Galatians 6:6-10

 

6:6, “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”

 

“koinwneitw            de        o           kathcoumenos          ton          logon

“let him share                            the one        being instructed in            the              word  

 

tw                    kathcounti            en               pasin                 agaqoiV”

with the one        instructing                      in                    all                          good things”

 

koinwneitw      “let him share”     “to share with someone, to exercise fellowship.  The apostle is thinking here especially of material things.” (Linguistic Key, Rogers and Rogers)

 

kathcoumenoV      “being instructed in”   present passive    and    

 kathcounti           “instructing                 present active

 

            This root word’s etymology means “to fill with sound” and so it means to put

            a thing into another person’s mind with constant repetition”  (Pulpit Commentary)

           

            It is translated “inform, instruct, teach”

 

Strong’s Expanded says, “This word indicates verbal instruction which is ‘sounded down into the student’s ears,’ and then repeated by the student to assure learning has taken place.  It also denotes ‘to teach orally, inform instruct,’  and is rendered “to teach” in 1 Corinthians 14:19 and twice in Gal. 6:6.

 

logon                 “word”        This word means the rational expression of a thought.

            According to Strong’s Expanded it refers here to the saying or statement about      God’s revelation of the gospel and the sum of the utterances of God.    

 

agaqoiV             “good things”   It describes things that are good in character and so bring beneficial results

 

This begins Paul’s third example of a spiritual man.

            Number 1 was 6:1 – The spiritual man restores the one taken in sin.

            Number 2 was 6:2 – The spiritual man helps carry others overbearing burdens if they are in the spiritual, physical or emotional arena.

Number 3 was 6:3, 5  - The spiritual man knows his spiritual gift and

                        responsibility and operates without comparing himself to “lesser” servants nor to “greater” servants.

Number 4 was 6:4 – The spiritual man can judge his own heart (motives, attitude) from the position of the renewed mind.  He can be ruthlessly                                      honest with himself about himself and find the strength to make corrections.

Number 5 was 6:5 – The spiritual man carries his own spiritual “backpack” of responsibilities that come with his unique calling and that for                                    which he has been given unique “measure of faith” that separates him from anyone else’s responsibility.

Number 6 is here in 6:6 – The spiritual man supports the stream of teaching that makes numbers 1-5 possible in his life.  The carnal man is going                             to spend his financial resources on carnal things.  The spiritual man    is naturally going to spend his finances on spiritual things. 

 

POINT:  Note the spiritual man needs to receive this information through teaching of the logos just like all points of doctrine.  But, the spiritual man does not need to be manipulated into giving to his instructor.   If the instructor finds himself convincing the believer to give money then neither the instructor nor the student is adequately spiritual to be receiving or giving money.

 

 

Paul did not collect money from immature, young Christians

1 Corinthians 9:1-18

 

Paul did not receive money at the beginning of a ministry in a city.  Instead he supported himself:

1 Thes. 3:6-10,  How could Paul use himself as an example if all he did was collect money from people.  Today, some people think the reason for starting a ministry is to organize people to support them.

 

Paul did receive money to be distributed to others in need:

            1 Cor. 16:1-8

 

Paul did receive money for his own ministry support and for traveling expenses:

            Romans 15:23-29

            2 Cor. 8:1

            2 Cor. 9:6

            Philippians 4:10-13

           

Paul tells Timothy that he could receive money from believers for his personal needs:

            1 Timothy 5:17-18

 

Tithing is a principal but it is not a New Testament church law or standard.

The standard is stated in several places:

1 Corinthians 16:2 –

2 Corinthians 8:14 –

 

Spiritual giving is detailed in 2 Corinthians 8:1:

            8:5 -  people gave themselves first to the Lord, then gave money to men.

            8:8 -  Paul did not command giving (tithe was an OT command) but rather

                        dokimazo (tested) them.

            8:10 – The people should first experience a desire to give.  It is a fruit of the Spirit

                        The people should not be giving for external reasons first.  Keep your

 money if you are not spiritually motivated in your heart to support the

work of God.  If you give before you are ready your giving is carnal and

legalistic.

            8:12 – Willingness makes the gift acceptable.  If it is manipulated or commanded

                        it is not an acceptable gift for God nor an acceptable gift to be received.

 

Do the rest of the verses 6:7-10 continue on the theme of money?  Yes.

 

  1. Verse 6:10 returns to the theme of money and so verses 7-9 are sandwiched between two verses obviously about money.
  2. 6:7 is a saying that Paul used to encourage generous giving in 2 Cor. 9:6.  (Deuteronomy 15:4-11)
  3. This letter is to the Galatians who had recently heard the decision of the Jerusalem council and the resulting letter from Acts 15.  Galatians 2:10 says that Paul was accepted by the Jerusalem council but was only asked to remember the poor.  This refers to collecting money for the poor believers.
  4. This may be Paul’s way of reminding them to be setting aside money for the poor in Jerusalem like he does in 2 Corinthians 16:1 which reads: “Now about the collection for God’s people:  Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. . . “

 

These verse teach three things about money:

a)      Support the teacher

b)      Use money to build up your spiritual life and the spiritual life of others

c)      Spend your money to help others in need, namely, believers.

 

6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

 

Verses 6:7,8 sound like 2 Corinthians 9:6

This is a principle that is true in every area of life.

 

6:8, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction;

 

If a man spends his money on fleshly things, then those things will produce more fleshly desires and worldly attitudes and natural stuff.

 

 

All of these things will be destroyed when the natural world passes away.  He will reap from the fruit of his labors the destruction of that fruit because it is not eternal.

 

This is what Jesus said about storing up treasure in heaven or on earth.  Earthly treasure will be consumed by rust, moth or thieves.  Eventually you will be separated from them at your death.

 

6:8, “the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

In context, the group of people who will support a good teacher of the logos will reap eternal benefits from their giving as that instructor leads them into greater spiritual production.

 

6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

 

Two phrases in the imperative:

            1)  Do not become weary                    2) Do not give up.

 

Paul may be including himself in this since he switches to the first person plural. 

Paul has been laboring with the Galatians and has seen little fruit.  But, this spiritual principle is true for Paul’s labors also. 

He can not get discouraged and give up.  The Galatians will produce fruit in their lives