Galatians 6 Verses 1 to 10 Carry On March 24, 2024

John R. St John

A Cry for Freedom • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

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To understand that when you love someone you are willing to share his or her burdens.

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Galatians 6 Verses 1 to 10 Carry On March 24, 2024

Lesson 12 in A Cry for Freedom

Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

· Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV) 14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?

· Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Main Idea:

· The Christian life is not about me. It is about Jesus and others. Once you get the Jesus part right, you will be consumed by loving others.

Study Aim:

· To understand that when you love someone you are willing to share his or her burdens.

Create interest:

· In the popular comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Why are we here on earth?” He replies, “To make others happy.” She ponders this for a moment and then asks, “Then why are the others here?”

· “One another” is one of the key phrases in the Christian’s vocabulary. “Love one another” is found at least a dozen times in the New Testament, along with “pray one for another” (James 5:16), “edify one another” (1 Thes. 5:11), prefer one another (Rom. 12:10), “use hospitality one to another” (1 Peter 4:9), and many other like admonitions.

· In the section before us, Paul adds another phrase: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). The Spirit-led Christian thinks of others and how he can minister to them. In this section, Paul describes two important ministries that we ought to share with one another.[1] As we look at bearing burdens and sharing blessings, let us be introspective of ourselves😊.

Lesson in Historical Context:

· The division of the chapters at this point is almost as unfortunate as that between chaps. 4 and 5. The introductory “Brethren” is not a form of transition to a new topic; it calls in the brotherly love of the Galatians to put an end to the bickering and recriminations which the Apostle has censured in the preceding verses. How unseemly for brethren to be “conceited” towards each other, to be “provoking and envying one another!” If they are spiritual men, they should look more considerately on the faults of their neighbors, more seriously on their own responsibilities.

· The Galatic temperament, as we have seen, was prone to the mischievous vanity which the Apostle here reproves. Those who had, or fancied they had, some superiority over others in talent or in character, prided themselves upon it.

o Even spiritual gifts were made matter of ostentation; and display on the part of the more gifted excited the jealousy of inferior brethren. The same disposition which manifests itself in arrogance on the one side, on the other takes the form of discontent and envy.

o The stumbling brother is pushed on into a fall; and the fallen man, who might have been helped to his feet, is left to lie there, the object of unpitying reproach.

· Indeed, the lapse of his neighbor is to the conceited man a cause of satisfaction rather than of sorrow.

o The other’s weakness serves as a foil to his strength.

o Instead of stooping down to “restore such a one,” he holds stiffly aloof in the eminence of conscious virtue; and bears himself more proudly in the luster added to his piety by his fellow’s disgrace.

§ “God, I thank Thee,” he seems to say, “that I am not as other men,—nor even as this wretched back-slider!” The compellation “Brethren” is itself a rebuke to such heartless pride.

· There are two reflections which should instantly correct the spirit of conceited glory.

o The Apostle appeals in the first place to brotherly love, to the claims that an erring fellow-Christian has upon our sympathy, to the meekness and forbearance which the Spirit of grace inspires, in fine to Christ’s law which makes compassion our duty.

o At the same time he points out to us our own infirmity and exposure to temptation. He reminds us of the weight of our individual responsibility and the final account awaiting us.

§ A proper sense at once of the rights of others and of our own obligations will make this shallow vanity impossible.[2]

o Thus, Christian life in this present evil world is inevitably one of conflict and tension, but by no means does this necessarily mean defeat.

o By God’s grace every believer has been transferred from the realm of slavery and alienation into the position of freedom and sonship.

· However, “these benefits of Christ” are not gifts to be taken for granted; they are rather realities to be owned and proved in the daily spheres of obedience and testing.

o For this reason, Paul turned now in 6:1–10 to apply the principles he had outlined in the preceding verses to specific cases in the life of the Galatian churches.[3] As we approach this study, let us keep the following Scriptures in mind😊.

§ 2 Peter 1:3-9 Summarized for your benefit

Since we have His Spirit we have everything we need for life and godliness.

