Galatians 6
1 Brothers, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.
My fellow believers, if [you] discover that a person [among your congregation] is sinning, [those of] you whom [God’s] Spirit [is directing and empowering] should gently correct that person. [Furthermore, each of] you [who corrects another person should] be very cautious in order that you might not [sin like that when] you are tempted {[when something] tempts you}.
2 Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
[When there are ones who have] problems, you should help each other. By doing that, you will complete what Christ requires.
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Keep in mind that those who [refuse to help others because they think that they are more important than other people, although they are] not really more important, are deceiving themselves.
4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Instead, each [of you] should [constantly] test/judge [and decide if you can approve what you yourself are doing and thinking]. Then you can boast because of what you yourself [are doing and thinking], and not because what you are doing is superior to what other persons [are doing].
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Keep in mind that you must each perform your own [individual] tasks.
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things.
[You] who are being taught {whom others are teaching} [God’s truth] should share your various [material] things [EUP] with your teachers.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
You should not deceive yourselves. [Remember that] God is never outwitted {no one ever fools God}. [Just like] a farmer will reap exactly the kind [of crop that] he plants [MET], [God will reward people according to what they have done] [MET].
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (aiōnios g166)
[God] will punish eternally those who do what their self-directed natures urge them to do. But those who please [God’s] Spirit will live forever [with God] because of what [God’s] Spirit does for them. (aiōnios g166)
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
But we should not (tire of/become discouraged while) doing what pleases God, because [eventually], at the time [that God] has determined, we will receive a reward [MET], if we do not stop [doing the good things that we have been doing].
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.
So, whenever we have opportunities, we should do [what is] good to all people. But especially we should do what is good to all our fellow believers.
11 You see how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
I am now writing this last part of this letter to you in my own handwriting. Notice the large letters with which I am now writing. I am doing this in order that I might emphasize this:
12 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Some Jewish believers are trying to force you to perform certain rituals so that other Jews will think highly of them. They are insisting that you be circumcised {that someone must circumcise you}. They are doing that only in order that other Jews would no longer (persecute them/cause them to suffer) for proclaiming that God will save us because of our trusting in what Christ accomplished when he died on the cross [MTY, MET].
13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
The reason that I say that is that the ones who are insisting that you be circumcised {that someone circumcise you} do not themselves fully obey the laws that God gave to Moses. Instead, they desire that you let someone circumcise you in order that they might boast to those Jews who would (persecute them/cause them to suffer) that you did that because they insisted [MTY] that you do it.
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
I myself, however, strongly desire that I never boast about anything like that. The only thing I will boast about is what our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished by dying on the cross [MTY]. Because of what Christ did on the cross, I no longer am interested in the things that those who do not trust Christ [MTY] think are important, and those people are no longer interested in the things that I [MET] think are important.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
I will boast about Christ dying on the cross because God is concerned neither that people are circumcised nor that people are not circumcised. Instead, he is concerned only that people conduct their lives in a completely new way.
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
I pray that God will give inner peace and act kindly towards all who will act according to this new way of life. It is all those who live according to this new way of life who are now truly God’s people [MET], as the Israeli people were God’s people previously.
17 From now on let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Finally, I say that people have persecuted me/caused me to suffer for declaring the truth about Jesus, and as a result I have scars on my body. Your new teachers do not have scars like mine! So do not trouble/bother me about these matters again!
18 Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
My fellow believers, I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will kindly accomplish what he desires within you. (Amen!/May it be so!)
