The Living and Active Depth of the Word: Galatians

When I finish an in-depth study on a section or book of the Bible, I am often unintentionally under the impression afterward that I know so much about it that there is nothing left to learn. This is not the case! There is a quote I have heard whose source seems debated, but has been attributed to St. Jerome, "The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for a theologians to swim in without ever touching the bottom."

My Bible study group just went through Galatians in 5 weeks (about 6 hours of discussion time together). The following are SOME of the questions and notes we as leaders discussed about the chapter in our prep time, yet group was only able to discuss a fraction of these. This is an exercise meant to show us that there is always more to learn. We need not be concerned that we have nothing left to learn through a section we have already studied in depth. These insights, questions, and applications are by no means exhaustive. In our group study conversations we probably discussed about half or less of the insights while of course adding more during discussion, and probably only about 15% of the application questions! There is so much more to be learned, and God is always willing to take us deeper. I pray that the following notes and especially questions would help you cultivate your curiosity!

Bottom Line:

The Bible is written down by intelligent and faithfully wise humans who were inspired and directed by the most incredible mind: the absolute greatest Poet who ever wrote, the most intelligent Creator, the Word Himself, the only One able to impart to us a Living and Active Word that pierces to our very core, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12. Written and given to us by the One who is perfectly loving, kind, merciful, gracious, patient, holy, just, sovereign, jealous,* righteous, unchanging, peaceful, wise, truthful, good, and faithful. There are so many other ways to describe our incredible God who has used this word to speak to us in ways no other written word could, but suffice it to say that He is incredible and our time studying the Word will never be complete, and that is a beautiful thing. We needn't be intimidated by this, because the Holy Spirit Himself is reading it with us and teaching this to us. What an incredibly beautiful opportunity we have!

    *note on jealousy: this sometimes has a negative connotation, but jealousy when justified is good. Love is not apathetic, and God is the One worthy of our worship, affection and praise. If someone laid their life down for the one they loved and an imposter got the credit, clearly that would be wrong and should be corrected. God is not only jealous because He wants relationship with us, and He rejoices in the truth (that He is the One who created, loves, and saved us), but relationship with Him is what is best for us as well, walking away from the source of all goodness and life is not in our best interest. 

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Galatians 1:

• v1 Q: What is an apostle?
• v4 Q: What is the present evil age - is it the time written about in Paul's letter or is it from then and continuing today?
• v6 Q: How are they deserting Christ? Aren't they just doing a few extra things "in case"?
• v7 "trying to pervert the gospel" in the OT those who distorted the divine message were fales prophets for whom the penalty was death
• v10 Serving Christ is contrary to trying to please people. 
• v11 Q: Why is it important that the gospel that was preached by Paul is not man's gospel? Why tell about where he received the gospel from?
• v14 Paul seems to be such an unlikely minister to the Gentiles. He was so zealous for the traditions of his fathers, you would think Paul would be called to the Jewish people and someone like Peter might be called to the Gentiles.
• v17 Q: Did Paul spend time with God in Arabia? What did he do there?
• v18-24 Q: Why is this important? Is he reinforcing that the gospel he received HE RECEIVED from God and not from men? Perhaps he verified that what he received was verified by the Scriptures and not by men.

Applications from Galatians 1:

• Gal 1:7: How often do I rejoice in the goodness of the gospel? Does my life reflect the joy of this truth not only to myself but to those around me also?
• Gal 1:8: Is God the ultimate authority in my life? Is the gospel the ultimate authority even when others in my life are in opposition to it? Is it my authority when my own beliefs or feelings are in opposition to it?
• Gal 1:10: As a Christ follower, was there a circumstance in your life you felt you were caught between conforming to the world and pleasing those around us vs. pleasing God? / Am I serving Christ and seeking what God approves of, or am I trying to please people and seek their approval? When I have my priorities correct and serve Christ, my theology of the gospel will be correct or be corrected by Him over time. 
• Gal 1: Just like how Paul had to defend his position as an apostle and what the Gospel was truly about, was there a time in your life as a follower of Christ where you had to defend your faith? Did you feel equipped in responding? What has He revealed to you during that encounter?

Galatians 2:

• v1 "I went up again to Jerusalem … in response to a revelation." A majority of scholars believe that in vv. 1–10 Paul narrates elements of the Jerusalem council, c. AD 48 (Ac 15), based on key elements shared between them. Others argue that the “revelation” of v. 2 better fits the mission depicted in Ac 11:28–30 (though cf. Gal 1:12).
• v3 If circumcision was needed in addition to the gospel, the believers in Jerusalem would have told him here. Paul actively invited their correction, and not only did they not tell Paul to include circumcision in his preaching, they also did not require Titus to become circumcised. Clearly, Jesus' death and resurrection was enough.
• v4 In Greek, Paul leaves a sentence unfinished; particularly passionate letters and speeches could do this to communicate intensity.
• v5 Q: And what is the truth of the gospel? That Jesus ALONE is what makes us righteous. So hard for us to accept a gift that is completely free. Our desire is to pay it back or be worthy of it but the truth of the gospel is that nothing can make us worthy, it is Jesus alone.
• v9 We see the callings that these men have and how each was called to different ministries.
• v11 Q: Why did Paul oppose Peter/Cephas to his face? Did he fail to follow Jesus' instruction about correction in Matthew 18? Or look at Paul's own instruction later in this letter Galatians 6:1-2... what is different about this that Paul handles this differently?
• v12 Q: What is the significance of eating with Gentiles? Why is Peter's later action of drawing back and separating himself hypocritical?
• v16 Q: What is this relationship between faith and works and justification?
• v16 Q: What is justification? What does it mean for someone to be Justified?
• v17 Q: What is this saying? That some might think eating with sinners means that Christ is a servant of sin? Or that recognizing that we cannot be justified by works of the law means we are sinners, and Christ is then a servant of sin? 
• v21 Q: What does Gal 2:17-21 mean? How would one "nullify the grace of God"?

Applications from Galatians 2:

• Gal 2:5: In what ways do we distort the truth of the gospel and attempt to gain righteousness in our own lives? Good works? Serving in lots of ministries? Etc? 
• Gal 2:9: Christians will each have different callings.
• Gal 2:11: no leader is completely above correction. Stay humble so that you are open to correction from trusted Christians. This does not mean you listen to all criticism, but be sure there are Christians in your life who at the least can bring concerns to you for you to consider and pray about. 
• Gal 2:12, 14: Are there times I compromise the gospel in order to fit in? Are there times I might be more or less accepting of people because of what others might think? This is an area I often need improvement in… Times I might act more or less “holy” in order to match those around me? Specifically if it comes at the cost of others: in this case, Peter was pretending to be observing Jewish laws and customs (by default to the exclusion of Gentiles). That, in part, is what I think upset Paul so much and why it wasn’t “in step with the truth of the gospel” - because the Gospel is for Jews and Gentiles. It is for all. 
• Gal 2:12: How do we attempt to support unity in the church and what would Jesus do in our situation? 
• Gal 2:21: How do I diminish Jesus’ sacrifice? Do I act as though I am justified by certain works or services?