§ Galatians 5:25-26 (NKJV) 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bible Study:

Galatians 6:1 (NKJV) 1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

· Addressing his readers as brothers, Paul turns to a fuller description of how a community living by the Spirit should behave. He first says that if someone is caught in a sin those who are spiritual should restore him gently. In contrast to 5:21, where Paul warned that those who do sinful acts would not inherit the kingdom of God, here Paul addresses the practical situation of a believer doing wrong.

· This circumstance does not call for the believer to be excommunicated or handed over to Satan (cf. 1 Cor. 5:5). Instead, the transgressor is to be restored, “put in order,” corrected for his or her own good.

o Paul spends greater time on the manner and special dangers of the ones who might be called on to restore the transgressor than he does on the transgressor.

o In this regard Betz comments that “Paul seems keenly aware that a self-righteous posture of prosecutors can cause greater damage to the community than the offense done by a wrongdoer” (Galatians, p. 298).

o The “spiritual” ones are to do their work “gently,” that is, they are to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (5:23) even while they correct.

o Their role will put them in spiritual danger, and so Paul warns them not to be tempted. They can avoid temptation by being watchful. The correctors should spend as much time keeping an eye on themselves as they do on the offender[4]

Galatians 6:2-5 (NKJV) 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.

· Verse 2 reflects 5:13–14: “Serve one another in love … The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” The law of Christ is the law which is summed up as love-your-neighbor. Why would the law of neighbor-love be called the law of Christ? Because Christ is the ultimate and unsurpassable example of this kind of love. We are to love others as Christ loved us (John 13:34; Ephesians 4:32).

o Though the whole Old Testament law could be summed up in the command to love, it is Christ’s life and death that becomes the supreme embodiment of what this love should be.

o When we look at His life and attitude and all His dealings, we have, in a sense, “a law”, a breathtaking model of the kind of life we should live.

· Placing 6:2 and 5:13–14 alongside each other shows us that to “serve one another in love” means to “carry each other’s burdens”. This brings the lofty concept of love down to earth. We are not to let people carry their burdens alone.

o These “burdens” can be a simple responsibility, like raising a child or renovating a living space. Or they can be a difficulty, a problem.

o By characterizing the responsibilities and problems of life as “burdens”, Paul very vividly and practically teaches how a Christian relates to others.

§ You cannot help with a burden unless you come very close to the burdened person, standing virtually in their shoes, and putting your own strength under the burden so its weight is distributed on both of you, lightening the load of the other.

§ So, in the same way, a Christian must listen and understand, and physically, emotionally, spiritually, take up some of the burden with the other person.

· It is probable that Paul is taking one more swipe at the “Judaizers”, the false teachers who were trying to get the Galatians to come under the law of Moses. These requirements had been described as a “yoke”, a burden, by the Council of Jerusalem, which met to decide the controversy over Gentile Christians’ obligations to obey the Jewish ceremonial law (Acts 15:10).

o Paul is telling the Galatians that, rather than placing themselves under the burden of law-fulfillment, they should be lifting burdens off others—and that, ultimately, this is the way to fulfill the law!

· “Law of Christ” means modeling our whole life on the example of Christ, motivated by grateful joy. It is a life centered on a person rather than a code. We have a different kind of obligation upon us than we did before.

o Now we bear others’ burdens because Christ bore ours. Verse 2 could be summed up as: Bear others’ burdens, and by doing this follow in the footsteps of Christ, who bore yours.[5]

· Vs. 3-4: Something must be laid aside if a believer is to be a burden-bearer and that is conceit, an attitude that breeds intolerance of error in others and causes one to think he is above failure. The remedy for self-conceit is found in verse 4—everyone is told to examine (dokimazetō; cf. 1 Peter 1:7) his own actions.

o But this does not exclude our own duty to “examine” ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Corinthians 11:28) and to “examine” God’s will and plan and purpose for His church (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:10; Philippians 1:10). The final judgment will determine whether the believer’s lives and service pass the test (1 Corinthians 3:13).[6]

o This means that rather than comparing himself with others he should step back and take an objective look at himself and his accomplishments. Then he can take pride in himself over what God has done in and through his life (cf. Rom. 12:3). The Greek word kauchēma, rendered “pride,” means personal exultation, not sinful pride.[7]

