Galatians 6:1-18 NIV
Doing Good to All
1Brothers
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. 2Carry
each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If
anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4Each
one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves
alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5for
each one should carry their own load. 6Nevertheless,
the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with
their instructor.
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.
9Let us
not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up. 10Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
12Those
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. 13Not
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. 14May I
never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whicha the world has been crucified to me, and I
to the world.
17From
now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of
Jesus.
18The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
This chapter is
composed entirely of affectionate exhortation, and the expression of the
apostle's earnest concern on behalf of the Christians in Galatia. He exhorts
them Galatians 6:1 to
bring back to the ways of virtue anyone who through the strength of strong
temptation had been led astray. He entreats them Galatians 6:2 to bear one another's
burdens, and thus to show that they were true friends of Christ, and governed
by his laws. He entreats them not to be lifted up with pride, and not to overestimate
anything that they possessed, assuring them that their true estimate was to be based
on their own works; Galatians 6:3-5. He
exhorts them to minister to the needs of the preachers of the gospel; Galatians 6:6. In Galatians 6:7-10, he
reminds them of the solemn day of judgment, when all will be tried; assures
them that people will be judged and rewarded according to their works; and
entreats them not to be weary in doing good, but to labor on patiently with the
assurance that they should reap in due season.
In Galatians 6:11, he shows
them the interest which he felt in them by his having done what perhaps he had never
done in any other instance - writing an
entire letter in his own hand. He then states the true reason why others
wished them to be circumcised. It was the dread of persecution, and not any
real love to the cause of religion. They did not themselves keep the Law, and
they only desired to glory in the number of converts to their views; Galatians 6:12-13.
But Paul says that he
would glory in nothing but in the Cross of Christ. By that he had been
crucified to the world, and the world had been crucified to him Galatians 6:14; and he
repeats the solemn assurance that in the Christian religion neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision was of any importance whatsoever; Galatians 6:15.
This was the true rule
of life, and on as many as walked according to this principle, he invokes the
blessing of God; Galatians 6:16.
He closes the Epistle by entreating them to give him no more trouble. He bore
in his body already the marks or sufferings which he had received in the cause
of the Lord Jesus. His trials already were sufficient; and he entreats them to
spare him from future agony Galatians 6:17, and closes
with the benediction; Galatians 6:18.
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