Hands On
Opening Prayer
Blessed Lord, You are my guide and protector. Renew my troubled spirit with the assurance of Your love and mercy.
Read Galatians 6:1-18
[1]
Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Early Christianity survived because of the priority of the Christians to care for one another” (Arnold Toynbee, 1889–1975). Obviously they took to heart Paul’s admonition to the Galatians.
Think Further
As the letter moves to its end, Paul reminds the Galatians of two basic Christian responsibilities. First, it is a duty to keep my own Christian life on track (4). To blame others for my bad habits and poor decisions is not a virtue. I need to be hands-on about my discipleship (5). Alongside this, I must be concerned for the burdens that my sisters and brothers have to carry (2). The needs of others are a summons to me (10). As a family of faith, we are in this Christian life together. As followers of Jesus, we should each commit to it personally.
Paul would generally dictate his letters to a scribe, but he would sometimes write the last few lines in his own hand (1 Cor. 16:21; 2 Thess. 3:17). It looks as though he did this in Galatians (11). In this last section he uses the word “flesh” to refer to circumcision (13) and perhaps he has a connection in mind between two meanings of the word. Those Galatian Christians who focus on “flesh”—on a physical religious ceremony—will find themselves struggling with the “flesh”—their own sinful nature.
For Paul, it mattered to know what matters. Circumcision, he said, is not important (15), and those who act as if it is may end up as strangers to the life of the Spirit (8). So, as he completes his task of writing and hands it on to the Galatians to read and respond, he reminds them that what matters most is God’s new creation (15). In Jesus, God remakes our lives. The Galatians will discover this by faith (Gal. 2:16), by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) and through their care for one another (2,10). Then freedom and fellowship will indeed mark their Christian living.
Apply
How do you experience God’s work of new creation (15) in your own living? How can you nurture this and grow a harvest of eternal life (8)?
Closing prayer
Lord, I thank You for the caring that is done by the Christian Church and by individual Christians around the world. Help me to be an effective part of this ministry.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.