A Study of Galatians
John Donne
Chapter 6
1. 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.
This begins a section presenting principles for Christian living, but not specifically focused on the problems that the Galatians were having with the Judaizers. Once more, Paul appeals to the Galatians as brethren; they were being enticed to walk a road that was outside of the guidance of the Spirit of God, but Paul still holds out hope that he can draw them back from the brink of apostasy – he is appealing to them as brothers in Christ.
Fault is translated from the Greek word paraptoma, which means to fall beside, or a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness.4 It is often translated as trespass or offence, and is used to describe the failure of Adam: “Therefore as by the offence [same Greek word] of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). The essence of this word is that it speaks of an action taken, albeit a sinful one. The Greek word that is primarily translated as sin is hamartia; despite being given the superficial meaning of missing of the mark,5 it actually speaks more comprehensively to our essential state of being (opposed to God) and less consideration for what we have done – i.e., it is more about who we are than what we have done.6 Herein is a problem with much of modern theological thinking: there is a tendency to view all sin as paraptoma (a fault or a failure in what we do) with no regard for hamartia (the bigger picture of who we are). If man limits his understanding of his trespass against God to what he does, it provides him with a great deal of latitude, the opportunity to feel good about himself, and even feel justified in embracing a works-oriented salvation. This is the failure of men like Robert Schuller who defined sin as “an innate inability to adequately value ourselves. Label it a ‘negative self-image,’ but do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. ... the core of sin is a lack of self-esteem.”7 There is an instinctive anathema to recognize that sin has taken up residence in the very core of our being (we are born in sin, Psalm 51:5); our actions are merely a product of this central characteristic of sinfulness. Despite Schuller’s blatant departure from the teaching of the Word of God on this matter, Christianity Today in 1984 declared that he “believes all the ‘fundamental’ doctrines of traditional fundamentalism.”8 Evangelicals have been separated from Biblical Christianity for so long that they are no longer able to discern error; Christianity Today clearly exposed their own compromise of the truth by using the term “fundamental” to describe Schuller. Man never ceases to display a great propensity to discount sin, and so it is not surprising that, even within Christianity, there is a tendency to downplay sin and even to redefine it altogether.
As we bring these two words together (overtaken and fault), we find Paul speaking of someone who inadvertently finds himself in sin – he did not make the choice to sin but sinned anyway. “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:20). This is the reality of someone who is caught by surprise by the sin that they have committed. Notice that it is the one who sinned who is surprised by his own sin; it is not someone who is caught red-handed in the midst of a sin. This is not a lifestyle, nor a pattern of hidden transgressions, but rather a lapse, or stumble, on the pathway of life. Even though we have crucified the flesh (Galatians 5:24), the ever present reminder is that we are not yet perfectly holy in our living. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). This is a fascinating verse. Our old man is crucified with Christ (a fact confirmed by Galatians 5:24), in order for the body of sin (the old man) to be replaced (katargeo; made of no effect, brought to an end, by having been replaced by the new man of Ephesians 4:24).9 Our old man is crucified along with Christ so that we are no longer serving sin but the righteousness of God (Romans 6:18). Paul goes on to say: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12); the command is: don’t let sin rule in your life – don’t give sin the upper hand (what it doesn’t say is that you will no longer sin). In our verse, Paul is describing someone who has sinned but it is not the pattern of his life.
John wrote: “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not” (1 John 3:6a), which, at first glance, would seem to contradict what we have just laid out. However, what is not well expressed in our English translation is the verb tenses. A more literal translation is: everyone who is in Him abiding, is not sinning.10 The reality that John identifies is that if we are abiding in the Lord Jesus, then we will not be in a state of continual sin; he goes on: “whosoever sinneth [continually sinning (present tense)] hath not seen [perfect tense (a past action that requires ongoing evidence)] him, neither known [perfect tense] him” (1 John 3:6b).11 Rather than contradicting Paul’s words to the Romans, John supports the fact that if we are in Christ, then we cannot live a life of perpetual sin; it is because we are in Christ that we will know when we have sinned, and can then confess and be restored. Despite hamartia being a part of who we are, by accounting our body of sin as crucified with Christ, we can overcome a life of paraptoma and live in victory.
Paul calls on those who are spiritual (those who have an active, living relationship with the Lord through the agency of the Spirit of God) to restore, or to render sound or complete, the one who has stumbled in their walk.12 This is someone who has been caught by sin; he did not choose to sin, nor is this his normal practice. Paul’s instruction for those who are abiding in Christ (he used the plural pronoun ye) is to lift the one who has stumbled and bring him back into full fellowship with the Lord and his fellow saints. Inasmuch as this is dealing with a failure in walk, and not a failure in faith, the one who has sinned will be of a repentant mind. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves [fall away from the truth], and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).13 John has encapsulated the formula for restoration: namely, confession (which will flow from a heart of contrition and repentance), and the Lord’s forgiveness and cleansing.
However, the efforts of assisting someone in spiritual restoration are to be carried out with meekness. This is that aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that finds its roots deeply embedded within humility. There is no room for pride or arrogance, for obviously such things are sin; it would be impossible to restore someone spiritually while displaying an attitude that flows out of the works of the flesh. A spiritual restoration can only be accomplished through the active leadership of the Spirit of God.
To this spiritual responsibility, Paul adds a warning. The charge of restoration is given to all who are spiritual; however, the warning we are to take personally. He begins, considering thyself – i.e., to look to, take heed to thyself.14 The Greek word used here (skopeo) is also found in Romans 16:17 – “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark [same Greek word] them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” The warning is that I must take heed lest I may be tried, or tested, by what this fellow believer has faced, or is facing. Clearly, Paul has more in mind than administering an admonition to buck up and carry on; this would involve coming alongside of and working with the individual in a process of restoration, and not simply a curt cliché and a “fare-thee-well.”
By way of illustration, consider Peter: “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. ... Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:57-58, 69-75). Peter was overtaken in a fault. Just a few hours before, Peter had vehemently declared that he was prepared to die with the Lord (Matthew 26:35), and yet when the possibility of those circumstances presented themselves, denial came from his lips. This is a classic example of what Paul wrote to the Romans: “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:19). It was Jesus Who, after His resurrection, came alongside of Peter and reassured him that He understood his weakness (John 21:15-17), and brought him to a place where, on the day of Pentecost, he boldly declared the truth of Who Jesus was (Acts 2:14, 32). It is for this kind of failure that Paul is instructing the spiritual Galatians to minister restoration.
By way of contrast, consider Judas. He chose to betray the Lord into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 26:14-16); he deliberately turned away from the Lord. Judas was not overtaken in a fault; his failure was intentional, an act of his will. He began well, participating in the tours of ministry that Jesus assigned to His disciples (Matthew 10:2-5), yet he was overcome by his lust for money, and for thirty pieces of silver he betrayed the One Whom he had followed for three years. Inasmuch as the silver came from the religious rulers, it is commonly held that it would have been the temple shekel. If you converted the actual silver weight into today’s value, you would get something in the vicinity of $200. However, the buying power was much greater than that, and probably would have been in the $8 - $10,000 range.15 Judas showed his appetite for money earlier on when he grumbled about Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume (John 12:4-6). It seems evident that Judas’ heart had turned away from Jesus well before he conspired with the priests to betray Him into their hands. Although Judas sorely regretted what he had done (Matthew 27:3-5), he had sinned willfully and there was no more sacrifice available for him (Numbers 15:30; Ezekiel 33:18; Hebrews 10:26). He is an illustration of the seed (the Word of God) falling among the weeds; the life that was produced by God’s living Word was choked out (Luke 8:7, 14); he began well, he ministered along with the other disciples, but his love for money turned his heart away from the Lord. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it” (1 John 5:16). We must be discerning and seek the Spirit’s guidance in order to recognize the heart of the sinner; was it a sin of failure, or evidence of a heart that has turned away from the Lord?
2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
The first phrase is a command in the present tense; bear means that we are to take up so as to carry.16 The load that we are called to carry is the burden under which a fellow believer may be struggling. The word burden (baros) speaks of heaviness, weight or trouble.17 This is the heavy weight that another person is attempting to carry, and the command given here is that we are to help him to bear that burden.
This is the reality of life within the Body of Christ. Paul explained to the Corinthians how not everyone in the Body has the same gifting, even as a human body is made up of many parts that have their particular functions, and all work together for the wellbeing and proper functioning of the body. “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular [or, each a part of the whole]” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). As a member of the Body, we are to work together with those who are having a hard time. It is said that if you physically lose one of your senses, the other senses will be sharpened to help compensate for what has been lost. John Donne aptly stated: “No man is an island entire of itself ....”18 This is equally true within the ekklesia – that Body of called-out ones who are individually joined unto Christ, its Head (Ephesians 4:16), each functioning uniquely, yet in concert, to His glory.
Perhaps as Paul observed the struggles that the Galatians were facing in light of the imposing threat by the Judaizers, he noted a specific need for them to be more considerate of what their fellow believers were individually bearing. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Out of a heart of humility (the basis for the spiritual evidence of meekness) there needs to be an awareness of the needs of those around us. Of Jesus, our primary Example, we read: “But Jesus called them [His disciples] unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant [doulos – slave]: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister [to be a servant; verb form of the Greek word translated as deacon], and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).19 Jesus set the example of looking to the needs of others. For the Galatians, it might well have meant that the ones who were more spiritually minded should have sought to draw those who were being swayed by the Judaizers, back into a proper walk in the Spirit (even as Paul and Barnabas had originally exhorted them to continue in the faith – Acts 14:22). Being aware of where others are spiritually cannot be done through introspection, but through the guidance of the Spirit of God.
The Galatians are a clear example of why the Calvinistic doctrine of the preservation of the saints (they call it perseverance) is ill founded (this is the “P” of the TULIP of Calvinism). According to this teaching, because “the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation,” it is impossible for those who are saved ever to be lost.20 By the same premise, it is impossible to know if you are saved or simply deluded. If this were the case, Paul would never have written this letter of correction to the Galatian believers – there would have been no need, for those who were saved could never be lost, and it wouldn’t have mattered if they fell for the Judaizers’ doctrine; even if they did accept the false doctrine, they could not have fallen from the grace (Galatians 5:4). However, Paul, in his opening comments, shreds this concept by recognizing that there were some among the Galatian Christians who were being removed (transported from one place to another) from God Who had called them into faith in Christ (Galatians 1:6); and Paul goes on to state that if they should follow the Judaizers’ error, then they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). It is the reality that you can fall away that makes this exhortation, to bear one another’s burdens, more significant.
This extended care for others is said to fulfil (literally, fill up) the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? Jesus identified the two primary pillars of the Law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). As we have already noted, the second of these (agape thy neighbor) flows out of a proper agape of God. Paul, in Galatians 5:14, identified the second of these commands as that which will fulfill the Law (since it flows out of the first commandment). Through bearing one another’s burdens, there will come a proper fulfilling of this command to agape our neighbor – again, this is based on the premise that our agape of God is already in place.
3. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
For if someone is thinking that he is something, being no one, he is deceiving himself.21 If there is anything that would stand in the way of bearing another’s burdens, it would be a high opinion of ourselves. Jesus said that the pagans love to lord it over one another, but, within His ekklesia, this was not to be – we are to serve one another (Matthew 20:25-28). Paul’s challenge, after listing nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, was to not desire empty praise (Galatians 5:26), and what could be more empty than self-praise? The Greek is a little more clear as to the exact state of this man – the phrase when he is nothing is literally being no one.22 “And you, being dead [lifeless] in your sins [paraptoma] and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses [paraptoma; sins]” (Colossians 2:13).23 Without Christ, we are dead; a corpse does not exhibit an excessively high opinion of itself – it is dead, lifeless. Until we, by faith, receive Christ’s life flowing into us (being grafted into the Spiritual Root [Romans 11]) and are abiding in the Vine (John 15), we have no spiritual life; therefore, it is very inappropriate that we should have a high opinion of ourselves. It is this reality that should make us meek, and it is the Spirit of God Who will work this into the fabric of our lives.
Anyone who exalts himself within the spiritual realm has clearly lost sight of who he is before God. Deception, as it is referred to here, speaks specifically to causing someone to believe what is not true (in the case of self-deception, that is simply convincing yourself of a lie).24 In all likelihood, such a self-deceived person would only be fooling himself – everyone around him would undoubtedly recognize that he is not as great as he thinks. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive [planao] ourselves [fall away from the truth], and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).25 Concerning the latter days, Paul wrote to Timothy: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived [different forms of planao]” (2 Timothy 3:13), where he speaks of those who will be actively leading others astray even as they themselves are being led astray.26 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14); the leaders of the deceived have been deceived themselves, and the ditch is the destiny for both. In our verse, the deception takes place within the mind of the individual who is amazed at his own spiritual acumen. Jesus saw this propensity within the Pharisees: “... now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:41); they were the enlightened ones, those who understood God better than anyone else (at least in their thinking), yet Jesus cut through their blindness to their sin and pointed out their spiritual pride. It was because of their self-righteousness that their sin remained; they felt no need of a spiritual physician, and so the Lord of life passed them by.
The phrase when he is nothing, could be construed in our English to mean that there could be a time when he was something (not nothing). However, as we have seen, the Greek is literally being no one, or being nothing; there is no room here for the potential to think of ourselves as being someone. This is the reason why there is self-deception if you think of yourself as someone of importance – you are nothing. This verse is not to be applied to someone in particular – the words a man would more accurately be whoever, or someone; therefore, it is the whoever who is being nothing. It is really a general statement about the spiritual condition of all men without Christ. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead [destitute of life] in trespasses and sins ...” (Ephesians 2:1).27 There is absolutely no room for high-mindedness.
4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
By contrast, Paul instructs everyone to test, or examine (dokimazo – prove), what they do.28 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [dokimazo] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).29 The charge by John is to test and examine the spirit of a person so as to determine if it is of God. In order to accomplish this purpose, it is necessary to conduct this examination in light of the Word of God with the aid of the Spirit of God – no other standard will do! We cannot simply refer to a constitution, a creed, a systematic theology or a statement of faith; we must always use the Scriptures – anything less will lead to uncertain results. Obviously, if we would desire to live godly lives, then the examination of our own work (how we live) must also be done in the light of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 13:5).
1. 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.
This begins a section presenting principles for Christian living, but not specifically focused on the problems that the Galatians were having with the Judaizers. Once more, Paul appeals to the Galatians as brethren; they were being enticed to walk a road that was outside of the guidance of the Spirit of God, but Paul still holds out hope that he can draw them back from the brink of apostasy – he is appealing to them as brothers in Christ.
