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Now all – including the Israel1 of The God – who walk orderly by this standard2 – upon them be peace and mercy.
| 1 | The Israel of God: Or, BAR: God’s Israel. That new Israel of Jeremiah 31:31-35 under a new covenant. Compare Nazarene Commentary 2000© on Romans 2:28, 29 and Romans 9:6. This is the Church, the Seed of Abraham which is neither Jew nor non-Jew. [Galatians 3:27-29] |
| 2 | Walk orderly by this standard: Or, principle, rule. The Greek is CANONI from which comes “canon” or church rule. He means the “rule” that a “new creation is something.” The new Christian creature is the New Person who walks in faith, and conducts himself in love. |
Dear Friends of the Nazarene,
We choose Galatians 6:16 as the theme verse of the chapter – “Israel’s Rule.” This love Paul has mentioned requires carrying the burdens of one another. So “freedom” does not mean there are no “burdens” to bear. [1-5] Paul knows that even some who walk by the Spirit will from time to time stumble, or be “overcome by some mistake.” The truly spiritual will do all they can to help “readjust” such a person. Only by carrying the burdens of others will we “fulfill Christ’s law.” Freedom means we must continually ‘make a personal examination of our own actions.’ In the end we will bear the burden of responsibility for our actions.
Yes, Paul writes, “we reap what we sow.” [6-10] Paul’s specific point about “sowing” is the charitable care of others. As he does elsewhere, he urges Christians to “share materially” with those who give Christian instruction. To Paul “sowing spiritually” involved the material care of those who are “household members of the Faith.” In this matter we can never “stop doing good.”
Christ’s freedom is not absolute and includes a certain “rule” or canon. Paul thunders that even those who insist on circumcision do not observe all the Law of Moses. [11-16] Though free in Christ the true Christian has died to the world with its materialistic and fleshly lifestyle. Such free and liberated persons are “a new creation” and as part of the Israel of The God – the Christian Church – they must ‘walk orderly by spiritual standards’, including the spiritual sowing in charity to others in the Household of The Faith.
Abba our Father bless those who sow spiritually.
[1 July 2002]
