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Texts -- Galatians 6:2-18 (NET)

Context
6:2 Carry one another’s burdens , and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ . 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing , he deceives himself . 6:4 Let each one examine his own work . Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else . 6:5 For each one will carry his own load . 6:6 Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. 6:7 Do not be deceived . God will not be made a fool . For a person will reap what he sows , 6:8 because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh , but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit . 6:9 So we must not grow weary in doing good , for in due time we will reap , if we do not give up . 6:10 So then , whenever we have an opportunity , let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith .
Final Instructions and Benediction
6:11 See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand ! 6:12 Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised . They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ . 6:13 For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves , but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh . 6:14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ , through which the world has been crucified to me , and I to the world . 6:15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation ! 6:16 And all who will behave in accordance with this rule , peace and mercy be on them , and on the Israel of God . 6:17 From now on let no one cause me trouble , for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body . 6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit , brothers and sisters . Amen .

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • Agungkan Kuasa NamaNya [KJ.222a]
  • Agungkan Kuasa NamaNya [KJ.222b]
  • Alangkah Indahnya [KJ.448] ( Blest Be the Tie That Binds )
  • Batu Karang Yang Teguh [KJ.37a] ( Rock of Ages )
  • Batu Karang Yang Teguh [KJ.37b] ( Rock of Ages )
  • Dengar Panggilan Tuhan [KJ.357]
  • Kita Satu di Dalam Tuhan [KJ.256]
  • Lahir Kristus di Dunia [KJ.125]
  • Memandang Salib Rajaku [KJ.169] ( When I Survey the Wondrous Cross )
  • Pada Kaki SalibMu [KJ.368]
  • Salib Kristus Kubanggakan [KJ.394] ( In the Cross of Christ I Glory )
  • Tolong Aku, Tuhan [KJ.462]
  • Yesus Menginginkan Daku [KJ.424]
  • [Gal 6:2] Leaving Smiles
  • [Gal 6:2] O Praise Our God Today
  • [Gal 6:9] O Thou Who Dost To Man Accord
  • [Gal 6:10] Do All The Good You Can
  • [Gal 6:14] Above The Hills Of Time
  • [Gal 6:14] Blest Jesus, When Thy Cross I View
  • [Gal 6:14] Cross Of Jesus
  • [Gal 6:14] Hallelujah For The Cross!
  • [Gal 6:14] I Saw The Cross Of Jesus
  • [Gal 6:14] In The Cross Of Christ I Glory
  • [Gal 6:14] The Old Rugged Cross
  • [Gal 6:14] The Sign Of The Cross
  • [Gal 6:14] When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
  • [Gal 6:15] I Love You, Christ, My Crucified

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Guidelines for Workers and Those Under Authority; Don’t Quit …; Mark 8:34; Believer and the World; Regeneration; Immortality and Resurrection; Numbers 32:23; Why Give 10% or More of Your Income to the Lord's Work; Ten Biblical & Practical Reasons to Give to the Lord’s Work; Four Harvests; Judgments in Scripture

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Following the Flood God established human life anew on the earth showing His high regard for it. He promised to bless humanity with faithfulness, and He prohibited murder. He also promised with a sign that He would not destro...
  • In obedience to God's command Abraham took his promised heir to Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. Because Abraham was willing to slay his uniquely begotten son God restrained him from killing Isaac and promised to bless hi...
  • Here we have the third round of Jacob's battle with Esau. The first was at birth (25:21-28) and the second was over the birthright (25:29-34). In all three incidents Jacob manipulated his brother."This chapter [27] offers one...
  • The long account of Jacob's relationship with Laban (chs. 29-31) is the centerpiece of the Jacob story (chs. 25-35). It is a story within a story, and it too has a chiastic structure. At its center is the account of the birth...
  • These verses are similar to 1:4-5. They summarize and introduce with historical references what follows. In a larger sense these verses summarize all of chapters 1-3. This is narration about Moses, not a discourse by Moses."T...
  • There was a yearly tithe (vv. 22-27) and an additional three-year tithe (vv. 28-29) in Israel. The Israelites were to invite the Levites to the celebration at the tabernacle when the Israelites consumed the yearly tithe (v. 2...