Fault is translated from the Greek word paraptoma, which means to fall beside, or a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness.4 It is often translated as trespass or offence, and is used to describe the failure of Adam: “Therefore as by the offence [same Greek word] of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). The essence of this word is that it speaks of an action taken, albeit a sinful one. The Greek word that is primarily translated as sin is hamartia; despite being given the superficial meaning of missing of the mark,5 it actually speaks more comprehensively to our essential state of being (opposed to God) and less consideration for what we have done – i.e., it is more about who we are than what we have done.6 Herein is a problem with much of modern theological thinking: there is a tendency to view all sin as paraptoma (a fault or a failure in what we do) with no regard for hamartia (the bigger picture of who we are). If man limits his understanding of his trespass against God to what he does, it provides him with a great deal of latitude, the opportunity to feel good about himself, and even feel justified in embracing a works-oriented salvation. This is the failure of men like Robert Schuller who defined sin as “an innate inability to adequately value ourselves. Label it a ‘negative self-image,’ but do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. ... the core of sin is a lack of self-esteem.”7 There is an instinctive anathema to recognize that sin has taken up residence in the very core of our being (we are born in sin, Psalm 51:5); our actions are merely a product of this central characteristic of sinfulness. Despite Schuller’s blatant departure from the teaching of the Word of God on this matter, Christianity Today in 1984 declared that he “believes all the ‘fundamental’ doctrines of traditional fundamentalism.”8 Evangelicals have been separated from Biblical Christianity for so long that they are no longer able to discern error; Christianity Today clearly exposed their own compromise of the truth by using the term “fundamental” to describe Schuller. Man never ceases to display a great propensity to discount sin, and so it is not surprising that, even within Christianity, there is a tendency to downplay sin and even to redefine it altogether.
As we bring these two words together (overtaken and fault), we find Paul speaking of someone who inadvertently finds himself in sin – he did not make the choice to sin but sinned anyway. “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:20). This is the reality of someone who is caught by surprise by the sin that they have committed. Notice that it is the one who sinned who is surprised by his own sin; it is not someone who is caught red-handed in the midst of a sin. This is not a lifestyle, nor a pattern of hidden transgressions, but rather a lapse, or stumble, on the pathway of life. Even though we have crucified the flesh (Galatians 5:24), the ever present reminder is that we are not yet perfectly holy in our living. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). This is a fascinating verse. Our old man is crucified with Christ (a fact confirmed by Galatians 5:24), in order for the body of sin (the old man) to be replaced (katargeo; made of no effect, brought to an end, by having been replaced by the new man of Ephesians 4:24).9 Our old man is crucified along with Christ so that we are no longer serving sin but the righteousness of God (Romans 6:18). Paul goes on to say: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12); the command is: don’t let sin rule in your life – don’t give sin the upper hand (what it doesn’t say is that you will no longer sin). In our verse, Paul is describing someone who has sinned but it is not the pattern of his life.
John wrote: “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not” (1 John 3:6a), which, at first glance, would seem to contradict what we have just laid out. However, what is not well expressed in our English translation is the verb tenses. A more literal translation is: everyone who is in Him abiding, is not sinning.10 The reality that John identifies is that if we are abiding in the Lord Jesus, then we will not be in a state of continual sin; he goes on: “whosoever sinneth [continually sinning (present tense)] hath not seen [perfect tense (a past action that requires ongoing evidence)] him, neither known [perfect tense] him” (1 John 3:6b).11 Rather than contradicting Paul’s words to the Romans, John supports the fact that if we are in Christ, then we cannot live a life of perpetual sin; it is because we are in Christ that we will know when we have sinned, and can then confess and be restored. Despite hamartia being a part of who we are, by accounting our body of sin as crucified with Christ, we can overcome a life of paraptoma and live in victory.
Paul calls on those who are spiritual (those who have an active, living relationship with the Lord through the agency of the Spirit of God) to restore, or to render sound or complete, the one who has stumbled in their walk.12 This is someone who has been caught by sin; he did not choose to sin, nor is this his normal practice. Paul’s instruction for those who are abiding in Christ (he used the plural pronoun ye) is to lift the one who has stumbled and bring him back into full fellowship with the Lord and his fellow saints. Inasmuch as this is dealing with a failure in walk, and not a failure in faith, the one who has sinned will be of a repentant mind. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves [fall away from the truth], and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).13 John has encapsulated the formula for restoration: namely, confession (which will flow from a heart of contrition and repentance), and the Lord’s forgiveness and cleansing.
However, the efforts of assisting someone in spiritual restoration are to be carried out with meekness. This is that aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that finds its roots deeply embedded within humility. There is no room for pride or arrogance, for obviously such things are sin; it would be impossible to restore someone spiritually while displaying an attitude that flows out of the works of the flesh. A spiritual restoration can only be accomplished through the active leadership of the Spirit of God.
To this spiritual responsibility, Paul adds a warning. The charge of restoration is given to all who are spiritual; however, the warning we are to take personally. He begins, considering thyself – i.e., to look to, take heed to thyself.14 The Greek word used here (skopeo) is also found in Romans 16:17 – “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark [same Greek word] them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” The warning is that I must take heed lest I may be tried, or tested, by what this fellow believer has faced, or is facing. Clearly, Paul has more in mind than administering an admonition to buck up and carry on; this would involve coming alongside of and working with the individual in a process of restoration, and not simply a curt cliché and a “fare-thee-well.”
By way of illustration, consider Peter: “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. ... Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:57-58, 69-75). Peter was overtaken in a fault. Just a few hours before, Peter had vehemently declared that he was prepared to die with the Lord (Matthew 26:35), and yet when the possibility of those circumstances presented themselves, denial came from his lips. This is a classic example of what Paul wrote to the Romans: “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:19). It was Jesus Who, after His resurrection, came alongside of Peter and reassured him that He understood his weakness (John 21:15-17), and brought him to a place where, on the day of Pentecost, he boldly declared the truth of Who Jesus was (Acts 2:14, 32). It is for this kind of failure that Paul is instructing the spiritual Galatians to minister restoration.
By way of contrast, consider Judas. He chose to betray the Lord into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 26:14-16); he deliberately turned away from the Lord. Judas was not overtaken in a fault; his failure was intentional, an act of his will. He began well, participating in the tours of ministry that Jesus assigned to His disciples (Matthew 10:2-5), yet he was overcome by his lust for money, and for thirty pieces of silver he betrayed the One Whom he had followed for three years. Inasmuch as the silver came from the religious rulers, it is commonly held that it would have been the temple shekel. If you converted the actual silver weight into today’s value, you would get something in the vicinity of $200. However, the buying power was much greater than that, and probably would have been in the $8 - $10,000 range.15 Judas showed his appetite for money earlier on when he grumbled about Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume (John 12:4-6). It seems evident that Judas’ heart had turned away from Jesus well before he conspired with the priests to betray Him into their hands. Although Judas sorely regretted what he had done (Matthew 27:3-5), he had sinned willfully and there was no more sacrifice available for him (Numbers 15:30; Ezekiel 33:18; Hebrews 10:26). He is an illustration of the seed (the Word of God) falling among the weeds; the life that was produced by God’s living Word was choked out (Luke 8:7, 14); he began well, he ministered along with the other disciples, but his love for money turned his heart away from the Lord. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it” (1 John 5:16). We must be discerning and seek the Spirit’s guidance in order to recognize the heart of the sinner; was it a sin of failure, or evidence of a heart that has turned away from the Lord?
2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
The first phrase is a command in the present tense; bear means that we are to take up so as to carry.16 The load that we are called to carry is the burden under which a fellow believer may be struggling. The word burden (baros) speaks of heaviness, weight or trouble.17 This is the heavy weight that another person is attempting to carry, and the command given here is that we are to help him to bear that burden.
This is the reality of life within the Body of Christ. Paul explained to the Corinthians how not everyone in the Body has the same gifting, even as a human body is made up of many parts that have their particular functions, and all work together for the wellbeing and proper functioning of the body. “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular [or, each a part of the whole]” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). As a member of the Body, we are to work together with those who are having a hard time. It is said that if you physically lose one of your senses, the other senses will be sharpened to help compensate for what has been lost. John Donne aptly stated: “No man is an island entire of itself ....”18 This is equally true within the ekklesia – that Body of called-out ones who are individually joined unto Christ, its Head (Ephesians 4:16), each functioning uniquely, yet in concert, to His glory.
Perhaps as Paul observed the struggles that the Galatians were facing in light of the imposing threat by the Judaizers, he noted a specific need for them to be more considerate of what their fellow believers were individually bearing. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Out of a heart of humility (the basis for the spiritual evidence of meekness) there needs to be an awareness of the needs of those around us. Of Jesus, our primary Example, we read: “But Jesus called them [His disciples] unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant [doulos – slave]: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister [to be a servant; verb form of the Greek word translated as deacon], and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).19 Jesus set the example of looking to the needs of others. For the Galatians, it might well have meant that the ones who were more spiritually minded should have sought to draw those who were being swayed by the Judaizers, back into a proper walk in the Spirit (even as Paul and Barnabas had originally exhorted them to continue in the faith – Acts 14:22). Being aware of where others are spiritually cannot be done through introspection, but through the guidance of the Spirit of God.
The Galatians are a clear example of why the Calvinistic doctrine of the preservation of the saints (they call it perseverance) is ill founded (this is the “P” of the TULIP of Calvinism). According to this teaching, because “the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation,” it is impossible for those who are saved ever to be lost.20 By the same premise, it is impossible to know if you are saved or simply deluded. If this were the case, Paul would never have written this letter of correction to the Galatian believers – there would have been no need, for those who were saved could never be lost, and it wouldn’t have mattered if they fell for the Judaizers’ doctrine; even if they did accept the false doctrine, they could not have fallen from the grace (Galatians 5:4). However, Paul, in his opening comments, shreds this concept by recognizing that there were some among the Galatian Christians who were being removed (transported from one place to another) from God Who had called them into faith in Christ (Galatians 1:6); and Paul goes on to state that if they should follow the Judaizers’ error, then they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). It is the reality that you can fall away that makes this exhortation, to bear one another’s burdens, more significant.
This extended care for others is said to fulfil (literally, fill up) the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? Jesus identified the two primary pillars of the Law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). As we have already noted, the second of these (agape thy neighbor) flows out of a proper agape of God. Paul, in Galatians 5:14, identified the second of these commands as that which will fulfill the Law (since it flows out of the first commandment). Through bearing one another’s burdens, there will come a proper fulfilling of this command to agape our neighbor – again, this is based on the premise that our agape of God is already in place.
3. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
For if someone is thinking that he is something, being no one, he is deceiving himself.21 If there is anything that would stand in the way of bearing another’s burdens, it would be a high opinion of ourselves. Jesus said that the pagans love to lord it over one another, but, within His ekklesia, this was not to be – we are to serve one another (Matthew 20:25-28). Paul’s challenge, after listing nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, was to not desire empty praise (Galatians 5:26), and what could be more empty than self-praise? The Greek is a little more clear as to the exact state of this man – the phrase when he is nothing is literally being no one.22 “And you, being dead [lifeless] in your sins [paraptoma] and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses [paraptoma; sins]” (Colossians 2:13).23 Without Christ, we are dead; a corpse does not exhibit an excessively high opinion of itself – it is dead, lifeless. Until we, by faith, receive Christ’s life flowing into us (being grafted into the Spiritual Root [Romans 11]) and are abiding in the Vine (John 15), we have no spiritual life; therefore, it is very inappropriate that we should have a high opinion of ourselves. It is this reality that should make us meek, and it is the Spirit of God Who will work this into the fabric of our lives.
Anyone who exalts himself within the spiritual realm has clearly lost sight of who he is before God. Deception, as it is referred to here, speaks specifically to causing someone to believe what is not true (in the case of self-deception, that is simply convincing yourself of a lie).24 In all likelihood, such a self-deceived person would only be fooling himself – everyone around him would undoubtedly recognize that he is not as great as he thinks. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive [planao] ourselves [fall away from the truth], and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).25 Concerning the latter days, Paul wrote to Timothy: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived [different forms of planao]” (2 Timothy 3:13), where he speaks of those who will be actively leading others astray even as they themselves are being led astray.26 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14); the leaders of the deceived have been deceived themselves, and the ditch is the destiny for both. In our verse, the deception takes place within the mind of the individual who is amazed at his own spiritual acumen. Jesus saw this propensity within the Pharisees: “... now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:41); they were the enlightened ones, those who understood God better than anyone else (at least in their thinking), yet Jesus cut through their blindness to their sin and pointed out their spiritual pride. It was because of their self-righteousness that their sin remained; they felt no need of a spiritual physician, and so the Lord of life passed them by.
The phrase when he is nothing, could be construed in our English to mean that there could be a time when he was something (not nothing). However, as we have seen, the Greek is literally being no one, or being nothing; there is no room here for the potential to think of ourselves as being someone. This is the reason why there is self-deception if you think of yourself as someone of importance – you are nothing. This verse is not to be applied to someone in particular – the words a man would more accurately be whoever, or someone; therefore, it is the whoever who is being nothing. It is really a general statement about the spiritual condition of all men without Christ. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead [destitute of life] in trespasses and sins ...” (Ephesians 2:1).27 There is absolutely no room for high-mindedness.
4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
By contrast, Paul instructs everyone to test, or examine (dokimazo – prove), what they do.28 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [dokimazo] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).29 The charge by John is to test and examine the spirit of a person so as to determine if it is of God. In order to accomplish this purpose, it is necessary to conduct this examination in light of the Word of God with the aid of the Spirit of God – no other standard will do! We cannot simply refer to a constitution, a creed, a systematic theology or a statement of faith; we must always use the Scriptures – anything less will lead to uncertain results. Obviously, if we would desire to live godly lives, then the examination of our own work (how we live) must also be done in the light of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 13:5).
This might seem like a strange command; would it not be more fitting for someone else to evaluate what we are doing in order to determine whether we are in line with the commands of the Lord? The reality is that we will all stand before Christ to give an account of what we have done in this life – “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10). What we cannot determine as we look at the work of another, is their motivation and heart toward God. Jesus said: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). We might well be convinced of the soundness of the work of such people as we view the activities that fill their lives, but the Lord is the discerner of the intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The first part of Romans 14:10 says: “But why dost thou judge [condemn] thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought [despise] thy brother?”30 The context is the sorting out of the activities of a weaker brother and a stronger brother – and both of these questions indicate attitudes that are formed based upon observation only; after all, who can see the heart? The elder (angel) of Sardis had a reputation of being spiritually alive, yet Jesus saw him as being virtually dead (Revelation 3:1-2); clearly, a view from another’s perspective will not always be accurate.
