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Gal.6:1. Brethren! If a person falls into any sin, you who are spiritual, correct him in the spirit of meekness, Since many among them, thinking to restrain those who sinned, acted under the influence of their own passions, being driven by covetousness, he says: “even if he falls,” that is, he is carried away by the power of the demon, “you who are spiritual, correct,” that is, do not punish, but instruct in the spirit of meekness. He did not say - meekness, but: in the Spirit of meekness, showing that this is pleasing to the Spirit, and the condescending correction of sinners is a gift of spiritual grace. each one watching himself, lest he be tempted. So that the one who corrects another does not become proud, he warns him: watch, he says, and take care of yourself so that you do not fall into the same thing, being tempted by the enemy. And he said expressively: “watching himself,” reminding him of human weakness. Gal.6:2. Bear each other's burdens Since, being a person, it is impossible to be sinless, he urges not to be strict about the sins of one’s neighbor, but to endure them, so that later another person can bear his sins. and thus fulfill :( αναπληρώσατε ) the law of Christ. He did not say: πληρώσατε, but: αναπληρώσατε, that is, do everything together, mutually helping each other, for example, let the agile one help the slow one, and let the slow one restrain his ardent aspirations, and thus the first will not sin with the assistance of the latter, and the last with the assistance of the first. In this way, by shaking hands with each other, you, with mutual help, fulfill the law of Christ, each with his assistance to his neighbor, replenishing what he lacks. And the duty of love requires bearing each other’s burdens, because in love lies the fulfillment of Christ’s commandments. Gal.6:3. For whoever thinks himself to be something when he is nothing deceives himself. Again he overthrows pride here, showing that he who considers himself to be insignificant in some way and with this very opinion proves his insignificance, and deceives not someone else, but himself. Gal.6:4. Let each one test his own work, and then he will have praise only in himself, and not in another, Let him examine, he says, carefully his actions (this is what the word means - “let him test”), whether he did anything out of vanity, or hypocrisy, or for some other human reason, and then let him not boast before others. And if he does not restrain himself, let him boast to himself, that is, putting himself on trial, let him consider today’s deed better than yesterday’s and call himself a good deed. But the apostle says this out of condescension, and not in the sense of legalization, in order to little by little destroy vanity of this kind. For having become accustomed to not boasting, like the Pharisee, before his neighbors, he will soon cease boasting before himself. Gal.6:5. for each one will bear his own burden. Why do you boast to your neighbor? Both you and he will each bear his own burden, and then everyone’s work will be valued. Therefore, when you have burdens and labors, do not boast of a good deed, either to others or to yourself. Gal.6:6. Instructed by the word, share every good thing with the one who instructs. Finally, he speaks about teachers, so that those taught by them help the mentors not in one thing, but in all good things, giving them food, clothing, showing respect, favor and everything good in general. For you receive more than what you give: instead of material benefits, you receive spiritual ones. That’s why he calls this matter communication, because there is an exchange. But why did Christ determine that teachers should receive food from their students? For the following two reasons: so that, on the one hand, teachers do not exalt themselves too much, but, in need of students, are modest, and so that they devote time only to the word, without worrying about food, and on the other hand, so that the students, in kindness to their teachers, learn to be the same in relation to others, and at the same time they are not ashamed themselves, being in poverty and need, since their teachers are like that. Gal.6:7. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: Gal.6:8. He who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Since some often accused teachers of living a bad life, despised them and did not support them in poverty, then, although he later says: “let us not lose heart in doing good,” he even now shows that one should be generous towards such teachers, since this expenditure is for a spiritual cause. So, comparing the costs of carnal affairs with the expenditure of spiritual things, he says; if you spend money on the flesh, preparing dinners and various seasonings, sowing drunkenness, luxury and gluttony, then you will reap corruption. For this itself perishes, and the body destroys with it. And if you sow spiritually, that is, spiritual deeds, showing compassion for everyone and maintaining self-control, then you will reap eternal life. For God is mocked and deceived, but He will then reward each one with his own. So, it is better to spend on spiritual matters, which include expenses for teachers, than on carnal pleasures, which are perishable and corrupt the body. Because illnesses come from pleasures and excesses. Gal.6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Now he expresses more clearly that even if those who ask us are bad, we should not weaken in our good deeds to them. But an indication that we should not weaken is advised by generosity and constant giving. Then, having demanded a lot, he immediately indicates the reward, namely: “we will reap.” How? Without weakening, that is, without any effort, but complete calm. For here exhaustion and labor are combined with the harvest, but not so there. Gal.6:10. So, as long as we have time, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our faith. Just as it is not always convenient to sow, it is also true to show deeds of mercy, as both the virgins and Lazarus demonstrate. Therefore, while we have time in this life, we will show goodness, that is, beneficence and mercy, not only to teachers, but also to Greeks and Jews. Of course, it is not necessary to provide benefits to these latter and fellow believers in equal measure, but greater generosity must be provided to believers. For this is indicated by the word “most especially.” But