加拉太書 5:15

15 你 們 要 謹 慎 ， 若 相 咬 相 吞 ， 只 怕 要 彼 此 消 滅 了 。

加拉太書 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.

加拉太書 5:15 In-Context

13 弟 兄 們 ， 你 們 蒙 召 是 要 得 自 由 ， 只 是 不 可 將 你 們 的 自 由 當 作 放 縱 情 慾 的 機 會 ， 總 要 用 愛 心 互 相 服 事 。

14 因 為 全 律 法 都 包 在 「 愛 人 如 己 」 這 一 句 話 之 內 了 。

15 你 們 要 謹 慎 ， 若 相 咬 相 吞 ， 只 怕 要 彼 此 消 滅 了 。

16 我 說 ， 你 們 當 順 著 聖 靈 而 行 ， 就 不 放 縱 肉 體 的 情 慾 了 。

17 因 為 情 慾 和 聖 靈 相 爭 ， 聖 靈 和 情 慾 相 爭 ， 這 兩 個 是 彼 此 相 敵 ， 使 你 們 不 能 做 所 願 意 做 的 。