Galatians
Chapter 6
Mutual Help
Brethren, if someone falls into sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently with a spirit of kindness. Be careful; for you, too, may be tempted.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Let each one examine his own conduct and boast if he wishes to do so, but not before others.
In this, let each one carry his own responsibilities.
Anyone who receives the teaching of the word should share the good things they have with the one who teaches them.
Do not be fooled; God cannot be mocked. You reap what you sow.
The person who sows for their own flesh will reap corruption and death from the flesh. But the one who sows in the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Let’s do good without losing heart; in due time, we will reap the reward of our perseverance.
So, while we have time, let us do good to everyone, especially to those of the family of faith.
Conclusion and Farewell
See with what large letters I am writing to you in my own hand!
Those who are eager to make a good impression in life are trying to persuade you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
They do not follow the law because they are circumcised; what matters to them is the outward appearance. They would boast if they had you circumcised!
For me, I only want to boast in the cross of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through him, the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters—only a new creation.
Let those who follow this rule receive peace and mercy. They are the Israel of God!
From now on, let no one trouble me; for I bear the marks of Jesus in my body.
May the grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord, be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
Commentaries
Mutual help.
A clear example of following the Spirit is fraternal correction. This act of love should be done with modesty and humility: “You too may be tempted” (1). Using sayings from the agricultural world (cf. Prov 22:8; Hos 8:7), he calls the Christian’s daily life to the “Day of the Lord,” the time of “harvest and gathering.” He compares walking by the Spirit to the land chosen for sowing seed. It is the land of the Spirit, and the Spirit will make the seed bear fruit in the harvest of eternal life. The land of instinct, on the other hand, will bear the fruit of corruption.
Conclusion and Farewell.
He concludes by summarizing the main ideas and bidding farewell. He writes the final lines in his own handwriting, which served as a signature of authenticity in ancient letters. Interestingly, he writes in large letters, as if to emphasize that these sentences summarize the entire letter. All of Paul’s pride is in the cross of Christ, in his death and sacrifice for love, in participating in it and preaching it as the only means of salvation. The Apostle contrasts physical circumcision, which no longer counts, with the marks of his sufferings for the apostolate (cf. 1 Cor 1:31), which give him all the apostolic authority he needs to settle the issue with an explicit declaration: “Let no one cause me any more trouble” (17).