notice, in this case, how much he removes them from Jewish narrowness: for the law opened the heart in relation to fellow tribesmen, but grace calls the earth and the sea to the table of mercy, although not to the same extent, as it is said. Gal.6:11. You see how much I wrote to you with my own hand. After talking a little in a moral spirit, he again returns to the former, what troubled his heart, and shows that he himself, with his own hand, wrote this entire message, not only to show love for them, but to destroy evil suspicion. Since they slandered that he preached one thing to some and another to others, he was forced to give written evidence of his preaching. And other messages were written by others, but he himself signed only the greeting. The expression “how much” (πηλίκοις) indicates not the vastness, but the ugliness of the letter, as if to say: although I cannot write beautifully, I was forced to write this message with my own hand. Gal.6:12. Those who want to boast in the flesh force you to be circumcised “Those who wish,” he says, “to boast in the flesh,” that is, among people, namely among the Jews (for they condemned them as apostates from their fatherly customs), “force you to be circumcised,” justifying themselves before the Jews through your flesh. And with the word “force” he showed that they are reluctant to endure it, and at the same time gives them an incentive to return, as if they were unwittingly erring. only in order not to be persecuted for the cross of Christ, And for another reason, he says, they do this. For, in order not to be persecuted and persecuted because of the cross and faith - because they transgress it and are circumcised - they desire that others also be participants in circumcision. Gal.6:13. For even those who are circumcised do not keep the law, but they want you to be circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh. They do this not only out of people-pleasing, he says, but also out of ambition. For, he says, they do this not out of zeal for the law and not for the sake of piety, but because of ambition: “in order to boast in your flesh,” that is, to boast about the circumcision of your flesh, since they are supposedly your teachers and have you as disciples. Gal.6:14. But I do not want to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, Those, he says, let them boast of circumcision, a deed that has been abolished, but for me, let there be no other praise, “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (that is, faith in the Crucified One), who (the cross) abolished the law. He turned away from this as obscene, even calling on God’s help for this. What is the praise of the cross? The fact is that for me, unworthy, the Lord was crucified, who loved me so much that he even betrayed Himself. So, for Paul and for every believer, the cross is an object of praise, because it demonstrates the Lord's love for us. And what slave does not boast of the love of his master? by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. The world calls everyday affairs: fame, wealth, pleasure. So they are dead to me and I am dead to them: a double mortification. And they cannot take possession of me, because they are dead, and I myself have recourse to them, because I am dead. Gal.6:15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but there is a new creation. Gal.6:16. To those who act according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and on the Israel of God. Do not point out, he says, to me circumcision, which has no power and is useless, like uncircumcision: for Christ has renewed everything and requires new life from us. Life according to Christ is a “new creation” because your souls, worn out by sin, have now been renewed through baptism, and because in the next century, having been renewed in body and becoming incorruptible, we will be rewarded with incorruptibility and glory. So, whoever continues in this rule of the new life in the image of Christ, avoiding the obsolete and lost circumcision, will achieve peace with God, freed from sins that make God our enemy, and will be rewarded with love for mankind, no longer subject to hatred, like the enemy of God, but rewarded with mercy, since peace has come to him through the cross and grace. And such constitute Israel in the proper sense, as those who see God, and those who are not such, even if they were Israelites by race, are falsely called so. And Paul borrowed this from David, who says: peace on Israel (Ps. 115:5). Gal.6:17. However, no one burdens me, He doesn’t say this as if he’s tired and hopeless. And how is this possible for one who exhorts: “Be present in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2); and out of a desire that the decrees given by him should be unshakable, and that the Galatians would not expect anything else from him, but would be convinced that this is what he preaches. for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body. In justification, he says, against those who tell you that I am a hypocrite and preach circumcision in other places, I have plagues and troubles for the sake of Christ. For they testify more powerfully than any speech that I was exposed to danger not for the law, but for the teaching of Christ. And he didn’t say: I have, but “I wear,” like some kind of trophy or royal insignia, and I’m proud of them. Gal.6:18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. This wish shows them that he did not express all this out of anger and hatred. And this is not only a wish, but also an instruction that captures everything that was said. For it reminds us of the grace that they received not through the law, but through faith in Christ. And he did not say: with you, but “with your spirit,” removing them from the body and showing that they received the Spirit not from the law, but from grace, and that not the law or circumcision, but grace can preserve the Spirit in them, just as it imparted Him. And by calling them brothers, he reminded them of the font from which we become brothers, children of the One Father God, and not from the law. May the grace of God be with us, so that we may live according to the spirit and not lose the divine sanctification of the Comforter through sinful impurity, but always increase it within ourselves in Christ Jesus our Lord, who revealed new and spiritual life, having destroyed the old and carnal life. To him be glory forever. Amen. You might be interested in: