Galatians 6

Galatians 6:1

¹⁴ kindness, χρηστέτης. ¹⁵ continence, ἐγκράτεια. ¹⁶ the law is not against such, κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστι νόμος. ¹⁷ by the Spirit, πνεύματι. ¹⁸ by. ¹ though, ἐὰν καὶ. ² surprised, προληφθῇ.

[a] spiritual] What is meant by οἱ πνευματικοί, the spiritual here, may appear by what hath been said of the word πνεῦμα, spirit, note [d] on Luke ix, which signifies not only the Spirit of God, whereby men are reformed, and the deeds of the flesh (in the precedent chapter) mortified, but also the χαρίσματα, the powers and gifts, which were bestowed on men in the church, in order to ministerial functions or offices there. And that πνευματικοί, spiritual, are here thus to be understood in proportion to and by analogy with these, may be guessed by the severals which here follow: 1st, the πνεῦμα πραότητα, spirit of meekness, which these spiritual men are to use. This clearly belongs to the power of the keys, vested in the governors of the church, and is therefore set opposite to ράβδος, the rod, 1 Cor. iv. 21, where, as coming with the rod evidently signifies proceeding to discipline, to censures of excommunication, so coming in the spirit of meekness, (and ἐν πραότητα παιδεύων, disciplining in meekness, 2 Tim. ii. 24,) is admonishing those meekly that have offended, (and to whom that method of fraternal reprehension is first necessary,) as perhaps also admitting to repentance and absolution those that have reformed upon the infliction of the censures. And accordingly this spirit of meekness here is this milder part of the apostolical office, which is to precede the more severe, (and to prevent it if it be possible): 1st, admonitions and reprehension, which if they prevail, there is no need of proceeding any further; and, 2dly, an easy admission to penitence, (in case the censures have passed upon him,) without proceeding to any higher degree of censures, as in case of obstinacy might be seasonable. To this second the word καταρτίζειν may incline, which we render restore, but signifies properly to put in joint any member of a body which is dislocated, and so it fitly belongs to the restoring an excommunicate person to the society and peace of the church; but yet not only so, but signifies also to recover the offender to a sense and reformation, be it by admonition, reprehension, or any such milder means; see note [e] on 2 Cor. xiii. And the doing of this being proper to the governors of the church, it follows, that these be here meant by the spiritual.

Galatians 6:2

Ease one another as much as ye can, as in a building every stone assists the next, helps to bear the weight that lies upon it, and contributes its part to the support of the whole fabric, &c.; and lay not weight on one another by censuring and aggravating of other men’s crimes: for so charity requires, which is the sum of the law, ch. v. 14.

Galatians 6:3

And, because of the assuming, haughty Gnostics among you, I shall add, that if any man think highly of himself above other men, that man, first, is nothing, his opiniating is an argument of it; and besides, secondly, he brings danger upon his own soul by this error, falls into censuring and contemning of others, and into many dangerous sins by that means, and so cheats himself and persuades no man else, but becomes ridiculous by his vanity.

Galatians 6:4

But let every man so prove and examine his own actions as to approve them to his own conscience and to God, (see note [f] Rom. ii,) and then he shall take comfort in looking on himself absolutely, (and not only in comparison with others whom he judgeth to be inferior to him,) and discerning how he is a better Christian to-day than he was yesterday.

Galatians 6:5

For you shall answer for no man’s sins but your own, and therefore need not busy yourselves about other men’s actions, but only your own.

Galatians 6:6

He that receiveth the benefit of spiritual instruction from another, ought to be very liberal and communicative of all that he hath to that person’s wants.

Galatians 6:7

And in this, as in all other acts of charity, especially of piety toward those that are employed by God, let a man resolve, that as he deals with God so shall God deal with him; as a man’s course of life is, so shall he speed at God’s tribunal.

Galatians 6:8

For as he that makes provision, and lays out all his care and wealth, for the feeding his own carnal desires, shall thereby bring loss and ruin to himself; so he that liveth according to the gospel rule of liberality and charity to others, ver. 6, and lays himself

Galatians 6:9

And in duties of charity, &c., which have promises annexed to them, let us not be discouraged, though we meet not presently with our reward: for as if we fall off we shall lose all our reward, even for that which we have hitherto laboured; so if we hold out constantly we shall be sure to have our reward in that season which God sees fittest for us, whether in this life or another.

Galatians 6:10

This is sufficient matter of encouragement to us, to make use of those abilities that God hath or shall give us, and accordingly to express our liberality and beneficence to all men, but especially to those that are of the family of the gospel, and take pains continually in the work of the Lord (in apostleship, &c.), and whose lot is the Lord, who preaching the gospel are to live by it in all reason: see ver. 6.

Galatians 6:11

[b] how large a letter] What πηλίκοις γράμμασι signifies, Theophylact hath expressed his opinion. St. Paul, saith he, was accused to preach in other places for the observation of the Mosaical law, contrary to what this Epistle contains. This forced him to testify, what here he saith, under his own hand, that he did nowhere preach for the law, ch. v. 2, and ch. vi. 14. And therefore, whereas his other Epistles were oft written by an amanuensis, and only the salutation with his own hand, yet here, saith he, he was forced to write all himself, and that, as he will conjecture, though he was “not very well skilled in writing,” μὴ εἰδὼς ἄριστα γράφειν, saith he: and this, as he thinks, is noted by πηλίκοις γράμμασιν. πηλίκος is by Hesychius rendered οἶος, ὁποῖος, ποταπὸς, not how long, or how great, but of what manner, what sort, noting the quality rather than quantity. And γράμματα are letters, meaning the letters of the alphabet, and not so properly an epis’le. And accordingly, saith Theophylact, πηλίκοις, οὐ μεγέθους ἐστι δηλωτικὸν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀμορφίας τῶν γραμμάτων, “it is not to denote the length or magnitude, but the deformity of the letters or characters,” in which this

HAMMOND ANNOTT. VOL. II.

Galatians 6:12

They that desire to appear Jews, and comply with them, and not to be persecuted by them, (for the Jews out of zeal to their law did then persecute the Christians,) will needs have you circumcised, that by that means they seeming earnest for Judaism (not Christianism) may escape persecution from the Jews: (see note [b] Rev. ii.)

Galatians 6:13

This, it is clear, is the ground of their practice, and not any conscientious persuasion of the obligingness of the law; for they do not themselves observe the law in other things, perhaps not in that of circumcision (see note [e] Rev. ii.); but that they may make a fair show that way, by being able to say that they have made you observe the Judaical law, they force you to be circumcised, &c.

Galatians 6:14

Such compliances and such boastings as these God forbid that I should ever make use of, or of any other, but only that one matter of true boasting and rejoicing in my sufferings for Christ, in my constancy to the Christian religion and discipleship, by which the pleasures and honour and riches of the world are become lifeless and untempting to me, and I in like manner lifeless, mortified to the world; and therefore, as I profess not to be wrought on by those motives with which your Judaizing false teachers are moved, so I would not have you cheated by them.