  • The Israelites were not only to care for the Levites (14:27, 29) and the aliens, orphans, and widows (14:29) but also other individuals in the nation who were in need (15:1-18).15:1-11 "It is appropriate to deal with the law ...
  • Slaves from other nations who fled to Israel for refuge should receive permanent asylum. God's people were to show compassion to the oppressed and were not to join with oppressors (cf. Heb. 13:3; Gal. 6:2). This law clarified...
  • The Israelites could charge interest when they made loans to non-Israelites, but they were not to charge their brethren interest (vv. 19-20; cf. Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37).". . . the evidence shows that ancient rates of inte...
  • The first three verses present Samson sowing "wild oats."Verses 4-21 picture him reaping a bitter harvest (cf. Gal. 6:7).Samson allowed a woman to seduce him again. She lived in the Sorek Valley between Samson's home area of ...
  • Engedi lay near the Salt Sea's western shore close to its mid-point north to south. Even today it is a refreshing oasis with waterfall, tropical plants, and wild goats. The Hebrew word means "spring of the kid."It may have be...
  • David also distributed some of the war plunder to the elders of Judah.293He evidently did so because he viewed the booty as coming from the enemies of all Judah, even the enemies of the Lord (v. 26). He may have also done thi...
  • At first, David piously tried to salve Joab's conscience for his complicity in Uriah's death (11:25). The Hebrew word translated "displease"literally means "be evil in your sight."David was calling what was sin something othe...
  • Absalom patiently and carefully plotted revenge on Amnon.". . . As the sheep of Absalom would lose their wool (vv. 23-24), so David's firstborn, the potential shepherd of Israel, would lose his life (vv. 28-29)."223Absalom fi...
  • The writer may have devoted so much text to straightening out the rumor that Absalom had killed all the king's sons to stress God's mercy in not cutting off all of them. At first report David probably thought God had judged h...
  • This is the central unit of chapters 5-20, and its central focus is the judgment that Hushai's advice was better than Ahithophel's (17:14). This advice is the pivot on which the fortunes of David swung in his dealings with Ab...
  • Ahimaaz wanted to be the first to tell David the news of his victory since messengers often received a reward for bringing good news. Joab discouraged him thinking he would also report that Absalom was dead. David would not h...
  • Again God told Elijah to "go"(v. 18; cf. 17:3, 9; 18:1; 19:15). As a faithful servant, he went to confront the king again.226Ahab was not in Samaria then (v. 18) but in Jezreel (v. 19). The mention of Samaria was evidently an...
  • God sent Hezekiah the news of what He would do and why through Isaiah. The "virgin"daughter of Zion (v. 21) refers to Jerusalem as a city that a foreign foe had never violated. The "Holy One of Israel"(v. 22), a favorite name...
  • God responded to Solomon's prayer with a special revelation. He promised to grant the petitions of the people, as Solomon had requested, if they manifested a true heart for Him (vv. 12-14). Verses 13 and 14 are a short summar...
  • 7:10-11 David counted on God to defend him as a shield since God saves the upright in heart, and David was upright. His confidence lay also in God's righteous character. God would judge justly, and injustice touches His heart...
  • In this extended section David reviewed how God had saved him in times of danger. In verses 4-19 he described God's supernatural deliverance and in verses 20-29 he explained it as he saw it through the lens of his faith in Go...
  • 41:1 This verse succinctly states the lesson this whole psalm teaches. God blesses people who take care of those who cannot care for themselves, and He delivers them when they need help.41:2-3 More specific blessings are prot...
  • For the returned exiles farming was a painful pursuit since the ground had become hard and wild because no one had cultivated it. However the farmer who worked hard could expect a rich harvest in the future. Future joy would ...
  • 39:1 The phrase "At that time"(cf. 38:1) anticipates a specially significant event and ties it to what preceded in chapter 38. As this verse explains, the events that follow happened after Hezekiah had recovered from his illn...
  • This oracle is similar to the one in Isaiah 15 and 16.555Other oracles against Moab appear in Ezekiel 25:8-11, Amos 2:1-3, and Zephaniah 2:9, but this is the longest one. It is very difficult to say when Jeremiah gave this or...
