6:1 Brothers and sisters, 1 if a person 2 is discovered in some sin, 3 you who are spiritual 4 restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. 5 Pay close attention 6 to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 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 7 his own work. Then he can take pride 8 in himself and not compare himself with 9 someone else. 6:5 For each one will carry 10 his own load.
6:6 Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches 11 it. 6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. 12 For a person 13 will reap what he sows, 6:8 because the person who sows to his own flesh 14 will reap corruption 15 from the flesh, 16 but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 6:9 So we must not grow weary 17 in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. 18 6:10 So then, 19 whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. 20
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 21 are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so 22 only to avoid being persecuted 23 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. 24 6:14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which 25 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 6:15 For 26 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for 27 anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! 28 6:16 And all who will behave 29 in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God. 30
6:17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. 31
1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
2 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.
3 tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).
4 sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.
5 tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”
6 tn Grk “taking careful notice.”
7 tn Or “determine the genuineness of.”
8 tn Grk “he will have a reason for boasting.”
9 tn Or “and not in regard to.” The idea of comparison is implied in the context.
10 tn Or perhaps, “each one must carry.” A number of modern translations treat βαστάσει (bastasei) as an imperatival future.
11 tn Or “instructs,” “imparts.”
12 tn Or “is not mocked,” “will not be ridiculed” (L&N 33.409). BDAG 660 s.v. μυκτηρίζω has “of God οὐ μ. he is not to be mocked, treated w. contempt, perh. outwitted Gal 6:7.”
13 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.
14 tn BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24;…Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”
15 tn Or “destruction.”
16 tn See the note on the previous occurrence of the word “flesh” in this verse.
17 tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).
18 tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).
19 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what Paul has been arguing.
20 tn Grk “to those who are members of the family of [the] faith.”
21 tn Grk “in the flesh.” L&N 88.236 translates the phrase “those who force you to be circumcised are those who wish to make a good showing in external matters.”
22 tn Grk “to be circumcised, only.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the words “They do so,” which were supplied to make a complete English sentence.
23 tc ‡ Grk “so that they will not be persecuted.” The indicative after ἵνα μή (Jina mh) is unusual (though not unexampled elsewhere in the NT), making it the harder reading. The evidence is fairly evenly split between the indicative διώκονται (diwkontai; Ì46 A C F G K L P 0278 6 81 104 326 629 1175 1505 pm) and the subjunctive διώκωνται (diwkwntai; א B D Ψ 33 365 1739 pm), with a slight preference for the subjunctive. However, since scribes would tend to change the indicative to a subjunctive due to syntactical requirements, the internal evidence is decidedly on the side of the indicative, suggesting that it is original.
24 tn Or “boast about you in external matters,” “in the outward rite” (cf. v. 12).
25 tn Or perhaps, “through whom,” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ rather than the cross.
26 tc The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is found after “For” in some
27 tn Grk “is.”
28 tn Grk “but a new creation”; the words “the only thing that matters” have been supplied to reflect the implied contrast with the previous clause (see also Gal 5:6).
29 tn The same Greek verb, στοιχέω (stoicew), occurs in Gal 5:25.
30 tn The word “and” (καί) can be interpreted in two ways: (1) It could be rendered as “also” which would indicate that two distinct groups are in view, namely “all who will behave in accordance with this rule” and “the Israel of God.” Or (2) it could be rendered “even,” which would indicate that “all who behave in accordance with this rule” are “the Israel of God.” In other words, in this latter view, “even” = “that is.”
31 tn Paul is probably referring to scars from wounds received in the service of Jesus, although the term στίγμα (stigma) may imply ownership and suggest these scars served as brands (L&N 8.55; 33.481; 90.84).