Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Galatians 6

The first situation is one that, more than any other, reveals the real character and spiritual maturity of a believer. Paul imagines a hypothetical situation— which is, however, not at all infrequent—in which one believer unexpectedly learns that another believer is trapped in some sin. What should one do? Does love mean that one should overlook the sin and refuse to face the facts? Or should one expose the sin openly and so gain a reputation for superior holiness? To Paul, a Spirit-led person should not proceed in either of these ways; he then goes on to describe the proper course of action.

First, Christians should restore the person who has fallen into sin. The verb used here is a medical term used for setting a fractured bone; what is wrong in the life of the fallen Christian must be set straight. It is not to be neglected or exposed openly.

Second, the work of restoration must be done by those who are “spiritual” (GK 4461). This word cuts two ways. It is obviously related to Paul’s use of it at the end of ch. 5, as if to say, “Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual instead of a carnal Christian? Well, then, here is a good test. Restoring an erring Christian is exactly the kind of thing that spiritual Christians do.” But Paul is also reminding his readers that only those who are genuinely led by the Spirit have the maturity to deal with sin in others. Every Christian should desire such maturity.

Third, the restoration should be made “gently” (cf. 5:22), being aware that no one is immune to temptation and that everyone can fall. Such an attitude avoids unkind gossip, prevents more serious backsliding, advances the good of the Church, and glorifies the name of Christ.

The second practical example of spirituality is the bearing of one another’s burdens. Paul refers to helping other Christians—sharing their load—whenever temptations oppress them or life depresses them. Here Paul deliberately returns to the thought of love being the fulfillment of the law, for the “law of Christ” is the new commandment fulfilled in part by such actions. The burdens we do impose on ourselves should be the burdens of mutual sympathy.

Two errors might keep believers from fulfilling this role of mutual sympathy. The first is conceit, i.e., Christians thinking themselves to be more important than they are. The implication seems to be that if Christians neglect or refuse to bear another’s burdens, it is because they think themselves above it. But this is to be self-deceived, for, measured by God’s standards, no one amounts to anything. A positive statement of the same principle occurs in Ro 12:3.

The second error that might keep believers from bearing the burdens of another Christian is to be always comparing themselves and their own works with others. This can be harmful both in a positive sense (“I am doing better than they are”) and in a negative sense (“I am unable to do anything; everyone else is much better”). To counter both these forms of the error, Paul suggests that each believer has a task from the Lord and is responsible only to the Lord for doing it. To use others as a norm for one’s activities is a kind of escape. When Christians have their eyes on God rather than on other Christians, then in their own eyes they will at best be unprofitable servants and God himself will receive glory (2 Corinthians 10:12–18).

In other words, the duty of each Christian is to carry his or her own load. There is no contradiction between this verse and v.2, for different words are used for what one is to bear. The word in v.2 (GK 983) means “heavy burdens”—those that are more than one person should carry. The word in this verse (GK 5845) denotes a person’s “pack.” Each Christian has his or her own work to do, so let each one take pride in how they do it.