Gálatas 5:15

15 Se vós, porém, vos mordeis e devorais uns aos outros, vede não vos consumais uns aos outros.

Gálatas 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 5:15

But if ye bite and devour one another
Another reason inducing to love is taken from the pernicious consequences of a contrary spirit and conduct. The allusion is to beasts of prey falling upon and devouring one another: for wolves or dogs to worry sheep is not strange; but for sheep to distress one another is unnatural. The apostle does not say, if grievous wolves should enter in among you and not spare the flock; but suggests if they themselves should act the part of wolves to one another; having reference to their controversies about the law and circumcision, and the necessity thereof to justification and salvation; which were managed with great heat and bitterness, occasioned great contentions, and threatened them with divisions, parties, and factions; and were attended with envy and malice, with reproachful words, biting sarcasms, scandalous invectives, and injurious actions, which must be of bad consequence: hence he adds,

take heed that ye be not consumed one of another;
that is, either beware lest each other's particular peace and comfort be destroyed, which is oftentimes done this way, though a person's state and condition God-ward may be safe; or lest their church state should be destroyed and come to nothing, since love is the cement of it, which being loosened, threatens a dissolution; for as no civil community, either public or private, divided against itself, can stand long, so no religious one; and for want of love the Lord threatens to remove, and sometimes does remove, the candlestick out of its place.

Gálatas 5:15 In-Context

13 Porque vós, irmãos, fostes chamados � liberdade. Mas não useis da liberdade para dar ocasião � carne, antes pelo amor servi-vos uns aos outros.

14 Pois toda a lei se cumpre numa só palavra, a saber: Amarás ao teu próximo como a ti mesmo.

15 Se vós, porém, vos mordeis e devorais uns aos outros, vede não vos consumais uns aos outros.

16 Digo, porém: Andai pelo Espírito, e não haveis de cumprir a cobiça da carne.

17 Porque a carne luta contra o Espírito, e o Espírito contra a carne; e estes se opõem um ao outro, para que não façais o que quereis.