V. 1

If a man should do something wrong, my brothers, on a sudden impulse, you who are endowed with the Spirit must set him right again very gently.  Look to yourself, each one of you: you may be tempted too.

The Message: If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments fior yourself.  You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out.

We have a responsibility to care for each other in the church.  This means more than physical and emotional care; it means keeping an eye on each other's spiritual development.  If a fellow Christian does the wrong thing or seems to be floundering in their faith, part of our caring is to gently and lovingly help that person to see what is wrong and to support them in putting it right.  We must do this in conjunction with the Spirit: we are representing the Spirit in this.

We must be wary, when attempting to correct a fellow Christian, that we are doing it in love and service, not in any attempt to make ourselves seem 'good'.  Our motives must be in accordance with God's love.

Drane J. Introducing the New Testament, p. 291: "Christians should beware of judging others.  They ought to recognise that they themselves could have no moral strength to do what was right, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit."

Quest Study Bible note, p. 1610: The temptaion is to become condescending: "You fell and I didn't."  If we take on a 'holier-than-thou' attitude, we fall into an equally offensive sin: pride.

V 2.
Help one another to carry those heavy loads (TEV & The Message: burdens), and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Quest Study Bible note, p. 1610: The word Paul uses for heavy loads, or burdens, means those that 'are too much for any one person to carry, an overwhelming weight.......Christians are required to compassionately assist those who are being crushedby life's unbearable sorrows or troubles.'

Helping each other at times when life seems just too difficult is one way to obey Christ's commands.  Jesus said we are to love one another in the same way as he loves us. He cares for each person's physical welfare, but more importantly, he is concerned with our relationship with him.  This is the commandment, or law, that Christ gave us, along with the commandment to love God first and foremost with our whole being. (see Matthew 22: 37 - 40) These commandments supercede all other laws.
( A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13: 34, 35 (NIV) Also see John 15: 17)

V 3.
For if a man imagines himself to be somebody, when he is nothing, he is deluding himself.

There is always a danger that, in helping others with their life burdens or in correcting another Christian who is on the wrong track, we will begin to think we are in some way superior.

V 4.
Each man should examine his own conduct for himself; then he can measure his achievement by comparing himself with himself and not with anyone else.

NIV:  Each one should test his own actions.  Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.

We are each of us to be responsible for our own Christian obedience, not for the obedience of others.  We need to watch our own behaviour, comparing our spiritual growth against ourselves, not comparing  (favourably or unfavourably) with others.

Quest Study Bible note, p. 1610.  Good pride is legitimate self-esteem, knowing that we have been created in God's image, are redeemed through Christ and are destined for heaven.  The only basis for this kind of pride is God's grace.  When we forget that, we are headed for illegitimate pride: a smug sense of our significance apart from God. (see Romans 12: 3)

Some Christians, unfortunately, have been seen to be self-righteous, keeping themselves apart from those they consider less spiritual or more sinful than they.  It is not our job to judge another person's state of righteousness before God.  It is ours to help each other, in love, to grow in our faith, no matter what the outward appearance or behaviour may seem to us.  We also must be willing to accept help from other Christians in our own spiritual growth.

V 5.
For everyone has his own proper burden ( TEV, NIV: load) to bear.

Quest Study Bible note, p. 1610: Load means a cargo that is manageable. .........each of us is  expected to handle responsibilities within our limits.

In being prepared to help others, we must not, out of self pride, attempt to take over their load. Our task is to help others live their Christian life in a way that is right for them - maybe different from the way we should live ours.  It is not our responsibility to tell others how to live, but to support them in living out their faith in their own way.

V 6.
When anyone is under instruction in the faith, he should give his teacher a share of all good things he has.

Paul reminds the Galatians of their responsibility to make sure that the needs of those who teach and support them spiritually are met.  In today's church, we must together provide support for those who spend their time and talents in Christian work; those who have no other means of earning a living because they use their time to support and teach us.  This kind of sharing is 'an example of what it measn to live by the Spirit'. (Quest Study Bible note)

Vs 7 - 9
Make no mistake about this: God is not to be fooled (NIV: mocked); a man reaps what he sows. If he sows seed in the field of his lower nature, he will reap from it a harvest of corruption, but if he sows in the field of the Spirit, the Spirit will bring him a harvest of eternal life. So let us never tire of doing good, for if we do not slacken our efforts we shall in due time reap our harvest.

New Bible Commentary, p. 1220: Stinginess in our giving, financial or otherwise, is like mocking God.  But in fact, God cannot be mocked, and if we devote our resources to satisfy the sinful nature rather than the Spirit, we will receive what is due to us. (cf  2 Corinthians 9: 6.  Remember: sparse sowing, sparse reaping; sow bountifully, and you will reap bountifully)

Drane, J. Introduction to the New Testament. p.291: In order to reap the harvest of eternal life, they must sow not to the flesh - their own self-gratification - but to the Spirit - their new life given by Jesus Christ.

The principle of 'reaping' what we 'sow' is one of natural consequences - a natural as well as a spiritual law, both coming from God.  Although we do not need to do the right thing to gain God's approval - we already have that when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord - we do know that because he loves us and wants what is best for us, he wants us to 'reap' good things in life.  For this reason he is pleased when we give generously of our time and efforts for others.

V 10.
Therefore, as opportunity offers, let us work for the good of all, especially members of the household of faith.

While we are asked to be available to care for other people whether Christian or not, our first 'duty' is to make sure that the needs of our Christian brothers and sisters are being met.

V 11.
You see these big letters?  I am now writing to you in my own hand.

What Paul wanted to say next to the Galatian Christians was so important, he wrote it himself, rather than dictating it to the scribe who wrote his letters.

Vs 12, 13
It is all those who want to make a fair outward and bodily show who are trying to force circumcision on you; their sole object is to escape persecution for the cross of Christ. For even those who do receive circumcision are not thoroughgoing observers of the law; they only want you to be circumcised in order to boast of your having submitted to that outward rite.

Paul made the point that the people who were wanting the young Galatian Christians to conform to Jewish law and practices were not doing so out of real concern for them, but to further their own cause in the eyes of the Jewish leaders.   They were asking the Galatians to commit themselves to keeping Jewish law, which they were unable to keep properly themselves.

When we are trying to help other Christians, we must be careful that we are not simply imposing rules and regulations on them which we can't even keep ourselves.  Christianity is not a matter of keeping rules or living a 'good' life: it is living our lives in a personal relationship with God. That is what we should encourage others to do as well.

V 14.
But God forbid that I should boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me and I to the world!

We must never focus on scoring 'points ' with other Christians by trying to appear more 'good' or more 'spiritual' than we really are.  The only thing we should focus on is what Jesus has done for us through the cross.  Being a Christian is not a points-scoring exercise - either with God or with other people.

V 15.
Circumcision is nothing; uncircumcision is nothing; the only thing that counts is new creation!

New Bible Commentary, p. 1220.  .....this principle of the new creation (or faith working through love is the true rule by which we should walk.

Any rules other than those commands given by Jesus are irrelevant to what is really important: our relationship with God through Christ.

V 16.
Whoever they are who take this principle for their guide, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the whole Israel of God.

Quest Study Bible note, p.1611: The Israel of God - includes those who by faith have received eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Everyone who remembers what is really important in their Christian life, who does not allow themselves to be sidetracked by rules imposed by others, and who lives according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will experience God's peace and mercy.  What a wonderful gift!