Galater 5:15

15 So ihr euch aber untereinander beißet und fresset, so seht zu, daß ihr nicht untereinander verzehrt werdet.

Galater 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.

Galater 5:15 In-Context

13 Ihr aber, liebe Brüder, seid zur Freiheit berufen! Allein sehet zu, daß ihr durch die Freiheit dem Fleisch nicht Raum gebet; sondern durch die Liebe diene einer dem andern.

14 Denn alle Gesetze werden in einem Wort erfüllt, in dem: "Liebe deinen Nächsten wie dich selbst."

15 So ihr euch aber untereinander beißet und fresset, so seht zu, daß ihr nicht untereinander verzehrt werdet.

16 Ich sage aber: Wandelt im Geist, so werdet ihr die Lüste des Fleisches nicht vollbringen.

17 Denn das Fleisch gelüstet wider den Geist, und der Geist wider das Fleisch; dieselben sind widereinander, daß ihr nicht tut, was ihr wollt.