historical · Gal 6:1–18 · ✓ Approved

Early readings of Galatians 6: restoring with gentleness (6:1)

Says “Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness” (Gal 6:1; ἐν πνεύματι πραΰτητος, “in a spirit of gentleness”). “But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (6:1; σκοπῶν σεαυτόν, “watching yourself”). The letter closes, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen” (6:18).

Early readers stress the manner of the restoring. Calvin: “no man is prepared for chastising a brother till he has succeeded in acquiring a gentle spirit”. Wesley: “by Reproof, Instruction, or Exhortation. Every one who can, ought to help herein”. These are their readings. The early readings of 6:6, 6:11 and 6:17 are given in the notes on those verses.

Implies Because the one restoring is told to watch himself, “or you also may be tempted” (6:1), the text joins gentleness toward the one caught with watchfulness over oneself.

Uncertain What kind of trespass Paul had in view in 6:1 is open; these readings do not fix the meaning of the text.

Claims

SaysGal 6:1: if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself lest you also be tempted; Gal 6:18: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
ImpliesBecause the one restoring is told to watch himself lest he also be tempted, the text joins gentleness toward the one caught with watchfulness over oneself.
UncertainWhat kind of trespass Paul had in view in 6:1 is open; the readings do not fix the meaning.

Citations

BSB public domain Gal 6:1, 6:18
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 6:1
Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (CTS, trans. Pringle, 1854), on Gal 6:1, p. 171 (leaf n184); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 6:1, p. 505 (leaf n518); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased

Sources BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-14

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