Galatians 6:1-18
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. SEE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I MAKE WHEN I AM WRITING IN MY OWN HAND! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
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This passage of scripture concludes Paul’s letter to the Galatians and is chock full of morsels that should make us sit up and take notice. The verses contain many of the proverbial adages we hear (and perhaps quote) often; however, we’re never quite sure where those phrases originated and we cannot be 100% positive that they appear in the Bible at all. But here they are tucked away at the end of Galatians.
When we unpack this heavy suitcase of wisdom we find before us some terrific lessons of Christian faith.
First, if someone does something wrong, gently work to help that person get back on the correct path.
Second, when working with that person to restore their relationship with God, be careful that you yourself don’t fall into the same sin.
Third, take on another’s burden so that they don’t have to walk a difficult path alone.
Fourth, don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought.
Fifth, be responsible for the work you do and rejoice in it and all good things, rather than criticizing the work of a neighbor.
Sixth, you reap what you sow so do what is good and right (though it may be tiring) because in the end it will all be worth it.
Seventh, always do work that is beneficial to all—and especially that which is beneficial to the family of faith.
Finally, boast not in things of the flesh, rather in the Christ whom God sent to atone for our sin. Because we are in him, we are a New Creation, no longer subject to the law for justification but instead reconciled to God because of our relationship with Christ.
As you may notice, there is a lot going on here in eighteen short verses. The passage makes up one chapter in the book of Galatians and it doesn’t even fill one page in a Bible of average size. However, Paul uses these final verses to summarize his thoughts and to give exacted meaning to the truth of the gospel and the reality of the one true hope in Christ.
Everything fits nicely in the bag; however, the items are heavy and, if Paul were trying to board a plane with this luggage, he may very well be charged for extra weight.
And in the midst of it all, right in the middle of the passage, we find an emphatic message that, I admit, has always given me pause and a bit of a chuckle. It says, “See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!” I…LOVE…IT…!
When one studies the significance of this passage, he finds various perspectives on what it means. Why was Paul writing in his own hand? Well, doing so gave him creative license along the way, some scholars say, to expound upon those things that needed additional explanation; and secondly, a letter written in the familiar handwriting of Paul authenticates the message. Indeed, the letter was from Paul himself.
However, more intriguing is that Paul writes using large letters. I found three reasons why Paul wrote using large letters—theories by scholars, don’t you know. One was that Paul’s hands were “disfigured from toil” and he was only, therefore, capable of writing with large swoops of his quill. Another was that Paul’s eyesight was failing him in old age and that he wrote so that he could read his own writing without struggle.
However, the one purpose that stands out to me and, no doubt, the very reason why those large letters were used by Paul, was that he was seeking to emphasize the message. In this chapter, Paul is reiterating the points that he’d been making throughout the letter to the Galatians. Paul wanted to impress upon them the truth of his words so that they could live lives worthy of the high calling of Christ that was their very own.
So, for emphasis, Paul uses what we folks who communicate via email call “Yelling Font.” Large letters, bold type, all caps, and underlined. And it is in that manner that Paul summarizes his thoughts without a doubt.
Modern minds take away from this book the message well summarized by Bruce Epperly:
“Galatians invites the reader to open to God’s new creation. While God moves through our rituals and practices, we are saved and healed by opening to God’s transformation rather than living by legalism. Our efforts and ethics are important, but undergirding everything is God’s innovative and transformative grace. In times of struggle, we need more than ritual and law; we need ‘new creation’ that breathes life into our rituals and policies.”
As 2 Corinthians, chapter five, says, “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting sins of humankind against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
For that, we are bold to say, Thanks be to God! Amen.
MicahBlog Vol 1.4. Copyright 2010, Micah Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
