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The Book of Galatians

Chapter 6

The Book of Galatians
Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

At first glance chapter 6 might seem like a montage of random musings. Paul's writings never are collections of random thoughts. They always contain a logical progression. He never strays from his topic. The thoughts are always interconnected in a way designed to build a specific case. Always look for the progression when you are reading Paul. Apply the "W's" of literary interpretation: who is speaking, to whom, about what, what is their purpose in speaking, when are they speaking?

Bear in mind that Paul is writing to Galatian churches to refute false teachers who were teaching that the churches needed to keep the law in order to stay saved and to serve God properly. So these are not a potpourri of general spiritual principles of reaping and sowing and doing good to all men. He was writing to remind them that the New Testament model of service is based on grace, not law. That is also the main line of thought of chapter 6. So look for the flow.


6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Restore Such An One

The meaning of the word "overtaken" in verse 1 is not to be busted in a sin, but rather being caught up in a sin by being off guard. It would be like being overtaken by the enemy in an ambush. The word "fault" refers to trespasses or sins.

The original word, 'katartizete', signifies to set in joint as with a dislocated bone. Think of it in terms of the body of Christ. A member who is caught up in a sin is like a dislocated member of the body. They need to be set back in joint. That should be our attitude toward them and that is what we should be actively working towards. Accompanying that attitude of restoration should be a spirit of gentleness. We need to gently convince them of their sin and persuade them to get right with the Lord. We don't want to come down hard on them. This should not be done in an attitude of anger but rather with a sense of mourning for them and a willingness to forgive in Christian love.

Also our attitude should not be self-righteous or conceited. It could have been us. Self-conceit is self-deceit. If not for the grace of God I could be just as easily overtaken. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10:12.

Ye Which Are Spiritual

What does it mean to be spiritual? See how Paul contrasts spiritual with carnal in 1 Cor 3:1-4:
3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Corinthians were behaving in an infantile manner. They thought that they were on a deeper spiritual level with their spiritual gifts but really they were on a more superficial spiritual level. They were immature and carnal. They were more concerned about how many miraculous gifts they had and how much power they had rather than how much righteoussness they had.

Spiritual is the opposite of carnal. Notice how Paul referred to the Corinthians as carnal and then listed out characteristics of carnality: envying, strife and division. Envying and strife are also listed in the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. The works of the flesh are contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Therefore those who are spiritual are those who manifest the fruit of the Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit's work in our life is to sanctify us.

If you get out and talk to people these days it won't take long until you hear someone say something like "I'm not religious. I consider myself to be spiritual." How do you respond to that? Let's dissect that statement a little bit.

  1. Most people who say "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual" are first of all dis-associating themselves from "organized religion". Someone once said to me "Oh? Are you involved with organized religion?" To them organized religion is like organized crime. It's something that needs to be busted up. They are also dis-associating themselves from Christianity. However not everyone who considers themself to be spiritual is actually adverse to Christianity.
  2. What this usually means is that they consider themselves to be a seeker. Generally it indicates someone has sought meaning in their lives beyond mere materiality. But remember being "spiritual" can mean different things to different people.
  3. In most cases the person will only have a vague notion of what they actually mean by spiritual.
  4. You might respond by saying "What do you mean by spiritual?" As a witness for Jesus Christ you want to be a good listener. You want to show them that you genuinely want to understand what they are saying. This earns you the right to have them listen to you in return. Your goal in listening is to pick up on their frame of reference. For example, what is it about spirituality that interests them? By actively listening you may come up with a repsonse that is meaningful and relevant to them.
  5. Remember though your mission is to deliver the gospel to them. Don't let them go on and on with spiritual nonsense.
  6. Remember that as the representative of Jesus Christ you speak with authority. But you can't just say "I have great authority on this subject". To them you look just like any other person with an opinion. So you have to treat them with gentleness and respect as Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15.
  7. Another approach when they say "I'm spiritual" is for you to immediately jump in and say "Oh, so you have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control?" "That's how the Bible defines "spiritual". Do you have those spiritual attributes in great abundance?
  8. Another approach is to quote Jesus. Jesus said "that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus was teaching that in order to be spiritual you have to experience a spiritual birth by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is you have to be born again. Those who have not experienced this spiritual birth are already spiritually dead.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

How can I lighten the load for a brother? "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16.

