Galatians 5:15

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out [that] you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 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.

Galatians 5:15 In-Context

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom [become] an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out [that] you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never carry out the desire of the flesh.

17 For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these [things].