Galatians - Chapter 6

Merry Christmas! This post will complete our study of the book of Galatians. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a new year full of hope and promise. I also hope you will continue to come back to my blog for further study of the scriptures in 2011.

Paul continues his letter:


1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Again Paul lets the Galatians know he still considers them ‘Brethren’ and is showing his love towards them by addressing them in this way. He says, if we see one of our fellow Christians entangled in a sin, we should try to help him free himself from it, but do it ‘gently’ and in love.

The Greek word used here, which has been translated as ‘restore’, meant to ‘mend’ or ‘repair’, as in setting bones after they were broken or mending torn fishing nets, or resolving disagreements between two parties.

Paul then tells us to be careful not to be swayed by the sinner. How often do we see people get pulled into things by their friends. Especially teens who think they can help one of their friends by trying to be a good influence on them, only to get caught up in their activities themselves because it looks harmless.

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Help each other with burdens. This was the central theme of Christ’s teachings. Here Paul is speaking of moral burdens and weaknesses. If we know someone is prone to being tempted by a certain sin, we should try to help them avoid the temptation and help strengthen this person’s resolve by being there to support them.

3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

Don’t think you’re capable of handling everything on your own. We are all weak when it comes to sin, and we all are tempted. Don’t be too proud to ask your fellow Christians for help. If you think you can handle everything by yourself, then you’re deceiving yourself.

4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load.

This seems contradictory to the previous verse. Now Paul seems to be telling us NOT to depend on others where before he tells us to depend on others. This is an example where things can get lost in the translation.

What Paul is actually saying here is, although we need to depend on others to HELP us AVOID sin, AFTER we have sinned, we need to take responsibility for it ourselves and not blame anyone else for those actions.

Take personal responsibility for yourself and your actions. On judgment day, there will be no one else standing there with you to help relieve you of your guilt. Only YOU will give an account to God for your actions, and only YOU will be judged for them.

6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

Paul is asking the Galatians to not take for granted the teachers who instruct them in the Word of God. Those teachers needed to be compensated for their time and effort.


Philippians 4:14-19   14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

This is one of the Biblical verses that has become widely used. We’ve heard it over and over, and most people don’t even realize it is from the Bible.

First, Paul uses this ‘saying’ as a negative thing. If you sin, you will reap destruction. But then Paul says if you do things to please God, you will reap eternal life. So this applies not only negatively, but also positively. Sow bad things, reap bad things. Sow good things, reap good things. This is the basis for my aunt’s favorite quote, “What goes around comes around.”

In Verse 8, we see Paul changing his focus. Until now, he has been talking about inheriting ‘the kingdom of God’, but now he has switched to obtaining ‘eternal life’. The first is focused on the inheritance (just as Israel inherited the promised land), the second is focused on the blessed life that will be enjoyed because of this inheritance. It’s one thing to inherit something, it’s something else to consider how the inheritance will affect us.

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

He continues this train of thought by prompting them to continue doing good, even though at times it might seem tiresome and seem it’s getting them nowhere.

How often do we feel like the good guy finishes last. It’s always the good ones who get trampled and taken advantage of. But Paul says it might seem that way now, but don’t give up because you WILL reap the harvest eventually. Of course, he’s speaking of our reward in Heaven.

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Take every opportunity to do good for others, especially fellow believers.

1 Timothy 5:8   8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

So Paul is not saying NOT to do good for non-believers, but ‘family comes first’. Fellow believers are a part of your family because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and therefore, they should come first.

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

Up to this point, this letter had probably been dictated by Paul to a scribe. But now Paul takes the pen himself and finishes the letter in his own hand. He may have been writing large for emphasis, or it may have been because of his poor eyesight. Either way, the point he was making here was that he is writing this next part himself.

12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Paul reverts back to his original reason for writing this letter. The Judaizers are preaching to the Galatians they must be circumcised. He says the ONLY reason they are doing this is to save their own skin. By advocating circumcision, the Jews who were against Christianity would be less likely to persecute them. They would accept them. Also, Paul says by believing in the ‘law’, these Judaizers can ease their own guilt for persecuting and killing Christ.

13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

Even the Judaizers and the other Jews who have been circumcised don’t obey all of the law (there were so many laws, NO-ONE could possibly obey them all), but if they can convince the Christians to be circumcised, then they can point fingers at them and say ‘see, even the Christians believe the law can save them.

Galatians 2:19-21   19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which [or whom] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul prays here: may he never accept anything other than the power of the cross of Jesus. The word ‘world’ here means ‘everything that is against God’. He is claiming his complete separation from anything ungodly.

15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Whether you are circumcised or not doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is you become a new creation. When you come to Christ, you undergo a transformation resulting in an entirely new being.

2 Corinthians 5:17   17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule [and] to the Israel of God.


Only those who truly believe this and follow this rule will obtain peace and mercy from God, even God’s chosen people (Greek words used here literally translates to ‘people of Israel’). Paul’s meaning here is that the believing Jews and Gentiles ARE God’s chosen people because they are the new seed of Abraham and the heir according to the promise.

17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

In ancient times, the Greek word for ‘marks’ was used when talking about a ‘brand’ that was placed on slaves and animals to identify their owners. Paul is saying he has been ‘branded’ as belonging to Christ. He may have been speaking figuratively here, however he may have meant the stoning, the beatings, and his ‘illness’ that he has suffered in becoming a follower of Christ have left physical scars, marking him as a ‘servant of Christ’.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

He closes with a blessing toward them, wishing them God’s grace, and once again calling them his brothers and sisters, letting them know his love for them.

Amen—literally means ‘so be it’.


Lord, help us to show others we are a new creation as we live our lives day to day. Amen.