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Paul says goodbye, and appeals to the Galatians to remain in the truth. He has suffered for Jesus, which shows his sincerity, so Paul hopes they will follow his teaching again.

Paul shows how he cares personally for the Galatians’ spiritual growth. The competing Jewish "authorities" are manipulating them for worldly honor. For believers, we should consider the world dead, and live as new creations.

Living a life of sin will earn loss of reward. Living a life in the Spirit will earn God’s reward. In this short life, we should do good to other believers and all people.

Instead of judging others with an arrogant mindset, we need to focus on our own personal obedience to God. We need to take care of the needs of teachers of the Bible.

Mature, spiritual believers should lead sinful believers away from sin in a gentle manner. Everyone should stay away from temptation. Jesus wants us to take care of one another.

The Spirit produces those things that are in direct opposition to what the flesh produces. Instead of following sinful desires, believers should walk by the Spirit.

The flesh and the Spirit are not only opposed to one another; Paul’s description here makes it clear that they are mortal enemies. The desire of the flesh is set against the desire of the Spirit. And these are in direct opposition to one another.

Christ’s sacrifice has given believers a freedom; freedom to follow the Spirit and not the flesh.

The Galatians were running well, following Christ, until these competing Jewish "authorities" misled them into believing that they needed the law and the gospel of Jesus. Paul also addresses the slander that he supposedly supports the competing Jewish "authorities’" message.

These Galatians believers have replaced the freedom found in Christ with a slavery to the law. They have ignored God’s grace and have replaced it with rules that will only show their sinfulness and failure to obey. Instead, they should follow the Spirit, which they received when placing their faith in Christ’s work on the cross.

Believers should look to Isaac as a symbol of our spiritual state; we are children of God’s promises. Living like a slave to rule-following will harm our spiritual maturity and relationship with God. The Galatians need to remember their identity in Christ and get rid of legalism.

Paul makes a comparison to the Old Testament. Ishmael represents slavery to rule-following, Isaac represents spiritual freedom and sonship to God.

Paul tells the Galatians that the false teachers are leading them astray. These teachers are excluding them in order to get them to want to belong to their "club." Paul considers the Galatians as his children who he is trying to mature in their faith to God. He is perplexed and worried for their spiritual growth.

Paul urges the Galatians to return to his teaching. He reminds them that they were loving and respectful to him when he met them. Paul was ill when he first met them, but they welcomed him as God’s messenger. Now, he wonders if the Galatians think of him as an enemy.

Before believing in Christ, the Galatians were slaves to sin and tried to please false gods. But now that they are in right relationship with the true God, they’re still choosing to live in slavery to rules and rituals. Paul worries that he wasted his time teaching them.

Bondage under the law is like slavery, which keeps us from maturing in faith. At the right time, God sent Christ to bring us back to God and adopt us as spiritual children. Now, as believers, God is our Father, we have been given His Spirit to lead us, and we don’t have to be slaves to sin or law.

The law shows everyone their need for Christ’s sacrifice in their place, like a tutor teaching us. But now that faith has come we no longer need our tutor and we should instead live by that same faith. This faith, as promised to Abraham, is for all people of all nations, making those of us who believe sons and daughters of God.

Since the Law had nothing to do with either the giving or receiving of the promise of God, Paul answers an obvious question: What is the Law for?

Paul uses the Old Testament scriptures and its chronology to prove that the inheritance of God’s promises are based on God’s promise, not the law.

Everyone who tries to obey the law will fail, because the law requires 100 percent perfection. Because of this, Christ (who did obey the law perfectly) took on our failings instead, and through faith in Him we can receive the promise of salvation and the Spirit through faith.