The Epistle to the Galatians
Chapter 6

As we enter into our last chapter of the Book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul is winding down his letter by bringing out some important facts that we need to fully understand the apostle's heart before he closes this letter. 

 

When another believers needs help and he or she seems burdened, God may want to use you to help them overcome that burden.  They first, however, need to be in a place of humility of recognizing their trespass or sin, and simply talk to them to encourage them, or better yet, lead them in a prayer of repentance back to God.  In doing so we are fulfilling the law of Christ in that we are lovingly bringing them back into right relationship with the Lord.  

³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load.

Self centeredness is something all people have.  We are the center of our own world, often thinking we are more important than everyone else.   The Lord, however, wants us to get our focus off of ourselves and begin to focus on others.   Jesus commands us to reach out to others in humility to help those in need.  They are all around us. 

• Yes, we can take a personal pride in what we accomplish as unto the Lord, but we can not act in a spirit of pride toward others.  That is a sin! 

This command goes both ways.  Pride operates within everyone, and it is up to each of us personally to get it out of our lives. 

• A person who is in need can also operate in pride, refusing any help when they truly need it.  

For God to operate effectively through His people, we all need to walk in a spirit of humility being willing to help others, and on the other hand, be willing to accept help - again in the spirit of humility.   Phil 2:3-4 tells us that in lowliness of mind, we need to esteem others better than ourselves.  We are all equal in the eyes of God, so furthermore, we all need each other. 

Can we all take a close look at ourselves to examine how we think and act within ourselves and outwardly toward others?  Use that compass of the Holy Spirit as we examine ourselves.  It can be the difference of leading a wonderful fulfilling life or one of misery.

• Then in addition - the reality is that one day we will all stand before God and our thought life and our actions will be examined at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom 14:10).  Yes, we will go to heaven because of our faith in Jesus, but how our rewards are dispersed in our eternity will be determined how God is pleased with how we thought and acted toward one another in this life. 

Share and Do Good With Your Teachers

⁶ Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

Sharing all good things with him who teaches? 

• Who is your teacher?  Is it your pastor, a specific teacher at church or even online?  Support your pastor - your local church.  Nowdays people are going to the internet for just about all of their information, but that is not most of your support should go.  First and foremost, support your local church in whatever it needs.  Your church will then disperse as they are led by the Holy Spirit outwardly to help others.
• Then of course, pray for those who teach you. 
• I know I sure relish your prayers as well as your support.

All of this is still part of bearing or sharing in one another's burdens.

You Reap What You Sow

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 

The sowing and reaping principle works in all aspects of life.  Just like a farmer - whatever he plants and sows into, that he will reap. lf he plants and sows corn, corn will come up.  The more he plants and sows, the more he will reap.  His crops will be abundantly overflowing. 

• God put that principle in the earth to help us prosper, or it could be a principle that could destroy as well.  Remember, God will never be mocked - never laugh at God's instructions.  You determine your future on how you handle this principle. 
• This principle of sowing and reaping works in all situations.  The world may call it karma, but it is God's principle that He put in the earth when He created mankind.

Now, let's go back to this verse - for those who refuse to share in all good things with those who teach them, the principle of sowing and reaping is at work till one day what that person did will come back to bite them.  Whatever we do to others will eventually come back full circle and be done to us. 

• If, on the other hand, we plant good seed in good soil, we will reap a multiple harvest.  So then, plant your seed into where you are being ministered to.  Share in all good things.  Then you will be sowing to the Spirit and you will receive the blessings that come from it, and ultimately reap eternal life.

⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Never grow weary in well doing.  It may take a while, but in due season, you WILL reap.  So do not lose heart.  Remember, when seeds are planted in the soil, all of the work begins under the soil where you cannot see what is going on.  Allow that seed to germinate, sprout, blossom and begin to give forth its tiny fruit.   Do your part to weed and cultivate and then, allow it to come to its full harvest...and that takes time.  Don't pluck your seed early, for then you will lose out on your full harvest.  That's why patience, or long suffering, is part of the fruit of the spirit.

• So then, let's purpose to do good to those of the household of faith - other brothers and sisters in the Lord.  That is where you greatest harvest will come from.

Post-Script

¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 

The Apostle Paul's custom was to dictate to one who actually penned his letter, such as Timothy, Tychicus, Luke and others.  This time, only theory can answer this question. 

• One very viable answer may be tht Paul is making sure that this letter is in his handwriting to prove that he is the one writing this letter.  This mistake happened to Paul with the Church at Thessalonica when false teachers showed a letter to the congregation of false writings, claiming it to come from the apostle, stating that the rapture had already occured and they, the Church at Thessalonica missed it.  When discovered, Paul then had to write a letter - in his own handwriting - stating the rapture had not come yet, and those who gave them the false letter were false teachers.  That is what the whole of 2 Thessalonians is all about.  So, then it may be that Paul was trying to prove his identity by writing in his own handwriting here to the Churches at Galatia to make sure that the Churches in Galatia believed these writings came from him, which he got from the Lord. 
• Another theory is one that the apostle was struggling with his eye sight and needed to write larger letters so he could see what he was writing.

