper way to give God the glory is to read and study the Bible, living as he teaches us in the New Testament, not how the “church” tells us to live.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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