Praescriptio (1:1-5):  

Superscriptio (1:1-2a)  
¹Paul an apostle -- sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead -- ²and all the members of God's family who are with me. 
Adscriptio (1:2b):  
To the churches of Galatia: 
Salutatio (1:3-5):  
³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

     ⁶I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- ⁷not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! ⁹As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!  
     ¹⁰Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 

Basic Divisions (by chapters):  
I. (1-2) Paul's defense of his apostleship  
II. (3-4) Paul's defense of his Gospel message  
III. (5-6) Implications of the Gospel for daily living 
Designated Text (5:13-24):  
     ¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.^{** 14}For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 
     ¹⁶Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For what the flesh desires is opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 
     ²²By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

     ¹¹See what large letter I make when I am writing in my own hand! ¹²It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised -- only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³Even the circumcised to not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. ¹⁴May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! ¹⁶As for those who will follow this rule -- peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 
     ¹⁷From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. 
     ¹⁸May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. 

 **Compare this foundational statement to the first expression of it in 5:1. 
"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." 

     Also note the third expression of this foundational principle in 5:25. 
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit." 

     In the paranetical section (5:1-6:10), the principle of freedom leading to the Holy Spirit's guidance is stated as a foundation principle for each of the three subsections: 5:1,2-12; 5:13,14-24; 5:25,26-6:10. Each section advances the issue from freedom from legalism (5:1-12), to genuine servanthood through the Holy Spirit (5:13-24), to how the Spirit's help is implemented in interpersonal relations and self-awareness (5:25-6:10). This section (5:1-6:10) answers the Judaizers charge that a gospel of grace leads to an immoral lifestyle, and constitutes Paul's third argument in the body of the letter.