Galatia 5:17

5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires ¹  that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to ²  each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

Galatia 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ³  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ⁴  of slavery.

Yohanes 3:9-10

3:9 Nicodemus replied, ⁵  “How can these things be?” ⁶  3:10 Jesus answered, ⁷  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? ⁸ 

[5:17]  ¹ tn The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.

[5:17]  ² tn Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).

[5:1]  ³ tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

[5:1]  ⁴ sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.

[3:9]  ⁵ tn Grk “Nicodemus answered and said to him.”

[3:9]  ⁶ sn “How can these things be?” is Nicodemus’ answer. It is clear that at this time he has still not grasped what Jesus is saying. Note also that this is the last appearance of Nicodemus in the dialogue. Having served the purpose of the author, at this point he disappears from the scene. As a character in the narrative, he has served to illustrate the prevailing Jewish misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching about the necessity of a new, spiritual birth from above. Whatever parting words Nicodemus might have had with Jesus, the author does not record them.

[3:10]  ⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to him.”

[3:10]  ⁸ sn Jesus’ question “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?” implies that Nicodemus had enough information at his disposal from the OT scriptures to have understood Jesus’ statements about the necessity of being born from above by the regenerating work of the Spirit. Isa 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are passages Nicodemus might have known which would have given him insight into Jesus’ words. Another significant passage which contains many of these concepts is Prov 30:4-5.