Matthew 7:1 is a favored text within Evangelical communities today: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” With that brief quote, they close the door on judging or calling anything or anyone into question, and do so with an air of being very Biblical. Jesus is saying: “Judge not, that ye may not be judged ...”,31 and He then goes on to explain the necessity of first checking our own lives for problems before we point out the minor flaw in someone else. Before you offer to take the mote [a speck, splinter, or chaff32] out of your brother’s eye, it would be fitting to remove the beam [a large supporting timber used in construction33] out of your own eye (Matthew 7:4). The thrust of Jesus’ teaching is – don’t be hypocritical (Matthew 7:5); clearly there is no problem with trying to help your brother remove the speck from his eye; just don’t try it with a log in your own. Judge, as used here, is from the Greek word krino, which springs from the idea of choosing, and includes the thought of criticism and condemnation.34 We are to be careful in our condemnation of others, lest the same disapproval (or an even greater) should be brought against us for being guilty of doing the very same things. To guard against being a hypocrite, we must follow Paul’s admonition to prove our own work (2 Corinthians 13:5); we must examine what we do and why we do it so that we will not be guilty of carrying a beam in our eye while noting the splinter in the eye of someone else.
However, within our modern social context (and the modern church differs little) we are not to judge at all – by this it is meant that we are to always be tolerant and accepting of everything in another person’s life, and must never question anything that anyone is doing. Jesus rebuked the Jews of His day because they condemned His good deeds, therefore He commanded them: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). There are two commands in this verse – judge not and judge. Appearance comes from the Greek word opsis (op’-sis), and relates specifically to the visual (similar to our word optic).35 Jesus is saying that the Jews were not to make a determination based solely upon what was visible, but they were to judge righteously, without partiality, and in keeping with the commands of God.36 The Jews were critical of Jesus because they observed Him violating their well-honed litany of commands; Jesus instructed them to be critical (to judge) with a Biblical criticism, which, if they practiced such, would expose their own failure to apply the Word of God accurately. We are charged to “try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1), which requires us “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize”37 whether someone is godly or false, whether they are Biblical or heretical, whether they show forth the Spirit of God or another spirit that is not of God. We are required to examine closely, not superficially, and to base our judgment on the results of such an examination (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). We are also commanded to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). Identifying those who teach error (they are standing apart from the truth of God’s Word38) flows from conducting a careful examination of the individuals so that we are able to exercise righteous judgment. Fundamental to this is a continuous studying of the Word of God so that we are capable of recognizing the error and are also prepared to exercise godly discernment. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat [solid food]. For every one that useth milk is unskillful [inexperienced] in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age [mature], even those who by reason of use [habitual use] have their senses exercised [a vigorous exercise] to discern [judge] both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).39
Paul called on the Galatians to prove, test, and examine themselves (not the inward contemplation of modern spirituality, but rather, considering one’s motives and heart under the pure light of God’s Word, and permitting the Spirit of God to illuminate one’s understanding). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The purpose for self-examination is to determine if what we do, how we think, and the discernment that we exercise is Biblically based – is God’s Word really our light? As the Psalmist, we will say: “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart” (Psalm 26:2). Such an assessment in the light of God’s Word is really God examining us, and therein is the key. It is this that separates the wise from the foolish, the child of God from the professing Christian. This process will expose any beams that may be in our eyes, which might not otherwise be readily detected. Once we have landed on the firm foundation of the Word of God in our own lives, we are prepared to exercise righteous judgment in testing what comes our way and shining the spotlight of God’s Word on error, and then avoiding it.
If a man shall so examine his own works, then (we read) “shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” The Greek word (kauchema) translated as rejoicing means glorying or boasting.40 This follows on the heels of “if a man thinketh himself to be something ... he deceiveth himself.” The reality that Paul completely understood, is that through Biblical self-examination (which is really permitting the Lord to scrutinize us in light of His Word) we will very quickly discover that there is nothing within us to provide any basis for boasting. However, if through this process we become confident that the Spirit of God is our Guide, and we place no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), then we can, in all humility, glory that the presence of God abides within us (Galatians 4:4-6). Modern, worldly spirituality invites us to look within, but not for the purpose of Biblical self-examination – they look within for the good that they say dwells in everyone. Obviously, the Word of God is excluded and the Lord will not be involved in this examination of the heart – no testing or proving is permitted within this form of spiritual deception.
The context for Paul’s admonition is the need to come alongside of a brother who has stumbled, someone who has been overtaken in a fault – a situation that could cause a sprout of arrogance to appear within the heart – the Pharisaical holier-than-thou attitude (Luke 18:11). Do not glory as you see a struggling brother – do not even make a comparison (2 Corinthians 10:12). Examine yourself and recognize that there is nothing within us in which to glory; our glory is in the cross of Christ by which we die, and Christ lives in us (Galatians 6:14).
5. For every man shall bear his own burden.
At first glance, we might well consider this to be a direct contradiction of verse two: “bear ye one another’s burdens ....” Once again, our English language fails us. The Greek word that is translated as burdens in verse two is baros, and means a weight or anything that is pressing on us whether physically, or spiritually.41 The Greek word that is used here is phortion, and literally means something carried, with no reference to its weight.42 Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden [phortion] is light” (Matthew 11:30). Evangelicals like that thought and stop there. However, Jesus also said: “... If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up [airo; to take upon one’s self and carry what has been raised up] his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24); we are to lift up the cross that Jesus has for us, and we are to bear it.43 Whether it is a cross of suffering (Romans 8:17) or persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), we must not forget that it is a cross. However, Jesus declared this cross to be light, but it will only be light if we follow His instruction to “Take [airo (same word as in take up his cross)] my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matthew 11:29).44 It is as we are yoked together with the Lord Jesus Christ that the phortion (burden) of our cross will be light.
We are called upon to assist a brother who might be struggling under a baros (verse 2), but Jesus’ call to discipleship is that we, being yoked together with Him, are each to carry our own phortion, our cross. Missing from Evangelical theology today is the acceptance of this truth; as a matter of fact, it is missing entirely from their teaching. Within the Evangelical mind, there is no cross to be borne (that cross of suffering and persecution is inconceivable within the pleasure-seeking mind of today’s professing Christian); the Christian life is to be one of endless bliss and ease. They accept Christ into their lives as the great “problem solver” to make their pathway smooth, and the great “insurance broker” Who negotiates an eternal-life insurance policy for them. Yet Jesus said: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:11), and He also said that if we are not prepared to take up our cross, then we cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:27). In their willingness to compromise and embrace the wisdom of the world, Evangelicals have lost all comprehension of their need to consider the cross that Jesus has called us to bear. For the modern Evangelical, the cross has become little more than a symbol to be worn with pride, or an icon at the front of the church. They view the cross as something for Jesus but not for us; nothing more is required of us than to accept what Jesus did for us on the cross. They call themselves Christians, yet refuse to take up the cross that the Lord has for them; consequently, the Lord says that they are NOT His disciples (Luke 14:27), and that they will be rejected (Matthew 7:23).
To the Galatians Paul declared: “I am crucified with Christ.” The cross was an implement for inflicting a cruel death, not an ornament worn to bring good luck. The work of the cross is one of death; when Paul says that he has been crucified with Christ, he is deeming his sin nature to have died with Christ on the cross. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). The purpose for this is that we might walk in obedience to the commands of God, energized by His Spirit living within us, and thereby living out the righteousness of the Law of God (Romans 8:4). The Law of God is the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God upon stone (Exodus 31:18) – now written by Him upon our hearts and affirmed by His Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33). Nevertheless, the old man will not die easily – and so we see the admonition in Galatians 6:1 to seek humbly to restore the one who has stumbled. We are urged to assist our brothers and sisters in the Lord with their heavy loads (verse 2) in keeping with our agape of our neighbor, yet, at the same time, we are constrained to bear our own cross. Amazingly, as we take up our cross, Christ has extended His gracious offer to join us – we are yoked together with Him, and so the burden (phortion) of our cross of suffering and persecution is light (Matthew 11:30).
6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
A new thought is presented here, one that is not specifically tied to the one just completed. This is somewhat similar in nature to Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Corinthians 9:11).
The words taught and teacheth are different forms of the same Greek word (katecheo) – the former is passive (the subject is receiving the teaching), and the latter is active (doing the teaching).45 Communicate is from the Greek word koinoneo (koy-no-neh'-o) that means to share with others,46 or to contribute.47 Therefore, the thrust of this is that the one who is being taught should share with the one who is teaching. To the Romans Paul declared: “For if the Gentiles have been made partakers [same Greek word, koinoneo] of their spiritual things, their duty [debt] is also to minister unto them in carnal things” (Romans 15:27).48
The teaching that is to be done by those who have been taught is in all good things, which means in everything good.49 The Greek word used for good things (agathos) appears here in the neuter plural form,50 which means that it is referring to external goods (in contrast to spiritual truths).51
Within our English, this might seem to say that the one taught should share his learning with the one who is teaching, and this would be commendable and entirely appropriate. However, this is not what Paul is saying here. Even though Paul taught the principle of the hearers contributing to the teacher, this was not something that he practiced personally. We just looked at a part of his teaching to the Corinthians on this subject; now consider his full instruction to them. “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of [metecho: share in] this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not [absolute negative] used [taken for personal use] this power [authority or right]; but suffer [endure] all things, lest we should hinder [“a cutting (made in a road to impede an enemy in pursuit)”] the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:11-12).52 Paul’s primary concern was that the Good News of Christ should go forth without any impediment, even if it meant that he must set aside something that he taught was his right as an Apostle. We catch a glimpse of the mind of Christ exemplified within Paul’s life in this matter: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men ...” (Philippians 2:5-7). The eternal Logos set aside His right as a member of the Godhead in order to take on the form of man in order to pay the price for sin; so, on an infinitely smaller scale, Paul chose to set aside his right to be supported so that the Gospel might spread unhindered. Paul goes on to explain his motives: “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge [costing nothing], that I abuse [use fully] not my power [of right] in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:18).53
7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The word deceived in verse three meant causing someone to believe what is not true (even your own self). Deceived, as it is translated here, literally means to lead astray, and so to be led away from the truth.54 This is a command: we are not to be deceived; we are not to permit ourselves to be led away from the truth of God’s Word. It does not take a great knowledge of history to realize that there is a very real propensity within mankind to fall away from what God has ordained, and the devil will use every trick that he can imagine to draw the child of God away from the truth. Through our study, we have come to realize that this was the very thing that was happening within the Galatian community, and against which Paul wrote with great vehemence. However, we might be less cognizant of the fact that when Harold Ockenga announced the fresh approach of New Evangelicalism in 1948, he failed to heed Paul’s warning in these three simple words – be not deceived. Ockenga was deceived (led away from the truth), and he, along with his colleagues of like mind, went on to spread that deception to millions around the world, so that today the fruit of this massive departure from the truth of God’s Word is what is considered to be mainstream Evangelicalism. The questionable beginnings of this movement have long been forgotten, and their error is now accepted as truth. Unless we are prepared to study the Word of God, we will not come to know the truth and never realize the error that stands at the very foundation of modern Evangelical thinking. That first generation of New Evangelicals chose to be deceived (for the truth was still largely present, but they chose to follow the tenets proposed by this new movement); however, the next generation was raised with the lie, and never knew the truth – they are pagans who have been duped into believing that they are Christians. The Galatians faced a choice, and Paul taught that the doctrine of the Judaizers was to be likened to paganism (Galatians 4:9); by comparison, the New Evangelical’s gospel is also like unto paganism – there is no life in it. This command is directed to the child of God, and is not only a command to be obeyed, but also a warning of the very real possibility of being deceived and drawn away from the truth of God.
God is not mocked. Does this mean that men do not, or cannot, mock God? Jesus, the eternal God in the form of man, indicated that He would bear the derision of men: “And they shall mock [empaizo – to play or trifle with] him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again” (Mark 10:34).55 “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided [ekmukterizo – a strengthened form (the prefix ek), to sneer or scoff at] him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35).56 It is evident that Jesus bore the mocking of men; how does this fit with Paul’s statement to the Galatians?
The Greek word used here and translated as mocked is mukterizo (mook-tay-rid’-zo), and this is the only time that it is found in the NT. As we noted, a strengthened form of this Greek word is used to describe the derision that was heaped upon Christ by the religious elite of the day while He was on the cross (Luke 23:35). The same word is also used to describe the reaction of the Jewish leaders when Jesus declared that they could not serve both God and mammon; “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided [ekmukterizo, the strengthened form] him” (Luke 16:14).57 The root of this Greek word is nose (mukter), and so it means to “turn up the nose at, sneer at, treat with contempt.”58 The word not, which Paul uses here, is the absolute negative; hence, his declaration is that God is absolutely not mocked or treated with contempt.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him [i.e., in Christ] before the foundation of the world ...” (Ephesians 1:3-4). Before the foundation of creation was put into place, God (eternal Father, Logos and Spirit) had already prepared a plan for the redemption of the yet-to-be-created mankind. The writer to the Hebrews said: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus had that eternal plan in mind as He endured the cross; as the eternal Logos Who became man, He endured the reproach of men and the shame of the cross so that He might forever settle the debt of sin that we bear; consequently, the righteousness of the Law of God may be fulfilled through those who are born again by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:3-4). There is a principle at work here that is much larger than the mockery by mankind. Yes, Jesus, God come in the flesh, endured the mocking ridicule of men, but He did so within the overarching omniscience of being God; this was His plan unfolding. Man, thinking that he was the victor and with the voice of the devil, derided the Lord upon the cross, but it was merely premature gloating. Within three days, Satan knew that he was in trouble; the gloating was past and his persecution of the followers of Jesus began (Acts 8:1). Within this context, consider Paul’s statement again: God is absolutely not mocked. God, Who knows the end from the beginning, Who is the eternal Alpha and Omega, cannot be thwarted by the schemes of men or Satan. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Within the framework of time, man might well mock or scoff at God, but, ultimately, God will not be mocked; man may even deny the existence of God altogether but that does not make it so. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1); however, all who resist the Lord in this life will still be required to give an accounting before Him: “And I saw the dead, small and great, [this includes all of the unrighteous dead from all ages, Revelation 20:5-6] stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). The unrighteous dead will be judged according to their works, and doomed to destruction; “... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16); destined for glory, from among these dead, will come those who were born during the Millennium, who placed their trust in the Lord Jesus and have their names recorded in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15, 21:27).
The latter part of our verse is what some refer to as the Law of the Harvest. The word soweth is in the present tense (subjunctive mood – a possibility), and so it would read: for whatever a man may be sowing [speaking metaphorically], that very thing will he reap.59 The Law of the Harvest says that if you sow wheat, then you will reap wheat; in other words, the present activity of sowing will produce a future harvest in like kind. We might well recognize that this principle does not always hold true for every situation, for when the Lord spoke of judgment against Israel, He said, “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns ...” (Jeremiah 12:13). However, the thought from this verse really carries on into the next thereby providing a context within which this proverb will always hold true.