  • 29:17 Ezekiel received another message from the Lord about Egypt's judgment in 571 B.C. (on his New Year's day). This was probably the second to the last recorded prophecy of Ezekiel, and the prophet would have been about 50 ...
  • 6:19-20 Evidently spending a night in the lions' den was the minimum that the law required because early the next morning Darius set out to free Daniel if he might have survived. Uncertain about the prophet's fate the king ca...
  • 3:1-3 When God would restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem in that future day (cf. Deut. 30:3), He would gather the other nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat (lit. "Yahweh judges"). This is the only passage in Scriptur...
  • The very fact that this book consists of only one chapter should alert us to its importance. If it was unimportant, God would not have preserved it, and it would have disappeared long ago. Its length also simplifies our task ...
  • "It is in 2:1-5 that the prophet establishes the basis for the national crisis and the future collapse of the nation. It was not the imperialism of Assyria or the fortunes of blind destiny that brought the house of Israel to ...
  • 2:6 Because of the Babylonians' sins it was inevitable that the righteous would taunt and mock them. They would pronounce woe on them for increasing what was not theirs just to have more and for making themselves rich by char...
  • 2:6-7 The Lord called His people to flee from the land of the north (cf. Jer. 3:18; 16:15; 23:8; 31:8) where He had scattered them as the four winds (cf. Isa. 43:5-6; 49:12). Most of the Israelite exiles had gone into captivi...
  • 5:43 Jesus quoted the Old Testament again (Lev. 19:18), but this time He added a corollary that the rabbis, not Moses, provided. Nowhere does the Old Testament advocate hating one's enemies. However this seemed to many of the...
  • Jesus' explanation of the importance of true righteousness was the heart of the Sermon on the Mount as Matthew narrated it (Matt. 5:17-7:12). He reported that Jesus spoke of true righteousness in relation to three things: the...
  • Jesus continued talking with His disciples about the preceding conversation. However, Luke did not identify the disciples as those to whom Jesus spoke. This gives the impression that what Jesus said has relevance to all peopl...
  • 12:20 The New Testament writers frequently referred to any Gentiles who came from the Greek-speaking world as Greeks (cf. 7:35; et al.). We do not know where the Gentiles in this incident came from. They could have lived in o...
  • This pericope contains another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that bolstered the disciples' faith. It also contains John's account of the Great Commission.20:19 John moved his readers directly from the events of Easter...
  • 11:27 Prophets were still active in the church apparently until the completion of the New Testament canon. A prophet was a person to whom God had given ability to speak for Him (forth-telling, cf. 1 Cor. 14:1-5), which in som...
  • 14:21b-22 The missionaries confined their labors to the Galatian province on this trip. They did not move farther east into the kingdom of Antiochus or the province Cilicia that Paul may have evangelized previously during his...
  • Before showing the guilt of moral and religious people before God (vv. 17-29), Paul set forth the principles by which God will judge everyone (vv. 1-16). By so doing, he warned the self-righteous.2:1-4 "Therefore"seems more l...
  • In the first part of this chapter Paul explained that Christ has broken the bonds of sin that enslave the Christian (vv. 1-14). In the second part he warned that even though we are free we can become enslaved to sin by yieldi...
  • 7:1 "Those who know law"--the article "the"before "law"is absent in the Greek text--were Paul's Roman readers. They lived in the capital of the empire where officials debated, enacted, and enforced laws. They of all people we...
  • Paul's train of thought unfolds as follows in these verses. Because God's election of Israel did not depend on natural descent (vv. 6-10) or human merit (vv. 11-14), Israel's disobedience cannot nullify God's sovereign purpos...
  • The reason for Israel's failure mentioned in 9:32-33, namely her rejection of Christ, led Paul to amplify that subject further in this section.10:1 This pericope opens with Paul returning to his feelings of compassionate conc...
  • In contrasting chapters 1-11 with chapters 12-16 of Romans, perhaps the most important distinction is that the first part deals primarily with God's actions for humanity, and the last part deals with people's actions in respo...
  • 12:14 Paul repeated Jesus' instruction here (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27-28). To persecute means to pursue. Blessing involves both wishing God's best on people and praying for them."The principle of nonretaliation for personal inju...
