Notes · Gal 6:1–18

Burden-Bearing, the Cross, and the Israel of God

22 approved team notes on Gal 6:1–18.

Read Gal 6:1–18

Gal 6:1

exegeticalGal 6:1–18

Overview of Galatians 6

SaysGalatians 6 moves from restoring a brother caught in a trespass and bearing one another’s burdens, through sharing with the teacher and sowing and reaping, to Paul’s own hand, the circumcisers, boasting only in the cross, a new creation, the Israel of God, the marks of Jesus, and a closing grace.
ImpliesA brother caught in a trespass is to be restored with gentleness; believers are to carry one another’s burdens; God is not mocked; what a person sows he reaps; Paul boasts only in the cross; circumcision and uncircumcision count for nothing, and what counts is a new creation; the letter closes with grace.

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exegeticalGal 6:1–5

Restore and bear burdens (6:1–5)

SaysIf 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; they are to carry one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ; each should carry his own load.
ImpliesA brother caught in a trespass is to be restored with gentleness, and believers are to carry one another’s burdens; the one who restores is also told to watch himself.
UncertainBurton and Lightfoot take “you who are spiritual” as those who live and walk by the Spirit; Luther, Wesley, and Calvin take 6:5 as final-judgment accountability, while Chrysostom, more guardedly, Burton, and Lightfoot take it as a present duty or load; no lean is taken.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Lightfoot, Galatians public domain

historicalGal 6:1–18

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

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.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain

languageGal 6:1

Caught in a trespass, and restore (6:1)

SaysGalatians 6:1 says that if a man is overtaken in a trespass, those who are spiritual are to restore him in a spirit of gentleness, each looking to himself lest he too be tempted.
UncertainWhom ’you who are spiritual’ addresses is not defined further; no lean is taken.

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Gal 6:2

exegeticalGal 6:2

The law of Christ (6:2)

SaysBy carrying one another’s burdens they will fulfill the law of Christ; SBLGNT prints the future “you will fulfill,” and WH, RP, and the TR print an aorist imperative.
UncertainBurton takes “the law of the Christ” as the law of God as enunciated by Christ, with love as its central principle; no lean is taken.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain

languageGal 6:2; Gal 6:3; Gal 6:4; Gal 6:5

Burdens and load (6:2–5)

SaysGalatians 6:2 says to bear one another’s burdens (βάρη), and so fulfill the law of Christ.
SaysGalatians 6:4–5 says each is to test his own work, for each will bear his own load (φορτίον), a different noun.
UncertainWhat ’the law of Christ’ denotes, and when the load of 6:5 is borne, are not settled here; no lean is taken.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain

Gal 6:6

exegeticalGal 6:6–10

Sowing and reaping (6:6–10)

SaysThe one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor; God is not mocked; whatever a man sows he will reap; sowing into the flesh reaps corruption, and sowing to the Spirit reaps eternal life; in due time they will reap if they do not give up, and they are to do good to everyone, especially to the household of faith.
ImpliesBecause God is not mocked and whatever a person sows he reaps, sowing to the Spirit reaps eternal life; the text applies a rule of the field to the flesh and the Spirit.

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historicalGal 6:6

Teachers and their support (6:6)

SaysGal 6:6: the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor; 1 Cor 9:11 asks whether it is too much to reap a material harvest from those among whom spiritual seed was sown.
ImpliesBecause the verb is share and what is shared is every good thing, the text places the one taught and the teacher in a common giving.
UncertainHow support for teachers was arranged in the Galatian churches is open; the background does not fix the meaning.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain

languageGal 6:6

The one taught shares (6:6)

SaysGalatians 6:6 says the one taught the word is to share with the one who teaches, in all good things.
UncertainWhat the sharing in 6:6 covers is not settled here; no lean is taken.

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Gal 6:7

historicalGal 6:7–8

The sowing and reaping proverb (6:7–8)

SaysGal 6:7–9: God is not mocked; whatever a man sows he will reap; sowing to the flesh reaps destruction and sowing to the Spirit reaps eternal life; in due time we will reap if we do not give up. Job 4:8, Prov 22:8 and Hos 8:7 use the same image.
ImpliesBecause the saying of 6:7 is followed by two kinds of sowing with two harvests, the text applies a familiar rule of the field to the flesh and the Spirit.
UncertainWhether Paul draws on a saying current outside Scripture is open; the background does not fix the meaning.