8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We find a similar statement in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13). The first two phrases of this verse read: if according to the flesh you are living, you are beginning to be dying; both the living and the dying are in the present tense.60 On the other hand, if you, by the Spirit of God, are continually putting those physical works to death (present tense, mortify), then you will have life. The thrust is the same as in our verse.
The best conjunction to begin our verse would be because – it provides a stronger connection to the previous verse (and the two are closely tied). It is within the framework of this verse that the Law of the Harvest, presented in the previous verse, finds its confirmed reality.
Here we have a present condition resulting in a confirmed future reality – a present sowing in order to anticipate a future harvest. Whoever is now sowing to their flesh, in the future will harvest destruction and death. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh (sarx) ... For to be carnally minded [literally: a mind-set of the flesh (carnally is from the same Greek word as flesh)] is death ... Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is [absolutely] not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh [absolutely] cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8).61 There is no wiggle room for doubt as to the harvest that awaits those who live (sow) after the flesh. Paul has already provided an extensive list of those things that are the product of a life lived according to the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). However, what about those who live a clean life (with no evidence of those fleshly deeds), who care for the poor, give liberally of their substance, but do not have faith in the Lord? Jesus said: “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:11-13).62 Jesus readily acknowledged that unregenerate man bears the ability to do good things, and so it is not surprising to see many godless people in the world doing many wonderful things.
However, you might ask, does this not contradict Romans 3:12? “There is [absolutely] none that understandeth [literally: to put together], there is [absolutely] none that seeketh [searcheth] after God. They are all gone out of the way [turned from the right – the Way], they are together become unprofitable [useless]; there is [absolutely] none that doeth good, no, not one [no one is doing right, that is not as much as one]” (Romans 3:11-12).63 This passage speaks of the spiritual man, and it is clear that we are all under sin (Romans 3:9), which simply means that outside of Christ, we are all spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), but that does not discount the natural ability of fallen man to do good things. What we must not miss is that all of these good things do nothing for the spiritual condition of the individual; Isaiah declared: “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) – the good deeds of the ungodly are filthy rags before God.
Here is the failure of the New Evangelical movement: it places a much greater emphasis on social responsibility than on spiritual integrity. It is always easier to do something than it is to be someone. What has happened over the years is that social welfare has overshadowed the heart that is right with God and committed to His Word. Professing Christians have been zealous for social programs and eliminating the physical needs of their culture, but they have lost the foundation from which such is to spring, namely, a heart filled with love (agape), first of all for God and then for their neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). Consequently, we live in a day when many wonderful things are being done (and some even in the name of Jesus), yet they are empty works that will yield nothing more than a “depart from Me” from the Lord (Matthew 7:23). Like Samson, modern-day Evangelicals are busily doing many good deeds, yet they “wist not that the LORD [has] departed” from them (Judges 16:20). Their good deeds have become works of the flesh (the Spirit of God is not present) and from such “wonderful” deeds they will harvest corruption, destruction, ruin, and death (the opposite of eternal life).64
We have little difficulty understanding that those who sow the works of the flesh, as Paul outlined it earlier, will reap a harvest of destruction. However, when there are those who are doing great humanitarian works and even claiming to do them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to have them also reap corruption – we have a greater difficulty wrapping our minds around that. For this reason we are called to “try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1); we are to “judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24), looking to the heart and permitting the Spirit of God to guide us in discerning righteousness (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus said: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (Matthew 7:15-17). It is by the Spirit of God within us that we will be able to test and examine the spirit of another to determine if they are a “good tree” or whether their fruits are the empty works of humanitarianism.
Matthew 7:1 is a favored text within Evangelical communities today: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” With that brief quote, they close the door on judging or calling anything or anyone into question, and do so with an air of being very Biblical. Jesus is saying: “Judge not, that ye may not be judged ...”,31 and He then goes on to explain the necessity of first checking our own lives for problems before we point out the minor flaw in someone else. Before you offer to take the mote [a speck, splinter, or chaff32] out of your brother’s eye, it would be fitting to remove the beam [a large supporting timber used in construction33] out of your own eye (Matthew 7:4). The thrust of Jesus’ teaching is – don’t be hypocritical (Matthew 7:5); clearly there is no problem with trying to help your brother remove the speck from his eye; just don’t try it with a log in your own. Judge, as used here, is from the Greek word krino, which springs from the idea of choosing, and includes the thought of criticism and condemnation.34 We are to be careful in our condemnation of others, lest the same disapproval (or an even greater) should be brought against us for being guilty of doing the very same things. To guard against being a hypocrite, we must follow Paul’s admonition to prove our own work (2 Corinthians 13:5); we must examine what we do and why we do it so that we will not be guilty of carrying a beam in our eye while noting the splinter in the eye of someone else.
However, within our modern social context (and the modern church differs little) we are not to judge at all – by this it is meant that we are to always be tolerant and accepting of everything in another person’s life, and must never question anything that anyone is doing. Jesus rebuked the Jews of His day because they condemned His good deeds, therefore He commanded them: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). There are two commands in this verse – judge not and judge. Appearance comes from the Greek word opsis (op’-sis), and relates specifically to the visual (similar to our word optic).35 Jesus is saying that the Jews were not to make a determination based solely upon what was visible, but they were to judge righteously, without partiality, and in keeping with the commands of God.36 The Jews were critical of Jesus because they observed Him violating their well-honed litany of commands; Jesus instructed them to be critical (to judge) with a Biblical criticism, which, if they practiced such, would expose their own failure to apply the Word of God accurately. We are charged to “try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1), which requires us “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize”37 whether someone is godly or false, whether they are Biblical or heretical, whether they show forth the Spirit of God or another spirit that is not of God. We are required to examine closely, not superficially, and to base our judgment on the results of such an examination (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). We are also commanded to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). Identifying those who teach error (they are standing apart from the truth of God’s Word38) flows from conducting a careful examination of the individuals so that we are able to exercise righteous judgment. Fundamental to this is a continuous studying of the Word of God so that we are capable of recognizing the error and are also prepared to exercise godly discernment. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat [solid food]. For every one that useth milk is unskillful [inexperienced] in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age [mature], even those who by reason of use [habitual use] have their senses exercised [a vigorous exercise] to discern [judge] both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).39
Paul called on the Galatians to prove, test, and examine themselves (not the inward contemplation of modern spirituality, but rather, considering one’s motives and heart under the pure light of God’s Word, and permitting the Spirit of God to illuminate one’s understanding). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The purpose for self-examination is to determine if what we do, how we think, and the discernment that we exercise is Biblically based – is God’s Word really our light? As the Psalmist, we will say: “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart” (Psalm 26:2). Such an assessment in the light of God’s Word is really God examining us, and therein is the key. It is this that separates the wise from the foolish, the child of God from the professing Christian. This process will expose any beams that may be in our eyes, which might not otherwise be readily detected. Once we have landed on the firm foundation of the Word of God in our own lives, we are prepared to exercise righteous judgment in testing what comes our way and shining the spotlight of God’s Word on error, and then avoiding it.
If a man shall so examine his own works, then (we read) “shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” The Greek word (kauchema) translated as rejoicing means glorying or boasting.40 This follows on the heels of “if a man thinketh himself to be something ... he deceiveth himself.” The reality that Paul completely understood, is that through Biblical self-examination (which is really permitting the Lord to scrutinize us in light of His Word) we will very quickly discover that there is nothing within us to provide any basis for boasting. However, if through this process we become confident that the Spirit of God is our Guide, and we place no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), then we can, in all humility, glory that the presence of God abides within us (Galatians 4:4-6). Modern, worldly spirituality invites us to look within, but not for the purpose of Biblical self-examination – they look within for the good that they say dwells in everyone. Obviously, the Word of God is excluded and the Lord will not be involved in this examination of the heart – no testing or proving is permitted within this form of spiritual deception.
The context for Paul’s admonition is the need to come alongside of a brother who has stumbled, someone who has been overtaken in a fault – a situation that could cause a sprout of arrogance to appear within the heart – the Pharisaical holier-than-thou attitude (Luke 18:11). Do not glory as you see a struggling brother – do not even make a comparison (2 Corinthians 10:12). Examine yourself and recognize that there is nothing within us in which to glory; our glory is in the cross of Christ by which we die, and Christ lives in us (Galatians 6:14).
5. For every man shall bear his own burden.
At first glance, we might well consider this to be a direct contradiction of verse two: “bear ye one another’s burdens ....” Once again, our English language fails us. The Greek word that is translated as burdens in verse two is baros, and means a weight or anything that is pressing on us whether physically, or spiritually.41 The Greek word that is used here is phortion, and literally means something carried, with no reference to its weight.42 Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden [phortion] is light” (Matthew 11:30). Evangelicals like that thought and stop there. However, Jesus also said: “... If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up [airo; to take upon one’s self and carry what has been raised up] his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24); we are to lift up the cross that Jesus has for us, and we are to bear it.43 Whether it is a cross of suffering (Romans 8:17) or persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), we must not forget that it is a cross. However, Jesus declared this cross to be light, but it will only be light if we follow His instruction to “Take [airo (same word as in take up his cross)] my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matthew 11:29).44 It is as we are yoked together with the Lord Jesus Christ that the phortion (burden) of our cross will be light.
We are called upon to assist a brother who might be struggling under a baros (verse 2), but Jesus’ call to discipleship is that we, being yoked together with Him, are each to carry our own phortion, our cross. Missing from Evangelical theology today is the acceptance of this truth; as a matter of fact, it is missing entirely from their teaching. Within the Evangelical mind, there is no cross to be borne (that cross of suffering and persecution is inconceivable within the pleasure-seeking mind of today’s professing Christian); the Christian life is to be one of endless bliss and ease. They accept Christ into their lives as the great “problem solver” to make their pathway smooth, and the great “insurance broker” Who negotiates an eternal-life insurance policy for them. Yet Jesus said: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:11), and He also said that if we are not prepared to take up our cross, then we cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:27). In their willingness to compromise and embrace the wisdom of the world, Evangelicals have lost all comprehension of their need to consider the cross that Jesus has called us to bear. For the modern Evangelical, the cross has become little more than a symbol to be worn with pride, or an icon at the front of the church. They view the cross as something for Jesus but not for us; nothing more is required of us than to accept what Jesus did for us on the cross. They call themselves Christians, yet refuse to take up the cross that the Lord has for them; consequently, the Lord says that they are NOT His disciples (Luke 14:27), and that they will be rejected (Matthew 7:23).
To the Galatians Paul declared: “I am crucified with Christ.” The cross was an implement for inflicting a cruel death, not an ornament worn to bring good luck. The work of the cross is one of death; when Paul says that he has been crucified with Christ, he is deeming his sin nature to have died with Christ on the cross. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). The purpose for this is that we might walk in obedience to the commands of God, energized by His Spirit living within us, and thereby living out the righteousness of the Law of God (Romans 8:4). The Law of God is the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God upon stone (Exodus 31:18) – now written by Him upon our hearts and affirmed by His Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33). Nevertheless, the old man will not die easily – and so we see the admonition in Galatians 6:1 to seek humbly to restore the one who has stumbled. We are urged to assist our brothers and sisters in the Lord with their heavy loads (verse 2) in keeping with our agape of our neighbor, yet, at the same time, we are constrained to bear our own cross. Amazingly, as we take up our cross, Christ has extended His gracious offer to join us – we are yoked together with Him, and so the burden (phortion) of our cross of suffering and persecution is light (Matthew 11:30).
6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
A new thought is presented here, one that is not specifically tied to the one just completed. This is somewhat similar in nature to Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Corinthians 9:11).
The words taught and teacheth are different forms of the same Greek word (katecheo) – the former is passive (the subject is receiving the teaching), and the latter is active (doing the teaching).45 Communicate is from the Greek word koinoneo (koy-no-neh'-o) that means to share with others,46 or to contribute.47 Therefore, the thrust of this is that the one who is being taught should share with the one who is teaching. To the Romans Paul declared: “For if the Gentiles have been made partakers [same Greek word, koinoneo] of their spiritual things, their duty [debt] is also to minister unto them in carnal things” (Romans 15:27).48
The teaching that is to be done by those who have been taught is in all good things, which means in everything good.49 The Greek word used for good things (agathos) appears here in the neuter plural form,50 which means that it is referring to external goods (in contrast to spiritual truths).51
Within our English, this might seem to say that the one taught should share his learning with the one who is teaching, and this would be commendable and entirely appropriate. However, this is not what Paul is saying here. Even though Paul taught the principle of the hearers contributing to the teacher, this was not something that he practiced personally. We just looked at a part of his teaching to the Corinthians on this subject; now consider his full instruction to them. “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of [metecho: share in] this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not [absolute negative] used [taken for personal use] this power [authority or right]; but suffer [endure] all things, lest we should hinder [“a cutting (made in a road to impede an enemy in pursuit)”] the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:11-12).52 Paul’s primary concern was that the Good News of Christ should go forth without any impediment, even if it meant that he must set aside something that he taught was his right as an Apostle. We catch a glimpse of the mind of Christ exemplified within Paul’s life in this matter: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men ...” (Philippians 2:5-7). The eternal Logos set aside His right as a member of the Godhead in order to take on the form of man in order to pay the price for sin; so, on an infinitely smaller scale, Paul chose to set aside his right to be supported so that the Gospel might spread unhindered. Paul goes on to explain his motives: “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge [costing nothing], that I abuse [use fully] not my power [of right] in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:18).53
7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The word deceived in verse three meant causing someone to believe what is not true (even your own self). Deceived, as it is translated here, literally means to lead astray, and so to be led away from the truth.54 This is a command: we are not to be deceived; we are not to permit ourselves to be led away from the truth of God’s Word. It does not take a great knowledge of history to realize that there is a very real propensity within mankind to fall away from what God has ordained, and the devil will use every trick that he can imagine to draw the child of God away from the truth. Through our study, we have come to realize that this was the very thing that was happening within the Galatian community, and against which Paul wrote with great vehemence. However, we might be less cognizant of the fact that when Harold Ockenga announced the fresh approach of New Evangelicalism in 1948, he failed to heed Paul’s warning in these three simple words – be not deceived. Ockenga was deceived (led away from the truth), and he, along with his colleagues of like mind, went on to spread that deception to millions around the world, so that today the fruit of this massive departure from the truth of God’s Word is what is considered to be mainstream Evangelicalism. The questionable beginnings of this movement have long been forgotten, and their error is now accepted as truth. Unless we are prepared to study the Word of God, we will not come to know the truth and never realize the error that stands at the very foundation of modern Evangelical thinking. That first generation of New Evangelicals chose to be deceived (for the truth was still largely present, but they chose to follow the tenets proposed by this new movement); however, the next generation was raised with the lie, and never knew the truth – they are pagans who have been duped into believing that they are Christians. The Galatians faced a choice, and Paul taught that the doctrine of the Judaizers was to be likened to paganism (Galatians 4:9); by comparison, the New Evangelical’s gospel is also like unto paganism – there is no life in it. This command is directed to the child of God, and is not only a command to be obeyed, but also a warning of the very real possibility of being deceived and drawn away from the truth of God.