And then there is the possibility that the apostle only wrote in his own handwriting for the post-script, dictating all the rest.  We simply don't know.  

Final Words

¹² As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 

What is the motive then of these legalists of the Judaizers?  Paul is stating here that in their motives, they made themselves look good.  They appeared concerned about the Gentile Galatian believers, but in reality, their motives were selfish, to where they wanted the Gentiles as their trophy.  After all, the Jews were with God all through the Old Covenant, and even in the New Covenant, the Jews were preached Christ first - then it was preached to the Gentiles.  That made the Jews jealous.  So then, to have the Gentiles proselytize to Judaism, this then made them look good in the eyes of man.  They would then receive the glory.  But in God's eyes, God wanted to bring the Jews and Gentiles together, but not under Judaism or circumcision, but through Christ Jesus who nullified the works of the Law.  This way Christ would get the glory.

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I want to capitalize on verse 13 for a bit...meaning those who circumcise, they keep the law....

I watched a documentary the other night about a legalistic movement that was going on in the church in thle 70s and 80s, of which I was not a part of.  I was involved in the charismatic movement that was so prevelant in the church at the time.

But this legalistic movement definitely claimed salvation in Jesus Christ as the entrance into heaven, but then they had rigid ideas that very much resembled the Old Testament teachings of Judaism to go along with salvation in Jesus.  Hundreds of thousands of Christians were following this man in this movement, and is still being practiced today.

• This movement bothered me so much because of the legal requirements that were put upon the people as something they had to do.
• The whole time I watched it, I felt as if the Judaizers were here today, just wearing different clothing.

Fathers had to act one way - as the authoritarian over the whole family.  The mothers had to be submissive in her role and raise as many children as her body could take.  Then the children were taught to be so totally submissive in everything to where they had no choice in anything - to where it became abusive.

• The children were all homeschooled, and had to follow what was called the Books of Wisdom as a way of behavior.
• It felt so cultish.
• And of course, this leader wrote down everything that the people should follow.
• Not necessarily that these things were wrong in itself, but it was the extreme of modern-day legalism.
• How these people needed the Book of Galatians to see what God really has to say about this kind of behavior.

As we are in the final phases of the Book of Galatians, let me conclude by saying that our salvation in Christ Jesus is free.  I can't emphasis that strong enough!  There is nothing that we have to do to earn our salvation, but simply believe in Who Jesus is, and what He has done for us.  That is our key to getting into heaven and spending eternity with Him after we leave this earth.  Nothing more!

• We need to do nothing more than to believe to go to heaven.
• We all, however, will have to be judged by God, as everyone on the earth will have to face God on our behavior.
• But in heaven, there is no punishment - in other words, we will not be punished for anything we have ever done while living upon the earth.  We are simply saved from hell and given heaven because of our faith in Jesus.
  

The danger comes when somebody starts preaching legal laws are required as part of our salvation.  

• That's what I saw last night in that film.
• No, legal laws are not required for salvation in Christ Jesus.
• In other words, God loves you so much and He wants to spend eternity with you.  As long as you sincerely believe in Jesus in your heart, you can be as carnal as you like and still go to heaven.  I certainly don't advise it.
• God will actually take you into heaven when you are carnal - worldly, because of you belief in Jesus.  
• That's how much God loves you.

But.....we need to turn things around to look at how God wants to bless us with ALL spiritual blessings from heaven AFTER we have come to believe in Him.  He wants us to live a fulfilled life here on earth.  That's where works come into play.  You see, blessings come out of what we then can give back to Christ for all He has done for us. 

• Jesus so wants us to follow after Him - follow Him in His ways.  Not so that we will be slaves for Him in these legal works of the law, but to live a righteous life by serving him, knowing that His love for us is so deep to where He will take care of us no matter what.
• And what we do for Christ will be rewarded.

Remember Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are you saved through faith, and it is not of yourselves, that way no one can boast.  10  For you are His workmanship in Christ Jesus, and that you should walk in them.

Then when we get to heaven and stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the books are open, we will have already been approved of heaven as our eternal home because of our love and acceptance for Christ, but now we will stand before Him in heaven to receive our rewards for being a workman for Him in what we have done for Him.

• We've been set free from the law, and our hearts now live in freedom to be able to serve Jesus by loving Him and loving others.  As such, we become His workmanship to accomplish all of the wonderful things He has planned for us.  And then on top of that, we will be rewarded because of that faithfulness back to Him.

