Because I Say So...Not (Galatians 6:1-5)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 6:1-5

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. 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.

COMMENT

So on the surface, it seems as though Paul is now preaching a type of law based Christianity. But in light of everything he has said prior to this, that does not make sense. I think the critical understanding here comes from how you interpret the word transgression, and who is doing the determining of what a transgression is. I note that Paul says that those who are spiritual should be doing the restoration, so I assume they are also doing the determination of what is a transgression. The ones who are spiritual are those who are led by the Spirit, and not under the law. But just because there is no law against something does not mean that all things are beneficial, and they would know this. So their determination would not be based upon a set criteria or set of rules, but rather on what is most beneficial for the individual involved and the cause of Christ. The danger here is that some who think they are spiritual will also think that they have the authority to tell others what to do. I think this is unavoidable. This is why Paul tells them to keep watch. Not, perhaps that they will be drawn into the sin of the one caught in transgression, but rather that they will get a big fat head seeing themselves as spiritual and able to tell others what to do. Look at the words that follow: Bear one another's burdens (put yourself in the place of the one whom you are trying to restore), and if you think you are something when you are nothing (big head syndrome), you are fooling yourself! Now when he says that each will have to bear his own load, he is not contradicting what he just said, he is simply stating that if you seek to take the roll of helping someone, you had best do it correctly, not in a burdensome way (legalistic), for that is a load that each must bear on their own.