God is not mocked. Does this mean that men do not, or cannot, mock God? Jesus, the eternal God in the form of man, indicated that He would bear the derision of men: “And they shall mock [empaizo – to play or trifle with] him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again” (Mark 10:34).55 “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided [ekmukterizo – a strengthened form (the prefix ek), to sneer or scoff at] him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35).56 It is evident that Jesus bore the mocking of men; how does this fit with Paul’s statement to the Galatians?
The Greek word used here and translated as mocked is mukterizo (mook-tay-rid’-zo), and this is the only time that it is found in the NT. As we noted, a strengthened form of this Greek word is used to describe the derision that was heaped upon Christ by the religious elite of the day while He was on the cross (Luke 23:35). The same word is also used to describe the reaction of the Jewish leaders when Jesus declared that they could not serve both God and mammon; “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided [ekmukterizo, the strengthened form] him” (Luke 16:14).57 The root of this Greek word is nose (mukter), and so it means to “turn up the nose at, sneer at, treat with contempt.”58 The word not, which Paul uses here, is the absolute negative; hence, his declaration is that God is absolutely not mocked or treated with contempt.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him [i.e., in Christ] before the foundation of the world ...” (Ephesians 1:3-4). Before the foundation of creation was put into place, God (eternal Father, Logos and Spirit) had already prepared a plan for the redemption of the yet-to-be-created mankind. The writer to the Hebrews said: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus had that eternal plan in mind as He endured the cross; as the eternal Logos Who became man, He endured the reproach of men and the shame of the cross so that He might forever settle the debt of sin that we bear; consequently, the righteousness of the Law of God may be fulfilled through those who are born again by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:3-4). There is a principle at work here that is much larger than the mockery by mankind. Yes, Jesus, God come in the flesh, endured the mocking ridicule of men, but He did so within the overarching omniscience of being God; this was His plan unfolding. Man, thinking that he was the victor and with the voice of the devil, derided the Lord upon the cross, but it was merely premature gloating. Within three days, Satan knew that he was in trouble; the gloating was past and his persecution of the followers of Jesus began (Acts 8:1). Within this context, consider Paul’s statement again: God is absolutely not mocked. God, Who knows the end from the beginning, Who is the eternal Alpha and Omega, cannot be thwarted by the schemes of men or Satan. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Within the framework of time, man might well mock or scoff at God, but, ultimately, God will not be mocked; man may even deny the existence of God altogether but that does not make it so. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1); however, all who resist the Lord in this life will still be required to give an accounting before Him: “And I saw the dead, small and great, [this includes all of the unrighteous dead from all ages, Revelation 20:5-6] stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). The unrighteous dead will be judged according to their works, and doomed to destruction; “... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16); destined for glory, from among these dead, will come those who were born during the Millennium, who placed their trust in the Lord Jesus and have their names recorded in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15, 21:27).
The latter part of our verse is what some refer to as the Law of the Harvest. The word soweth is in the present tense (subjunctive mood – a possibility), and so it would read: for whatever a man may be sowing [speaking metaphorically], that very thing will he reap.59 The Law of the Harvest says that if you sow wheat, then you will reap wheat; in other words, the present activity of sowing will produce a future harvest in like kind. We might well recognize that this principle does not always hold true for every situation, for when the Lord spoke of judgment against Israel, He said, “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns ...” (Jeremiah 12:13). However, the thought from this verse really carries on into the next thereby providing a context within which this proverb will always hold true.
8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We find a similar statement in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13). The first two phrases of this verse read: if according to the flesh you are living, you are beginning to be dying; both the living and the dying are in the present tense.60 On the other hand, if you, by the Spirit of God, are continually putting those physical works to death (present tense, mortify), then you will have life. The thrust is the same as in our verse.
The best conjunction to begin our verse would be because – it provides a stronger connection to the previous verse (and the two are closely tied). It is within the framework of this verse that the Law of the Harvest, presented in the previous verse, finds its confirmed reality.
Here we have a present condition resulting in a confirmed future reality – a present sowing in order to anticipate a future harvest. Whoever is now sowing to their flesh, in the future will harvest destruction and death. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh (sarx) ... For to be carnally minded [literally: a mind-set of the flesh (carnally is from the same Greek word as flesh)] is death ... Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is [absolutely] not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh [absolutely] cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8).61 There is no wiggle room for doubt as to the harvest that awaits those who live (sow) after the flesh. Paul has already provided an extensive list of those things that are the product of a life lived according to the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). However, what about those who live a clean life (with no evidence of those fleshly deeds), who care for the poor, give liberally of their substance, but do not have faith in the Lord? Jesus said: “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:11-13).62 Jesus readily acknowledged that unregenerate man bears the ability to do good things, and so it is not surprising to see many godless people in the world doing many wonderful things.
However, you might ask, does this not contradict Romans 3:12? “There is [absolutely] none that understandeth [literally: to put together], there is [absolutely] none that seeketh [searcheth] after God. They are all gone out of the way [turned from the right – the Way], they are together become unprofitable [useless]; there is [absolutely] none that doeth good, no, not one [no one is doing right, that is not as much as one]” (Romans 3:11-12).63 This passage speaks of the spiritual man, and it is clear that we are all under sin (Romans 3:9), which simply means that outside of Christ, we are all spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), but that does not discount the natural ability of fallen man to do good things. What we must not miss is that all of these good things do nothing for the spiritual condition of the individual; Isaiah declared: “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) – the good deeds of the ungodly are filthy rags before God.
Here is the failure of the New Evangelical movement: it places a much greater emphasis on social responsibility than on spiritual integrity. It is always easier to do something than it is to be someone. What has happened over the years is that social welfare has overshadowed the heart that is right with God and committed to His Word. Professing Christians have been zealous for social programs and eliminating the physical needs of their culture, but they have lost the foundation from which such is to spring, namely, a heart filled with love (agape), first of all for God and then for their neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). Consequently, we live in a day when many wonderful things are being done (and some even in the name of Jesus), yet they are empty works that will yield nothing more than a “depart from Me” from the Lord (Matthew 7:23). Like Samson, modern-day Evangelicals are busily doing many good deeds, yet they “wist not that the LORD [has] departed” from them (Judges 16:20). Their good deeds have become works of the flesh (the Spirit of God is not present) and from such “wonderful” deeds they will harvest corruption, destruction, ruin, and death (the opposite of eternal life).64
We have little difficulty understanding that those who sow the works of the flesh, as Paul outlined it earlier, will reap a harvest of destruction. However, when there are those who are doing great humanitarian works and even claiming to do them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to have them also reap corruption – we have a greater difficulty wrapping our minds around that. For this reason we are called to “try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1); we are to “judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24), looking to the heart and permitting the Spirit of God to guide us in discerning righteousness (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus said: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (Matthew 7:15-17). It is by the Spirit of God within us that we will be able to test and examine the spirit of another to determine if they are a “good tree” or whether their fruits are the empty works of humanitarianism.
By contrast, the one who is continually sowing (present tense) unto the Spirit of God will from the Spirit reap life without end. The Law of the Harvest – what you sow you will reap – is a reality in the spiritual realm. Therefore, we would do well to examine ourselves (Galatians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:5) so that our work might flow from a heart that is committed to the Word of the Lord and is a residence for the Spirit of God. Let us give careful heed to Jesus’ words: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
May we not be fainting or losing heart in doing well, or what is worthy of praise.65 To the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound [abound] to the glory of God. For which cause we faint [weary – same Greek word (ekkakeo) as in our verse] not [absolute negative]; but though our outward man perish [waste away66], yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:15-16).67 Even though Paul faced every kind of discouragement, he would not become weary because of his spiritual life being continually made new by the Spirit of God. It is not that there is no reason to be tired and discouraged, and Paul acknowledges that his body might well be exhausted, but inwardly he could feel refreshed and invigorated through the working of God’s Spirit – and the focus is the glory of God. Paul wrote virtually the same charge to the Thessalonians as we have in our verse: “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Truly, there are times when we can become tired even though we know that what we are doing is a good thing and for the cause of Christ. Something as simple as standing fast in Christ can be wearing when we face criticism by those who profess to be Christians. Often it is not so much a weariness of our body, but a discouragement of heart that threatens us; yet Paul’s word to the Corinthians is that our spirits can be renewed by the Spirit of God. Israel grew tired of following the dictates of the Law of Moses: “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD” (Malachi 1:13). Being obedient to the Lord’s commands concerning the sacrifices became burdensome for Israel, and they were no longer careful to bring a spotless lamb. The children of Israel had lost sight of the spiritual application and the promise of the perfect Lamb to come; their hearts were turned away from the Lord and they only saw the necessity of performing an outward ritual. How many professing Christians fill the pews of modern churches, yet it is merely an outward expression of compliance with an age-old tradition. Their hearts are not renewed by the Spirit of God, and they have given up trying to understand and obey the commands of God; they have relinquished all spiritual thinking to the “experts.” We are challenged to not become weary (the subjunctive mood indicates that we can become weary), and the writer of Hebrews provides us with a perspective that might be of help: “For consider [ponder] him [i.e., Christ] that endured such contradiction [rebellion] of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3).68
The result of not being overcome by weariness or discouragement and of having the inner man renewed by the Spirit of God, is that, at the proper time, we will harvest, if we are not weakening (present tense faint).69 We can see an application of the spiritual Law of the Harvest – it is very well to sow the seed, but if we are not prepared to endure until the proper time of harvest, we will not reap what has been sown. “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end ...” (Hebrews 3:14). We are called to perseverance; we must endure and not give up (Luke 9:62). Jesus told us very plainly: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake [because of My name]: but he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful through trials] unto the end, the same shall [that is the one who will (emphatic pronoun identifying the enduring one; saved is future tense] be saved” (Mark 13:13).70 Paul’s word to the Galatians was: “Ye did run well” (Galatians 5:7), yet they were beginning to falter in the Christian race because of the heresy of the Judaizers; they were being distracted, with the very real potential of falling out of the race altogether (Galatians 5:4). There will be a spiritual harvest (as we are a participant in Christ) if we remain faithful unto the end (Hebrews 3:14). The reality is the same for us as it was for the Galatians. If the Galatians succumbed to the teachings of the Judaizers, then they are fallen from grace; they would, in essence, have returned to a form of paganism (Galatians 4:9); they might still speak of faith in Christ, but they would have lost it all by adding works to the Gospel of God. “When the righteous turneth from his righteousness [apostatize, not simply a stumble], and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby” (Ezekiel 33:18); “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins ...” (Hebrews 10:26). May the Lord help us to endure in His truth.
10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
The word translated as season in the previous verse, and opportunity , as it is used here, are, in fact, the same word in Greek (kairos), which speaks of a favorable time or a time of opportunity wherein to carry out a prescribed activity.71 In the previous verse, it referred to a time for reaping, which is a very specific time and quite narrow in its application; here it is a much broader application, for it is always a time to do what is good, right and beneficial for others. Therefore, as we have occasion, may we be working that which is helpful unto all, and especially to our kindred in the faith.
The placement of this is opportune – there has been the challenge to assist others with their burdens (Galatians 6:2), and the encouragement not to be disheartened in doing what is right (Galatians 6:9); we are herewith exhorted to use our time by working good unto everyone, but most particularly to our brethren in the faith of Christ. The well doing (kalos poieo) of the previous verse speaks of doing what is right or helpful; here we have the word good (agathos) that describes something that is essentially good, and because of that goodness, it is beneficial to others (a core goodness that overflows in benefit for everyone). Underpinning this is God’s command to love (agape – love as an act of the will) our neighbor as ourselves, which, as you will recall, is founded firmly upon our agape of God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
“Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore” (Psalm 37:27). Here the Psalmist uncovers the calling of God upon His child: turn away from evil and do that which is good. Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Is this a works salvation? By no means! “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4). We are saved by God’s grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, which includes His death on the cross, His burial, and His triumphal resurrection (Ephesians 2:8). To the Philippians Paul said: “... as ye have always obeyed ... work out [to work fully, that is, accomplish;72 by implication to finish73] your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). If we have been born again by the Spirit of God, then we must do that which is right (we must be living in obedience to God’s commands), for the Spirit of God is working in us; “ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you ...” (Romans 8:9). It is not that we are saved by the grace of God and then that’s the end of it – no, we must labor with all perseverance in obedience to what the Word of God declares. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast [immovable], unmoveable [firmly persistent], always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour [intense labor united with trouble and toil] is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).74 The Psalmist understood this: “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. ... The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:27-28, 30-31). The do good of Psalm 37:27 is inextricably linked to the Law of God being in his heart (v.31). This is the reality of Romans 8:4 – the Spirit of God working out the righteousness of the Law of God in our lives.
Paul’s charge to the Galatians is this: let this goodness be evident to everyone whom you touch, but above all to the family of the faith. Our English left out the definite article the; it is the faith, not just any faith. Evangelicals today have become casual with how they define saving faith; Ecumenism demands that faith become both more inclusive and accommodating, and Evangelicals have been more than willing to comply. One of the planks of the New Evangelical declaration made in 1948 was to seek the favor of those of a liberal theological position, to dialogue with these heretics and gain their respect (in other words, become Ecumenical). Such blatant disobedience of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 6:14) has led to a general downgrading of doctrine within the Evangelical movement so as to make room for their newly found friends and associates – the liberals and heretics of yesterday. We must take heed to the faith: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men [be brave], be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).75
11. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Robert Young translated this verse as: “Ye see in how large letters I have written to you with my own hand.”76 It seems that the reference is to the size of the letters used in writing (the Greek word is plural, not singular), rather than to the length of the epistle itself. The word see (oida) is in the imperative mood, and calls upon the readers to note that Paul has included his own writing in this letter – authenticating that he is its author. Paul’s letters were, for the most part, dictated, and physically written down by someone else. For example, Tertius is openly declared as being the scribe for the book of Romans (Romans 16:22). This is also evident in other epistles as Paul indicates that he is personally writing a greeting at the end (1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17), the implication being that someone else wrote his dictation for the rest of the epistle.
