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James Montgomery Boice · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Boice writes that ""It is easy to talk about the fruit of the Spirit while doing very little about it. So Christians need to learn that it is in concrete situations, rather than in emotional highs, that the reality of the Holy Spirit in their lives is demonstrated." (Galatians/Ephesians - EBC - 1976) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass - He is speaking to Christian brethren. Beloved, there are only two ways to live the Christian life, by the Spirit or by the flesh. There is no middle ground. And so it should not surprise us that the anyone could be any of us, for as James 3:2 says "we all (HOW MANY?) stumble (ptaio) in many (A FEW?) ways. If anyone does not stumble (ptaio) in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." Of course there was only one Perfect Man able to do that (Heb 4:15, 1 Pe 1:19). And so at any point in time it may be anyone of us who has been overtaken by sin and stand in need of a helping hand! No believer is 100% "fall proof!" (cf 1 Cor 10:12) Paul explains who is useful in this work writing "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Ti 2:21) Notice also that he says ANY trespass, so it's not just the "big" scandalous ones, but it is "ANY" sin, because a little leaven will leaven the entire loaf (body).
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Boice comments that "The somewhat abrupt ending has the effect of leaving the great issue of the letter—faith or works—sharply before the Galatians." (Galatians/Ephesians - EBC - 1976)
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Boice explains the reason the Cross brings persecution - The difficulty is the cross, because the cross speaks of the necessity of a divine death as the only solution to the sin of man. To have the cross is to have three disquieting and humiliating doctrines: (1) man is a sinner; (2) his sin brings him under the curse of God, which curse Christ bore; and (3) nothing man can do can earn salvation, for if this were possible, the cross would have been unnecessary. These doctrines humble men. Consequently, men hate the cross and actively persecute those who proclaim it. (Galatians/Ephesians - EBC - 1976) Gromacki - "If the Judaizers had disavowed the necessity of circumcision, they would have been ostracized by the Jewish communities. They would have been excommunicated from the synagogues, exploited financially, and probably harmed physically. The Judaizers knew that, thus they were afraid to take a stand for justification by faith alone. They were more closely identified with the Pharisees and the priests than they were with the apostles." (Stand Fast in Liberty : An Exposition of Galatians) MacArthur on the cross of Christ -From the first century, the cross has been the recognized insignia of Christianity. During the Roman persecutions, the fish became a common sign, but only among Christians themselves as a secret means of identifying one another. The only sign that has continuously and universally represented the Christian faith is the cross. Even secular Roman historians, including Tacitus in the first century and Suetonius in the second century, commonly referred to Christians as the followers of a criminal crucified under Pontius Pilate....The book of Galatians has been called "The Crucifixion Epistle," not only because it directly mentions the cross or crucifixion some seven times (Gal 2:20; 3:1; 5:11, 24; 6:12, 14 [twice]) but because God's redemptive grace, the theme of the epistle, became effective for men only through the cross of Christ. The sign of the cross points to grace. (Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Cross (4716)(stauros from histemi = to stand) was an upright stake, especially a pointed one and was a well-known instrument of most cruel and agonizing torture known to the Persians (Ezra 6:11; Esther 7:10); and the Carthaginians. Those who were crucified were considered the vilest, guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, and insurrectionists. Persons sentenced to be crucified were first scourged and then made to bear their own cross to the place of execution. A label or title was usually placed on the chest of or over the criminal. Crucifixion was at once an execution, a pillory, and an instrument of torture. Gilbrant on stauros - In secular Greek stauros denotes a “pole,” or a “pile,” such as is used in foundations. The term is also used of a “fence, stake,” or a “tent peg”; however, it also refers to a “cross” upon which criminals were executed (cf. Liddell-Scott). (Ibid) Zodhiates explains the antagonism against the Cross - When we read of the antagonism to the cross of Christ, we must understand it as antagonism to a redemption which was accomplished by the deepest humiliation, not by the display of power and glory (Gal. 6:14; Phil. 2:5-8). Where other NT authors (and Paul elsewhere) employ the word blood (haíma <G129>) as a symbol for Christ's sacrificial death, Paul often uses the word cross. Although both terms refer to Christ's death, each emphasizes a particular aspect regarding it. Christ's blood represents His death as sacrifice and connects it with the OT sacrifices. The cross of Christ represents His death as suffering and connects it with the curse of sin. The cross shows this peculiar manner of His death as that which entailed suffering, shame, rejection, and humiliation. In Col. 1:20, Paul reaches a high point in his cross-theology by combining these two words and saying that God has "made peace through the blood of His cross" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary) Galatians 6:13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. NET Galatians 6:13 