· Vs. 5: “For each one shall bear his own load”. In the New Testament phortion more often it refers to the “load” or “burden” of life’s “responsibilities, cares, obligations, duties.” Jesus indignantly criticized the Pharisaic rabbis for laying on the people “heavy burdens … grievous to be borne” (Matthew 23:4).

o As Weiss says, “The over-heavy burden is not the Law itself nor is it the fact of interpretation by the rabbis. If the “heavy laden” will but come to Jesus, there is release from the unreasonable “burden” of legalism. Jesus’ well-fitted yoke eases the strain of the responsibility, and sharing the yoke with Jesus makes the burden lighter.

o If one is overtaken with a failure, he should be able to claim the help and support of the Christian community to restore him so together the heavy load can be carried again (Galatians 6:1, 2). But there is a “burden” of responsibility (phortion) that the individual must carry (Galatians 6:5). His help is in the Lord and the yoke of true discipleship (Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV).[8]

§ 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Thought to Soak On Worthy of discussion before moving on

· There is no contradiction here between verse 2,‘Bear one another’s burdens’, and verse 5, ‘each man will have to bear his own load’. The Greek word for burden is different, baros (verse 2) meaning a weight or heavy load and phortion (verse 5) being ‘a common term for a man’s pack’.

· So, we are to bear one another’s ‘burdens’ which are too heavy for a man to bear alone, but there is one burden which we cannot share—indeed do not need to because it is a pack light enough for every man to carry himself—and that is our responsibility to God on the day of judgment. On that day you cannot carry my pack and I cannot carry yours. ‘Each man will have to bear his own load.’[9]

Galatians 6:6-8 (NKJV) 6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

· Vs. 6: Paul’s exhortation in this verse suggests that the instructor or teacher is giving himself full-time to the work of teaching. Like the apostles in Acts 6, he is devoting himself to the ministry of the Word and to prayer. Certainly, that is the ideal. If it is to be realized, however, those who are the recipients of the teaching must fulfil their God-given responsibility to ensure that their teacher is financially supported.

· It was a matter on which Jesus himself spoke: ‘the worker is worth his keep’ (Matt. 10:10). It was only right that his disciples should be supported by the people to whom they ministered the Word.

· Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9: ‘If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?’ (1 Cor. 9:11). Or again, ‘… the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel’ (1 Cor. 9:14).

· Isn’t it a fair exchange? The servant of God lays himself out for the people—laboring to bring them the Word of God for their salvation, pouring his heart and strength into his task.

o Surely, in return, those who benefit from his ministry should give him adequate financial support! That way he can provide for his own and his family’s needs and give himself fully to the work without anxiety about material things.[10]

· Vs. 7-8: In leaving his practical directives for a moment to take up the theme of sowing and reaping, Paul is not going off at a tangent. Sowing to please the Spirit (v. 8) is synonymous with walking in the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit. The apostle is simply employing another image to express the same basic concern of this entire section of his letter—that believers’ lives should be shaped and directed, not by their sinful natures, but by the Spirit.

o There is the wrong kind and right kind of sowing…let’s explore😊.

· To sow to please the sinful nature (more literally, to sow to the flesh) is to give the sinful nature free rein. Or, as Paul puts it in Romans 8:12, it is to live according to the sinful nature. God is really not in the picture.

o The individuals concerned are functioning as their own gods, following their own hearts, doing what is in accordance with God’s law only when it suits them to do so, and ignoring it when it doesn’t.

o It is a way of life that comes only too naturally to the unbeliever and is one to which the true believer can be tempted to return.