Galatians 3:

• v4 How heartbreaking to have experienced so much in Christ just to walk away and forget it... 
• v5 FAITH AND WORKS: A whole discussion on the relationship between Faith, Works, and Salvation. 
• v5 "work miracles among you." Although ancients expected healings at shrines of healing deities such as Asclepius, they did not experience them simply in religious gatherings. Early Christians were thus distinctive in experiencing miracles without shrines or wonderworkers.
• v5 Jesus’ miracles witnessed to who He was, and the miracles the Holy Spirit did through Paul and others witnessed that God was working through them. It therefore would be inexcusable to leave the gospel preached to them.
• v8 Paul references Gen 12:3 here where God himself tells Abraham that the nations will be blessed through him. Many Jewish traditions viewed Abraham as the model convert to Judaism, but he was justified (Ge 15:6) years before he was circumcised (Ge 17:24–25).
• v10 We must understand how the Law can bring blessing. First, we see that the word law is used in two senses in the Bible. Sometimes it means “The Law of Moses, with all its commands, which a man must obey to be approved by God.” Sometimes it means “God’s Word” in a very general sense. Many times when the Old Testament speaks of the law, it speaks of it in the general sense of God’s Word to us. ... Secondly, we are blessed when we keep the law because we are living according to the “instruction manual” for life. There is an inherent, built-in blessing in living the way God says we should live, in fulfilling the “manufacturer’s recommendation.” When Paul said that as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, he didn’t mean that the law was bad or the Word of God is wrong. He simply meant that God never intended the law to be the way we find our approval before Him. He knew we could never keep the law, and so God instituted the system of atoning sacrifice along with the law. And the entire sacrificial system looked forward to what Jesus would accomplish on the cross for us.
• v11 This is really reminding me how dangerous it is to believe in good works at all, but it is also blowing my mind how other heretical offshoots of Christianity like Jehovah’s witnesses and Mormons have changed the theology to depend on works based systems.  How can they have the Bible or a form of the Bible as part of their scripture and yet still depend on good works for salvation? I assume some don’t see a difference between when we say we are saved by faith for good works” VS when someone says “we are saved by faith and works” It is a difficult distinction to make. Through the book of James especially, it is clear that works are important - but that they are more of an indicator of living faith. Without works, your faith is as good as dead. It’s difficult to recognize when we are depending on our works to “merit” something VS when we assess our actions as an indication that we are or are not walking in the Spirit. See James 1:19-22, 2:8-13, 2:14-26, 3:13-18… I have been told that Martin Luther (reformer of the Catholic church 500 years ago) hated the book of James--he felt it contradicted Paul’s teaching on “justification by faith.” However, rather than contradict it, James’ letter clarifies it and gives you a way to recognize whether you are deceiving yourself. (James 1:22) In this way, Paul agrees with James as we see in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 
• v11 "Justification": Divine, forensic act of God, based on the work of Christ upon the cross, whereby a sinner is pronounced righteous by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. The doctrine of justification is developed most fully by the Apostle Paul as the central truth explaining how both Jew and Gentile can be made right before God on the exact same basis, that being faith in Jesus Christ. Without this divine truth, there can be no unity in the body of Christ, hence its centrality to Paul’s theology of the Church and salvation. - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 970). 
• v11-12 This is saying the Scriptures even made clear that the righteous live by FAITH - Not living by the law. 
• The law is made to make us be more aware of our sins, not to be a way to gain salvation. It reminds me of Romans  3:20 (NIV): Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
• v12 A shared key term links Hab 2:4 (in v. 11) with Lev 18:5 (and similar texts) here. The person who does these things will live by them. One may have life by faith; the law, by contrast, can grant life only to those who live by it. Yet Jewish teachers themselves admitted that virtually everyone sinned. How then could the law grant life? Paul argues that, contrary to the intruders’ views, the law was never designed to bring life (v. 21), except perhaps as a way of expressing faith. - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible p2046
• v13 Q: What is a curse? How did Christ become a curse for us? What does that mean?
• "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole." A shared key term (see note on vv. 11–13) links Dt 27:26 (in v. 10) with Dt 21:23 here. Although Israelites hung only the dead in Dt 21 (cf. Ge 40:19), many peoples in recent centuries had learned to execute people by hanging. Jesus experienced the curse in our place. - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible p2046
• I think the most helpful resource so far to me in understanding “blessing” and “curse” is this video Blessing and Curse from the BibleProject. Here is some of the script:
      “In the Bible, the curse is when God hands people over to the consequences of seizing our own blessing on our own terms. It’s a curse because instead of abundance and life, we end up with scarcity, isolation, and death. So God curses the ground. And instead of fruitfulness, there will be famine. Instead of overseeing the world, they will have to work the land until they die… But God also curses that deceptive creature that fooled the humans, saying that a human will come one day to destroy it. And that human will be born into a world of scarcity, where men and women and families and tribes are all locked in violent conflict…”
      “If God’s blessing is now covered with a curse, how can we flourish? Even more, how can we rule with God?”
      "Well, here the biblical story takes an interesting turn. God chooses one couple: Abraham and Sarah. And God blesses them and says they will become a huge family… God says that his blessing on Abraham and his family is for this larger purpose, so that through them, God’s blessing can go out to all of the nations.”
      “So wait. God’s plan is to reverse the curse and restore the blessing by first blessing this one family?”
      “Right. And this family does experience God’s blessing. Even when they journey through times of danger and scarcity, they grow into this huge nation, Israel. And God brings them to a mountain and invites them to be his representatives. God will bless Israel so that they can become a blessing to the nations. All they have to do is trust and live by God’s wisdom. And they’re told that this is a choice between life and death, between blessing and curse…”
      “Jesus believed that he was that chosen Israelite who would face the curse that Israel and all humanity deserves, and he would allow the curse to fall on him. Jesus dies the shameful death of a man under the curse. But just as God brought life and blessing out of darkness in the beginning, so here, through Jesus, God reverses death by raising Jesus. The curse is put to death so that the blessing of God’s life can spread out once again.”
      “After his resurrection, Jesus blessed his followers, and he said that his presence would be with them as they learn to trust in God’s blessing and share with others. And while death and the curse still have a hold on our world, followers of Jesus trust that the power of God’s blessing is even stronger. It means we can live with extreme generosity, even when it seems like there’s not enough. And that leads us to the conclusion of the biblical story, where every nation is enjoying the gifts of God’s abundance. Because in God’s new world that is sustained by the life-giving power of Jesus, there is no longer any curse.”
      -The BibleProject video, “Blessing and Curse”
• Otherwise, this excerpt from my Bible Dictionary helps: 
      In the NT the act of “cursing” sometimes means to wish misfortune on someone (Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14; James 3:9–10). The concept of the “curse” is also applied to those who are outside God’s blessings which are by His grace (Matt. 25:41). They are therefore under divine condemnation, the “curse of the law” because of sin (John 7:49; Gal. 3:10, 13; 1 Cor. 16:22). Especially serious is the situation of those who reject or actively oppose the work of God (Gal. 1:8–9; 2 Pet. 2:14; Rev. 16:9, 11, 21).1
• Also, the following commentary speaks about Christ becoming a curse for us: 
      A strange method it was which Christ took to redeem us from the curse of the law; it was by his being himself made a curse for us. Being made sin for us, he was made a curse for us; not separated from God, but laid for the present under that infamous token of the divine displeasure upon which the law of Moses had put a particular brand, Deu. 21:23.2I think Paul includes this reference to Deuteronomy 21:23 because we might otherwise have rightly wondered “how did Jesus become a curse?” since He had not sinned and brought the curse upon himself -- but by being hung on a tree he became a curse, not by sin of his own, but through His obedience (Phil 2:5-11). (On another note, I wonder if this might be part of the reason they were so motivated to take Jesus’ body down off the cross before Sabbath. I know they couldn’t do any work on the Sabbath, but looking at this passage in Deuteronomy it seems to say that having the body hung there curses the land in a way. This was also during their holy week, etc.
• “Redeemed us from the curse of the law” I got this from GotQuestions:
