Bible Commentaries

Some Christian responsibilities (6:1-10)

When they live by the Spirit's power, believers will want to be of spiritual help to others. They will not be harshly critical when they see other believers caught in wrongdoing, but will feel the sorrow of others as if it were their own. They will remember how easily anyone can be overcome by temptation (6:1-2). People are foolish when they compare themselves with others in order to feel satisfied about their own spirituality. Each person is answerable to God for his or her own behaviour, regardless of what other people may have done (3-5).

Christians must help support financially those who teach them (6). They should not deceive themselves in this matter. Christians, like farmers, reap what they sow. If they live to please themselves according to their natural desires, in the end they will reap the fruit of all natural desires, which is disappointment and death. On the other hand, if they put God's affairs before their own, their lives will produce qualities of eternal value (7-8). This is the season for sowing, not reaping. By untiringly helping others, whether financially or otherwise, believers guarantee for themselves future reward of lasting worth (9-10).

Summary and farewell (6:11-18)

Up till now Paul's secretary has been writing down his words as he speaks. Now Paul takes the pen and with large bold letters writes a conclusion to the letter (11). One reason why the Judaisers insist on circumcision is to escape the persecution they will receive if they preach Christ's death as the way of salvation. Although they preach the necessity of circumcision, they are not interested in keeping the law. They want only to boast of success in getting many converts (12-13).

Paul does not boast about what he has done, nor about the virtues of carrying out or not carrying out a particular religious ceremony. He boasts only about what Christ has done for him on the cross. Christ has given him a new life, so that sinful things may no longer attract him and his sinful nature may no longer desire them (14-15). Those who live according to this principle are the true people of God, the true descendants of Abraham (16).

Slaves had scars made in their bodies to show which master they belonged to. The important mark in Paul's body is not circumcision, which marks a person as a slave of the law, but scars he received in his service as a willing slave for Jesus Christ (17). (Paul may be referring to scars he received when he was stoned by opponents in Galatia; see Acts 14:19.) He closes his letter by encouraging the Galatians once more to stand firm in the grace of God (18).