· In warning us against such a life, the apostle begins by saying to us, ‘Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.The Greek verb is, literally, to sneer with the nostrils drawn up in contempt. God does not suffer Himself to be imposed on by empty words: He will judge according to works, which are seeds sown for eternity of either joy or woe.

o Excuses for illiberality in God’s cause (Ga 6:6) seem valid before men, but are not so before God (Ps 50:21).[11] A man reaps what he sows’ (Gal. 6:7). We must not be misled into thinking that God can be fooled in this matter. There is no escaping the fundamental law of sowing and reaping: the seed that we sow determines the harvest that we reap.

· If we sow to please the sinful nature we will ‘reap destruction’ (v. 8), or more exactly, ‘corruption’.

o Endlessly, there will be movement in the wrong direction—away from God and what is good and right—and with it, an inevitable deepening of the sinner’s frustration, dissatisfaction, bitterness, discontent, self-loathing, and misery.

· What is it to sow to please the Spirit?

o It is to cultivate the Spirit’s fruit.

o It is to follow the Spirit’s leading as he insists that we put sin to death.

o It is to obey Him as He directs us by the commandments of Scripture.

o It is to resist the temptation to neglect the priceless means that He uses to enable us to grow, and instead to make the very best use of them that we can.

o It means daily and often painful self-denial, and may expose us to danger, bring us into conflict with unbelievers, and upset our fellow Christians.

§ But we must be reminded again of 2 Peter 1:3-9 in summary: “Since we have His Spirit we have everything we need for life and godliness”. Then we claim:

📷 2 Peter 1:10 (MSG) 10 So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing,

· What a harvest we will ultimately reap: ‘the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life’s blessing. (Gal. 6:8).

o Eternal life is, of course, already ours. ‘He who has the Son has life,’ says John (1 John 5:12)—he has it now!

o We have already come to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (which is what eternal life is all about—John 17:3) and to enjoy the rich blessings of their friendship.

o Nevertheless, there is more, infinitely more, to come. And it is this ‘more’ that we will reap if we continue to sow to please the Spirit.

§ He himself will bring us into the richness and fullness of the enjoyment of God that God intends should be ours.

Thought to Soak on

· Isn’t it this that makes the prospect of eternity so attractive to Christians?

o We have boundless potential for spiritual growth, for the development of our faculties, for the appreciation and enjoyment of God and his works, and in glory that potential will be realized more and more.

o There will be nothing static about the eternal state. Rather, there will be an endless movement in the right direction with our love for God, our knowledge of his ways, and our delight in his greatness ceaselessly expanding.[12]

Galatians 6:9-10 (NKJV) 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

· The subject changes somewhat from personal holiness to doing good, helping others, engaging in philanthropic activity in the church or community. But the apostle treats this too under the metaphor of sowing and reaping.

· Vs. 9: Some incentive is certainly needed in Christian well-doing. Paul recognizes this, for he urges his readers not to ‘grow weary’ or ‘lose heart’ (cf. 2 Thes. 3:13). Active Christian service is tiring, exacting work. We are tempted to become discouraged, to slack off, even to give up.

o So, the apostle gives us this incentive: he tells us that doing good is like sowing seed. If we persevere in sowing, then ‘in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart’. If the farmer tires of sowing and leaves half his field unsown, he will reap only half a crop. It is the same with good deeds. If we want a harvest, then we must finish the sowing and be patient, like the farmer who ‘waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it …’ (Jas. 5:7).

§ As John Brown put it: ‘Christians frequently act like children in reference to this harvest. They would like to sow and reap in the same day.’

· If the sowing is the doing of good works in the community, what is the harvest? Paul does not tell us; he leaves us to guess. But the patient doing of good in the church or community always produces good results.

o It may bring comfort, relief or assistance to people in need.

o It may lead a sinner to repentance and so to salvation.

§ Jesus Himself spoke of this work as sowing and reaping (Mt. 9:37; Jn. 4:35–38).

o It may help to arrest the moral deterioration of society (this is the function of ‘the salt of the earth’) and even to make it a sweeter and more wholesome place to live in.

o It may increase men’s respect for what is beautiful, good and true, especially in days when standards are slipping fast.

o It will bring good to the doer as well—not indeed salvation (for this is a free gift of God), but some reward in heaven for faithful service, which will probably take the form of yet more responsible service.

