Galatians 6:1-2 (WEL) Brothers, if someone has been blindsided by a certain wrongdoing, then you who are spiritual restore this one with an attitude of meekness. Consider yourselves, lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ. 3 For if someone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Instead, let everyone put his own work to the test, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, not in someone else. 5 For everyone will bear their own burden.
Chapter summary:
Joseph Benson: “Here the apostle:
(1) Pursues his practical exhortations, especially enforcing mutual love, and a care of each other, with humility and a zeal for doing good, 1-10.
(2) Represents the temper and views of the Judaizing teachers, and contrasts therewith his own, that the Galatians might see how little reason they had to esteem them, and slight him; declaring withal the indifference of circumcision or uncircumcision, and pressing them to adhere strictly to that gospel for which he had himself suffered so much, 11-18.”
V1 Brothers, if someone has been blindsided by a certain wrongdoing, then you who are spiritual restore this one with an attitude of meekness. Consider yourselves, lest you also be tempted.
Paul refers to unintentional sin, sins of ignorance, etc., not deliberate sins. Those who witness that sin and are not committing that sin are to admonish the sinning brother or sister in gentleness, quoting Scriptures to bring conviction and repentance.
The Greek word restored (G2675) καταρτίζω katartízō, means (Word Study Dictionary) “The fundamental meaning is to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish, set up, equip, arrange, prepare, mend.” The word is in the imperative mood. It is a command to restore.
While we are doing so, we are not to give in to temptation and end up sinning ourselves.
We are not to verbally abuse, call them out, shame them, mock them, etc., for those things will make them bitter and discouraged. Matthew 18 is for the general sins of the church family, while 1 Timothy 5:19-21 deals with church leaders.
V2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ.
I am my brother’s keeper to help, encourage, weep with them, laugh with them, etc. We need each other to have a strong Christian life. This is the body life of a group of believers with different spiritual gifts; use those gifts to edify all the believers.
The Law of Christ is the Christian law instead of Mosaic law. The Law of Christ has over 1,000 rules for Christians to follow. Ephesians 4-6 has many rules, for example. Verse 1 and 2 are rules. The Christian life by obeying the laws of Christ is a life of peace and rest.
The Greek word for bear is G0941 βαστάζω bastazō, which means (Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) carry; bear, endure; help, support.
Wuest Word Studies adds: “The word bear is from bastazo, which means “to bear what is burdensome.” By bearing another’s burdens, Paul does not mean simply the enduring of these burdens in an enforced, reluctant manner as in Gal 5:10, where the same word is used, but the assuming of those burdens in a willing, helpful, sympathetic way, despite the fact that the bearing of them may involve unpleasantness and heartache.”
V3 For if someone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
The standard for Christians is the Law of Christ. We are to align our lives with that law. When examining ourselves or having an opinion about ourselves, we must be truthful. Humility is better than self-promotion. See Luke 14:7-11.
V4 Instead, let everyone put his own work to the test, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, not in someone else.
What is the test? It is the Scriptures. Whatever we think of ourselves and our gifts, we must always remember God is the giver of those gifts, and we are to use them to glorify the Father. Compare Romans 12:6, Matthew 5:16, and John 12:28.
V5 For everyone will bear their own burden.
Whatever we have, we have and are to use all to live for Jesus Christ and glorify our heavenly Father.
Comments:
Lipscomb: “For each man shall bear his own burden.—Every man is accountable to God. As said in verse 2, one may help another out of his difficulties and so assist him in bearing his burdens, but in the end, he must give an account for himself. One cannot excuse himself before God because others failed to do their duty to help him. Another can help only as he enables one to bear his burdens.”
Note the different uses of bear. We bear others to help them (verse 2); we bear our own in the consequences of what we have done or neglected. Wuest adds: “In Gal 6:2 the apostle exhorts the Galatian saints to bear the burdens of their fellow saints, namely, to assume the responsibility of giving that saint spiritual aid in case he has allowed sin to come into his experience. Here he exhorts the saints to bear their own burdens. This is doubtless an intentional paradoxical antithesis on the part of the apostle. It is the Christian who knows that he has a burden of his own, namely, a susceptibility to certain sins, and who has fallen himself, who is willing to bear his neighbor’s burden. Again, when each man’s self-examination reveals infirmities of his own, even though they may not be the same as those of his neighbors, he will not claim moral and spiritual superiority to others. Furthermore, each saint should bear his own burden in the sense that he must recognize his personal responsibilities towards God and man. He is responsible for the kind of life he lives.”
We learn:
- There are unintentional sins.
- We are to help our sinning brother or sister to realize it and repent.
Questions:
- Have you ever needed to speak to another Christian about their sins?
- What did you say, and how did they respond?