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languageGal 6:7; Gal 6:8

God not mocked: sowing and reaping (6:7–8)

SaysGalatians 6:7 says God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows he will also reap.
SaysGalatians 6:8 says the one sowing into his flesh reaps corruption from the flesh, and the one sowing into the Spirit reaps eternal life from the Spirit.
ImpliesThe harvest corresponds to what is sown: corruption from the flesh, eternal life from the Spirit.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain

Gal 6:9

languageGal 6:9; Gal 6:10

Not growing weary, and the household of faith (6:9–10)

SaysGalatians 6:9 says let us not grow weary in doing good, for in its own time we will reap if we do not give out.
SaysGalatians 6:10 says, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith.
ImpliesThe word for time in 6:9 is the word for opportunity in 6:10.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain

Gal 6:11

exegeticalGal 6:11–13

Large letters and the circumcisers (6:11–13)

SaysPaul points to the large letters he wrote with his own hand; those who want a good showing in the flesh try to compel the readers to be circumcised, to avoid persecution for the cross; they do not themselves keep the law, yet they want the readers circumcised that they may boast in their flesh.
UncertainHow much of the letter Paul wrote in his own hand, and whom “those who are being circumcised” names, are treated in the historical and language notes; no lean is taken here.

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historicalGal 6:11

Large letters in Paul’s own hand (6:11)

SaysGal 6:11: see what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand; 2 Thess 3:17 calls the greeting in his own hand Paul’s mark in every letter.
ImpliesBecause Paul points to his own hand and calls his own hand his mark in 2 Thess 3:17, the text presents the handwriting as his personal sign to the readers.
UncertainWhether Paul wrote only the closing or the whole letter is open; the readings do not fix the meaning.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain

languageGal 6:11

Large letters I have written (6:11)

SaysGalatians 6:11 says, see with what large letters I wrote to you with my own hand; the verb is aorist, which the BSB renders as present.
UncertainHow much of the letter Paul’s hand wrote, and why the letters are large, is not settled here; no lean is taken.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain

Gal 6:12

languageGal 6:12; Gal 6:13; Gal 6:14; Gal 6:15

A good showing in the flesh, and a new creation (6:12–15)

SaysGalatians 6:12–13 says those wanting a fair show in the flesh compel the readers to be circumcised, yet those being circumcised do not themselves keep the law.
UncertainLightfoot, Calvin and Chrysostom take the circumcised of 6:13 as the agitators; Burton takes them as those receiving circumcision under them; no lean is taken.
SaysGalatians 6:15 says neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain

Gal 6:14

exegeticalGal 6:14–15

Boasting in the cross and a new creation (6:14–15)

SaysPaul will never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to him and he to the world; neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation.
ImpliesPaul boasts only in the cross; circumcision and uncircumcision count for nothing, and what counts is a new creation.

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Gal 6:16

exegeticalGal 6:16

The Israel of God (6:16)

SaysPeace and mercy are spoken to all who will walk by this rule, and to the Israel of God; καί may mean “and” or be epexegetic, and the BSB’s “even” is its rendering of καί, not the Greek’s.
UncertainChrysostom, Lightfoot, and Luther take the Israel of God of the whole body of believers, Jew or Gentile; Burton takes it of pious Israel, the remnant, not of the Christian community as such; no lean is taken, and no position is taken on Israel and the church.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain Lightfoot, Galatians public domain

languageGal 6:16

The Israel of God (6:16)

SaysGalatians 6:16 says peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, and upon the Israel of God.
UncertainWhether καί adds the Israel of God to those who walk by the rule or names the same people is not settled here; no lean is taken.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain

Gal 6:17

exegeticalGal 6:17–18

The marks of Jesus (6:17–18)

SaysFrom now on let no one cause Paul trouble, for he bears the marks of Jesus in his body; the letter closes with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with their spirit.
ImpliesBecause Paul gives the marks as his reason that no one should trouble him, the text presents them as bearing on his standing; the letter closes with grace.
UncertainWhat the marks were is treated in the historical note; no lean is taken here.

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historicalGal 6:17

The marks of Jesus (6:17)

SaysGal 6:17: from now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus; 2 Cor 11:25 lists beatings and a stoning, and 2 Cor 4:10 speaks of carrying the death of Jesus in the body.
ImpliesBecause Paul gives the marks as his reason that no one should trouble him, the text presents them as bearing on his standing as Christ’s apostle.
UncertainWhat the marks were and what picture the word called up for the Galatians is open; the readings do not fix the meaning.

✓ Approved BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain

languageGal 6:17; Gal 6:18

The marks of Jesus, and the blessing (6:17–18)

SaysGalatians 6:17 says, from now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body; the Greek has ’of Jesus’ before ’my body’.
UncertainWhat the marks were is not settled here; no lean is taken.
SaysGalatians 6:18 closes with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with your spirit, brothers.

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