Doing Good to All
6 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. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 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. 6 Nevertheless, 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. 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. 10 Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
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. 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. 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. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to [Or rule and to] the Israel of God.
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
NOTES:
6:1–10 The ethical exhortations begun at Gal 5:1 continue
with a variety of admonitions to the community (brothers: see note on Gal 1:2).
Nearly every sentence contains a separate item of practical advice; the faith
and freedom of the gospel underlie each maxim. Tensions and temptation within
communal life have previously been addressed in Gal 5:15, 26 and Gal 6:1
continues with a case in which a person is caught in some transgression such as
those in Gal 5:19–21; cf. Gal 2:17.
6:2 The law of Christ: cf. Rom 8:2; 1 Cor 9:21; Gal 5:14.
The principle of love for others is meant. To bear one another’s burdens is to
“serve one another through love” (Gal 5:13).
6:4–5 Self-examination is the cure for self-deception.
Compare what you are with what you were before, and give the glory to God; cf.
Rom 6:19–22. Load: used elsewhere of a soldier’s pack. Correcting one’s own
conduct avoids burdening others with it.
6:6 Implies oral instruction in the faith by catechists;
these are to be remunerated for their service; cf. Rom 15:27.
6:10 The family of the faith: the Christian household or
church. Doing good has a universal object (to all), but the local community
makes specific the reality of those to be served.
6:11–18 A postscript in Paul’s own hand, as was his practice
(see 1 Cor 16:21; 2 Thes 3:17). Paul summarizes his appeal against his
opponents (Gal 6:12–13), then returns to his message of glorying in the cross,
not in circumcision, as the means of salvation (Gal 6:14–15; cf. Gal 5:11). A
benediction follows at Gal 6:16. In the polemical spirit that the attack on his
apostleship called forth (Gal 1:11–2:21), Paul reasserts his missionary credentials
(Gal 6:17) before giving a final benediction (Gal 6:18).
6:11 Large letters: in contrast to the finer hand of the
scribe who wrote the letter up to this point. The larger Greek letters make
Paul’s message even more emphatic. Some find a hint of poor eyesight on Paul’s
part. See note on Gal 4:13.
6:12–15 The Jewish Christian opponents wished not to be
persecuted, possibly by Jews. But since Judaism seems to have had a privileged
status as a religion in the Roman empire, circumcised Christians might, if
taken as Jews, thereby avoid persecution from the Romans. In any case, Paul
instead stresses conformity with the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; cf. Gal
2:19–21; 5:11.
6:13 Those having themselves circumcised: other manuscripts
read, “those who have had themselves circumcised.”
6:14 Through which: or “through whom.”
6:15 New creation: or “new creature”; cf. 2 Cor 5:17.
6:16 This rule: the principle in Gal 6:14–15. The Israel of
God: while the church may be meant (the phrase can be translated “to all who follow
this rule, even the Israel of God”; cf. Gal 6:10; 1 Cor 10:18), the reference
may also be to God’s ancient people, Israel; cf. Ps 125:5; 128:6.
6:17 The marks of Jesus: slaves were often branded by marks
(stigmata) burned into their flesh to show to whom they belonged; so also were
devotees of pagan gods. Paul implies that instead of outdated circumcision, his
body bears the scars of his apostolic labors (2 Cor 11:22–31), such as
floggings (Acts 16:22; 2 Cor 11:25) and stonings (Acts 14:19), that mark him as
belonging to the Christ who suffered (cf. Rom 6:3; 2 Cor 4:10; Col 1:24) and
will protect his own.
Copyright © 2020 by Ekklesia Katholes (Acts 9:31)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment