Lesson 77 December 8,
2002
Review:
5:26 Some
unfinished business with the Galatians,
some not walking by the Spirit
Let us not become boastful,
boastful, keno,doxoj speaks
of groundless or baseless conceit; a
form or boastful arrogance; it describes
one who talks big but its empty hot air, nothing to support it.
challenging one another, prokale,w to
call before; challenge (to combat or athletic contest), therefore to provoke, or irritate one another (of the same kind)
envying one another. fqone,w Verb that
describes the action of desiring what someone else has; [had the noun back in vs:21]
Summary 5:26
1. These
three characteristics are pertinent areas of concern in any local church where
there is a challenge to accurately teaching the Word of truth by any
form of legalism or works performance system.
2. All
three of these categories, boastful,
challenging, and envying, are driven by
self-centeredness.
3. This
focus on being self centered violates the principle of being motivated so that all that we do is to be done for the
glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31
4.
Boastfulness compares yourself with yourself instead of with God and His
standard. 2 Cor 10:11-13 (principle)
5. Envying
others often happens when you have compared yourself with someone else and
found yourself lacking.
6. Paul's
point is your freedom is being hindered by the deeds of the flesh or by being
enslaved to any external law system.
7. Paul has
given in the context the solution to these sins as well as those in vs:19-21;
#1 keep on walking by the Spirit 5:16
#2 being led by the Spirit 5:18
#3 to live by the Spirit walking in harmony
with the Spirit 5:25
Galatians Chapter
6
Putting to the test
the reality of the Fruit of the Spirit
The Examples given for fruit applied:
1. Toward
the believer who abuses his freedom in Christ
6:1
2. Toward
the fellow believer with a heavy burden
6:2-5
3. Toward the Pastor-Teacher 6:6-9
4. Toward all believers in general 6:10
1. Toward
the believer who abuses his freedom in Christ
6:1
Paul establishes here a hypothetical
situation, this could happen and if it does here's how to deal with the
individual.
Brethren,
even if anyone is caught in any trespass,
The
question is this, is this statement saying that this person was overtaken or
surprised by the transgression/sin [with the implication he didn't know he
sinned]
Or
is Paul saying that this one was surprised or detected in a transgression/sin,
in other words caught in the very act, red handed.
you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness;
Who is he referring to here as the spiritual?
The
command
Key word is restore katarti,zw basic put in order, restore to a former
condition, mend, repair
And he
says the manner in which we are to
go about this process of restoration.
In a spirit
of gentleness
- The one who is commanded to restore the one
who is abusing his freedom through continual enslavement to some sin, is to be
motivated to ensure the spiritual welfare of the individual.