  The Greek word for “redeem” in the Bible is exagorazo. It was a financial term that referred to the process of purchasing a slave’s freedom. When a slave was “redeemed,” he or she was no longer bound to the rules and expectations of a slave’s life. So, to be redeemed from the curse of the law means to be set free from its rules and regulations. In other words, those who are redeemed from the curse of the law are no longer required to observe the law’s commands as the Israelites were.
  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is, His sacrificial work on the cross purchased our freedom from the law. Jesus fulfilled the original intention and purpose of the Mosaic Law on our behalf (Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:34). What we could not do in perfectly obeying God’s will laid out in the law, Christ did for us. In that way, He fulfilled the law and accomplished what God intended.
  This doesn’t mean we completely ignore everything in the Mosaic Law. There are many commands in the law that all people from all time should always obey. For example, Exodus 20:13 says, “You shall not murder.” Even though Christ fulfilled the law, God’s people should still observe the command not to take another human’s life. Though we are redeemed from the curse of the law and set free from its rules and regulations, it’s still important to observe the moral and ethical commands found within the law. Of the Ten Commandments, nine are repeated in the New Testament as commands for us today.
  To be redeemed from the curse of the law also means that we no longer have to face the judgment of God. The law was perfect, and, as sinful beings, the Israelites could not perfectly observe the law. They were considered “cursed” whenever they disobeyed the law or failed to live up to its expectations. God’s judgment rested on all of those who did not live according to His ways. And since, according to Romans 2:14–15, God has placed the moral requirements of the law on all human hearts (not just the Israelites’), we are all under a curse and deserving of God’s judgment. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a
• v13 Q: What does“ everyone who is hanged on a tree” or in NIV “everyone who is hung on a pole” mean? Answer: In Deut 21:23 NIV:
  If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must NOT desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
• v15 human covenant. Greeks usually used Paul’s Greek term for “covenant” (diathêkê) for a “testament” or “will,” a legal document opened at someone’s death. By contrast, the Greek version of the Torah used the term to translate a term meaning “covenant.” Ancient arguments often used wordplays to advance their case. Paul refers here to the covenant, but he plays on the Greek term’s legal nuances; that Scripture promised Israel an inheritance in the land (cf. v. 18) reinforced the usefulness of the connection. God’s full covenant with Abraham (Ge 17:9–14) foreshadowed the Mosaic covenant, but God deemed Abraham righteous and promised to bless the nations even before this in Ge 12:3; 15:6 (cf. Ro 4:10–11).
    A new will could replace an older one, though not after the testator’s death. Nevertheless, no one could modify an existing will, since one would have to break the witnesses’ seals that guaranteed its validity; it could be validly opened only once, when the testator died. Some may have argued against Paul’s idea of a new covenant transforming the Mosaic covenant, but Paul here argues that the covenant introduced by Moses could not abrogate the covenant God made with Abraham to bless all nations (v. 8). If any covenant’s stipulations were temporary, then, it was the covenant from Moses’ time. - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible p2046-2048
• v16 Bilateral VS Unilateral Covenants: From sermon (Cavalry Ontario)
  Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” This was a UNCONDITIONAL and UNILATERAL COVENANT: God could only make the promise and there is no participating for the other party. God allowed Abraham to fall asleep so he doesn’t actively participate.
  BILATERAL COVENENT: Refers to a covenant made by two parties. ex. covenant between man and woman in marriage, a business covenant, etc. --> back in the day, 2 parties would take animals and kill them and declare their promise of the covenant while walking between the pieces of mutilated animals (according to the sermon I watched); not sure if this applies to all bilateral covenants?
• v16-20 As a further proof that the law was not designed to vacate the promise, the apostle adds, It was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. It was given to different persons, and in a different manner from the promise, and therefore for different purposes. The promise was made to Abraham, and all his spiritual seed, including believers of all nations, even of the Gentiles as well as the Jews; but the law was given to the Israelites as a peculiar people, and separated from the rest of the world. And, whereas the promise was given immediately by God himself, the law was given by the ministry of angels, and the hand of a mediator. Hence it appeared that the law could not be designed to set aside the promise; for (v. 20), A mediator is not a mediator of one, of one party only; but God is one, but one party in the promise or covenant made with Abraham: and therefore it is not to be supposed that by a transaction which passed only between him and the nation of the Jews he should make void a promise which he had long before made to Abraham and all his spiritual seed, whether Jews or Gentiles. This would not have been consistent with his wisdom, nor with his truth and faithfulness. Moses was only a mediator between God and the spiritual seed of Abraham; and therefore the law that was given by him could not affect the promise made to them, much less be subversive of it. - Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible Complete and Unabridged p 2298
• v17 Abraham (known at the time as Abram) did not have the law. Neither did Isaac, or Jacob, or any of his sons including Joseph, nor did the generations all the way up through the first Passover. It was given to Moses for the people after they were delivered from Egypt. 
• v19 "Why … was the law given at all?" A civil law was meant to restrain harm, not to save. Paul is aware of the law being written on the heart (cf. 6:2; see note on Ro 8:2), but that was not its public function for Israel as a whole. This external restraining function would not change the earlier covenant or promise of inheritance (v. 15) and was necessary only until the promise’s fulfillment (vv. 23–25). Philosophers felt that law was necessary to restrain the masses but that the wise did not need such external direction. given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. Moses was mediator of the law (cf. Ex 20:19). Jewish tradition claimed that the law was given through angels; Paul contrasts this with the unmediated promise given by God himself. God is one. No belief was more central to Judaism than this (cf. Dt 6:4). - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible p 2048
• v19 Q: What is the deal with angels giving the law through mediators what is going on here? (It was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator: According to ancient traditions – true traditions, according to Paul – the Law was delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai by the hands of angels. Angels were the “go-between” or mediator for Moses when he received the Law from God. - Commentary)
• v19 Many scholars believe this refers to the sin of humans, but some scholars believe this may be referring to transgressions that were introduced into the world because of fallen angels. This is a complex topic, one of which whole books have been written, but it is helpful for us to know that there are several theories about this. When we look at the verse, we also see that it says “it was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made...” When Jesus came on the scene, we see an excess of demonic activity. And a large part of Jesus’ ministry was freeing people from captivity or torment from these spirits.
• v24 guardian. The Greek term here refers not even to a teacher but to the slave assigned to watch out for the student on his way to school and help him with his manners and schoolwork. The image is not negative per se; children often grew fond of their slave guardians and later freed them. Guardians were also normally better educated than the free masses. But it would still shock other Jewish thinkers, for whom the law was their teacher. - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible p2048.
  Paul’s message is clear: Before experiencing God’s grace in Christ, the believers’ lives were lives of slavery (Gal. 4:3, 8). The guardian appears to be an image for the “elemental things of the world,” that is, of celestial or demonic powers regarded as gods by pagan Gentiles. Paul earlier pictured the Jews as under the charge of the law. - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary p 692
• v25 "Now that this faith has come." In most ancient Mediterranean cultures boys came of age as men around age 13 or 14; guardians were no longer needed. - CBSB p2048
• v27 "baptized into Christ … clothed yourselves with Christ." Everyone would understand Paul’s images. Jewish teachers normally expected Gentiles converting to Judaism to be baptized so they could join God’s people; these converts were baptized naked and could then be reclothed after the baptism. Jewish writers could speak of being “clothed” with the Spirit or virtues. - CBSB... Must be "fully immersed in Christ," not partial.
• v28 One reason “no male and female” is important is that in this time period and culture, women were not heirs of anything. They could not receive an inheritance strictly speaking. This distinction makes it clear that women in Christ are co-heirs. As Gal 3:26 states, we are “sons” of God through faith. "Women were not to inherit from their fathers except in the absence of a son (Num. 27:1–11). Before this ruling from the Lord, if a man had no offspring, the inheritance went to his brothers, to his father’s brothers, or to his next kinsman." - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary p817

