Bible Study Series - Galatians Chapter 6

Doing Good to All

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

V1. Brothers and Sisters or Fellow Christians, if someone be overtaken in a fault, you which are Spiritual, should restore such a person, by way of gentleness; however you need to watch yourselves, unless you also are tempted.

Being overtaken in a fault, or being overwhelmed or unexpectedly fallen into, slipping into or falling away into sin; we who are of the Spirit should gently restore or help this person return to their moral state, but beware you do not get entangled in the same snare.

Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

V2. We are to bear one another burdens, in other words we need to support one another to fulfil the law of Christ.

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Romans 13:8 “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

Romans 13:10 “¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Love is the law of Christ which fulfils the entire Law.

Galatians 6:3 “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

V3. We should bear one another’s burdens because he who thinks himself to be something or better than others, when in actuality he is in fact nothing at all, these types of person deceive themselves because they think they are better than everyone else.

Galatians 6:4 “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”

V4. But let every man try and test his own deeds, the believer should be right in his own deeds first, before he even should attempt to assist other people. Consider if you have issues with other people or that person, you should refrain from giving them assistance or advise whilst you are still holding a grudge with others.

Matthew 7:3-5 “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

We have nothing to boast of ourselves, we should not be boasting that our very own Christian life is better than the other Christian who is not doing too well. When we rejoice, we rejoice only in ourselves for glory in the Lord, because it is what the Lord did, through the spirit that all things are possible.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹ that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 12:12-18 – to read more

Galatians 6:5 “For every man shall bear his own burden.”

V5. Every man, especially believers will bear their own faults and issues of life, we all have our own “load” to bear. Whatever job God gave you to do, it is yours alone. You should not try to offload or “handball” this to another person completely; God has chosen you, because he knows you are the best to do the job.

Galatians 6:6 “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”

V6. If God has revealed to you some wisdom or teaching from his Word, we should communicate that message to all teachers who teach in all good things as well; so that the truth may be taught.

Galatians 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

V7-8. Be warned and do not deceive yourselves, God is not mocked. As a believer, what you sow here on earth in the flesh, you will reap here on earth and what you sow in the Spirit will you be rewarded accordingly at the Judgement. For unbelievers, they will reap what they sow here on earth, but at Judgement there is only one place they will be going, and it’s not very pleasant place to say the least.

Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ¹⁰ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

V9-10. Paul says let us not be weary in doing good works, he is talking about believers remember Romans 3:31 says that we do not make the Law void through faith, we establish the law once we are saved, justified by faith and not in the letter.

As Christians we should labour to do good works to advance the kingdom of heaven for glory to the Godhead. In due season we shall reap the rewards, in other words at the Lords return we shall be rewarded with heavenly gifts from our Lord, if we don’t give up; that is, in no way meaning you have lost your salvation: the truth of the matter is that Christians never seem to tire of doing good.

That’s what separates us from the rest of the world. The world is selfish, wicked and you can see it for yourself should you decide to one day step out of the box. Christians are thoughtful of others. When the Lord returns to redeem his people, we should be found working to get that “one” more saved, before it is too late; before the door is closed, the close of business day.

When the opportunity arises, take that moment to preach the Gospel and get that soul saved. Perform the good works in the Lords name and especially to those who are called our brethren, and wait in earnest, when the Lord returns in that great and glorious day.

Not Circumcision, But the New Creation

Galatians 6:11 “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.”

V11. Paul states here to the Galatians, “You see how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand.” Paul is stating that he is using large letters to write this letter with his own hand, could it be that he was trying to make it emphatically clear to them? Could Paul be meaning that the letter was long and detailed?

Galatians 6:12 “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”

V12. Many of them desire to boast or glory, or to try and impress by way of the flesh, their works, and they try to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

These Judaizers wanted to look good to their Jewish friends. It appears that even though they have proclaimed Jesus as their Saviour, they are not willing to suffer the ridicule from their Jewish brothers. They were not willing to suffer for Christ. Remember when the Apostles rejoiced when they got flogged by Jewish officials and counted it for joy that they suffered shame for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? – Acts 5:40-41

Galatians 6:13 “For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.”

V13. The Judaizers themselves did not keep the law; they wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised so that they could glory at how good they were at proselytizing. - Matthew 23:15

As a former Pharisee Paul knew the thoroughness involved in keeping all the laws, these people don’t have that kind of zeal, he says. They just want to brag about bringing proselytes into the Jewish fold.

Galatians 6:14-15 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”

V14-15. Paul says that he glories in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, unlike the Jews of Judaism, who bragged about their religious accomplishments; Paul takes pleasure only in the Lord Jesus Christ’s atonement and all the spiritual blessings it brings.

The world, Paul is talking about is the worldly system, the things of the flesh, the outward appearance. Paul has renounced his old life and all its ways, along with its values and religious accomplishments in which he used to boast in.

Believers’ home is in heaven. Paul, like all believers, had the hope of the resurrection.

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision profits or avails anything when we are in Christ. We are born again, a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

John Chapter 3 for more about being born again.

This current vessel of flesh means nothing, it is stained by the effects of sin, that why the flesh wars with the born again Spirit. We will discard this house of flesh and receive our spiritual body. Christ lives in us and us in him. This world is not our home. We are a stranger in this land. Our home is in heaven with Jesus.

Galatians 6:16 “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

V16. As many as walk according to this rule, what rule? The rule in verse 15, that circumcision nor uncircumcision does not matter at all. So when we walk according to this rule, may peace be on us and mercy. To be a part of the Israel of God, we should walk in the Spirit, NOT in the flesh.

Galatians 6:17 “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

V17. Paul says from this time or from now on, to let no man trouble him. The people of the circumcision make much fanfare about their now irrelevant mark of the circumcision, but Paul says he bears the marks of the Lord Jesus; meaning the scars and stripes he suffered for in the Lord’s name.

Paul, is an apostle called of the Lord, no doubt he is. He was persecuted for Christ, and he points to all the scars he had received because of faith in the Lord. He is not trying to please any man, but only to God.

Closing Statement

This Epistle is such an eye opener, what we saw happening at the Church in Galatia is actually happening in the world today. So many churches claiming to be the true church on earth, most of them claiming that you aren't saved till you have the works, the ordinances.

Look, after reading this Epistle and you come away thinking that Faith + Works = Salvation, then I’m afraid that you are spiritually blind and have chosen to reject the true Gospel of God and God himself.

I leave you with the final verse in this Epistle…

Galatians 6:18 “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Go to Chapter 1 2 3 4 5