Galatians 6:6-18

Galatians 6:6
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
 
Acts 2:42
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles 'doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
 
 

I placed these two verses here for comparison, specifically, for the consideration of the words communicate and fellowship. Both of these words, come from a common root, and the foundational meaning in both passages is communion or fellowship.
 
Therefore, if we stay true to the text, Paul is encouraging the spiritually mature Christians in Galatia to maintain fellowship with their instructors in the truth. In addition, fellowship with the Judaizers must be broken.
 
 

Galatians 6:7, 8
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 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.
 
 

You can rest assured that if you allow yourself to sit under the teachings of false doctrine, there will be spiritually negative results. For those that have not been following along with us, clarification is in order.
 
The Judaizers were instructing the Galatians to add Law, specifically, circumcision to their faith. While modern day preachers do not suggest circumcision be added, rest assured that false doctrine is alive and well in the modern church. Furthermore, the preachers that have the most exposure teach the pastors who stand behind pulpits in small town America. From the TV, to the pulpit, the people are instructed in a false gospel that leads to failure rather than freedom.
 
The people are led to trust in another Jesus, a Jesus that winks at sin, a Jesus that is more concerned about your finances than your faithfulness, and a Jesus that gives grace based on your performance rather than your faith in His sacrifice.
 
Paul is instructing them and us to not be deceived. God will not be mocked. The context of this passage is that if you sit under false teaching and allow seeds of a destructive gospel to be planted in the soil of your heart, the result will be a harvest of failure, a fleshly Christian life, which lacks the testimony of Jesus.
 

Galatians 6:9-10
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
 
 

The idea of the word weary in this verse was used in these times to describe the condition of a person who was exhausted, and even dehydrated from working in the field, worn out from reaping the harvest. The exhortation is don't grow weary child of God! Don't give up working the harvest! Souls are hanging in the balance, every day they are slipping away! God has given us a harvest to reap. He has placed you in a certain place, amongst certain people, and there is no one else to reap your portion of the field- it is your portion to reap.
 
John 4:35
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
 
Matthew 9:37
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few;
 
If you don't labor, if I don't labor, who will labor?
 
 

Galatians 6:11-12
Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. 12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
 
 

By writing a portion of the letter in his own hand writing, it was like Paul was providing a signature for proof. He states that the Judaizers were constraining the Galatians. The word constrain means to compel through threats. Essentially, the Judaizers were threatening the  Galatian Christians out of their position in Christ and into a false gospel. Paul goes on to point out that the Judaizers are compelling you to be circumcised because they are scared to be persecuted for the cross.
 
You see you have to understand that the early church was made up of Jewish Christians, and as the New Testament Gospel became clearer, it was becoming more obvious that the old ways of Judaism would have to be rejected. It is important that we understand that this was a painful process for these Jerusalem Christians, resulting in persecution, disowned by family, finances lost, ridiculed and ostracized by the establishment.
 
Much of this is happening today. Many in the church refuse to take a stand for the truth, refusing to take a stand against sin, refusing to preach the cross and the shed blood of Jesus as the only way to gain access to the presence of God.
 
So the Judaizers are scared to take a stand and be persecuted. But look what Paul says about himself in verse 17
 
 

Galatians 6:17
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
 
 

How do you scare a man like this? He has already been beaten, whipped, imprisoned, and stoned; yet, he preaches. He preaches, corrects, and rebukes. Even when it is not what is popular, even when it is not conducive with the health of his body, he stands for Jesus, and he does what is best for the precious bride. Jesus loves His bride church, and He doesn't appreciate it when people lie to her and send her in the wrong direction, a direction that brings her away from Him.
 
 

Galatians 6:13-15
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 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. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
 
 

Man cannot keep the Law. No one knows this better than Paul. We have already discussed this in detail on more than one occasion. These false prophets are compelling the Galatians to be circumcised in order to be “right” with God, but Paul is no fool. He knows they are living fleshly lives themselves. The only desire they have is to brag to others about the "work" they have done, "Yeah, we went down there to Galatia where Paul was teaching only Jesus, and we convinced them to be circumcised. Look, here's the numbers. Read them and weep look how many we brought in."
 
It seems as though, they were bragging over numbers, and the same garbage is going on today.
 
But Paul says that he only glories in one thing and that one thing is the cross of Christ because the goal of the Gospel is not circumcision or uncircumcision; instead, the true Gospel results in a new creation.
 
 

Galatians 6:16
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
 
 

The word rule here is Kanon and describes a straight rod, which is connected to something for the purpose of keeping it straight, a plumb line, a tool used to measure something else up against. Paul is saying that if any man or woman will order their lives and their doctrine according to this straight line, a new creation in Christ, then they are walking the straight and narrow. Furthermore, the person who lives their lives according to this rule, peace will be on their lives.
 
Since we already covered verse 17, we will go ahead and go to:
 
 

Galatians 6:18
Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
To [the Galatians written from Rome.]
 
 

This is what we need saints; we desperately need the grace of Jesus to be with our spirits, and the grace of Jesus operates in the spirits of those who are new creations.