Applications for Galatians 3:

• Gal 3:4 If you have suffered in your faith, take heart - it is not in vain if you continue in the faith.
• Gal 3:5 Life application questions:
• When was a time you thought your walk with God was “good” but realized you needed Him more than ever?
• What are some aspects in your life you felt you could do by yourself but realized you needed Him to intervene?
• Gal 3:10 Am I relying on works of the law which cannot save? Or am I seeing that no one is justified before God by the law and trusting in Jesus for my justification and righteousness?
• Gal 3:13 Consider watching the Blessing and Curse video by BibleProject
• Gal 3:24 See key theme below and define “guardian”.
• Gal 3:28 Am I aware of my equal status as part of the body of Christ? Do I recognize my value and worth, and do I see that I am a part of His body, gifted with specific gifts and given specific callings to fill? We are heirs of the Kingdom of God. What incredible privilege!

Galatians 4:

• v1-2 heir is … no different from a slave. Ancient sources often contrast sons and slaves; slaves could be part of the “property” that sons inherited. Laws and philosophic ideals, however, treated minor sons in ways analogous to slaves. The slave here continues the image of the slave guardian (3:24), who was in a way over the minor he guarded.1
• v2 "guardians and trustees." The term translated “guardians” here differs from that in 3:24 and here refers to managers of an estate. Managers and trustees could be relatives, though powerful slaves also were often used to manage estates. "until the time set by his father." If the father died, the heir could not access his wealth until the will directed or at puberty. The thought was often that he needed to be mature enough to use the resources wisely. - CBSB p2049
• v3 "in slavery." Minors could be under a benevolent slave guardian (3:24), but now a more hostile slavery appears. 
• v3 "elemental spiritual forces." This phrase sometimes referred to anything rudimentary, such as the alphabet. Paul could refer here to calendrical and other rules (cf. v. 10); although their rules differed, both Jews (in the law and its interpretations) and Gentiles had such rules. Alternatively, many scholars believe that the phrase here refers to the elements of the universe treated by many Gentiles as deities (e.g., wind, fire, and other aspects of nature such as the stars and sea; Judaism had demythologized them as angels who ruled over nature). In late antiquity growing numbers feared the personified, power of arbitrary Fate, which was supposed to exercise its will through the astral spirits, the gods who ruled the stars. In contrast to most of his Jewish contemporaries, Paul believes that even the Jewish people were enslaved by such evil spiritual powers apart from Christ.
• v3 & v9 "elementary principles" / "elemental spiritual forces" in verse 8&9, Paul is talking about the Galatians, so in THIS context it’s extremely likely that it would be referring to the spiritual forces of evil because the Gentiles were often pagan, worshipping idols--clearly NOT having followed Jewish law in the past!
  So one explanation would be that in verse 3 when Paul talked about being under a manager and “we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world” maybe meaning striving to gain righteousness by the law, maybe meaning evil forces, maybe meaning both… and in verse 8 and 9 he is likely referring to spiritual forces when he says “Formerly, when you [Galatians / gentiles] did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”
  So what does this mean and why does it matter? Personally, I think I am under the opinion that Paul is at least in part here talking about the spiritual forces. And here’s the thing: when we study the Old Testament, we read about the people who would worship idols or other gods and we usually just think they are wood or metal statues or some abstract fake concept. But I’m not convinced of that. Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” It is clear that Paul, who also wrote that above passage, understood the reality of the spiritual realm and made it clear that it was what the real battle was against - NOT flesh and blood. So we need armor that is not physical in nature, but spiritual. But every bit as real as physical armor, and likely more important.
• v5 Q: Who are those who were under the law? Possible A: I think it might be all people: sinners. We are all under the law without Jesus’ justification. In Gal 4, Paul is contrasting the things that people were enslaved to here (see my note on verse 3 and 9 about the “elemental things”), but all of us needed redemption from under the law.
• v7 Q: Heirs to heaven? I believe so.
• v10 "special days." Before their conversion, Gentiles observed festivals for their deities and regarded various days as lucky or unlucky. But Judaism also had its own special calendar of holy days, new moons, sabbatical years and so forth. By returning to a ceremonial, calendrical religion regulated by heavenly bodies they once regarded as gods, the Galatians return to pagan bondage under these spiritual forces.
• v12 Q: How has Paul become as they are, and how does he want them to become as he is?
• v13 "illness." The Greek term can also mean “weakness,” which could also include injuries from persecution. Whatever the case, people often viewed physical problems as divine punishment and viewed physical wholeness and handsomeness as praiseworthy and attractive. - CBSB p2051
• v14-17 I’m noticing here how fickle human beings are. When Paul came they had reason to reject him, but they received him as an angel of God - they had sacrificial love for him. But now, they have rejected him in favor of the Judaizers, and even are questioning Paul’s authority. This human waywardness is another reason it is so deeply vital to find our hope in Jesus and not in our relationships. Yet notice throughout the letter, like in Gal 4:19-20, his continued love for them. He does not ground his hope in them, but he deeply loves them.
• v14 "you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me"... giving one’s eyes was a known figure of speech for sacrificial love. - CBSB 
• v16 see Rom 1:18, John 7:7, John 3:20, John 1
• v19 Q: Why does Paul refer to other followers of Jesus as "my little children"? 
• v21-31 the allegory of Sarah and Hagar: Two Covenants: This connection is so crazy! I think Paul is a genius because it all just connects so beautifully!  Some considerations are that he is speaking to a primarily non-Jewish crowd of Galatians.  It stands out for me that he makes such specific references to old testament stories.  It is a great reminder that the Bible of the early Church was the old testament.  Seeing the wonderful way Paul connects the old testament(old covenant) with the letters that he writes to the early churches about the new covenant, it is not surprising that these letters became canon.  I also wonder if Paul was studying these connections  between the covenants in the three years that he mentions in Chapter 1.
• v21-31 Paul may have been using a type of argument here that was common in his day by flipping the very argument that was probably being used against him by his opponents!
• v26 "Jerusalem that is above … our mother." Jewish people celebrated the Biblical promise of a new Jerusalem (Isa 65:17–19), which was sometimes envisioned as a mother (Isa 66:7–10). Both Jews and Gentiles could speak of their ancestral, founding city as a “mother city.” Jewish people sometimes also spoke of “Jerusalem above” and envisioned it coming down to earth in the future. - CBSB p2052
• v28 "children of promise." Like Isaac, those among the nations blessed in Abraham’s seed (3:8) are the humanly impossible children of promise. - CBSB
• v29 the Allegory. 
• Notice a few things:
• Ishmael: born first / Isaac: born after
• Ishmael: persecutes Isaac / Isaac: is persecuted
• Ishmael: born into slavery / Isaac: born into freedom
• Ishmael: born of a relationship in the flesh / Isaac: Born of the Spirit through a miraculous birth.
• Allegorically:
• Jewish faith: came first / Believers: came after
• Jews: here persecuting believers / Believers: being persecuted by Judaizers (also think of Saul before Damascus)
• Jews (at least Jews after Jesus): in slavery to the law / Believers: baptised into freedom
• Jews: born of the flesh, covenant of the biological family / Believers: Born of the Spirit (John 3) 
• v30 "Get rid of the slave woman and her son." Sarah demanded that Hagar’s son be sent away to protect Isaac’s inheritance (Ge 21:10), and God confirmed this exhortation (21:12). Paul implies that his audience should send away the spiritual Ishmaelites—those trying to tie them to the Sinai covenant rather than the superior promise. - CBSB p2052

Applications for Galatians 4:

• Gal 4:3, 9 Applications (See the notes above on v3&9 to understand the connection here):
• 1. Ask God for eyes to see the spiritual realm. Not everyone will have the spiritual gift of “discernment of spirits” but that is why we have each other. Pray for this gift for yourself and for others. 
• 2. Be aware that even if you do not have a gift of discernment of spirits that the spiritual realm is as real as our physical realm. Not every issue will be spiritual in nature. Not every issue will be physical in nature. Many will be both, sometimes more one than the other. Pray for God to guide us in all aspects of our lives and to know how to pray.
• 3. Follow the great commission: Matthew 28:18-20 and make disciples. See also Luke 6:40. Chandler and Griffin write in “Family Discipleship”, “A disciple maker is a follower of Christ helping others follow Christ.” Help others follow Christ. In fulfilling the Great Commission, we partner with Jesus in His work of giving life, and life to the full, and we take ground away from the enemy. (See 2 Timothy 2:24-26 and 1 John 5:18). We also see in Matthew 12:43-45 that the person’s openness to repentance and believing matters. 
• Gal 4:14-16: How much of your hope is found in your relationships with others? How much of your hope is found in Jesus? It is difficult to assess this honestly. But have you considered how you might handle losing one of your closest family members or friends? Do you think that through your grieving you would stand firm and look to Jesus through it? Or would it make you question His goodness? This is not a question that is meant to shame, but let it be a diagnostic tool that if you think it would make you question God’s goodness, start asking God to teach you about His goodness now. Put on the belt of truth so that you can stand. Also see Genesis 22:15-18 (Notice the promise was gifted and not earned. God says “because you have not withheld your son” but Abraham still is not entitled to the promise, YHWH decided to promise.) 
• Gal 4:16 Was there a time in your life where someone spoke truth in your life but you took offense to it and didn’t want to listen to them?

Galatians 5:

• v1 "freedom … yoke of slavery." Paul applies his previous analogy regarding freedom and slavery (4:22–31). Jewish teachers honored the yoke of the law (see note on Ac 15:10), but a yoke also symbolized slavery. - CBSB p2052
• v1 Q: What is freedom? 
• Negative Freedom - freedom from: guilt, fear, addiction, being in jail
• Positive Freedom - freedom for: the ability do live out what we have been designed for, our purpose (in our case: love God, and love others.) See the application for more information.
• v1 "freedom from Sin" The work of Christ brought new depth and significance to the biblical concept of freedom. Paul in particular proclaims a new freedom available in Christ, freedom from sin. Beyond freedom from the penalty of sin, Paul also speaks of freedom from the power of sin, the Spirit-empowered ability to resist habitual disobedience (Rom. 6:7–22; Gal. 4:1–7). Closely related to this is Paul’s declaration of freedom from the law, not freedom from God’s standard of righteousness but freedom from the frustration of our fallen nature’s inability to keep God’s law (Rom. 7:7–20). Not only did Christ fulfill the demands of the law in His own life and sacrificial death, He continues, through the Holy Spirit, to fulfill it in the lives of transformed believers. Thus, contrary to popular opinion, freedom is not the ability to do whatever one desires. This inevitably leads to enslavement to one’s own passions. Rather, the Bible defines freedom as the ability to deny one’s self, to deny one’s desires in the interest of pleasing and glorifying God. - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary p601
• v2 Q: Is Paul saying that the Galatians could lose their salvation? Is it possible to walk away from Christ after having accepted Him? Or does it show that you were not a genuine believer to begin with? Either Way, Paul seems to be warning them about their standing with Christ, their salvation. 
• v4 "fallen from grace" The danger of falling from grace is real, but it is often misunderstood. Most people think of “falling away” in terms of immoral conduct, but we are not saved by our conduct. However, we are saved by our continuing reliance by faith on the grace of God. Someone may fall from grace and be damned without ever falling into grossly immoral conduct.... It is also important to note that this letter was written to believers.  People use the phrase “Once saved always saved,” but here we see a potential contradiction to that.  It appears that as soon as we start trusting in other things besides Jesus to offer salvation, we are in danger of losing our salvation. - Commentary
• v6 "faith working through love" Q: Do we understand faith and works and salvation still? What does it mean "only faith working through love counts for anything"?
• v9 "yeast works through the whole batch." Fermented dough (leaven; here “yeast”) pervades the dough, hence could apply figuratively to something (here sin) that infects the whole. Curious - has anyone done sourdough? I believe people have what they call a “starter” and each time they use the dough, they make a new dough and take a little of the old to put in the new dough to set aside to age, and they use the rest of the old dough in baking. Then, in a matter of time, their new dough ages and the piece of the old dough has aged the whole new one. Then the process begins again. 
• Galatians 5:11: "why am I still being persecuted?" Had Paul required circumcision for conversion, he would not have incurred persecution from his fellow Jews (including in Galatia; cf. Ac 13:43–45, 50; 14:2, 19). His opponents in Galatia were avoiding this persecution (Gal 6:12–13).
  Galatians 6:12: "to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ." Some Gentiles viewed circumcision as mutilation, but it was mild compared with the grotesque suffering of crucifixion (see note on Gal 6:14). Paul is unafraid of persecutors (v. 14).
• v11 "Offense" - Translates several Hebrew and Greek terms. The following two senses predominate. 1. That which causes indignation or disgust (Gen. 31:36). Here offense approximates crime (Deut. 19:15; 22:26), guilt (Hos. 5:15), trespass (Rom. 5:15, 17–18, 20), or sin (2 Cor. 11:7). Christ is said to be a rock of offense in this sense (Rom. 9:33; Gal. 5:11; 1 Pet. 2:8). What was especially offensive was the claim that an accursed one was the Messiah and that faith in this crucified one and not works was necessary for salvation. 2. That which serves as a hindrance (Matt. 16:23) or obstacle (2 Cor. 6:3). This hindrance is often temptation to sin (Matt. 18:7; Luke 17:1). - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
• v12 "wish they would go all the way and emasculate themselves" Yes, this is saying castration. They wanted to circumcise others, Paul wishes they would castrate themselves. "Witty insults were conventional in debate. Many Gentiles viewed circumcision as mutilation; castration was, however, horrifying to Jews because it excluded one from the covenant (Dt 23:1). (Others also mocked eunuchs, especially Galli, the self-castrated worshipers of Phrygia’s mother goddess.) For the sake of the Galatian believers, Paul wishes that those preaching circumcision would slip with their knives and remove their own male organs." - CBSB p 2053. In other words, not only would these ones preaching circumcision stop bothering the Gentile believers, they would also now be rejected from the very covenant they are preaching - and likely must recognize that they have no hope besides Christ. Of course, Paul has been saying this is the case all along, but if you are completely shut out of the law, you cannot even attempt to be justified by works of the law.
• v13 Cavalry Ontario Sermon notes: This lifestyle Paul described is called Libertinism: A lifestyle or pattern of behavior characterized by self-indulgence and lack of restraint especially involving sexual promiscuity and rejection of religious or other moral authority; no moral guidelines. -->Just because believers were freed from the Mosaic law, it does not mean we’re LAWLESS.
• v14 "The brilliance of this command is obvious. It assumes that we love ourselves in the sense that we know how we would like to be treated. It requires us to take the focus off of ourselves and to use that knowledge of what we would like in order to serve each other. Those who have been loved by God are meant to respond by loving others." - BibleRef on “love your neighbor as yourself” commentary
• v16 Flesh and Spirit... Sometimes in these documents “flesh” connotes not only mortality but moral weakness—susceptibility to sin. The thought was not that the body was an evil part of a person; rather, it was that humans as limited, physical beings were weak.... Paul recognizes the mortality and weakness of the flesh; he also sees the connection between passions and bodily existence. But far from believing that the informed mind can necessarily subdue all passions, he recognizes that the mind too can be governed by the flesh (Ro 7:23, 25; 8:6–7). For Paul the power to live a life that pleases God comes not from humans’ finite ability in isolation from God, but by the power of the Spirit. God had promised to provide the Spirit so that his people could fulfill the moral purpose of his law (Eze 36:27; cf. Jer 31:33)... The point is that one either belongs to the people who have the Spirit, and therefore their hearts are being transformed by God, or to those who are left to merely the best (or worst) of human effort without dependence on God’s gift of the Spirit through faith in Christ. - CBSB
• v16 Q: What does it mean to walk by the spirit? 
• v17 see Romans 7:15-19
• v18 "led by the Spirit." Might evoke how God led Israel in the wilderness.... The exodus provides a useful image for believers’ already/not yet experience: like Israel in the wilderness, Christians have experienced initial redemption but await their full inheritance in the promised land. - CBSB
• v18 The antidote to the flesh is not found in the law, but in the Spirit – and if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. You don’t need to be, because you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of the Holy Spirit instead of the outer influence of the law of God.
• v21 "those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God" This is a very sobering warning. As Christians, we must take this seriously without living in constant fear when we sin. How do I experience freedom from constant fear and shame while making sure I’m not calloused to sin and becoming someone with a dead faith who will not inherit the kingdom? If we are unrepentant and especially unwilling to submit to God, we are in extreme danger. The bottom line: you cannot “lose” your salvation because of moral imperfection. But someone who makes a practice of these things, such as the examples listed in Gal 5:19-21, that person is practicing worship of another god. That list? Those are works of the flesh. Someone making a practice of those things is worshiping the flesh. But the list in Gal 5:22-23? Those are the fruits of the Spirit. Those who are growing in these things believe in Jesus and are worshiping God. (See John 3:14-21) 
• Excerpt from Dr. Michael Heiser discussing the new covenant: 
    “God DID divorce Israel. The Holy Spirit did leave Zion. He really did, read Ezekiel, He left… Why? It wasn’t God’s fault… because people who professed to be the people of God became idolaters and worshipped other gods! It’s not the fault of God. It’s the fault of individuals. Why does that change in the New Testament? Maybe the Spirit of God does indwell the believer and will not tolerate the believer worshiping another god, just like He didn’t tolerate that in the Old Testament.”...
      "Now if we can lose our salvation, ‘what if I have a doubt? What if I sin?’ - That isn’t the question. Neither of those is the question. The question is always the same: Who do I trust for salvation?” This is important: “That which cannot be obtained by moral perfection cannot be lost by moral imperfection. It has nothing to do with merit and performance. So you don’t drop it, you don’t lose it, you don’t leave it on the roof of your car, OK? That’s not the way it works. The only thing you can do with salvation, you’ve got two choices: you believe it, or you reject it. That’s what you’ve got.”
    “The question is: where is your allegiance, where is your loyalty? Who do you believe? Because the Lord will not tolerate you believing in somebody else… The Spirit of God is certainly with us and He doesn’t plan on going anywhere. He doesn’t plan on going anywhere. If you believe, you are eternally secure. If you don’t, you’re not.”
• v22-23 verses on “fruit”: Deut 7:13, 28:4, 28:11, 28:18, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 107:33-34, Jer 17:8, 10, Hos 14:8, Mal 3:11, Mt 7:17 , Mt 7:19-20, Luke 6:43-44, Luke 8:15, John 12:24, John 15, Rom 6:21-22, Rom 7:4, Phil 1:11, Heb 12:11, James 5:7, James 5:18, Mark 4:26-29. From these verses, I notice these things about fruit:
  • connected with blessing even from the beginning, even “be fruitful”
  • the man  who delights in God’s law is like a tree planted by streams of water - because of that he bears fruit in season. (Ps 1:1-3)
  • “fruit of his deeds” Jer 17:10 notice the deeds aren’t the fruit but they lead to the fruit.
  • comes from God (Hos 14:8)
  • fruit is how you can recognize the tree (gospels inc Luke 6:43-44)
  • grain of wheat must die before it can bear fruit.
  • sin bears no fruit - it brings death (Rom 6:21-22 and James 1:15)
  • discipline yields fruit if the person learned from it (Heb 12:11) 
  • a farmer does not MAKE fruit appear, nor can he - he doesn’t even know how it all works. the farmer does have a role to play, scattering seed, preparing the ground, and harvesting… but the fruit happens. That’s how God designed it. (Mark 4:26-29 and John 15) 

