New Testament 6
Lecture 29
Galatians 6: 1-10
What happens when a brother sins?
•	What should the ______________ do? 
•	What should the individual ______________ do? 
•	These verses will lay down some guidelines for us.  
6:1 – The Brother who is Caught in a trespass
•	What do we do with him? How do we respond? Paul lays down a guideline.  
•	“Caught in a wrong doing” can be better translated as “overtaken by a wrong doing.”  
•	One translation implies the man was caught in the act of sin, while the other shows that the man was overtaken by sin.  It emphasizes the subtle nature of sin as it snares the believer who has let his defenses down.  Regardless of which interpretation one adopts, the result is the same: 
•	How do you respond?
“You who are Spiritual”
•	Paul was calling on those of the Galatian church who were mature and bearing the ______________ of the ______________ that he had just finished discussing in the end of chapter 5.  
•	When we set out to help someone caught in sin, we must be led by the Spirit.  
“Set right”
•	Or “______________” the erring brother. 
•	It can mean to “set a broken bone’ or 
•	“to mend a torn net”.  
•	The idea is to get the wrongdoer back to where he belongs.
The Word of Warning
•	Keep an eye on yourself, for you may be tempted too.
•	 This covers the spirit in which one takes to restore such a one.  It is be done gently and humbly as if one were a fellow sinner.  The restoring brother needs to remember that save the ______________ of ______________, there he go!
Verse 2 Bear One Another’s Burdens
•	The illustration of the erring brother is but one example for verse 2.  Christians should “______________bearing one another’s ______________’. Some of these burdens are extremely heavy and need someone to help carry them.  Here the principle of Christian mutuality is shown. Christianity is a family of believers who share one another’s burdens.  
•	James 5:16 -
•	Romans 12:15 –
•	1 Cor 12:26 –
Wuest says:
•	The burdens here are those of our fellow brother, especially for those who have ______________.  The specific burden that Paul wants the readers to help their brothers carry is that of leaving the true gospel of grace for that of law.  The word for bear is ______________. It means to assume the burdens in a willing, helpful, sympathetic manner, despite that bearing that may be unpleasant and a heartache.
Be Realistic About Yourself (6: 3-5)
•	Verse 3 is a warning about the kind of conceit mentioned in Gal 5:26.  ______________ is self-deceptive and blind.  R. A. Cole said The prideful person has, 
•	“succeeded in taking himself in, although he has deceived nobody else.”
Here
•	Paul wants to warn the Christian about ______________ more about ______________ that is really appropriate.  This tends to make the man unwilling to help his brother.
Verse 4
•	Gives somber advice to counteract the ______________man. Apparently some of the Galatians were not doing what Paul said in 6: 1-2. They were taking no step to help their brothers.  Paul challenged each brother to confine his judgment to himself rather than toward his brother.  Verse 4 speaks about being proud of what one has done himself.  Then, we want to compare that with what others have done.
The phrase “put to test”
•	Comes from ______________ and means to ______________ something for the purpose of proving its genuineness or realness.  The emphasis is that the Christian who thinks he is really something in the kingdom of God, put himself to a real test. Compare himself to Christ and not to his fallen brother.   
Does Verse 5 contradict verse 2?
•	At first glance, it might look like it.  There are two different words used here for______________. Verse 2 has the word “baros” and verse 5 uses “phortion”. But the differences are so slight that it not worth trying to make a distinction to clear up our question. So, how do we explain it? In 6:2 Paul wants the Christian to assist his fellow brother who has fallen into sin. Verse 6 says each Christian needs to bear his own burden in relation to sin and remember his own responsibilities of holiness.  Seeing our own failures will make us less likely to judge our brother.
Does This Mean
•	We should not ask for ______________? How silly!  Paul asked for help and prayer. What we need to do is realize that no one else can live our Christian life for us. We have to make our own decisions, fulfill our own callings, and we must do them ourselves.
Verse 6
•	This is my favorite verse in chapter 6!  “______________” is koinonia in the Greek. It describes a shared kind of life of Christian believers.  Sometimes this is used in material sharing (Phil 4:5).  Paul shared gratitude for the Philippians who helped him with their gifts. Other places Paul teaches financial support (1 Cor 9:11). Paul seldom used his right to claim this (2 Cor 11:7; 1 Thess 2: 6,9 etc)
The Certainty of Harvest (6: 7-10)
•	How can you connect these verses with what Paul has been saying? 
•	Look back to 5:13. What did Paul say there? The believing man is free from law and bondage, but now lives by the ______________ of ______________ and ______________ filled living.  These place higher demands on Christian love.  How men respond to these demands bring inevitable consequences. 
 
5: 19-23
•	Shows Paul talking about the works of the flesh and the ______________ of the Spirit.  In 6: 7-8, the apostle referred again to the final outcome of these two contrasting ways of life.  A man can chose to live according to the flesh.  Paul warns about such a way of life.  It will bring its own wages.  Sometimes people who sow strife and follow selfish desires think they are getting away with such behavior.  However, Paul warns this is not the truth. They will be held responsible. 
The Conclusion
•	That either God does not know or does not care how they live is false.  “Do not be ______________! God is not mocked! Whatever you sow,  you shall reap!”  How does Numbers 32:23 relate to this verse? “Your SIN will find you out, not God!”  Sin carries with it corruption and death. 
Verse 8
•	States both the positive and the negative sides of the law of the harvest.  The basic principle is this: “We shall become what we are in the process of becoming.” As someone has said, “______________ a action today, reap a habit tomorrow!” “Sow a habit now, and reap character. Sow character today, and your destiny is ahead!”
What Does Verse 8
•	Teach concerning life in the Spirit. Living under the guidance of the Spirit is not automatic or suddenly the way of life.  One grows into such a life.  The believer receives the ______________ at the new ______________, but the full harvest comes as the believer learns to yield to Him.
Weariness (v. 9)
•	Because of what Paul said in the end of verse 8, he now states verse 9. Despair is the enemy of Christian character and ministry.  Perhaps the worst kind of despair is getting tired of doing good.  Why is it that a new Christian starts out with zeal and then, watching others, gets tired and finally begins to act like the rest? Weariness!   
The Word “faint” 
•	Is from ______________ and was used of ______________ who were overcome by the heat and toil.  It means to “relax effort, to become physically exhausted.” The incentive is that at the right time, they would receive the harvest, if they kept working.
 
Verse 10
•	This verse shows Paul challenging the Galatian Christians to seize the moment. One commentator is quoted to have said, “While Paul never wearies of ______________men that they cannot win God’s favor by doing good deeds, he equally never wearies of telling them of their duty to do good.” 
This verse
•	Shows the importance of doing good, especially to the house of God.  The church should always be seeking ways to______________to one another.  But why didn’t Paul say to do good works to those outside the church?
George Duncan
•	Provides an answer that seems fitting: “A ______________ is not likely to do good to all men if he does not do it in the first place to those of his own household.” So, doing good deeds begins with the church, but should not end there!  Ideally, church fellowship should be a training ground for practicing Christian love.  It is the model of fruit of the Spirit.