How can I bear your burdens if you don't share them with me? I understand that we want to project a positive attitude at church. I believe that God's people should smile a lot. But we need to get beyond the happy clappy stuff in order to bear one another's burdens. We shouldn't be busybodies, looking for malicious gossip to spread, but we are a church body that fulfills the law of Christ by loving one another (John 15:17).

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Verse 3 connects down to verses 4 and 5. If a man has not tested his own actions or examined his own work, he has no basis for having confidence in his own ability not to get caught up in sin.

4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

When I hop up on the treadmill at the gym I "prove my own work". It's just me against the machine. I have personal goals, both short and long term. One of my short term goals is to bring my cruising speed up from 6.0 to 6.3 miles per hour. My long term goal is to go from running 6 miles in one hour to running 7 miles in one hour. I set my pace and I'm usually trying to beat my past performances. I test and examine my own work. If I'm running 6.0 miles per hour there might be a guy on the treadmill right next to me who's running 5.0 miles per hour. I don't compare myself with him. I don't rejoice that I'm running faster than he is. I don't look over at him and think "well I'm doing pretty good". His running is irrelevant to my work. My immediate job is to approach that 6.3 mph pace. On the other side of me there might be a woman who is running faster than me at an 8.0 mph pace. I don't need to try to keep up with her. If I did I probably wouldn't even be able to walk the next few days. And I would be likely to get discouraged by comparing myself with her.

And so it is in the spiritual world as well. I measure myself against God's word. I don't look at a brother who is caught up in a sin and think "well I'm doing pretty good compared to him". It was the Pharisee who stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." (Luke 18:11).

At first glance verse 5 might appear to be in contradiction to verse 2 but that is not the case. The original Greek word 'burden' in verse 5 is actually different from the word in verse 2. Verse 2 uses the Greek word 'baros' which indicates a weight that is heavy by definition. Verse 5 is the word 'phortion' which refers to responsibility. Each man shall carry his own responsibility.

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

The Greek word for taught is 'katecheo' and the English word catechism comes from it. Although the word has been misappropriated by those who stray from true scriptural teaching, catechism is a good Bible word which in its true sense means "to be thoroughly informed or instructed".

The word communicate in verse 6 means to hold fellowship with or partake with. It is translated "communion" in 1 Cor 10:16.

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Paul did consistently taught the churches that they were to support their pastors. "Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?" 1 Cor 9:7. However material support is not the main line of reasoning here. If it were, then verse 6 would appear to be out of context with its surrounding verses.

The disciple should share with the teacher in everything that is morally good and that promotes the Lord's work. He is encouraging the Galatians to stick with their good teachers and to stay with the good doctrine that they teach. They are to stay focused on the fellowship of the New Testament in the blood of Christ.

The subject is the relationship of the student with the teacher. This relationship in the Galatian churches had been disturbed by the efforts of the Judaizing teachers, notably in the case of Paul himself; and this disturbance could not but interfere with their common moral effort and life.

The idea is teamwork: working together in the faith. Compare 2 Cor 1:24:
24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

The word 'deceived' literally means 'to cause to roam'; that is to be led astray. It matters whether the Galatian's fellowship is with their New Testament teachers who preach the word of truth, or with the Judaizers who would bring them under bondage to the law. There are consequences to straying from true doctrine.

Eccl 11:4-6
4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Hosea 8:7
7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

Hosea 10:12-13
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Sowing to the flesh is associated with the way of the circumcision in verse 12. Corruption refers to decay. He who sows to the flesh is the one who relies on his own natural ability to keep the law. He who sows to the Spirit is the one who relies on the Spirit to lead a spiritual life as described in Galatians 5.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Opportunity refers back to the word "season" in verse 9.

Do good = 'ergazomai' ergon (er'-gon); from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); toil (as an effort, task or occupation); by implication, an act. To effect, be engaged in or with.

According to Robertson, this is the volitive present middle subjunctive of ergazomai and means "Let us keep on working the good deed."
(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft & Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament. Copyright (c) 1985 by Broadman Press).

It is the opposite of being led astray. "We are going to work with you on this." We're going keep on working the good work; some good New Testament practices.

The household of "the faith" in the original. The household of "the" faith is the church as Paul explained in 1 Tim 3:15:
"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

I have 2 older daughters and 2 younger daughters. The 2 older daughters do not live at home. The 2 younger ones do. Although the 2 older daughters do not live at home they are still my daughters. However they do not live in my household. They are in the family but not in the household. Similarly saved, baptized believers in the Lord's churches are in "the household of the faith". Saved people who are not actively involved with a local New Testament church are God's children and are part of his family, but are not part of his household.

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

Plucked Out Your Own Eyes: Was Paul Blind?

Galatians 6:11 does support the notion that Paul may have been blind as does Galatians 4:13-15:
4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

However, there are verses throughout the book of Acts that show that Paul was not blind during his missionary journeys. Let's look at six verses where Paul uses his eyesight:

Acts 13:9
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

Acts 14:9
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Acts 17:16
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Acts 23:1
23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

Acts 24:10
10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

Acts 28:15
15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appiiforum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

These verses in Acts pretty much span Paul's entire ministry career. If he were blind it was either a temporary condition or it had to occur late in his life after he completed his missionary journeys. The purpose of using large letters in closing the epistle is probably to emphasize the conclusion and to validate his authorship.

12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Back to the Pharisess for an example:

Matt 23:5-7
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

"A fair shew in the flesh" is something that can be seen and appears good as opposed to something spiritual that cannot be observed.

In contrast "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8.

The spiritual is not observeable. You can see the effects just like you can see the effect of the wind. The Judiazers did not want to suffer persecution from other Jews, so they compelled men to be circumcised in order to appease them.

13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

Paul does not hesitate to expose motivations. The Judiazers were inconsistent and insincere in their application of the law. They were seeking converts so that they could boast of their accomplishments. The Judaizers wanted to put another notch in their belts or collect another trophy so to speak.

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Verse 14 illustrates the irony of the cross. You wouldn't naturally think of a cross as something to boast about. The cross represented shame and humiliation. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. Christ was made a curse for us. So we should glory in the one who removed the curse and its penalty by dying on the cross.

Once Paul was saved, he gave up his promising career as a Jewish lawyer. He expresses this idea well in Philippians chapter 3:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Phil 3:7-8.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Religious ritual and outward observances (e.g. circumcision,) are useless without the new birth.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Verse 17 refers back to verse 9 "Let us not be weary". The mood of verse 17 is "You want to talk about meeting resistance?" Tell me about weary. You wanna' talk about discouragement? Let me tell you about discouragement. Here's what I went through:

2 Cor 11:23-28
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Things I Have Learned This Time Through Galatians:

I have studied the book of Galatians many times before, but the truth is that all of us no matter how long we have been Christians are just scratching the surface of God's word. We can always learn more and never graduate from God's word. "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Eph 2:7.

And so this study of Galatians reinforced and clarified several major teachings for me:

  1. Paul struggled against the Judiazers during his entire apostolic career. Grace contrasted with law is a major theme through many of his epistles.
  2. The book of Galatians is about the New Testament church being under grace rather than law. The applications made pertain mainly to the NT church as opposed to individuals. For example the last part of chapter 4 and the first part of chapter 5 are about the church, not individuals.
  3. The law is an ominous, frightening thing. (Gal 3:10 The curse of the law).
  4. The law is for lawbreakers. If you don't get "the new creation" concept, then we have another concept for you that you might understand: law. "Thou shalt not...".
  5. When Christ died on the cross he redeemed us from the curse of the law. He not only saved us from our since but also gave us the NT model of service.

    3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

  6. The New Testament system of faith and practice is vastly superior to the law. The New Testament church is the new upgraded, elegant model of service to God.(Gal 4:9."Weak and beggerly elements).
  7. I learned nothing less that what the New Testament is. What's new about the New Testament. I learned how sweet "The Faith" really is and how it runs circles around all the man-made religions, faiths and spirituals on this planet.
  8. Under the NT system of faith and practice we are guided by the Spirit instead of being constrained by the law.

The Book of Galatians
Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

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