Restoration of the Fallen and Responsiveness to the Word

By S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

An Exposition of Galatians 6:1–10 [1]

Lewis Johnson regularly ministered the Word at Believers Chapel in Dallas for more than thirty years. During his academic career he held professorships in New Testament and Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. At the time of his death in January 2004 he was Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Dallas Seminary. Both MP3 files and printed notes of Dr. Johnson’s sermons and theological lectures may be downloaded from the web site of the SLJ Institute «www.sljinstitute.net».

Introduction

We are free because we are sons, and yet we are in bondage because we are brothers. Properly explained, that is a simple summary of Paul’s thought in Galatians, the epistle of law and grace. We are free from the law of Moses, with its impossible demands upon sinful men. We cannot be justified by it for, while “a man may live if he does them” (Lev. 18:5), depraved men cannot do them. Further, we cannot be justified by any combination of the law and the principle of grace, because we then destroy the sole saviorhood of God and steal from him his glory. Belief in Christ plus circumcision will not do. It must be Christ alone (Gal. 2:21; 3:21). Finally, we cannot be sanctified by the law of Moses, for the flesh is still with us (5:17). The apostolic message to the troubled Galatians was freedom from the law, both as a means to justification and also to sanctification.

And yet, in spite of these things, we are in bondage, the bondage of a free love for the brethren, implanted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit and grounded in the atoning merit of our Lord Jesus Christ (5:13). Through love we serve one another. Our leader is no longer the law of Moses, but the Holy Spirit (5:16, 25), by whom we walk before God. By him and his enabling grace the law of Christ is fulfilled within us to the glory of God.

It is true, then—we are free because we are sons living in the age of maturity (cf. 4:1–7), and we are in bondage, a free bondage paradoxically, because we are brethren (cf. 6:1). Cain asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). Paul’s answer to that impudent question is found in the paragraphs of the section of the epistle to which we have come. We are our brother’s keeper, and his burdens I am to bear (6:2). Care, love, and concern characterize the believer who is not under the law, but under grace.

Warren Wiersbe has written in his treatment of Galatians, “The story has often been told about the message the founder of the Salvation Army sent to their international convention. General William Booth was unable to attend personally because of ill health, so he cabled the delegates a message containing one word: ‘OTHERS!’ In the popular comic strip ‘Peanuts,’ Lucy asks Charlie Brown, ‘Why are we here on earth?’ He replies, ‘To make others happy.’ She ponders this for a moment and then asks, ‘Then why are the others here?’” [2]

It is an intriguing question, no doubt, but the answer is not hard to find. They are here for the same reason that we are here, for in the Christian faith and family “one another” is one of the distinguishing phrases that separate genuine Christianity from every other faith. We “love one another” (John 13:34), we are “of the same mind with one another” (Rom. 15:5), we “accept one another” (Rom. 15:7), we “have the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:25), we “serve one another” (Gal. 5:13), we “show tolerance for one another in love” (Eph. 4:2), we are “kind to one another” (4:32), and we are “forgiving of one another” (Col. 3:13, KJV). We do not “have lawsuits with one another” (1 Cor. 6:7), we do not “bite and devour one another” (Gal. 5:15), we do not “prefer one before another” (1 Tim. 5:21, KJV), [3] and we do not “speak evil one of another” (Jas. 4:11). These are only a few of the “one another statements” of the New Testament. They beautifully enshrine the union that binds believers together in Christ.

That union is the ligament that relates us to one another and involves us in such mutual tasks as bearing one another’s burdens, restoring the fallen, and otherwise doing good to the brethren.

Restorative Ministry to the Weak, verses 1–5

Injunctions, verses 1–2

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

We come now to the practical outworking of the principles so beautifully expounded in chapter 5. To walk by the Spirit is not to have an inexpressible mystical experience. To walk by the Spirit is to support the weak and the fallen and to bear their burdens. The spiritual life is as well-defined as that.

There is in evangelicalism entirely too much of the indefinable, inexpressible, esoteric “experience.” The result is confusion, shattered hopes, and often despair. It was James Denney who once said, when contrasting Christian and mystical doctrines, “I would rather be saved in Christ than lost in God.” [4] Denney was on to something important.

The opening section of chapter 6 is closely related to chapter 5 and its final words concerning walking by the Spirit and not by the law. Even though a man may have come to see the importance of life by the Spirit, it is still possible for him to fall from the principles of grace and holiness. What shall he do then? Or, rather, what shall the other brethren do then? Perhaps the apostle, in the light of the context, has in mind a fault of legalism. Shall the unfortunate brother be left to “stew in his own juice”? [5] No, the apostle says, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, [6] you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” It is rather interesting that the word translated “trespass” (παράπτωμα, paraptōma) is a word that literally means a “a false step so as to lose footing.” [7] If the apostle had in mind the idea of a false step, it would fit in quite nicely with the exhortation in 5:25 to take each step by the Spirit. [8]

The word “brethren” (ἀδελφοί, adelphoi) sets the tone of the passage. Paul obviously wishes his readers to be reminded of all that it represents. He begins the chapter with the word and, except for the final “Amen,” concludes with it (v. 18) in the original text. Bengel was right, “A whole argument lies hidden under this one word.” [9] In the Christian life we must never forget our relationship to Christ and to one another. These are the deepest of all our connections (cf. Matt. 12:48–49).