But even if we did nothing for Christ, heaven is still our home.  Life may be complicated and not too pleasant here on earth, and then, while we will go to heaven, we will lack any rewards, which, seriously, are blessings for us here on earth as well as when we will rule and reign with Jesus for 1000 years in our afterlife.

• I personally don't want to go to heaven without any rewards coming.  I've got 1000 years ahead of me to use my gifts - all from my training period while living here on earth - as to how faithful I have been to the Lord, and the rewards I will receive because of it.
• I know that I am so excited, and I hope you are too.

¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

The Apostle Paul did not want to boast in himself.  His whole message was about glorifying Jesus Christ.  To the apostle, he was a new creation to where the world was now dead to him. 

• While the apostle makes it clear that whether a person becomes circumcized or not was not the issue.  If one depended on the circumcision, that meant you were agreeing to adhere to the Law of Moses - taking on the yoke of bondage. 
• Then, take that bondage along with believing in Christ - that was not what freedom in Christ Jesus was. 
• Christ fulfilled the Law, and circumcision was no longer of any use to man and his salvation. 

The Rule

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this "rule," peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Let's stop here and capitalize on the word "rule."  This word word "rule" originally came from the ancient word "kanon" meaning the canon of the Scriptures. 

A bit of history here:

Around 586 B.C. the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem, robbed the temple of anything of worth, including all of the writings of the prophets before this time.  The Jews were either killed or taken into captivity to Babylon.

Following the exiles of the Jews from Babylon some 70 plus years later, various scribes, sages, and Haggi, Zechariah and Malachi the prophets of God met together starting around 516 B.C. to re-gather and compile all the writings of the prophets that were stolen during the Babylonian invasion.  That included all writings back to Moses.  They then added the writings of the post-exile prophets to this collection as well.  This went on for over 150 years.  We know them as the minor prophets in our Bibles.  These scribes and prophets called themselves the "Great Synagogue" and they formed what became known as the "canon" of scripture.  We know them as the Old Testament books of the Bible of which can be seen in the Protestant Bibles. 

Heb 11:1  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets.

Just as a footnote:  Following the closing of the Prophet Malachi, all prophecy from God came to an end until the time of Christ.  That was a period of about 400 years.  These 400 years became known as the silent years because not a prophet of God spoke.  We see them as the years inbetween the writings of the prophet Malachi and the Book of Matthew. 

When the Greeks overtook the world during these silent years, a Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures then was done; however, many additional books of history were included with these writings of the Old Testament Canon.  None, however, of these books were written by any prophet of God because no prophet came forth from God.  While there are some good writings on the history of what happened during those 400 silent years, none of those writings came out of the mouth or pen of God's prophet.  Nor do any of these book claim to be divine at all.

This new Greek translation, which included all of these extra writings became known as the Septuagint Scriptures or the Greek Translation of the Scriptures (LXX). 

• The Catholic Bible includes these added books to their Old Testament Bible, whereas the Protestant Bible only recognized the writings of the prophets of God.

Then, regarding the New Testament writings - We must be very clear in recognizing that the words contained in our New Testament books of our Bible comes directly from Jesus who gave it to His disciples while He walked the earth.  The Apostle Paul also received words directly from Jesus when he went away for three years to spend time with the Holy Spirit.  This then constitutes the "canon" of the New Testament.  

• These New Testament writings are our "rule" to live by - our standard of how to live, and as such, we are to measure ourselves according to this rule. 
• The Word of God as our rule to live by and the Holy Spirit within us as our compass to show us when we get off track.  That's God's protection upon us.

So let me read to you the criteria as to what really is "canon" in the eyes of God.

Heb 11:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things...

• Old Testament - God spoke to us through the prophets.
• New Testament - God spoke to us through His Son Who then gave His Words to His disciples - those who heard directly from Him. 

The Apostle now winds down his letter here in verse 16 by saying that those who walk according to this "rule" or canon of Scripture - meaning those that followed the teachings of the prophets of God and the Words of Jesus, he then extends God peace and mercy to be upon them and upon Israel. 

¹⁷ From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

It appears that Paul has had enough of these Judaizers - for he is saying "from now on, let no one trouble me anymore.  He has had to enduring beatings, even the stoning where he was taken for dead to prove their hatred toward him and he wanted these false doctrines ended.  He most certainly had suffered for the cause of Christ because the marks on his body proved it.  He wanted an end to the likes of the Judaizers for all Galatian believers.

Closing Salutation

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen

As the apostle ended this and all of future letters, he only wanted the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be upon these Galatian believers throughout Galatia.  

And so, the Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Churches at Galatia.

God bless!

Pastor Joyce Erickson