  • Paul had previously glorified the importance of love among believers (12:9-10). Now he urged this attitude toward all people though unbelievers are primarily in view in this chapter. The connecting link in the argument is our...
  • Paul now developed the key concept to which he referred in chapter 14, namely putting the welfare of others before that of self (cf. Gal. 6:2). This is love.15:1 The strong ought to take the initiative in resolving the tensio...
  • At this point Paul moved back from specific situations to basic principles his readers needed to keep in mind when thinking about marriage (cf. vv. 1-7). He drew his illustrations in this section from circumcision and slavery...
  • The extent to which the apostle was willing to lay aside his rights comes out in this pericope. Since Paul chose not to receive pay for his ministry in Corinth, he was free from the restrictions that patronage might impose. T...
  • "The letter now concludes with a series of standard (for Paul) greetings (vv. 19-22) and the grace-benediction (v. 23). But Paul cannot quite give up the urgency of the letter, so he interrupts these two rather constant eleme...
  • 3:4 Jesus Christ had given Paul confidence that the changes that the gospel had produced in the Corinthians validated his apostolic credentials. That confidence was not merely the product of Paul's imagination.3:5 Paul did no...
  • The New Testament reveals that Paul was actively collecting money for "the poor among the saints in Jerusalem"(Rom. 15:26) for about five years (52-57 A.D.). He solicited funds from the Christians in Galatia (Acts 18:23; 1 Co...
  • Paul concluded his exhortation regarding the collection by reminding his readers of the benefits God inevitably bestows on those who give liberally. He did this so they would follow through with their purpose and believe that...
  • "The most uncontroverted matter in the study of Galatians is that the letter was written by Paul, the Christian apostle whose ministry is portrayed in the Acts of the Apostles."1The Apostle Paul directed this epistle to the c...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-10A. Salutation 1:1-5B. Denunciation 1:6-10II. Personal defense of Paul's gospel 1:11-2:21A. Independence from other apostles 1:11-241. The source of Paul's gospel 1:11-172. The events of Paul's early mini...
  • Paul began this epistle with a word of greeting for his readers to introduce himself as the writer and to emphasize the divine source of his apostolic commission.1:1 The nickname (cognomen) "Paul"is from the Latin Paulus, whi...
  • In these opening words Paul rebuked his readers for turning away from the gospel that he had preached to them and for turning toward a different "gospel."He accused them of being religious turncoats. He did so to impress them...
  • The first of the three major sections of the epistle begins here. We could classify them as history (1:11-2:21), theology (chs. 3-4), and ethics (5:1-6:10).". . . Paul was . . . following the logic of the Christian life: Beca...
  • 3:15-16 Paul now turned to the objection that when God gave the Law He terminated justification by faith alone. He reminded his readers, with a human analogy, that even wills and contracts made between human beings remained i...
  • Paul appealed next to his past contacts with the Galatians and called on them to remember his visits to Galatia to move them to abandon nomism."If the reader is inclined to think Paul has been impersonal in dealing with the p...
  • The apostle warned his readers not to think that they could satisfy the demands of the Mosaic Law by obeying only a few of its commands. Only complete compliance satisfies its demands.5:1 Paul's readers were in danger of retu...
  • Paul urged his readers to live unbound to the Law of Moses (5:1-12). He also warned them against using their liberty as a license to sin to prevent them from overreacting."The theme of love . . . informs all of Paul's exhorta...
  • Being free from the Mosaic Law does not mean being free from responsibility. In this section Paul explained various responsibilities that Christians have to one another to clarify the will of God for his readers. Manifesting ...
  • 6:2 In view of the context probably the burden Paul had in mind was an excessive burden of particular temptation and struggle with the flesh (cf. Rom. 15:1). This could be a burden caused by social, economic, spiritual, or ot...
  • 6:6 Here is a specific example of mutual burden bearing. Perhaps the Judaizers were telling the Galatians not to support financially those who taught them. Under Judaism pupils paid a tax, and the teachers' pay came through t...
  • In this section Paul summarized some of his more important points. He also appealed to his readers again to urge them to follow through and to put into practice what he had taught them."Before concluding his letter Paul retur...
