Paul’s Closing Admonitions

I. THE FINAL INSTRUCTIONS (Galatians 6:1-10)

A. The Ten Commandments of Galatians 6:1-10

1. Restore (Galatians 6:1)
2. Consider thyself (Galatians 6:1)
3. Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
4. Fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)
5. Prove your own work (Galatians 6:4)
6. Bear your own burden (Galatians 6:5)
7. Communicate unto him that teacheth (Galatians 6:6)
8. Be not deceived (Galatians 6:7)
9. Let us not be weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9)
10. Do good unto all men (Galatians 6:10)

B. Responsibilities Concerning Christian Brothers (Galatians 6:1-5)

1. As it pertains to those fallen (Galatians 6:1)
a. The restoration must be made by the “spiritual” (Galatians 6:1; Romans 15:1-3, 7)
1.) The spiritual man is mad at sin (Hosea 9:7)
2.) The spiritual man will be established (Romans 1:11)
3.) The spiritual man will have life and peace (Romans 8:6)
4.) The spiritual man judgeth all things (1 Corinthians 2:15)
5.) The spiritual man recognizes the Bible as God’s word (1 Corinthians 14:37)
6.) The spiritual man restores (Galatians 6:1)
b. The restoration must be made in the “spirit of meekness” (Galatians 6:1; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)
c. The restoration must be made considering thyself (Galatians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Romans 12:3)
2. As it pertains to all (Galatians 6:2-5)
a. The bearing of another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2a; Romans 12:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:14)
b. The fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2b; Galatians 5:14)
c. The necessity of self-examination (Galatians 6:3; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32)
d. The proving of “his own work” (Galatians 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:15)
1.) Proving our salvation (2 Corinthians 13:5)
2.) Proving our work (2 Timothy 4:5)
3.) Proving that which is acceptable (Ephesians 5:10)
e. The acceptance of one’s own individual burden (Galatians 6:5)

C. Responsibilities Concerning Ministers (Galatians 6:6-10)

1. The admonition for communication (Galatians 6:6)
a. The contextual meaning of “communicate” (Philippians 4:15-18; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Hebrews 13:16-17; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; see also 1 Timothy 5:17); Note: Consider the following practical thoughts…
1.) Many ministers of the gospel are no longer teaching
i. Some, because they are disillusioned as to the duties of the ministry
ii. Some, because they have no time due to other obligations
iii. Some, because they have never learned themselves
2.) Either resulting in this or because of this
i. Saints no longer feel a sense of obligation to support those who labour in the gospel ministry
ii. Thus gospel ministers have been pushed to the workforce as the Levites were in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:10)
3.) Financial gain should never be the cause or motive of someone entering the gospel ministry (1 Timothy 3:1-3; Titus 1:7, 11; 1 Peter 5:1-2)
b. The participant of the communication – “him that is taught in the word”
c. The recipient of the communication – “him that teacheth”
d. The means of communication – “in all good things”
2. The law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-9)
a. The warning of the principle (Galatians 6:7)
1.) Self-deception (Luke 12:34)
2.) Mockery of God (Malachi 3:8-10)
b. The proportion of the principle (Galatians 6:7)
1.) In kind (Galatians 6:7-8)
2.) In quantity (Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6)
c. The provisions of the principle (Galatians 6:8-9)
1.) We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:8).
i. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.
ii. He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
iii. This verse is often pulled from its immediate context to teach a principle that, though true, was never intended. Instead, the passage suggests that we will either sow to our flesh seeking fleshly, temporary, and corruptible gains or we will sow to the Spirit and reap unending rewards in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). This is not to suggest that one who gives financially is secured a place in heaven, but that one who gives from the proper motives is assured lasting rewards (Luke 18:29-30).
2.) We reap after we sow (Galatians 6:9).
i. Let us not be weary in well doing.
ii. In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
3. The admonition to goodness (Galatians 6:10)
a. Seek opportunity
b. Seize opportunity
1.) Unto all men
2.) Especially unto them who are of the household of faith

II. THE PARTING WORDS (Galatians 6:11-18)

A. The Demonstration of Paul’s Concern (Galatians 6:11)

1. The largeness of the letter
2. Written with Paul’s own hand
3. Note: Many different suggestions have been made concerning this verse and its interpretation.
a. Some have thought Paul spoke of the size of his penmanship.
b. Some suggest Paul was not as familiar with Greek thereby affecting his writing.
c. Instead, Paul was drawing attention to the fact that he had personally penned this epistle. This was not Paul’s common practice (Romans 16:22). Paul did not dictate this epistle, but wrote it himself because of what needed to be said.

B. The Source of Paul’s Concern (Galatians 6:12-13)

1. The desire of false teachers (Galatians 6:12) – “to make a fair shew in the flesh”
2. The concern of false teachers (Galatians 6:12)
a. They constrain you to be circumcised
b. Lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ
3. The hypocrisy of the false teachers (Galatians 6:13)
a. They do not keep the law.
b. They desire to have you circumcised.
c. That they may glory in your flesh.
d. Note: We need to desire to help others. This is not the true motive behind what was going on with the believers in Galatia. Instead, people were seeking to convert the Galatians to their mold for self-gratifying purposes. Always beware of people who “help” you, yet continually draw attention to their own greatness in helping you or the level of thankfulness you owe them for their help.

C. The Determination of Paul’s Concern (Galatians 6:14-15)

1. Paul’s self-determination (Galatians 6:14)
a. Paul refused to glory in men, either in others or in himself.
b. Paul chose to glory in the cross of Christ (see also 2 Corinthians 10:17; 2 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
1.) By whom the world was crucified unto Paul
2.) And Paul unto the world
c. Note: Four aspects of the Cross
1.) The believer is crucified with Christ - present tense (Galatians 2:20)
2.) Christ was Crucified – past tense
3.) The world is crucified to the believer – present tense
4.) The believer is crucified to the world – present tense
2. Paul’s determination concerning others (Galatians 6:15)
a. Circumcision or uncircumcision availeth nothing
b. The goal was a new creature

D. The Conclusion of Paul’s Concern (Galatians 6:16-18)