For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. GNT Galatians 6:13 οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ περιτεμνόμενοι αὐτοὶ νόμον φυλάσσουσιν ἀλλὰ θέλουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι, ἵνα ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ σαρκὶ καυχήσωνται. NLT Galatians 6:13 And even those who advocate circumcision don't keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. KJV Galatians 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. ESV Galatians 6:13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ASV Galatians 6:13 For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. CSB Galatians 6:13 For even the circumcised don't keep the law themselves; however, they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. NIV Galatians 6:13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. NKJ Galatians 6:13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. NRS Galatians 6:13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. YLT Galatians 6:13 for neither do those circumcised themselves keep the law, but they wish you to be circumcised, that in your flesh they may glory. NAB Galatians 6:13 Not even those having themselves circumcised observe the law themselves; they only want you to be circumcised so that they may boast of your flesh. NJB Galatians 6:13 Even though they are circumcised they still do not keep the Law themselves; they want you to be circumcised only so that they can boast of your outward appearance. GWN Galatians 6:13 It's clear that not even those who had themselves circumcised did this to follow Jewish laws. Yet, they want you to be circumcised so that they can brag about what was done to your body. BBE Galatians 6:13 Because even those who undergo circumcision do not themselves keep the law; but they would have you undergo circumcision, so that they may have glory in your flesh. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves: Mt 23:3,15,23 Ro 2:17-24 3:9-19 2Pe 2:19 so that they may boast in your flesh: 1Co 3:21 5:6 2Co 11:18 Galatians 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE HYPOCRISY OF THEIR WORKS BASED RELIGION! MacArthur links their cowardice in Gal 6:12 with their hypocrisy in this passage explaining that "Hypocrisy is inseparable from cowardice, because if a person were not afraid of what other people might say or do, he would have no reason for pretending to be something he is not." (Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves - There were physically circumcised, but that gave them no power against the powerful lusts of the flesh. And they clearly were not interesting in spiritual state of the Galatians. As Vos says "They were not concerned about the welfare of believers or the glory of God but only about their own safety and reputation." Paul could also be saying that the Judaizers were not even "good Jews" for they did not seek to observe the Mosaic Law. Hansen adds that "Their own inconsistency in following the Law demonstrated that devotion to the Law was not their basic motivation." (Galatians 6 Commentary - IVP Series) But they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh - The idea is that the Judaizers could boast in and point to these "converts" to circumcision as evidence of their zeal for the Law. But even their motivation was fleshy -- that they might boast. They were like the Native Americans who would collect scalps on their belt to boast in their fighting prowess.
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Boice - An Expositional Commentary – The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7) A LIFE WELL SPENT! Adoniram Judson (bio) missionary to Burma alluded to the eternal impact of sowing and reaping when he wrote that... A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity...the same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever...each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny.... How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness...! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked. And remember that you will not always be aware when you are "doing good" (if you were, you might be tempted to boast or take credit or some of the glory- [Woe!]) - Many years ago when the great missionary Adoniram Judson was home on furlough, he passed through the city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy playing about the wharves at the time of Judson’s arrival was struck by the man’s appearance. Never before had he seen such a light on any human face. He ran up the street to a minister to ask if he knew who the stranger was. The minister hurried back with him, but became so absorbed in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient youngster standing near him. Many years afterward that boy—who could never get away from the influence of that wonderful face—became the famous preacher Henry Clay Trumbull. In a book of memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: "What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson." That lighted countenance had changed his life. Even as flowers thrive when they bend to the light, so shining, radiant faces come to those who constantly turn toward Christ! Over 3000 years ago Moses prayed a prayer that is reflected in the life of Adoniram Judson and might well be an appropriate prayer of every saint who loves "His (Christ's) appearing" (2Ti 4:8-note and Spurgeon's devotional)... So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12-note) ILLUSTRATIONS DEVOTIONALS ITS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT - If God has called us to a task, quitting is never fitting. Yet who hasn't trudged through the lowlands of discouragement, looking to every side road for an opportunity to leave a difficult and frustrating work. Satan is quick to suggest that we might as well give up, go elsewhere, or let someone who is more talented do the job. But we are where we are by God's appointment. If we're in this kind of situation, the noblest expression of faith is a dogged determination to go on with the task. A minister had been pastoring a church for some time with seemingly little results. Then one night he had a dream in which he was trying to break a large granite rock with a pickax. Hour after hour he labored, but made no progress. At last he said, "It's no use. I'm going to quit." Suddenly a man appeared by his side and asked, "Weren't you appointed to do this task? Why are you going to abandon it?" The minister told him that the work was futile; he could make no impression on the granite. "That is not your concern," replied the stranger. "The work is in your hands; the results are in another's. Work on!" Taking up the ax again, the minister struck the rock; and at his first blow the granite flew into hundreds of pieces. When he awoke from his dream, a valuable lesson had been impressed upon his heart. Perseverance comes not only from a strong will but also from a strong won't. ><>><>><> REAPING WHAT WE CANNOT SEE - Often we don’t see the results of doing good until much later. Leslie B. Flynn tells about Dyson Hague, a chaplain in an English hospital who visited a ward of dying soldiers. One man asked him if he would write his Sunday school teacher and tell her he would die a Christian because of her teaching. Chaplain Hague wrote the letter. A few weeks later he received this reply: ><>><>><> TRUE BENEFICENCE - "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men."-- Galatians 6:10. WE ALL have a mission in the world, though we may never be called to cross the sea, or to visit distant lands to preach the gospel. Christ's command to each of us, is begun with the person next to you. Do not wait to be neighboured, but neighbour somebody who is in need. The best way to bring in the Kingdom of God is to bring the person whom you can most easily influence to the Saviour. All great work in the world has commenced, not by committees, but by the consecration, self-sacrifice, and devotion of single individuals. The Apostle indicates three methods of helping people. The restoration of the fallen (Gal6:1). How often in daily life a Christian man or woman is suddenly overtaken by some temptation, to which they yield, and which leaves a deep stain on character. Thus was David overtaken and also Peter! What an agony of remorse ensues! The Psalms are full of bitter repentance for such transgression. The sinful soul has to bear a heavy burden indeed; and too often his fellow-Christians pass him by with averted faces and frowns. No one visits him, or cares to be seen in his company, or tries to help him regain his former footing. "Christ's law," which we are called to fulfil, is to seek out the erring one, to go after that which is lost, to restore the wanderer, to help carry his burden, considering lest we be tempted, and lapse into the same sin. The care of Pastors and Ministers (Gal 6:6). If all who are being taught in Church and Sunday School would set themselves to minister to those that teach them, how many a weary servant of Christ would pluck up new courage and hope. Communicate helpfulness, sympathy, prayer, the grip of the hand, the expression of thankfulness for blessing received. The ministry of all men (Gal 6:9-10). These opportunities of doing good are always recurring, and at every turn there are those who need a helping hand. "The poor," said our Lord, "ye have always with you." Let us bear a little of the burden of each, and specially do it for those who belong to the household of faith. PRAYER - Give us grace to be encouragers of others, never discouragers; always making life easier, never harder, for those who come within our influence. AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk) ><>><>><> DO WHAT YOU CAN - "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:10) Our Scripture reading today says that we are to do good to all men, but that doesn’t mean we have to reach every man. It means instead that we are to help anyone we have an opportunity to help. Let me illustrate. Several years ago an article appeared in Time magazine about a doctor who lived through the terrible bombing of Hiroshima. When the blast occurred, Dr. Fumio Shigeto was waiting for a streetcar only a mile away, but he was sheltered by the corner of a concrete building. Within seconds after the explosion, his ears were filled with the screams of victims all around him. Not knowing what had happened, he stood there for a moment bewildered—one doctor wondering how he could ever handle this “mountain” of patients. Then, still somewhat stunned, Dr. Shigeto knelt, opened his black bag, and began treating the person lying at his feet. To ease the heartache in our world That causes us to cry, Let's do what we can do to help That needy one close by. —DJD Do what you can where you are with what you have. ><>><>><> Random Acts - COMMIT RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY. It sounds a bit reckless to engage in “random” and “senseless” acts. But as I mentally dismantled that strange combination of words, I realized that its various parts are surprisingly compatible with the apostle Paul’s admonition in Galatians 6:10. God’s Spirit works in our hearts to make us instruments of blessing to those in need, and He may prompt us to do something that appears to others as random and impractical. He puts an opportunity to do good in our path and says to us, “Grasp it! Just do what I want you to do—purely out of love for Me.” Do a deed of simple kindness, Though its end you may not see; It may reach, like widening ripples Down a long eternity. —Anon. A