Barry
07-07-2008, 08:10 AM
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,
{The fault in question is a developing or redeveloping confidence in the "elements of the world" and the influence that such had as the Judaizers had begun to infiltrate the churches. That being then an influence toward self righteousness. The "elements of the world" (Gal. 4:3,9) in Chapter 4 and also in Colossians (Col. 2:8,20 also translated "rudiments") are contextually well indicated.
Galatians 4:
"under the elements of the world" - "made of a woman, made under the law"
"turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements" - "days, and months, and times, and years"
"And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not" - IE. A circumcised Hebrew that very easily could have confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:4-6, see also Gal. 2:15).
"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law"
Colossians 2:
"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands"
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances"
"in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath"
"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels" - "worship of angels" is facetious or sarcastic for placing self righteousness through the law, above confidence in Christ (see Hebrews 1:4-8, 14-13, 2:2-3, 2:4). Hence a return to the "elements of the world" was a "worshiping of angles" as opposed to a worshiping and following of the Christ.
So Paul's "elements of the world" is not earth wind and fire but the old covenant cosmos.
The context of what is meant by a "fault" is evident throughout this epistle and is evident in 6:3 "if a man think himself to be something".
And example of such a "fault is given in 2:11:
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed"}
ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
{The meaning of being "tempted" is to be tempted to "think himself to be something, when he is nothing". An example of this is given in 2:13, "insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation".}
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
{To bear another's burdens was to understand one another's "temptations" to have confidence "in the flesh" that being through the law.
Examples:
Gal. 2:14-21
James 5:16-20 ("confess your faults" is equivalent to confess your temptations to have confidence in the flesh through the law, thus NKJV: "if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back".
Jude 21-25
Such then was done in love and was then a fulfilling of the law of Christ.}
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
{The proving of one's own work is akin to the keeping of some ordinances for conscience sake but to themselves.}
Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
{If you are going to burden yourself with the observing of ordanances you bear such upon yourself. For conscience sake such did not nullify one's "reward" in other matters of faith as Christ is able to make one stand, but such "work" was itself burned up in the end of the age (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
We do need to keep in mind that he is predominantly addressing Gentiles here. And so Gentiles need not keep ordinances for conscience sake.}
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
{Support your teachers if they teach the gospel and not "another gospel" (Gal. 1:7-9.}
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
{If you sow to "another gospel" then that is what you reap.}
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
{If you have confidence that you are something when you are nothing as a self defined person through the works of the law then in the self defined ego status you come to nothing in the end of the age.}
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
{"Doing well" here is pitted against the confidence of the flesh through the law.}
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
{IE. Share the gospel of Christ, love one another.}
Gal 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
{IE. I hope and pray that you understand the true gravity of what I'm writing so much about as I think it should be quite clear to you when you read it}
Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh,
{The Judaizers}
they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
{If they taught the gospel of Christ instead of confidence in the flesh they would be persecuted for it. The issue of peer pressure is enormous as we saw with Peter and Barnabas if Gal. 2:12-14.}
Gal 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
{No one actually keeps the law (Gal. 2:16). In making converts of you they do glory then in your confidence in the flesh.}
Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
{The world being the old covenant cosmos.}
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
{Don't anyone bother trying to convert me to a confidence in the flesh as my body bears the scars of persecution for spreading the gospel.}
Gal 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit. Amen.
{IE. I love you in divine love.}
Barry
{The fault in question is a developing or redeveloping confidence in the "elements of the world" and the influence that such had as the Judaizers had begun to infiltrate the churches. That being then an influence toward self righteousness. The "elements of the world" (Gal. 4:3,9) in Chapter 4 and also in Colossians (Col. 2:8,20 also translated "rudiments") are contextually well indicated.
Galatians 4:
"under the elements of the world" - "made of a woman, made under the law"
"turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements" - "days, and months, and times, and years"
"And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not" - IE. A circumcised Hebrew that very easily could have confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:4-6, see also Gal. 2:15).
"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law"
Colossians 2:
"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands"
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances"
"in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath"
"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels" - "worship of angels" is facetious or sarcastic for placing self righteousness through the law, above confidence in Christ (see Hebrews 1:4-8, 14-13, 2:2-3, 2:4). Hence a return to the "elements of the world" was a "worshiping of angles" as opposed to a worshiping and following of the Christ.
So Paul's "elements of the world" is not earth wind and fire but the old covenant cosmos.
The context of what is meant by a "fault" is evident throughout this epistle and is evident in 6:3 "if a man think himself to be something".
And example of such a "fault is given in 2:11:
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed"}
ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
{The meaning of being "tempted" is to be tempted to "think himself to be something, when he is nothing". An example of this is given in 2:13, "insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation".}
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
{To bear another's burdens was to understand one another's "temptations" to have confidence "in the flesh" that being through the law.
Examples:
Gal. 2:14-21
James 5:16-20 ("confess your faults" is equivalent to confess your temptations to have confidence in the flesh through the law, thus NKJV: "if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back".
Jude 21-25
Such then was done in love and was then a fulfilling of the law of Christ.}
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
{The proving of one's own work is akin to the keeping of some ordinances for conscience sake but to themselves.}
Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
{If you are going to burden yourself with the observing of ordanances you bear such upon yourself. For conscience sake such did not nullify one's "reward" in other matters of faith as Christ is able to make one stand, but such "work" was itself burned up in the end of the age (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
We do need to keep in mind that he is predominantly addressing Gentiles here. And so Gentiles need not keep ordinances for conscience sake.}
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
{Support your teachers if they teach the gospel and not "another gospel" (Gal. 1:7-9.}
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
{If you sow to "another gospel" then that is what you reap.}
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
{If you have confidence that you are something when you are nothing as a self defined person through the works of the law then in the self defined ego status you come to nothing in the end of the age.}
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
{"Doing well" here is pitted against the confidence of the flesh through the law.}
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
{IE. Share the gospel of Christ, love one another.}
Gal 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
{IE. I hope and pray that you understand the true gravity of what I'm writing so much about as I think it should be quite clear to you when you read it}
Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh,
{The Judaizers}
they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
{If they taught the gospel of Christ instead of confidence in the flesh they would be persecuted for it. The issue of peer pressure is enormous as we saw with Peter and Barnabas if Gal. 2:12-14.}
Gal 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
{No one actually keeps the law (Gal. 2:16). In making converts of you they do glory then in your confidence in the flesh.}
Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
{The world being the old covenant cosmos.}
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
{Don't anyone bother trying to convert me to a confidence in the flesh as my body bears the scars of persecution for spreading the gospel.}
Gal 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit. Amen.
{IE. I love you in divine love.}
Barry