Galatians 5:20 lists several sins that grow out of the old, self-centered way of living, including idolatry, hatred, quarreling, jealousy and factions. Paul is naming them so believers can recognize them in their own hearts and communities and turn away from them. He wrote this letter to the churches of Galatia, a group of congregations in what is now central Turkey, and this verse is part of a longer list he gives to contrast life lived by the flesh with life lived by the Spirit.
Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies…
Galatians 5:20 (WEB)
What Galatians 5:20 Means
The verse begins with idolatry, which means putting something in the place of God, whether a physical image or a desire, a reputation or a bank account, that receives the trust and loyalty only God should have. Sorcery follows, referring to the practice of seeking power or control through magic and manipulation, which in Paul’s world often meant dealings with spiritual forces apart from God. The list then moves into relationships: hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger and rivalries. Each of these describes how people behave toward one another when self-interest takes over.
The final words, divisions and heresies, describe how such attitudes spread into the community. Divisions are splits between people, and the word heresies, in its original sense, points to factions that form around their own opinions and set themselves apart. The verse does not promise that believers will never struggle with these things. It describes what the flesh produces, and it warns that a life shaped by these patterns cannot be the life of the Spirit Paul has been describing.
The Context of Galatians 5:20
Galatians is a letter Paul wrote to churches he had founded, and it deals with a serious dispute over whether Gentile believers had to take on the Jewish law, including circumcision, to belong to God’s people. Paul’s answer is that freedom in Christ is real and that this freedom is not a license for self-indulgence. Chapter 5 begins with the call to stand firm in that freedom, and then moves to the warning that the flesh and the Spirit are in conflict.
Read in context, Galatians 5:20 is one half of a contrast. Just before it, Paul lists the deeds of the flesh that are obvious to anyone who looks, and just after it, he describes the fruit of the Spirit, beginning with love and joy. The surrounding passage makes clear that Paul is not listing random bad behavior. He is describing what happens when a community is run by its appetites, and he is setting that against a community that is led by God’s own character.
Key Phrases in Galatians 5:20
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(WEB)
These verses describe the fruit of the Spirit, which stands in direct contrast to the works Paul lists in verse 20. Reading them side by side shows that the Christian life is not only about resisting sin but also about growing in love, joy, peace and patience.
James 3:16
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
(WEB)
James makes a similar observation about envy and selfish ambition, tracing them to disorder and every evil practice. His letter reinforces Paul’s warning that these attitudes produce conflict within communities of faith.
A Short Prayer From Galatians 5:20
Lord, you see the places in my heart where pride, envy, and anger have taken root, and I confess that I have let them shape my words and my choices. Forgive me for the times I have put other things in the place where you belong, and for the quarrels I have fed instead of ending. Teach me to examine my motives honestly and to turn toward the peace your Spirit offers. Help me to be someone who builds up the people around me rather than dividing them. Amen.