Some claim that Paul wrote with large letters because of poor eyesight (using Galatians 4:15 as their basis for this position). This may be true, but it could simply be that Paul wrote with a distinctively large script. The Greek verb (egrafa) translated as have written is not in the past tense,77 rather it bears no reference at all to time, which is generally translated into English as being past tense; perhaps simply write would provide a better sense for us. What is noteworthy is that the rest of this epistle was written with Paul’s own hand, very likely as an additional attempt to impress upon the Galatian believers the gravity of their situation with the Judaizers.
12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Paul provides a summary comment on how he perceives the Judaizers – those who were agitating to have circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses added to faith in Christ (Acts 15:5). They are resolved to make a good impression outwardly (in keeping with their Pharisaical background); it is their determination to remain Jews in good standing. Notice that it is a fleshly impression that they are trying to make, rather than a spiritual one – something that should have been their greater priority.
Paul again points to their rationalized reasoning for insisting upon keeping the Jewish traditions: they do not want to suffer! “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased” (Galatians 5:11). Paul recognized that if he had preached a gospel that included circumcision, then he would have faced no persecution from the Jews, but, by doing so, the pure Gospel would have been destroyed (Galatians 1:7). It seems that the Judaizers had a greater fear of the disdain of their Jewish brethren after the flesh than they did of compromising the Gospel of God. Modern Evangelicals follow the same pattern; they would rather cultivate the favor of their fellowman than the favor of God. Ecumenism is based upon the brotherhood of man and a skewed and superficial view of the Scriptures. There is a common shortsightedness, a greater fear for what is visible than for what is inevitable. Even though Jesus promised hardship in this life (Matthew 10:22), Evangelicals pursue a life free of conflict, and are willing to compromise the teachings of Scripture in order to achieve this blind-form of nirvana (Satan will ensure that there is sweet fellowship among those who practice compromise and accommodation – but the Spirit of God will not be there). The promised cost of being a disciple of Christ (Luke 14:27) is deflected in favor of a feigned spirituality founded upon the shifting sands of theological relativism.
“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). The pure message of the cross (Jesus – crucified, dead and risen again) was not readily accepted, as Paul well knew. The Jews struggled with Jesus being their Messiah since He was crucified by their own religious leaders, and the philosophical Greeks couldn’t comprehend the concept of the resurrection. The full Message of the cross will lead to suffering and persecution (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Timothy 3:12), and it is this that both the Judaizers and modern Evangelicals seek to avoid. The Gospel is an exclusive message (there is absolutely no room for Ecumenism – Jesus said, “I am the way” [John 14:6], but Ecumenism demands flexibility on this central doctrine), and Jesus demands a strong commitment (we must take up our cross, anything less disqualifies us from being His disciple – Luke 14:27). Expediency and fear of reprisal have many today accepting the Evangelical movement as their own, with no recognition of its failure in the light of Scripture; likewise, the Judaizers sought to cultivate favor with their fellow countrymen, but to their own spiritual demise. Unless we are prepared to hold tenaciously to the whole Message of God’s Word, no matter the cost, we will forgo hearing from our Lord: “Well done, good and faithful servant ...” (Matthew 25:23). If we live in the favor of the average Evangelical today, we might do well to carefully examine our spiritual position according to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 13:5). “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).
13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
You will recall that the position of the Judaizers was that both circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses should be imposed on the new converts to Christ. “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). This was their openly stated position. However, Paul notes here that even those who were circumcised according to the Jewish custom did not continue to observe the Law. Keep in mind James’ words: “... whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). By not keeping the Law of Moses perfectly, the Judaizers were, in fact, guilty of violating it. Jesus identified the same problem within the lives of the Jews of His day: “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” (John 7:19). Hypocrisy lies at the heart of the Judaizers’ message; in other words, they are saying: “We want you to keep the Law of Moses, even though we know that we cannot.”
9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
May we not be fainting or losing heart in doing well, or what is worthy of praise.65 To the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound [abound] to the glory of God. For which cause we faint [weary – same Greek word (ekkakeo) as in our verse] not [absolute negative]; but though our outward man perish [waste away66], yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:15-16).67 Even though Paul faced every kind of discouragement, he would not become weary because of his spiritual life being continually made new by the Spirit of God. It is not that there is no reason to be tired and discouraged, and Paul acknowledges that his body might well be exhausted, but inwardly he could feel refreshed and invigorated through the working of God’s Spirit – and the focus is the glory of God. Paul wrote virtually the same charge to the Thessalonians as we have in our verse: “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Truly, there are times when we can become tired even though we know that what we are doing is a good thing and for the cause of Christ. Something as simple as standing fast in Christ can be wearing when we face criticism by those who profess to be Christians. Often it is not so much a weariness of our body, but a discouragement of heart that threatens us; yet Paul’s word to the Corinthians is that our spirits can be renewed by the Spirit of God. Israel grew tired of following the dictates of the Law of Moses: “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD” (Malachi 1:13). Being obedient to the Lord’s commands concerning the sacrifices became burdensome for Israel, and they were no longer careful to bring a spotless lamb. The children of Israel had lost sight of the spiritual application and the promise of the perfect Lamb to come; their hearts were turned away from the Lord and they only saw the necessity of performing an outward ritual. How many professing Christians fill the pews of modern churches, yet it is merely an outward expression of compliance with an age-old tradition. Their hearts are not renewed by the Spirit of God, and they have given up trying to understand and obey the commands of God; they have relinquished all spiritual thinking to the “experts.” We are challenged to not become weary (the subjunctive mood indicates that we can become weary), and the writer of Hebrews provides us with a perspective that might be of help: “For consider [ponder] him [i.e., Christ] that endured such contradiction [rebellion] of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3).68
The result of not being overcome by weariness or discouragement and of having the inner man renewed by the Spirit of God, is that, at the proper time, we will harvest, if we are not weakening (present tense faint).69 We can see an application of the spiritual Law of the Harvest – it is very well to sow the seed, but if we are not prepared to endure until the proper time of harvest, we will not reap what has been sown. “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end ...” (Hebrews 3:14). We are called to perseverance; we must endure and not give up (Luke 9:62). Jesus told us very plainly: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake [because of My name]: but he that shall endure [hupomeno – to remain faithful through trials] unto the end, the same shall [that is the one who will (emphatic pronoun identifying the enduring one; saved is future tense] be saved” (Mark 13:13).70 Paul’s word to the Galatians was: “Ye did run well” (Galatians 5:7), yet they were beginning to falter in the Christian race because of the heresy of the Judaizers; they were being distracted, with the very real potential of falling out of the race altogether (Galatians 5:4). There will be a spiritual harvest (as we are a participant in Christ) if we remain faithful unto the end (Hebrews 3:14). The reality is the same for us as it was for the Galatians. If the Galatians succumbed to the teachings of the Judaizers, then they are fallen from grace; they would, in essence, have returned to a form of paganism (Galatians 4:9); they might still speak of faith in Christ, but they would have lost it all by adding works to the Gospel of God. “When the righteous turneth from his righteousness [apostatize, not simply a stumble], and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby” (Ezekiel 33:18); “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins ...” (Hebrews 10:26). May the Lord help us to endure in His truth.
10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
The word translated as season in the previous verse, and opportunity , as it is used here, are, in fact, the same word in Greek (kairos), which speaks of a favorable time or a time of opportunity wherein to carry out a prescribed activity.71 In the previous verse, it referred to a time for reaping, which is a very specific time and quite narrow in its application; here it is a much broader application, for it is always a time to do what is good, right and beneficial for others. Therefore, as we have occasion, may we be working that which is helpful unto all, and especially to our kindred in the faith.
The placement of this is opportune – there has been the challenge to assist others with their burdens (Galatians 6:2), and the encouragement not to be disheartened in doing what is right (Galatians 6:9); we are herewith exhorted to use our time by working good unto everyone, but most particularly to our brethren in the faith of Christ. The well doing (kalos poieo) of the previous verse speaks of doing what is right or helpful; here we have the word good (agathos) that describes something that is essentially good, and because of that goodness, it is beneficial to others (a core goodness that overflows in benefit for everyone). Underpinning this is God’s command to love (agape – love as an act of the will) our neighbor as ourselves, which, as you will recall, is founded firmly upon our agape of God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
“Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore” (Psalm 37:27). Here the Psalmist uncovers the calling of God upon His child: turn away from evil and do that which is good. Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Is this a works salvation? By no means! “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4). We are saved by God’s grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, which includes His death on the cross, His burial, and His triumphal resurrection (Ephesians 2:8). To the Philippians Paul said: “... as ye have always obeyed ... work out [to work fully, that is, accomplish;72 by implication to finish73] your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). If we have been born again by the Spirit of God, then we must do that which is right (we must be living in obedience to God’s commands), for the Spirit of God is working in us; “ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you ...” (Romans 8:9). It is not that we are saved by the grace of God and then that’s the end of it – no, we must labor with all perseverance in obedience to what the Word of God declares. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast [immovable], unmoveable [firmly persistent], always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour [intense labor united with trouble and toil] is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).74 The Psalmist understood this: “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. ... The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:27-28, 30-31). The do good of Psalm 37:27 is inextricably linked to the Law of God being in his heart (v.31). This is the reality of Romans 8:4 – the Spirit of God working out the righteousness of the Law of God in our lives.
Paul’s charge to the Galatians is this: let this goodness be evident to everyone whom you touch, but above all to the family of the faith. Our English left out the definite article the; it is the faith, not just any faith. Evangelicals today have become casual with how they define saving faith; Ecumenism demands that faith become both more inclusive and accommodating, and Evangelicals have been more than willing to comply. One of the planks of the New Evangelical declaration made in 1948 was to seek the favor of those of a liberal theological position, to dialogue with these heretics and gain their respect (in other words, become Ecumenical). Such blatant disobedience of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 6:14) has led to a general downgrading of doctrine within the Evangelical movement so as to make room for their newly found friends and associates – the liberals and heretics of yesterday. We must take heed to the faith: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men [be brave], be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).75
11. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Robert Young translated this verse as: “Ye see in how large letters I have written to you with my own hand.”76 It seems that the reference is to the size of the letters used in writing (the Greek word is plural, not singular), rather than to the length of the epistle itself. The word see (oida) is in the imperative mood, and calls upon the readers to note that Paul has included his own writing in this letter – authenticating that he is its author. Paul’s letters were, for the most part, dictated, and physically written down by someone else. For example, Tertius is openly declared as being the scribe for the book of Romans (Romans 16:22). This is also evident in other epistles as Paul indicates that he is personally writing a greeting at the end (1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17), the implication being that someone else wrote his dictation for the rest of the epistle.
Some claim that Paul wrote with large letters because of poor eyesight (using Galatians 4:15 as their basis for this position). This may be true, but it could simply be that Paul wrote with a distinctively large script. The Greek verb (egrafa) translated as have written is not in the past tense,77 rather it bears no reference at all to time, which is generally translated into English as being past tense; perhaps simply write would provide a better sense for us. What is noteworthy is that the rest of this epistle was written with Paul’s own hand, very likely as an additional attempt to impress upon the Galatian believers the gravity of their situation with the Judaizers.
12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Paul provides a summary comment on how he perceives the Judaizers – those who were agitating to have circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses added to faith in Christ (Acts 15:5). They are resolved to make a good impression outwardly (in keeping with their Pharisaical background); it is their determination to remain Jews in good standing. Notice that it is a fleshly impression that they are trying to make, rather than a spiritual one – something that should have been their greater priority.
Paul again points to their rationalized reasoning for insisting upon keeping the Jewish traditions: they do not want to suffer! “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased” (Galatians 5:11). Paul recognized that if he had preached a gospel that included circumcision, then he would have faced no persecution from the Jews, but, by doing so, the pure Gospel would have been destroyed (Galatians 1:7). It seems that the Judaizers had a greater fear of the disdain of their Jewish brethren after the flesh than they did of compromising the Gospel of God. Modern Evangelicals follow the same pattern; they would rather cultivate the favor of their fellowman than the favor of God. Ecumenism is based upon the brotherhood of man and a skewed and superficial view of the Scriptures. There is a common shortsightedness, a greater fear for what is visible than for what is inevitable. Even though Jesus promised hardship in this life (Matthew 10:22), Evangelicals pursue a life free of conflict, and are willing to compromise the teachings of Scripture in order to achieve this blind-form of nirvana (Satan will ensure that there is sweet fellowship among those who practice compromise and accommodation – but the Spirit of God will not be there). The promised cost of being a disciple of Christ (Luke 14:27) is deflected in favor of a feigned spirituality founded upon the shifting sands of theological relativism.
“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). The pure message of the cross (Jesus – crucified, dead and risen again) was not readily accepted, as Paul well knew. The Jews struggled with Jesus being their Messiah since He was crucified by their own religious leaders, and the philosophical Greeks couldn’t comprehend the concept of the resurrection. The full Message of the cross will lead to suffering and persecution (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Timothy 3:12), and it is this that both the Judaizers and modern Evangelicals seek to avoid. The Gospel is an exclusive message (there is absolutely no room for Ecumenism – Jesus said, “I am the way” [John 14:6], but Ecumenism demands flexibility on this central doctrine), and Jesus demands a strong commitment (we must take up our cross, anything less disqualifies us from being His disciple – Luke 14:27). Expediency and fear of reprisal have many today accepting the Evangelical movement as their own, with no recognition of its failure in the light of Scripture; likewise, the Judaizers sought to cultivate favor with their fellow countrymen, but to their own spiritual demise. Unless we are prepared to hold tenaciously to the whole Message of God’s Word, no matter the cost, we will forgo hearing from our Lord: “Well done, good and faithful servant ...” (Matthew 25:23). If we live in the favor of the average Evangelical today, we might do well to carefully examine our spiritual position according to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 13:5). “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).
13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
You will recall that the position of the Judaizers was that both circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses should be imposed on the new converts to Christ. “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). This was their openly stated position. However, Paul notes here that even those who were circumcised according to the Jewish custom did not continue to observe the Law. Keep in mind James’ words: “... whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). By not keeping the Law of Moses perfectly, the Judaizers were, in fact, guilty of violating it. Jesus identified the same problem within the lives of the Jews of His day: “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” (John 7:19). Hypocrisy lies at the heart of the Judaizers’ message; in other words, they are saying: “We want you to keep the Law of Moses, even though we know that we cannot.”
Paul goes on to expose their motive. The Judaizers’ desire to bring these new believers into compliance with their Jewish traditions was so that they could be proud in their flesh; it would be a fleshly pride, for they would have brought the Galatians down to a gospel that held no life! The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were no different from those of Paul’s day: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). The Pharisees labored long and hard to win a convert, even though such a conversion would not change the convert’s eternal destiny; there is a zeal for converting others, even within those who do not hold to the truth.
