Galatians Part 34 - Galatians 6:1-5

Chapter 6. vs. 1-5. 1. Paul gives further instruction about Christian living as members of the church. A. He still calls them brethren. v. 1 c/w GAL 1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:18. B. Some were spiritual (v. 1) and were accordingly tasked with restoring someone in a fault. (1) The spiritually-minded will do this moreso than the carnally-minded whose judgment is lacking. Carnal minds will not readily concede the Holy Spirit’s things. ROM 8:5. (2) One may be carnally-minded because of spiritual infancy in knowledge of the ways of Christ or because he after sufficient instruction is still thinking worldly. MAT 16:23. C. It is not uncommon that a church consist of a mixture of carnal and spiritual saints. 1CO 3:1 c/w 1CO 11:18-19; REV 2:20-24; 3:4. D. An overview of the N.T. shows that the church may consist of the spiritual, the carnal, and the infernal (JUDE 1:4), and it is a good work of the church to separate especially from the latter as they are exposed. 1CO 4:5. 2. “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” (v. 1). A. This instruction pertains to a brother who has been put out of the church for sin but has been humbled to repentance. Restoration is for humbled penitents, not for proud rebels. 2CO 2:6-8. B. overtake: Of some adverse agency or influence, as a storm, night, disease, death, misfortune, punishment (rarely, as in quot. c 1630, of something good or favourable): To come upon unexpectedly, suddenly, or violently; to seize, catch, surprise, involve. (1) O.E.D. cites 1TH 5:4 as representative of this definition. (2) Sin has suddenly caught up with a brother and punishment has occurred. (3) Punishment of an offending brother has two aspects: a. The formal dismissal from church fellowship. b. The withholding of church fellowship and privileges for a season to an Galatians 1-1-17 Page 62  offender who has been humbled to repentance. The order of 2CO 2:6-8 is a sufficient punishment to “such a man,” i.e., a clearly sorrowful penitent. C. The civil justice system restores an offender to civil society after he has served his time regardless of his state of heart. (1) But the church must see first a change of heart, then prove it by sufficient probationary punishment and only restore a successful penitent to its society. (2) King David received his banished disobedient son, Absalom, before Absalom had demonstrated sufficient contrition or repentance and that produced great trouble for David and Israel. 2SAM 14-15. D. Until the penitent’s restoration, he is still “without” the body. E. However, he is no longer walking disorderly, per 2TH 3:6. F. He is not causing offenses and divisions contrary to the doctrine, per ROM 16:17-18. G. He is rather trying to walk orderly by obeying the doctrine. H. Unlike the disorderly or divisive person who remains hardened in sin, we may have more dealing with a penitent to encourage his restoration to the church upon sufficient punishment. GAL 6:1-2 c/w 2CO 2:6-8. (1) restore: To give back, to make return or restitution of (anything previously taken away or lost). (2) The man is eligible for eventual restoration to membership, which was taken away when he was excluded. (3) However, he is still (“...if a man BE...”) overtaken in the fault. He is still bearing the consequences. (4) He is bearing a burden that we should help him to bear, per GAL 6:2. (5) When one is exercised by a chastening, we should encourage him thus letting him be healed. HEB 12:11-13. (6) The restoration process begins with spiritual men recognizing a humbled, sorrowful, repenting man, then encouraging his spiritual healing, then receiving him back into fellowship, “...considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (GAL 6:1). (7) The corporate forgiveness of such a man is important to prevent Satan from getting an advantage by unmercifulness. 2CO 2:9-11 c/w JAM 2:13. 3. Compare v. 2 with v. 5. Critics would like to claim a contradiction here. A. There is a sense in which we should bear one another’s burdens. (1) As noted above, we should bear up a penitent in his path to restoration by spiritual order, instruction and encouragements. (2) The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak (ROM 15:2), considering one’s own liberty to be of less value than a weaker brother’s good conscience. ROM 14:1-3; 1CO 8:9-13. (3) Such actions fulfil the law of Christ. JOH 13:34; GAL 5:13. B. v. 5 is the conclusion of the stream of thought in the preceding verses. (1) v. 3 speaks against the man who thinks he is above the royal law of v. 2. a. It is a dangerous self-deception that assumes one is above his brethren in respect of bearing a brother’s burdens when the brother is doing what he can do but is handicapped by circumstances. b. It is a dangerous self-deception to think that having knowledge of Christian liberty is a thing to be exploited to the disregard of weaker brethren. c. High-mindedness is perilous. ROM 12:3, 16 c/w 2TI 3:4. (2) “But let very man prove his own work...” (v. 4). a. prove: trans. To make trial of, put to the test; to try the genuineness or Galatians 1-1-17 Page 63  qualities of. b. Rather than think highly of self, let a man judge and examine self. MAT 7:1-5; 1CO 11:28. c. “...and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” He derives personal fulfillment from personal betterment without self-deception and assures his own heart before God. PRO 14:14; 1JO 3:19-21. (3) “For every man shall bear his own burden” (v. 5). a. Each man has his own cross to bear. MAT 10:38. b. Each man gives account of himself to God. ROM 14:12. c. Each man bears the consequences of his own faults. PRO 9:12; EZE 18:20. Galatians 1-1-17 Page 64