Practical instructions
6
1 Brothers, if a man is actually caught in some wrongdoing,* you, the spiritual ones, should restore him in a spirit of gentleness, watching out for yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another's heavy burdens, and so fulfill the law of the Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each one test his own work, and then do his ‘boasting’ only within himself, never to someone else.† 5 For each one must carry his own normal load.‡
6 Let him who is taught the Word share all good things with him who teaches.§ 7 Do not be deceived, God does not allow Himself to be treated with contempt; because whatever a man sows, that he will also reap 8 —he who sows to his own flesh will reap deterioration* from that flesh; he who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from that Spirit.
9 Let us not lose heart while doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we do not give up.† 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do what is good toward everyone, but especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
Boast in the cross
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.‡ 12 Those who want to make a good showing in the flesh are pressuring you to be circumcised, but only so as not to be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.§ 14 But as for me, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Because in Christ Jesus* neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.† 16 Now as for those who conform to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.‡
17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the brand marks of the Lord§ Jesus.*
Sign-off
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
* 6:1 He is ruling out hearsay. † 6:4 Again, my rendering is unusual. My difficulty with the usual ‘in himself’ and ‘in another’ is that in both cases the preposition is ‘into’ (εις), not ‘in’ (εν). If someone forms an exaggerated notion about his work (verse 3) and then starts boasting out loud, he will look stupid. ‡ 6:5 There is a contrast between “heavy burden” (verse 2) and “normal load” (verse 5). We should help each other with the really ‘heavy’ stuff. § 6:6 Teachers are people; they too need food, clothes, shelter… * 6:8 If the deterioration is never checked, guess what happens. † 6:9 So what happens if you give up? ‡ 6:11 This verse, coupled with 4:15 above, gives credence to the idea that Paul's physical infirmity had to do with his eyes. § 6:13 Again Paul makes clear that he is referring to the religious exercise when practiced on adults, not the physical fact (that is properly practiced on eight-day-old babies). * 6:15 Some 3% of the Greek manuscripts omit “because in Christ Jesus” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). † 6:15 If you are not a new creation, you are not saved. ‡ 6:16 According to Greek grammar, the repetition of the preposition ‘upon’ in two phrases joined by ‘and’ makes clear that the objects of the prepositions refer to distinct entities. Hence, “the Israel of God” cannot be a reference to the Church, assuming that “those who conform to this rule” refers to those who are “in Christ Jesus”. I take “the Israel of God” to refer to sincere, devout Israelites. § 6:17 Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit “Lord” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). I would say that the eclectic Greek text that these modern versions generally follow is mistaken at over eighty (80) points in Galatians, of which I mentioned only twelve (mainly the more serious ones). * 6:17 This is an interesting claim. I suppose him to be saying that he deserves respectful treatment because of what he has suffered for Christ's cause.