Donald McGavran
There can be no denying the missionary zeal of many within the Evangelical community today. The US Center for World Mission (recently rebranded as Frontier Ventures) is an edifice that attests to this truth; they promote and track missionary activity all over the world, yet they do not hold to the true Message of the cross of Christ – that Message that will draw forth persecution. Rather, they promote group decisions to become “Christian” (but keep in mind that their Christian is not Biblically defined – it has suffered the ravages of Ecumenism and compromise). Donald McGavran declares: “Peoples become Christian as this group-mind is brought into a lifegiving relationship to Jesus as Lord.”78 He goes on to elaborate, “It is important to note that the group decision is not the sum of separate individual decisions. The leader makes sure that his followers will follow.”79 McGavran, as the father of the Church Growth Movement, set in motion a rapid expansion of the Evangelical movement, but not in accordance with God’s Word. They may well accomplish many things, and all in the name of the Lord, but they have departed from the truths of Scripture, and so they present a gospel that has been corrupted and perverted. The Judaizers sought to sway the Galatians into their doctrinal position (which Paul readily identifies as being perverted – Galatians 1:7) so that they might have a reason to rejoice. The devil will always provide a sense of accomplishment to those who convince someone else to follow their error; this is all the more reason that we must “hold fast the profession of our faith [the hope] without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23).80 Evangelicalism boasts of the thousands upon thousands who are becoming Christians today, yet they have lost what it means to be someone who is committed to follow Christ through the guidance of the Spirit of God. In their enthusiasm, they rejoice in the massive revivals that they identify as taking place all around the world that, they declare, can only herald the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In their eagerness to fit in, many Evangelicals have fallen for the heresy that we must build the Kingdom of God on earth so that Christ can return to claim what we have done; Jesus said, “I will build my church (ekklesia)” (Matthew 16:18) – “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it ...” (Psalm 127:1).
14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
We’ve seen the expression, God forbid, used two other times in our study (Galatians 2:17; 3:21), and we have discovered that each literally meant let it not be.81 We have exactly the same Greek words used here, with exactly the same meaning. The Greek word for God does not appear in the phrase; this phrase simply represents an emphatic statement of denial that we might express as “don't even think about it,” or “how ridiculous.”82 Paul has already admonished the Galatians not to seek after empty praise (Galatians 5:26), and if anyone thinks that they are someone of importance, being nothing, they are deceived; now he provides a personal declaration that he will not boast (glory) about anything except the cross of Christ
14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
We’ve seen the expression, God forbid, used two other times in our study (Galatians 2:17; 3:21), and we have discovered that each literally meant let it not be.81 We have exactly the same Greek words used here, with exactly the same meaning. The Greek word for God does not appear in the phrase; this phrase simply represents an emphatic statement of denial that we might express as “don't even think about it,” or “how ridiculous.”82 Paul has already admonished the Galatians not to seek after empty praise (Galatians 5:26), and if anyone thinks that they are someone of importance, being nothing, they are deceived; now he provides a personal declaration that he will not boast (glory) about anything except the cross of Christ
Tertullian
The cross has become a symbol for, or a word representing all that Christ did to procure our redemption. We are not enamored by the wood of the cross – unlike the Catholics who preserve scraps of what they think might have been the cross on which Jesus died. Early on in their history, the Roman Catholic Church fell into many and varied excesses, one of which was a veneration of what they accepted to be the cross of Christ. “The Cross to which Christ had been nailed, and on which He had died, became for Christians, quite naturally and logically, the object of a special respect and worship.”83 Although they claim less veneration for the cross than for God, their frequent use of the sign of the cross shows how dramatically this idolatry has infiltrated their traditions. They quote Tertullian, from the early AD 200s, as saying: “We Christians wear out our foreheads with the sign of the cross”;84 originally, the sign was made with only the right thumb upon the forehead. As with so many things within Catholic traditions, the focus is upon the physical while the spiritual significance of what Christ accomplished upon that wooden cross has been buried under the weight of liturgy. Not unlike the Pharisees, from their very early years Catholic traditions have been fraught with minute rituals, while the much more significant truths of God played a decreasing role in their thinking (Matthew 23:23); the primary difference is that the Roman Catholic rituals generally originate in pagan idolatry.
For Paul, the cross was that which encompassed all that the Lord had done for us. To the Colossians Paul wrote: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself ...” (Colossians 1:20). Clearly, the cross shed no blood, but it became a representative word to express all that Christ did to bring about the reconciliation that was set in place before the earth was formed (Revelation 13:8). Therefore, when Paul says that he will not boast except in the cross of Christ, he is indicating that he will only boast about what Christ accomplished for us through His sacrifice and subsequent resurrection. The necessity of the resurrection is made abundantly clear in 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul declares: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (v.14). We hold no veneration for the wooden instrument upon which Christ died (unlike the Roman Catholics), but there is complete glorification of the Lord Who procured salvation for all men through His death upon a cross and His subsequent resurrection from the dead.
Paul provides personal testimony of the working of the cross (symbolizing all that Christ had done) in his own life. By the cross, the world (all that stands in opposition to a holy God) is crucified unto Paul, and he to the world. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:5-6). Paul earlier declared to the Galatians: “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 5:20), and he reiterates that here, but with the added thought that the world, all that remains under the control of the devil, is reckoned to be dead to him (it is crucified). The essence of this is that Paul will only glory in the cross of Christ by which he is freed to live a life of holiness; “being then made free from sin, ye became the servants [doulos; slaves] of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).85 The Lord made this principle known through Jeremiah as well: “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
What we must not miss from our verse is that is crucified is in the perfect tense, which means that it has been done once in the past, it will not be repeated, and there are continuing consequences from that past action.86 This is a reminder (although we might well miss it in our limited English language) to the Galatians (and to us) that turning our backs on the true Gospel is done at great peril to our souls (Galatians 5:4 – ye are fallen from grace; indicative mood, a statement of fact).87 The work of Christ on the cross can only be appropriated once! “For it is impossible [unable to be done] for those who were once enlightened [imbued with saving knowledge] ... If they shall fall away [having fallen away; commit apostasy88], to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4, 6).89 In like manner, the world can only be crucified to us once, and we to the world (Romans 6:6). Peter understood this principle: “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge [a precise and correct knowledge] of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [i.e., being crucified to the world], they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20); the latter end is worse because there is no longer any hope of redemption – the only means of redemption (Christ) has been spurned. The Galatians faced this reality with the lure of the Judaizers; Paul has likened the teachings of the Judaizers to the paganism that the Galatians had left behind (Galatians 4:9). They had come to faith in Christ, thereby reckoning such error to be crucified (dead to them), but they are now being swayed to accept the doctrine of these Jews, which would be to fall from the faith of Christ (Galatians 5:4). “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).
15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Paul now strikes at the very root of the Judaizers’ heresy, and declares circumcision and uncircumcision to be equally ineffective; after all, salvation does not come through either one. “For he [Jesus Christ] is our peace, who hath made both [the Uncircumcision and the Circumcision – v. 11] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain [the Jew and the Gentile] one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Ephesians 2:14-17). In Christ there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision; through the cross (representing Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection) Christ made provision for one Body: an ekklesia of faithful new creatures redeemed through His sacrifice. Therefore, we are to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Another truth that we must not miss: the Judaizers, because they added circumcision to faith in Christ, were no longer in Christ. Paul declares so plainly that, in Christ, circumcision has no power (availeth), yet the Judaizers were insisting that it did. These Jews professed a gospel that was something other than the truth (Galatians 1:7), and Paul declares very simply that they are not in Christ. If we understand nothing else from this epistle to the Galatians but this principle, our commitment to the pure Gospel of God will then be deepened. As we identify those about us who advocate a gospel that is contrary to the Word of God (an Ecumenical message is standard fare today), or one that embraces more than faith in Christ, we must understand that they are not in Christ Jesus. If we grasp this principle, it should then serve to motivate us to hold fast to the truth of the Scriptures, and to avoid the ear-tickling words of the heretics (2 Timothy 4:3-4). If we are in Christ Jesus, then we are a new creation – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The phrase are become new speaks of the work of Christ (His death, burial and resurrection) finding its expression in us; the Greek ginomai (are become) carries the perfect tense, thereby describing a completed past action with ongoing results.90 We can only become new once; “For if we sin wilfully [knowingly] after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no [absolute] more sacrifice for sins ...” (Hebrews 10:26).91 To the Galatians, Paul made it abundantly clear that if they succumbed to the doctrine of the Judaizers, then they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4) – a simple statement of fact. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16).
16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
You may recall that we have looked at two different Greek words translated into English as walk. The one (peripateo – per-ee-pat-eh’-o) refers to generally making your way through life, whereas the other (stoicheo – stoy-kheh’-o) speaks of a very specific and narrowly defined walking, like unto military formation. Paul uses the latter here. His blessing of peace and mercy rests upon those who will walk in accordance with the principle that he has just declared – namely, in Christ Jesus all are made a new creation. This is not merely someone who lays claim to an eternal inheritance (as today’s Evangelicals believe), but this is a “new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). There is an inner renewal by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God (Romans 8:10-11) that results in a change in behavior (Romans 8:4 – an inner change finding expression in a life of holy living).
Paul extends his blessing of peace and mercy to the Israel of God. This is an interesting phrase, particularly in light of the doctrine of the Judaizers being the focus of this letter to the Galatians. The Judaizers sought to add the Jewish rite of circumcision and adherence to the Law of Moses to faith in Christ (thereby destroying the Gospel – Acts 15:5 cp. Galatians 1:6-7); now Paul extends his blessing upon the Israel of God. He is emphasizing the contrast between the doctrine that the Judaizers were promoting, and the truth of God. The Judaizers undoubtedly considered themselves to be God’s true Israelites, yet Paul exposes them as being pagans (Galatians 4:9).
To the Romans Paul declared: “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6b); in other words, not everyone born of Israel (physically) is of Israel (spiritually); for he goes on to speak of the necessity of being children of the promise (Romans 9:8). Isaiah recognized the reality that not everyone who was born of Israel would be saved: “For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return” (Isaiah 10:22; repeated and elaborated on in Romans 9:27-32a). Hosea declared the words of the Lord: “... I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God” (Hosea 2:23). It is clear that the redemption of God would extend beyond the physical descendants of Israel. In Romans 11, Paul clarifies that, by faith, we are all grafted into the spiritual root of Israel (not the physical root!), which is Christ; this provides a context for the fulfillment of the word of the Lord through Hosea. As he concluded his very clear explanation of our unity in the faith of Christ, Paul wrote that “... blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness [completion92] of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved ...” (Romans 11:25b-26a). These two thoughts are linked, and it is only as we draw them together that they harmonize with the rest of Scripture (and particularly the extensive illustration that Paul has just made). Therefore, we realize that the Israel of God is none other than spiritual Israel, the ekklesia that Jesus said that He would build (Matthew 16:18), and the Body of Christ, of which we who believe are all a part (Ephesians 2:16). This is the spiritual Israel of God’s design, not a pandering after the physical trappings of the Jews, as the Judaizers were doing, but faith in Christ as exemplified in the lives of Enoch, Noah and Abraham (Hebrews 11:5-8).
17. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
The first phrase is literally, in the future let no one be causing troubles to me, or henceforth let no one cause me troubles.93 The verb causing bears the imperative mood, it is a command (and in the Greek trouble is a noun and plural – not a verb). The word trouble primarily denotes a beating, an exhausting and wearisome difficulty.94 The thrust of this is that after expressing himself so completely on the matter of the heresy of the Judaizers, Paul wants to be wearied no further with this matter. He has provided a thorough exposure of the error being propagated; from this point, it is the responsibility of each one to determine for himself if he will heed Paul’s warning and remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ, or if he will choose to fall for the false teaching of these Jews.
Playing off of the word trouble (beating), Paul says that he already bears in his body the marks, or the brands, of the Lord Jesus. Paul undoubtedly felt the urgency of imparting the Message that God had given him, and anyone who propounded a gospel contrary to the true Gospel would have been a heavy burden to him. To the Galatians he said: “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Galatians 4:11); his fear was that he had labored (to the point of exhaustion) unto them in vain.95 The word labour and our word trouble have a common root meaning in the Greek; there can be no doubt as to the intensity of Paul’s ministry.
The word bear is the same Greek word (bastazo) as used in Luke 14:27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple”; it means to take up and carry.96 Paul plainly states that he has endured suffering in the service of the Lord Jesus – a reminder that the cross that we are called to bear is one of suffering (Philippians 3:10) and persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). For this reason, we must count the cost of discipleship before we commit to following the Lord. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back [contemplating what is left behind], is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). After counting the cost of discipleship, we must not shrink from following the Lord, but rather walk according to the leading of the Spirit in accordance with the holy calling that we have from God (2 Timothy 1:9).
18. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The word with speaks of being with someone, to aid or help.97 Paul’s final word to the Galatians is a prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus would help the “spirit of you.” Their attention needed to return to the Lord, Who would help them cling to the right way. The word brethren comes at the end of the sentence in the Greek text. Here is one final appeal to them as fellow believers; yes, they were teetering on the brink of spiritual disaster (Galatians 1:6-7), but Paul yet appeals to them as brothers in the Lord.
The word amen is not a Greek word but is a transliteration of the Hebrew, generally meaning may it be fulfilled.98
For Paul, the cross was that which encompassed all that the Lord had done for us. To the Colossians Paul wrote: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself ...” (Colossians 1:20). Clearly, the cross shed no blood, but it became a representative word to express all that Christ did to bring about the reconciliation that was set in place before the earth was formed (Revelation 13:8). Therefore, when Paul says that he will not boast except in the cross of Christ, he is indicating that he will only boast about what Christ accomplished for us through His sacrifice and subsequent resurrection. The necessity of the resurrection is made abundantly clear in 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul declares: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (v.14). We hold no veneration for the wooden instrument upon which Christ died (unlike the Roman Catholics), but there is complete glorification of the Lord Who procured salvation for all men through His death upon a cross and His subsequent resurrection from the dead.