  • Allen, Kenneth W. "Justification by Faith."Bibliotheca Sacra135:538 (April-June 1978):109-16.Andrews, Mary E. "Paul and Repentance."Journal of Biblical Literature54:2 (June 1935):125.Barclay, William. The Letters to the Galat...
  • Having created joy in his readers by referring to the sterling examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus, Paul warned them about certain other people who professed to be servants of God.He introduced this section of his epistle wi...
  • Paul concluded this warm, positive epistle with some greetings and a final benediction. He did this to cement good relations with the Philippians and to point them again in closing to the Lord Jesus Christ. This closing secti...
  • The preceding exhortations led Paul naturally to focus on other individual responsibilities to enable his readers to perceive their personal Christian duty clearly (cf. Gal. 6). However all these things are the duties of Chri...
  • 3:6 Paul introduced the words that follow to help the readers realize that obedience was essential. This was a command given with the full authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful majority in the church were to separa...
  • Paul concluded this epistle with an emphasis on unity in the church to motivate his readers to work out their problems and reestablish peaceful conditions that would glorify God.3:16 He concluded with two more prayers, his fo...
  • Another group in the church deserved Timothy's special attention. Therefore Paul gave instructions concerning the care of elders to his young legate to enable him to deal with present and potential elders properly.The structu...
  • As is true of so many of the shorter Bible books, this one too is an illustration (cf. Ruth and Esther). Philemon in particular illustrates the outworking in life of the great doctrines taught in the other Pauline writings, e...
  • 7:11 The writer's point was that since God promised in Psalm 110:4 that the coming Messiah would be a priest after Melchizedek's order, He intended to terminate the Levitical priesthood because it was inadequate. If the Levit...
  • James now defended God before those who doubted His goodness or reliability or who had given up hope in a time of testing and had concluded that this was their "fate."551:16 James wanted his readers to have no doubt about God...
  • Whereas verses 19-21 stress the importance of listening to the Word, verses 22-25 emphasize the necessity of putting the Word into practice, applying it.1:22 Doing the Word of God in this context means persevering in God's wi...
  • 2:12 The law of liberty (1:25) is the law of God that liberates us now. It is the same as the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) in contrast to the Mosaic Law. As free as we are under the law of Christ, we need to remember that God wil...
  • James concluded this section and his entire epistle by explaining how a brother who had erred could return to fellowship with God and could resume living by faith. These instructions apply directly to what James just explaine...
  • Peter concluded this section of instructions concerning respect for others with a discussion of the importance of loving our enemies.3:8 "To sum up"concludes the section on respect for others (2:13-3:12). This verse deals wit...
  • Peter concluded this epistle with a final exhortation and greetings from those with him and himself to encourage his readers further.5:12 Silvanus is the Roman form of the Greek name Silas. This Silas may very well have been ...
  • Having established the believer's basic adequacy through God's power in him and God's promises to him, Peter next reminded his readers of their responsibility to cultivate their own Christian growth. He did so to correct any ...
  • Peter next emphasized the conduct of false teachers to motivate his readers to turn away from them.2:10b "Daring"means bold to the point of being presumptuous, and "self-willed"is arrogant."They are concerned about doing thei...
  • Peter focused his discussion next on the false teachers' final doom to warn his readers of the serious results of following their instruction.2:20 To whom does "they"refer? Some interpreters believe the antecedent is the new ...
  • John heard praise of God in heaven that interrupted his narration of the outpouring of the bowls of wrath briefly.16:5 The "angel of the waters"evidently refers to the angel responsible for the sea and fresh water, the superi...
  • 18:4 Another voice from heaven instructed God's people to separate themselves from the system that the city symbolizes so they would avoid getting caught in her judgment. The being speaking is evidently an angel who speaks fo...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.'--1 Cor. 7:19.For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love...
  • Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 5. For every man shall bear his own burden.'--Gal. 6:2-5.THE injunction in the former of these verses appears, at first sight, to be inconsistent with the statem...
  • "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all…'--Gal. 6:10.As we have therefore'--that points a finger backwards to what has gone before. The Apostle has been exhorting to unwearied well-doing, on the ground...
  • I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.'--Gal. 6:17.THE reference in these words is probably to the cruel custom of branding slaves as we do cattle, with initials or signs, to show their ownership. It is true that in o...
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