little kindness can make a big difference. ><>><>><> Unexpected Help - Gary, a youth pastor in Michigan, set off in the church van with a group of teenagers and headed for North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. The purpose of their trip was to experience adventure, bonding, and spiritual challenge in the Great American West. The idea was good, but the aging van didn’t cooperate—nor did certain people along the way. When the van broke down somewhere in Montana, Gary called a church in his denomination. He asked if the young people could spend the night in the church building. They all had sleeping bags and could sleep on the floor. Sadly, the church’s leaders said no. So the group had to stay in a motel while they waited 2 days for repairs on the van to be completed. Time dragged on and the young people were getting restless. Aware of their plight, a local woman took them to her ranch. She taught them to ride horses, let them help with the chores, and fed them wonderful meals. Meanwhile, the mechanic repaired their van on a cost-only basis. Ironically, neither the rancher nor the repairman were churchgoers. Do good to all and kindness show— That's what God's Word commands; For when we're serving in Christ's name, We are His feet and hands. —Fitzhugh Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbor. ><>><>><> Outside The Walls — A rainbow is a sign of God’s promise never again to destroy the earth by a flood (Ge 9:11-17). But that was little comfort to the people of Grand Forks, North Dakota, in April of 1997. Eight blizzards, an ice storm, spring rains, and an early thaw had relocated their comfortable homes, schools, stores, and churches into a world of water. Hal Olsen, the disaster relief coordinator for International Aid, immediately arranged to “flood” the area with eight truckloads of life-sustaining supplies and gospel tracts. They were distributed by churches in the region. One man was deeply affected by this help. He had been very hostile to a church across the street from his house and had even tried to block it from being built in his neighborhood. But when he saw how that church responded to people in need, he said tearfully, “Now I’ve seen the church outside its walls.” Love demands your loving deeds; Look upon your brothers' needs, Tell them that you love them true, Prove it by the deeds you do. —Anonymous A world in despair needs churches that care. ><>><>><> Why Give? — The director of a disaster relief agency told about a man who had a change of heart after the flood that devastated Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1997. The man had been strongly opposed to the request of a church to build near his house, but he relented when he saw the truckloads of food and other supplies sent by Christians. He said seeing what believers did with their money “outside the walls” of the church building changed his mind. In Galatians 6:6-10, the apostle Paul provided guidelines that apply to the use of our money. We are to realize that if we are self-serving we will reap a harvest which will pass away when we die. But if we devote our lives to doing good, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we will reap an eternal harvest (Gal 6:7-8). Moreover, we are to persist in “doing good” no matter how little the present dividends, knowing that the Lord will keep His word (Gal 6:9). The good we do is never lost, Each kindly act takes root, And every bit of love we sow In time will bear rich fruit. —Anonymous It takes only a moment to be kind, but the result can last forever. ><>><>><> What Would You Do? — I shall never forget being in the “big blackout” of November 9, 1965. Not just one city or one county or one locality was involved in this widespread power outage, but eight states and a part of Canada—covering a total of 80,000 square miles and affecting 30 million people. With no electric lights, candles were in great demand. An announcer on a New York station that stayed on the air because it had auxiliary power reported, An interesting drama is being unfolded on our streets. The price of candles in many stores has doubled. On the other hand, some good-hearted merchants are offering their candles at half price, or even giving them away. Some store owners let their concern for others in the hour of emergency outweigh their desire for personal gain. Others, however, took advantage of the situation and put their personal gain ahead of their concern for others. The very same circumstances produced both self-seeking opportunists and selfless philanthropists. Every kindness done to others Is a kindness done to Thee; Christlike love for all my brothers May the world observe in me. —Brandt Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbor. ><>><>><> Seize The Opportunity —Heavy rain was falling outside as Marcia, the director of the Jamaican Christian School for the Deaf, spoke to our group. Thirty-four teenagers and several adults were visiting the school. But one of our students was not distracted by the rain or the children running around the room. That teenager heard Marcia say, “My dream for these kids is to have a playground.” She took that sentence, and through the prompting of the Lord turned it into an idea. Later that day she told me, “We should come back and build them a playground.” An opportunity for service was born. A little over 4 months later, on another rainy day in Jamaica, we held a celebration in that same room. We had just assembled a wooden playground—complete with slides, a ladder, climbing bars, swings, forts, and a trapeze. One student seized an opportunity, and a dream was fulfilled. Jesus said to one and all: “Take your cross and follow Me.” When you sense the Spirit’s call, Seize the opportunity! —Hess When the Spirit prompts, take action.