Paul provides personal testimony of the working of the cross (symbolizing all that Christ had done) in his own life. By the cross, the world (all that stands in opposition to a holy God) is crucified unto Paul, and he to the world. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:5-6). Paul earlier declared to the Galatians: “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 5:20), and he reiterates that here, but with the added thought that the world, all that remains under the control of the devil, is reckoned to be dead to him (it is crucified). The essence of this is that Paul will only glory in the cross of Christ by which he is freed to live a life of holiness; “being then made free from sin, ye became the servants [doulos; slaves] of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).85 The Lord made this principle known through Jeremiah as well: “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
What we must not miss from our verse is that is crucified is in the perfect tense, which means that it has been done once in the past, it will not be repeated, and there are continuing consequences from that past action.86 This is a reminder (although we might well miss it in our limited English language) to the Galatians (and to us) that turning our backs on the true Gospel is done at great peril to our souls (Galatians 5:4 – ye are fallen from grace; indicative mood, a statement of fact).87 The work of Christ on the cross can only be appropriated once! “For it is impossible [unable to be done] for those who were once enlightened [imbued with saving knowledge] ... If they shall fall away [having fallen away; commit apostasy88], to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4, 6).89 In like manner, the world can only be crucified to us once, and we to the world (Romans 6:6). Peter understood this principle: “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge [a precise and correct knowledge] of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [i.e., being crucified to the world], they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20); the latter end is worse because there is no longer any hope of redemption – the only means of redemption (Christ) has been spurned. The Galatians faced this reality with the lure of the Judaizers; Paul has likened the teachings of the Judaizers to the paganism that the Galatians had left behind (Galatians 4:9). They had come to faith in Christ, thereby reckoning such error to be crucified (dead to them), but they are now being swayed to accept the doctrine of these Jews, which would be to fall from the faith of Christ (Galatians 5:4). “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).
15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Paul now strikes at the very root of the Judaizers’ heresy, and declares circumcision and uncircumcision to be equally ineffective; after all, salvation does not come through either one. “For he [Jesus Christ] is our peace, who hath made both [the Uncircumcision and the Circumcision – v. 11] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain [the Jew and the Gentile] one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Ephesians 2:14-17). In Christ there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision; through the cross (representing Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection) Christ made provision for one Body: an ekklesia of faithful new creatures redeemed through His sacrifice. Therefore, we are to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Another truth that we must not miss: the Judaizers, because they added circumcision to faith in Christ, were no longer in Christ. Paul declares so plainly that, in Christ, circumcision has no power (availeth), yet the Judaizers were insisting that it did. These Jews professed a gospel that was something other than the truth (Galatians 1:7), and Paul declares very simply that they are not in Christ. If we understand nothing else from this epistle to the Galatians but this principle, our commitment to the pure Gospel of God will then be deepened. As we identify those about us who advocate a gospel that is contrary to the Word of God (an Ecumenical message is standard fare today), or one that embraces more than faith in Christ, we must understand that they are not in Christ Jesus. If we grasp this principle, it should then serve to motivate us to hold fast to the truth of the Scriptures, and to avoid the ear-tickling words of the heretics (2 Timothy 4:3-4). If we are in Christ Jesus, then we are a new creation – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The phrase are become new speaks of the work of Christ (His death, burial and resurrection) finding its expression in us; the Greek ginomai (are become) carries the perfect tense, thereby describing a completed past action with ongoing results.90 We can only become new once; “For if we sin wilfully [knowingly] after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no [absolute] more sacrifice for sins ...” (Hebrews 10:26).91 To the Galatians, Paul made it abundantly clear that if they succumbed to the doctrine of the Judaizers, then they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4) – a simple statement of fact. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16).
16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
You may recall that we have looked at two different Greek words translated into English as walk. The one (peripateo – per-ee-pat-eh’-o) refers to generally making your way through life, whereas the other (stoicheo – stoy-kheh’-o) speaks of a very specific and narrowly defined walking, like unto military formation. Paul uses the latter here. His blessing of peace and mercy rests upon those who will walk in accordance with the principle that he has just declared – namely, in Christ Jesus all are made a new creation. This is not merely someone who lays claim to an eternal inheritance (as today’s Evangelicals believe), but this is a “new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). There is an inner renewal by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God (Romans 8:10-11) that results in a change in behavior (Romans 8:4 – an inner change finding expression in a life of holy living).
Paul extends his blessing of peace and mercy to the Israel of God. This is an interesting phrase, particularly in light of the doctrine of the Judaizers being the focus of this letter to the Galatians. The Judaizers sought to add the Jewish rite of circumcision and adherence to the Law of Moses to faith in Christ (thereby destroying the Gospel – Acts 15:5 cp. Galatians 1:6-7); now Paul extends his blessing upon the Israel of God. He is emphasizing the contrast between the doctrine that the Judaizers were promoting, and the truth of God. The Judaizers undoubtedly considered themselves to be God’s true Israelites, yet Paul exposes them as being pagans (Galatians 4:9).
To the Romans Paul declared: “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6b); in other words, not everyone born of Israel (physically) is of Israel (spiritually); for he goes on to speak of the necessity of being children of the promise (Romans 9:8). Isaiah recognized the reality that not everyone who was born of Israel would be saved: “For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return” (Isaiah 10:22; repeated and elaborated on in Romans 9:27-32a). Hosea declared the words of the Lord: “... I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God” (Hosea 2:23). It is clear that the redemption of God would extend beyond the physical descendants of Israel. In Romans 11, Paul clarifies that, by faith, we are all grafted into the spiritual root of Israel (not the physical root!), which is Christ; this provides a context for the fulfillment of the word of the Lord through Hosea. As he concluded his very clear explanation of our unity in the faith of Christ, Paul wrote that “... blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness [completion92] of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved ...” (Romans 11:25b-26a). These two thoughts are linked, and it is only as we draw them together that they harmonize with the rest of Scripture (and particularly the extensive illustration that Paul has just made). Therefore, we realize that the Israel of God is none other than spiritual Israel, the ekklesia that Jesus said that He would build (Matthew 16:18), and the Body of Christ, of which we who believe are all a part (Ephesians 2:16). This is the spiritual Israel of God’s design, not a pandering after the physical trappings of the Jews, as the Judaizers were doing, but faith in Christ as exemplified in the lives of Enoch, Noah and Abraham (Hebrews 11:5-8).
17. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
The first phrase is literally, in the future let no one be causing troubles to me, or henceforth let no one cause me troubles.93 The verb causing bears the imperative mood, it is a command (and in the Greek trouble is a noun and plural – not a verb). The word trouble primarily denotes a beating, an exhausting and wearisome difficulty.94 The thrust of this is that after expressing himself so completely on the matter of the heresy of the Judaizers, Paul wants to be wearied no further with this matter. He has provided a thorough exposure of the error being propagated; from this point, it is the responsibility of each one to determine for himself if he will heed Paul’s warning and remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ, or if he will choose to fall for the false teaching of these Jews.
Playing off of the word trouble (beating), Paul says that he already bears in his body the marks, or the brands, of the Lord Jesus. Paul undoubtedly felt the urgency of imparting the Message that God had given him, and anyone who propounded a gospel contrary to the true Gospel would have been a heavy burden to him. To the Galatians he said: “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Galatians 4:11); his fear was that he had labored (to the point of exhaustion) unto them in vain.95 The word labour and our word trouble have a common root meaning in the Greek; there can be no doubt as to the intensity of Paul’s ministry.
The word bear is the same Greek word (bastazo) as used in Luke 14:27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple”; it means to take up and carry.96 Paul plainly states that he has endured suffering in the service of the Lord Jesus – a reminder that the cross that we are called to bear is one of suffering (Philippians 3:10) and persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). For this reason, we must count the cost of discipleship before we commit to following the Lord. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back [contemplating what is left behind], is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). After counting the cost of discipleship, we must not shrink from following the Lord, but rather walk according to the leading of the Spirit in accordance with the holy calling that we have from God (2 Timothy 1:9).
18. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The word with speaks of being with someone, to aid or help.97 Paul’s final word to the Galatians is a prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus would help the “spirit of you.” Their attention needed to return to the Lord, Who would help them cling to the right way. The word brethren comes at the end of the sentence in the Greek text. Here is one final appeal to them as fellow believers; yes, they were teetering on the brink of spiritual disaster (Galatians 1:6-7), but Paul yet appeals to them as brothers in the Lord.
The word amen is not a Greek word but is a transliteration of the Hebrew, generally meaning may it be fulfilled.98
END NOTES:
1 Strong’s Online, https://onlinebible.net/.
2 Strong’s Dictionary, ESword.
3 Friberg Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
4 Strong’s Online.
5 Ibid.
6 Friberg Lexicon.
7 Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 67.
8 https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1984/august-10/theologian-looks-at-schuller.html
9 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT, Bibleworks 8.
11 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm
12 Strong’s Online.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 The $200 is based on silver at $16.70 per ounce (Cdn), and 11.34 grams per shekel; a denarius was generally considered to be a day’s wage, 30 shekels would be about 88 denarii; a current day’s wage would be $100-$150.
16 Strong’s Online.
17 Ibid.
18 http://torch.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html
19 Strong’s Online.
20 T – Total depravity, U – Unconditional election, L – Limited atonement, I – Irresistible grace, P – Perseverance of the saints. http://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm
21 Stephanus 1550 NT.
22 Ibid.
23 Strong’s Online.
24 Friberg Lexicon.
25 Strong’s Online.
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Gingrich Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
31 Young’s Literal Translation.
32 Friberg Lexicon.
33 Vine’s Expository Dictionary “beam” and “mote.”
34 Friberg Lexicon.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Ibid.
37 Ibid.
38 Ibid.
39 Ibid.
40 Ibid.
41 Vine’s “burden.”
42 Ibid.
43 Strong’s Online.
44 Ibid.
45 Ibid.
46 Strong’s Dictionary.
47 Friberg Lexicon.
48 Strong’s Online.
49 Ibid.
50 Stephanus 1550 NT.
51 Strong’s Online.
52 Ibid.
53 Ibid.
54 Friberg Lexicon.
55 Strong’s Online.
56 Vine’s “mock.”
57 Strong’s Online.
58 Frieberg Lexicon.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT.
60 Ibid.
61 Strong’s Online.
62 This seems to point to the time before Pentecost when the Spirit was poured forth on all who believed. In John 4:10, Jesus speaks of giving living water to the Samaritan woman, and in John 14:17 He speaks of the Spirit being presently with the disciples (abiding within the Lord), and of a future time when the Spirit will be in them. All indications are that, today, we are not to ask for the presence of the Spirit; Jesus said that He would ask the Father to send the Spirit (future tense) that He may abide with us forever (John 14:16). In all cases, the Spirit will be sent by the Lord Jesus (or at His request); we do not ask for Him (John 15:26, 16:7). Romans chapter 8 makes it clear that if we are in Christ, we will then walk by the Spirit (v.1), and, furthermore, if we are in Christ, then we are indwelt by the Spirit of God (v. 9).
63 Strong’s Dictionary; Stephanus 1550 NT.
64 Friberg Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
66 Friberg Lexicon.
67 Strong’s Online.
68 Ibid.
69 Ibid.
70 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
71 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
72 Strong’s Online.
73 Strong’s Dictionary.
74 Strong’s Online.
75 Ibid.
76 Young’s.
77 Strong’s Online.
78 Donald McGavran, The Bridges of God, http://www.uscwm.org/uploads/pdf/psp/mcgavran_thebridges.pdf
79 Ibid.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT.
81 Vine’s “forbid.”
82 Friberg Lexicon.
83 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04529a.htm
84 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04517a.htm
85 Strong’s Online.
86 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm
87 Strong’s Online.
88 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
89 Strong’s Online.
90 Ibid.
91 Ibid.
92 Friberg Lexicon.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT.
94 Friberg Lexicon.
95 Strong’s Online.
96 Ibid.
97 Gingrich Lexicon.
98 Strong’s Online.
1 Strong’s Online, https://onlinebible.net/.
2 Strong’s Dictionary, ESword.
3 Friberg Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
4 Strong’s Online.
5 Ibid.
6 Friberg Lexicon.
7 Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 67.
8 https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1984/august-10/theologian-looks-at-schuller.html
9 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT, Bibleworks 8.
11 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm
12 Strong’s Online.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 The $200 is based on silver at $16.70 per ounce (Cdn), and 11.34 grams per shekel; a denarius was generally considered to be a day’s wage, 30 shekels would be about 88 denarii; a current day’s wage would be $100-$150.
16 Strong’s Online.
17 Ibid.
18 http://torch.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html
19 Strong’s Online.
20 T – Total depravity, U – Unconditional election, L – Limited atonement, I – Irresistible grace, P – Perseverance of the saints. http://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm
21 Stephanus 1550 NT.
22 Ibid.
23 Strong’s Online.
24 Friberg Lexicon.
25 Strong’s Online.
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Gingrich Lexicon, Bibleworks 8.
31 Young’s Literal Translation.
32 Friberg Lexicon.
33 Vine’s Expository Dictionary “beam” and “mote.”
34 Friberg Lexicon.
35 Strong’s Online.
36 Ibid.
37 Ibid.
38 Ibid.
39 Ibid.
40 Ibid.
41 Vine’s “burden.”
42 Ibid.
43 Strong’s Online.
44 Ibid.
45 Ibid.
46 Strong’s Dictionary.
47 Friberg Lexicon.
48 Strong’s Online.
49 Ibid.
50 Stephanus 1550 NT.
51 Strong’s Online.
52 Ibid.
53 Ibid.
54 Friberg Lexicon.
55 Strong’s Online.
56 Vine’s “mock.”
57 Strong’s Online.
58 Frieberg Lexicon.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT.
60 Ibid.
61 Strong’s Online.
62 This seems to point to the time before Pentecost when the Spirit was poured forth on all who believed. In John 4:10, Jesus speaks of giving living water to the Samaritan woman, and in John 14:17 He speaks of the Spirit being presently with the disciples (abiding within the Lord), and of a future time when the Spirit will be in them. All indications are that, today, we are not to ask for the presence of the Spirit; Jesus said that He would ask the Father to send the Spirit (future tense) that He may abide with us forever (John 14:16). In all cases, the Spirit will be sent by the Lord Jesus (or at His request); we do not ask for Him (John 15:26, 16:7). Romans chapter 8 makes it clear that if we are in Christ, we will then walk by the Spirit (v.1), and, furthermore, if we are in Christ, then we are indwelt by the Spirit of God (v. 9).
63 Strong’s Dictionary; Stephanus 1550 NT.
64 Friberg Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
66 Friberg Lexicon.
67 Strong’s Online.
68 Ibid.
69 Ibid.
70 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
71 Strong’s Online; Friberg Lexicon.
72 Strong’s Online.
73 Strong’s Dictionary.
74 Strong’s Online.
75 Ibid.
76 Young’s.
77 Strong’s Online.
78 Donald McGavran, The Bridges of God, http://www.uscwm.org/uploads/pdf/psp/mcgavran_thebridges.pdf
79 Ibid.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT.
81 Vine’s “forbid.”
82 Friberg Lexicon.
83 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04529a.htm
84 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04517a.htm
85 Strong’s Online.
86 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm
87 Strong’s Online.
88 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
89 Strong’s Online.
90 Ibid.
91 Ibid.
92 Friberg Lexicon.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT.
94 Friberg Lexicon.
95 Strong’s Online.
96 Ibid.
97 Gingrich Lexicon.
98 Strong’s Online.