· Vs. 10: The apostle adds a final point of emphasis—especially unto them who are of the household of faith. This would indicate that Paul’s primary concern here is the physical rather than the spiritual needs of men. Christians would have a special obligation to assist their brethren who were suffering physical and material deprivation, particularly if such was due to religious prejudice. It is very possible Paul had in mind the material needs of the itinerant teachers (cf. 6:6).[13]

Conclusion

· We have considered the three spheres of the Christian life to which Paul applies his inexorable principle that ‘whatever a man sows, that he will also reap’.

o In the first, the seed is God’s Word,sown by teachers in the minds and hearts of the congregation.

o In the second, the seed is our own thoughts and deeds, sown in the field of the flesh or the Spirit.

o In the third, the seed is good works, sown in the lives of other people in the community.

And in each case, although the seed and the soil are different, seed-time is followed by harvest.

· The teacher who sows God’s Word will reap his living; it is God’s purpose that he should.

· The sinner who sows to the flesh will reap corruption.

o The believer who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life, an ever-deepening communion with God.

· The Christian philanthropist who sows good works in the community will reap a good crop in the lives of those he serves and a reward for himself in eternity.

Note: In none of these spheres can God be mocked. In each the same principle invariably operates. And since we cannot fool God, we are fools if we try to fool ourselves!

· We must neither ignore nor resist this principle but accept it and co-operate with it.

o We must have the good sense to allow it to govern our lives.

§ ‘Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.’ We must expect to reap what we sow. Therefore, if we want to reap a good harvest, we must sow, and keep sowing, good seed. Then, in due time, we shall reap.[14]

Application submitted by Chuck Swindoll

Application: GALATIANS 5:26–6:10

Weed ‘Em and Reap

· One thing becomes abundantly clear in GALATIANS 5:26–6:10. The spiritual life is anything but passive. Our lives are like gardens or fields in which we can sow good seed, resulting in bountiful blessings. Or we can sow bad seed, resulting in weeds of corruption.

o In every Christian’s life the tares grow up beside the wheat, the bad plants stunting the development of the good.

o Envy robs from kindness.

o Greed restricts generosity.

o Lust weakens marital faithfulness.

o Rage drives out gentleness.

· One way to keep the fruit of the Spirit growing and to reap its blessings is to continually weed the gardens of our lives.

o This means constant attention to our attitudes, thoughts, and actions.

o It means being transparent before fellow believers who love us and will also confront us with the tough questions when we need them.

o It means plucking and pruning, removal in the field of obstacles and obstructions that come in the form of temptations, sins, and bad habits.

· To begin the weeding process, it’s important to first identify the weeds that happen to have invaded your own personal garden. In the diagram on page 14, you’ll find the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit interspersed with “weeds of the flesh.” It is presented in the form of a handout for each student to use.

· Take time to consider each one of these weeds to determine if it tends to be a perennial problem in your own life.

o Cross out the weeds you need to focus on plucking,

o Circle the fruit of the Spirit that will be positively affected if you rid yourself of those parasitic plants.

o When you’re finished, ask the Lord to continue to empower you to labor faithfully as He causes the growth.[15]

Grace and peace,

Hand out for each person to use for introspection.

📷

[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 721. [2]George G. Findlay, “The Epistle to the Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Luke to Galatians, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 5, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 907. [3]Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 407–408. [4]L. Ann Jervis, Galatians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 2011), 153. [5]Timothy Keller, Galatians for You, God’s Word for You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2013), 167–169. [6]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Δοκιμάζω,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [7]Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 609. [8]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Φορτίον,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [9]John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians: Only One Way, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 159–160. [10]David Campbell, Opening Up Galatians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 109–110. [11]Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 338. [12]David Campbell, Opening Up Galatians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 110–113. [13]R. E. Howard, “The Epistle to the Galatians,” in Galatians through Philemon, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 2020), Ga 6:7–10. [14]John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians: Only One Way, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 171–173. [15]Charles R. Swindoll, Galatians, Ephesians, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2015), 140–141.

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