04_Biblica_Aletti_Layout 1 08/07/13 12:56 Pagina 395 04_B Paul’s Exhortations in Gal 5,16-25 From the Apostle’s Techniques to His Theology In the Letter to the Galatians, difficult verses abound and thus pro- vide numerous choices for study. If I have chosen to present Gal 5,16- 25, it is because this passage provides me with the opportunity to give my opinion about three controversial points: (1) where does the exhortative section begin: in Gal 5,1 or 5,13; (2) what is the meaning of Gal 5,17?; and (3) how can Paul’s emphasis on the flesh/Spirit en- mity in Gal 5,16-25 be explained? And since the meaning of the flesh/Spirit opposition depends mostly on the interpretation of Gal 5,17, I will focus on this verse, the difficulties of which are well- known, so much so that it has even been said that this verse is “one of the most difficult in the whole letter” 1. If, however, I am here tak- ing up again the study of this verse in its context, it is less to present new interpretations than to state some of the important consequences that Paul’s thought on justification has had on the exhortative part of the letters to the Galatians and to the Romans. I. The Limits of the Exhortative Part of Galatians For some exegetes, the exhortative part begins in Gal 5,1, but for others in 5,13. In order to determine with certainty the beginning of this part, it is important to take into account the Apostle’s way of proceeding in this letter, a way of proceeding that is customary for him. Indeed, paradoxically, in many of his argumentations, Paul does not treat questions at the level at which they are asked. And this is the case in Galatians, in which the question that was con- fronting the communities of the region was clearly that of the cir- cumcision of believers coming from paganism. But Paul does not give an immediate response by declaring loudly and clearly his re- jection of circumcision but first makes a long detour in order to show that his answer comes from the gospel. J.M.G. BARCLAY, Obeying the Truth. A Study of Paul’s Ethics in Gala- 1 tians (Studies of the New Testament and its World; Edinburgh 1988) 112. BIBLICA 94.3 (2013) 395-414 © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati