Galatians | 1:1-12 | 1:13-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-21 | 3:1-9 | 3:10-29 | 4:1-11 | 4:12-20 | 4 :21-31 | 5:1-15 | 5:16-26 | 6 | PDF |
These small group studies of Galatians 6 contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Galatians 6 Bible Study Guide – Bear One Another’s Burdens
Outline
I. Our relationship with other believers (1-6)
II. Do good to all (7-10)
III. Jesus and the cross are central to our faith (11-18)
I. Our relationship with other believers (1-6)
Discussion Questions
• What does Paul mean in verse 1 when he says, “you who are spiritual”?
• What attitude should they have when correcting others?
• What is the goal of confronting brothers and sisters in their sin?
• What must we be careful of when we do it?
• How can you bear others’ burdens?
• What law is this fulfilling?
• What does verse 3 mean? Are we something or nothing? Explain your answer.
• Do we have a reason for boasting? What does Paul mean in verse 4?
• How can we bear our own load?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The main theme of the book of Galatians is that we are justified by faith, not by the works of the law. But many opponents of Paul and proponents of the law would argue that those not under the Old Testament law would give in to the impulses of sin so that “grace could abound.”
In the last chapter and a half of Galatians, Paul emphasizes the type of life Christians under grace are to live. Being under grace does not mean that we can sin as we like. Instead, it means that the Spirit leads us. He transforms us from the inside out. In this chapter, Paul continues to answer the implied question, “What should a Christian do if he is not under the law?”
2. Restore the sinner – Paul clarifies that though we are under grace, it does not mean we should tolerate sin. It is not only Paul’s responsibility but each believer’s responsibility to confront the sin they see in other believers. In this verse, we see several principles for confronting others with their sin:
• If anyone is caught in any trespass – This book is written to believers, so it would seem natural to interpret “anyone” as “any believer.” When unbelievers are sinning, we preach the gospel to them. When a believer sins, we confront that sin. The word “caught” also indicates that the person is “stuck” in the sin. It may not be just a passing one-time mistake but a habit or temptation that has ensnared them.
• You who are spiritual – To begin with, this means it is not just the responsibility of leaders to confront sin in other believers. Each believer, intent on obeying God, has this responsibility. If you see a sin problem, talk to that person directly. Don’t just passively wait for a leader to notice or do something about it. What does the “one who is spiritual” mean? Spiritual can have a broad meaning of someone who is a believer who seeks to obey God. Note that being spiritual does not equal perfection. A spiritual person is a believer who has the Spirit of God and can therefore understand and evaluate spiritual things.
• Restore – Pay careful attention to this word! The goal of confrontation is not to make the person feel bad. It is not to make yourself feel good, nor is it to show off your knowledge. The purpose of confrontation is not to vent your anger or frustration. It is not to express your annoyance. The aim is to restore the person to a good relationship with God (James 5:19-20). This should be your one guiding motivation.
• A spirit of gentleness – This is a key reminder that your attitude, tone of words, volume of speech, facial expressions, and gestures are all important. You are not to yell. You are not to lose your temper. Your goal is not to shame the person but to restore them. You should feel compassion for the person. Use tender, kind words.
• Each of you looking to yourself, so that you will not be tempted – When you are called to correct/restore others, make sure you do so in a spirit of humility. Evaluate yourself and your attitude to ensure you have the right motivations and are not acting as a hypocrite. Do not be like a police officer who goes around forcing other people to follow traffic laws while disregarding them yourself.
Group Activity: Here is something a bit different to try, which should be fun and beneficial. The goal is that you will have a visible picture of the difference between correcting someone with gentleness and correcting them with anger/annoyance/frustration. Split into two groups. Give each group 5-10 minutes.
Group 1 needs to come up with and enact a simple skit. Come up with a scenario where one of you has been caught in sin. One or more of you need to confront this person about his sin. Do it but with anger/frustration/annoyance and incorrect motives. Group 2 needs to do the same thing, but this time correct the person with gentleness, applying the principles we learned in this passage.
Reflection: What did you learn from this exercise? What did you see that should be avoided? What were some good examples that you can apply when you need to correct others? Which type of correction is more effective? Why?
3. Bear one another burdens –
This verse ties in with verse 1. We are not a group of individuals following after God completely by ourselves. We are part of a group, part of a family. A family should help each other.
What kind of burdens might this refer to? How specifically can you bear them for each other?
Based on the context, one way of bearing others’ burdens is to gently restore those caught in sin. Beyond that, it means helping and supporting each other. The word “bear” means to carry the weight or the load. Stresses, worries, health problems, and spiritual struggles are all types of weights that we bear.
By listening to others with attentive and compassionate ears, we can help to release the weight of the load. Besides listening, we can pray, counsel, or serve. If someone is sick, we can make a meal for them. If someone is sad, we can take them out to eat. If someone is stressed, we can invite them over for prayer, dessert, and games. If someone is lonely, we can give them a gift. To do these things, we need to have relationships with other believers. We also need to be observant and sensitive. We can remind them that Jesus’ yoke is light (Matthew 11:28-30. Also 1 Corinthians 1:3-5). This is fulfilling the law of Christ, which is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Application: Do you notice when others are stressed or discouraged? Do you take initiative to help? What is a specific way you can bear one another’s burdens this week?
4. Verse 3 –
Galatians 6:3 – For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
We should understand this verse within the context of the theme of Galatians. I believe we can take this verse to represent the person who pridefully tries to follow the law and fulfill its requirements himself. Paul himself was like this (Philippians 3:3-7) prior to coming to Christ. The person who thinks he is something is the person who is circumcised and trusts in his own good works.
But this person has no standing before God, and even his good deeds are like filthy rags in God’s sight. Therefore, he is nothing. He has no relationship with God. He has no salvation or eternal life. He is not a child of God. Each person is created by God and has inherent value. But spiritually, we have nothing and can offer nothing unless Christ has regenerated us.
Application: Don’t be prideful. Do not put trust in your good works.
5. Test his own work and bear his own load – We should understand verse 4 combined with verse 14 (See Ephesians 2:8-9). Obviously, we can’t earn salvation ourselves or boast that we have fulfilled God’s requirements. Neither should we go around telling other people how good we are or the great things we have done for God.
In that case, what does it mean to “test your own work”? The main point of verse 4 seems to be properly evaluating the work that you have done for God and not taking credit for what others have done. Jesus told the disciples that others planted the seeds, and they reaped the harvest (John 4:38). The disciples should look at what they did for God in an accurate way and appropriately appreciate what others have done.
Each person has personal responsibility before God. We are responsible for own actions and not the actions of others. We are not answerable for what others do to do us, but for how we respond to them. We are responsible to take advantage of the opportunities we have to serve God well.
Note that just because others are supposed to help us bear our burdens does not mean we should not carry our own load. Our own load comprises the normal things we can and should bear ourselves. Burdens are the things that are too much for us to face alone.