Jan Lambrecht, «The Right Things You Want to Do. A Note on Galatians 5,17d», Vol. 79 (1998) 515-524
We can assume that the Spirit-filled Christians in Galatia want to do the right things. To be sure, they are in need of admonition and exhortation. In a realistic way Paul reminds them of their somewhat fragile condition. He points to the eschatological tension between the "already" and the "not yet", between the indicative and the imperative. They are still in the body, yet they live in this world. Some of these Gentile Christians are attracted to the "works of the law". But, as Paul has been arguing at great length in this letter, that is not a solution. On the contrary, the Spirit alone constitutes the really "empowering presence". Therefore, "if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (v. 25). It would seem that Gal 5,17, properly understood, fits very well into this context of admonition.
determined resolution 32 "you Galatians" would not be able to do the good you want to do. However, if you are really led by the Spirit, you are not under the law and everything will be all right (cf. v. 18 with de/ at the beginning). According to this paraphrase verse 17 functions as a stern warning. The motivating clause of v. 17a introduces a rather abstract anthropological consideration which is further worked out in v. 17bc. For a moment, as it were, Paul forgets the Christian moral choice which the Galatians are supposed to renew. Just as in 6,8, so also in 5,17abc the third person is used. It is only at v. 17d that Paul returns to the second person and makes the Galatians realize what would happen without a positive choice and the necessary inward discipline, without the personally accepted effective guidance of the Spirit: you would be unable to do the good you even as ordinarly human beings, but certainly as Christians want to do 33.
In sum, I think that the third proposal of part II of this note should be explained along the lines suggested in part III 34. We can be permitted, I believe, to suppose that the Spirit-filled Christians in Galatia want to do the right things. To be sure, they are in need of admonition and exhortation. In a realistic way Paul reminds them of their somewhat fragile condition. He points to the eschatological tension between the "already" and the "not yet", between the indicative and the imperative. They are still in the body; they yet live in this world. Some of these Gentile Christians are attracted to the "works of the law". But, as Paul has been arguing at great length in this letter, that is not a solution. On the contrary, the Spirit alone constitutes the really "empowering presence" 35. Therefore, "if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (v. 25). It would seem that Gal 5,17, properly understood, fits very well into this context of admonition.