Applications for Galatians 5:

• Gal 5:1 What is freedom? See this note. How have you defined freedom? (Have you defined freedom in a negative sense (freedom from restriction) or a positive (freedom to ____ or freedom for _____)? Is this Biblical definition of freedom different than how you have defined it? Have you experienced the Biblical type of freedom? If you’ve given your life to Christ, what do you now have freedom for? 
• Gal 5:6 Application: Where do you see your faith being demonstrated through love?   What are examples from our own lives where our faith worked out in love for others?  If you can’t think of any, ask yourself: 
• 1. Do I really believe what I think I do? 
• 2. What do I really believe?
• 1. Who is Jesus?
• 2. What are His commands?
• 3. What did He say about those who don’t keep His commands?
• 4. Am I keeping His commands? 
• 5. … and so forth… 
• Gal 5:16 What is an example of a way that you feel you can walk more fully in the spirit? Examples:
• choosing forgiveness
• choosing joy and giving thanks to God instead of grumbling and complaining
• submitting to Him in the area of sexuality (consider practical steps)
• being open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance daily
• repenting of some sin
• Gal 5:17 Was there a time you were doing something you knew you shouldn’t be doing but did it anyway? 
• Gal 5:19-21 Reflect: Are there a number of characteristics from this list that are influencing you? Is there anything the Holy Spirit might be encouraging you to repent of? (Whether or not it’s listed here). Consider telling at least one sister in Christ, so that sin can be brought into the light and you can experience restoration. (James 5:15-16) Now what? How do I experience freedom from constant fear and shame while making sure I’m not calloused to sin and becoming someone with a dead faith who will not inherit the kingdom? See this note that addresses this.
• Gal 5:22-23 Are there fruits of the Spirit that you know the Holy Spirit wants to work on maturing in you? Which one(s)? The Holy Spirit does this work in us, but knowing what it looks like when the Holy Spirit is at work in you is helpful for many reasons. 
• 1. It helps us assess our faith (since it is possible to deceive ourselves) and recognize issues or disobedience to be addressed.
• 2. These qualities are characteristics of God. The more we know about Him, the more we can worship Him. Can we love what we don’t know?
• 1. Also, the more we know about Him, the less likely we will be deceived by an imposter. 
• 3. Romans 12:1-2 shows that the renewal of our mind is part of our transformation. We must learn who God is and submit to Him. 
  OR.....
• Gal 5:22-23 Do you see evidence in your life of growth of the fruit of the Spirit? (it’s possible that our self-evaluation is not accurate, so we may need God to open our eyes to how He has worked through us or ask a believing friend… ) If you don’t see growth or if you aren’t sure, the following questions may be worth considering:
• Do I really believe what I think I do? In fact, what do I really believe?
• Rebecca’s experience: In college, I heard a message about Matthew 25:31-46 - separating the sheep from the goats at the end. It struck me to my core, and internally my dilemma became: “According to this, my supposed faith in Jesus is completely meaningless. Either Jesus is who the Bible said He is and my whole life needs to change, or it’s not true and I should stop saying I’m a Christian.”
• Is there anything I need to research? Do I have doubts about my faith that I should research? Sometimes, our doubts or questions can do more damage unaddressed than if we walk toward them. Make a plan to research your questions. (See the book "Faithfully Different" by Natasha Crain: chapter 6 for advice on dealing with doubt and seeking truth in a rational and honest way.) 

Galatians 6:

• v1 I once heard this was not caught as in the “Aha! You’ve been caught!” but caught as in “stuck” or “trapped”. This seems to be the case, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if this phrase could be taken as “trapped” OR as “found out.” Either way, we are to restore gently. (It can’t mean “aha” because we are to restore them gently.)
  “We are here taught to deal tenderly with those who are overtaken in a fault, v. 1. He puts a common case: If a man be overtaken in a fault, that is, be brought to sin by the surprise of temptation. It is one thing to overtake a fault by contrivance and deliberation, and a full resolution in sin, and another thing to be overtaken in a fault. The latter is the case here supposed, and herein the apostle shows that great tenderness should be used.” - Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
• v1 "restore such a one with the spirit of meekness." … to bring them to repentance. The original word, katartizete, signifies to set in joint, as a dislocated bone; accordingly we should endeavour to set them in joint again*, to bring them to themselves, by convincing them of their sin and error, persuading them to return to their duty, comforting them in a sense of pardoning mercy thereupon, and having thus recovered them, confirming our love to them. *see similar verse Hebrews 12:13
• v2 Though as Christians we are freed from the law of Moses, yet we are under the law of Christ; and therefore, instead of laying unnecessary burdens* upon others (as those who urged the observance of Moses’s law did), it much more becomes us to fulfil the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens.
• v1-10 I see three possible interpretations of this section myself. Knowing that Paul at times writes things with more than one meaning, I wouldn't be surprised if more than one interpretation applied here. 
• Option 1: Straight-Forward Interpretation, Change of Subject. 
  • Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. You correct others out of pride and arrogance, forgetting that you also could be tempted. In fact, without gentleness, humility, and love, is it possible to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
  • But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Test your own works, seriously and impartially to examine them by the rule of God’s word. We will be judged by God’s standard, not on some perceived bell-curve in which we could try to boast over our neighbor’s actions “at least I was better than this person,” etc. So, do not deceive yourself thinking that you can in any way measure up, either by the law or by works, but repent, believe, and boast in the cross alone."
  • Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. literally he is warning against sowing to your own flesh by withholding your resources for your own fleshly desires
  • Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Financially, $ where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Invest in the Kingdom, value your teachers of the Word with your physical resources as well. See Luke 12:32-34 and Mark 10:21-23. 
  • For the one who sows to his own flesh Sow to flesh = to keep your resources for yourself for your own fleshly desires (James 3:13-4:10 especially James 4:3-4) especially for sin or at the expense of your teachers of the Word
  • will from the flesh reap corruption = sin and death James 5:1-6
  • but the one who sows to the Spirit = out of your value for the Kingdom, you invest in spiritual things with your physical resources
  • will from the Spirit reap eternal life. = "You walk in the Spirit, you value God above all things, ""where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"". (Luke 12:32-34, Mark 10:21-23; James 5:1-6)."
• Option 2: Righteousness through Adherence to the Law / Circumcision
• Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. thinking he could rely on his own adherence to the law to save him. This is self-deception. (By its very nature, it is also a prideful rejection of Christ’s sacrifice.) Gal 6:12-15 points out again that the Judaizers wanted to be able to boast in the circumcision of the Galatians. 
• But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. You think you can be justified through the law? Ok, test your own work. Look at it - not your works in comparison your neighbor, you will have to bear your own load. Trusting in your circumcision / adherence to the law in itself is self-deception based in pride. (Gal 6:3) When you stand before God on the last day, will you stand alone, hoping that your adherence to the Law will save you? But believers will not be alone on judgment day. Believers trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation, they have crucified their flesh with its desires, walk by the Spirit, and will from the Spirit be given eternal life.
• Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. sharing your resources with your spiritual teachers is a way to make a choice to walk in the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit: another way of doing good to everyone
• Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. If you trust in your ability to fulfill the law, that is what you will have to stand on. If you trust in Jesus, your justification hangs on Him.
• For the one who sows to his own flesh Sow to flesh = to trust in your own adherence to the law to save you 
• will from the flesh reap corruption = will reap death since your flesh is corrupt
• but the one who sows to the Spirit = Trust in Jesus' atonement and Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit: Love the Lord with all your heart... Love your neighbor.
• will from the Spirit reap eternal life. John 10:10. You are justified by Jesus and given new life in Him. You crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires. You live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit.
• Option 3: Hypocrites Living in Sin Deceive Themselves.
• Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. It is important to restore one caught in transgression - it cannot continue unchecked. If you think you are "saved" when you are openly gratifying the desires of the flesh, you are deceiving yourself. You do not worship the one you think you worship. You are on your way (or have already) rejected God.
• But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. We will be judged on the basis of our own faith, our own response to Jesus, our own submission to Him. Unlike the Judaizers who wanted to be able to boast in the circumcision and conversion of the Gentiles for the purpose of “thinking they were something” (v.3), Paul is clear here that each person will have to bear his own load - it comes down to our own faith and dependence on Christ’s atonement - we will not be able to point to works or numbers to justify ourselves (see Matthew 7:21-23). The Judaizers especially wanted to point to their converts as their works - which, incidentally was also against the law of Christ - the opposite of bearing one another’s burdens (v.2), since they added burdens to the Galatians. 
• Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. sharing your resources with your spiritual teachers is a way to make a choice to walk in the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit: another way of doing good to everyone
• Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Do not think you can continue to gratify the desires of the flesh, yet reap eternal life. When you refuse to walk in the Spirit, you reject the Spirit. Yes, (verse 1) Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin YOU MUST RESTORE HIM with gentleness. Gratifying the desires of the flesh is a symptom of having WALKED AWAY FROM THE SPIRIT.
• For the one who sows to his own flesh Sow to flesh = to gratify your sinful desires walking in high-handed sin.
• will from the flesh reap corruption = sin and death James 1:14-16
• but the one who sows to the Spirit = Trust in Jesus' atonement and Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit: Love the Lord with all your heart... Love your neighbor.
• will from the Spirit reap eternal life. John 10:10. You are justified by Jesus and given new life in Him. You crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires. You live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit.
• v10 Q: Is this really translated “household of faith” or “family of believers” because I wonder if this has to do with Verse 6. The Greek says oikeious tes pisteos which seems to be literally “to-know/knowledge the faith.” Part of me wonders if this might be talking about the teachers again?
• v11 "what large letters … with my own hand." Most people did not write letters the length of Galatians, or even short ones, but dictated them to scribes; often they wrote small to finish the task quickly or within the space left on the sheet of papyrus (which could be expensive). Paul, who may be unaccustomed to writing (some even suggest that artisan work in winter weakened his hands), cannot write small and quickly. Some documents also seem to have called attention to especially important points at their beginning or end by using large letters. Whatever the purpose of “large letters” here, the main point is that not a scribe but Paul himself writes this section, as the handwriting shows. Paul’s special effort expresses (as it often did in ancient letters) special affection and/or the special importance of what he writes.
• v13-14 "May I never boast except in the cross of … Christ." Ancients despised boasting for oneself, but boasting in another was acceptable. "cross." Crucifixion was a shameful death; people did not want to be associated with those executed on crosses. - CBSB
• v17 "bear on my body the marks of Jesus." People often displayed their wounds as signs of loyalty or to invite sympathy for their claims. Jesus was whipped and nailed to the cross (cf. Col 2:14), and Paul had also been persecuted (Gal 5:11) and presumably wounded (e.g., Ac 16:22). Sharing in the cross (v. 14; 2:20), Paul’s wounds run deeper than circumcision. - CBSB
• v18 "brothers and sisters." Jews called fellow Jews brothers and sisters; although various other groups (including religious groups) shared such kinship language, Paul’s conclusion of his letter to a mostly Gentile audience (cf. 4:8; 5:2–3) in this way may be significant in view of the preceding arguments (cf. 3:26).

Applications for Galatians 6:

• Gal 6:1 How do you respond when a believer is caught in a transgression? Are you willing to gently restore them, bearing their burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ? 
• Gal 6:6 Who teaches you the word? Are you willing to share all good things with those who teach you the word? Do you value their time and care? Is God highlighting a way you can “share all good things with the one who teaches?”
• Gal 6:8 Is there a way you are sowing to your flesh? In that situation, what does it look like to instead sow to the Spirit?
• Gal 6:8 What are some practical ways you are choosing to sow to the Spirit? Thank God for faithfully growing fruit from that.
• Gal 6:9 Are you growing weary of doing good in certain ways? Say a prayer now for God to help you to have hope and not give up. 
• Gal 6:12 Do you know an example of someone who adds to or changes the gospel in order to avoid persecution or in order to boast about their works?

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