The word “caught” (προλημφθῇ) [10] has been given more than one sense. [11] By a number of highly regarded interpreters it has been given the force of “to be caught in the act.” [12] It is, however, never found with this sense and, further, appears to be contrary to the context, which deals with sins by which one may be tempted. [13] Its usual meaning is “to be overtaken” or “to be taken by surprise.” The thought is that of one being pursued by sin and finding that the sin is a better runner than he! [14] The sense is not: “If you catch a brother doing wrong.” Rather, the sense is: “If the trespass catches or surprises a brother15 into a fall.” [16] To be more specific, the failure in view here is that which takes place when one fails to take each step according to the Spirit, making a false step into legalism. [17]

What, then, should be done? The spiritual are to restore the fallen brother. The term “spiritual” (πνευματικοί, pneumatikoi) underscores the fact that there are two kinds of Christians, those who are “spiritual,” or mature, and those who are not. [18] The “spiritual” are those who are walking by the Spirit, as the apostle has just explained in 5:16–26. [19] The word “restore” (καταρτίζω, katartizō) has an interesting history and usage. It is used of the mending of fishing nets (Matt. 4:21), and it is also used of the setting of a dislocated limb back into place, a medical sense. [20] Either usage suggests an operation that requires much delicate handling, skill, and care. It is these virtues and capacities that restoration of a sinning brother requires. Luther puts it this way: “If you see some brother in terror because of a sin of which he has been guilty, run to him and extend your hand to him in his fallen state. Comfort him with sweet words and embrace him in your motherly arms.” [21] Paul’s word is that it is to be done “in a spirit of gentleness.” That disposition is one of the virtues of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:23. Only those living in the Spirit are sufficient for this work. The remaining words of the verse indicate that humility is required for the task as well.

To sum up: What is to be done when a brother is overtaken in a fault? He is to be restored. Who is to do this work? It is to be done by the spiritual, the believers walking by the Spirit. How is it to be done? It is to be done in a spirit of gentleness and humility, without any sense of superiority over the fallen saint.

In the second verse the apostle broadens the thought to include other burdens beyond that of legalism, but the imperative “bear” (βαστάζετε, bastazete) certainly includes the burden of temptation to sin along those lines (i.e., the lines of legalism). In the Greek text the emphasis rests upon the words “one another’s” (ἀλλήλων, allēlōn). It is possible that the apostle still has the legalists in mind. If you must bear burdens, he suggests, then do not bear legalistic burdens, but one another’s burdens (cf. Matt. 23:4). Legalism is a religion of burden-bearing, but the burdens are not “one another’s.” They are the burdens of Moses, the burdens of self-righteous attempts to merit salvation before a holy God (cf. Isa. 46:1–13). The sole burden of Christ’s law, on the other hand, is love, a love implanted by God in the believer’s heart (cf. John 13:34; 15:12; 1 John 3:23). With Paul, to “love our neighbor” (Gal. 5:14), “to bear one another’s burdens,” and to “fulfill the law of Christ” are equivalent expressions. [22]

To bear burdens is a great ministry, but it requires, as Luther vividly put it, “broad shoulders and husky bones.” [23] In fact, the Word has a threefold prescription for burdens. First, everyone bears his own, a word having to do with responsibility, as we shall see (v. 5). This is selfward. Second, we are to bear one another’s burdens, that is, those that have to do with the circumstances of life (v. 2). This is neighborward. And, third, God bears our burdens ultimately (cf. Psa. 55:22; 1 Pet. 5:7). This is Godward. [24]

Explanation, verses 3–5

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.

In verse 3 the apostle gives a reason for the injunction of verse 2, pointing out that thinking oneself to be something when we are really nothing leads to unwillingness to share the burden of others. Further, the failure to bear burdens is the product of self-deception.

In the fourth verse the apostle tells the proud brother to test his own work by itself rather than by comparison with the work of others. It is the tendency of the proud to glory in his superiority over the fallen one, not seeing his own sinful condition. The apostle tells him to prove the worth of his own work by itself, and then his ground of boasting will be with respect to himself alone. One senses a slight touch of sarcasm here (cf. Luke 18:9–12).

Finally, in verse 5 the readers are reminded that “each one will bear his own load.” On the surface, it appears that verse 5 contradicts verse 2, in which we are told to bear one another’s burdens. The two verses, however, are not contradictory, for the one (v. 2) refers to a collective responsibility, while the other (v. 5) refers to an individual responsibility, and the one refers to the present (v. 2), while the other refers to the future (v. 5). In the Greek text the word for burden in verse 2 is the word βάρος (baros), a word that emphasizes the weight of the burden. It is found here in the plural number (τὰ βάρη), and it refers to the burdens of affliction, trouble, testing, and the like.

In verse 5 the word for burden (“load,” NASB) is the word φορτίον (phortion) derived from the verb φορτίζω (phortizō) meaning to carry, the weight of the burden not being the essential thing (cf. Matt. 11:30). The noun is here found in the singular, referring to one distinctive burden. What is it? The tense of the verbs will help in arriving at a decision. The same word for bearing (βαστάζω, bastazō) is found in both verse 2 and 5, but the tenses of the verb are different. In verse 2, where the reference is to the individual burdens of trouble, affliction, etc., which Christians are to bear for one another, the tense is present (βαστάζετε), referring to an activity that should characterize believers in this age—in fact, throughout this age. In verse 5, however, the tense is future (βαστάσει), suggesting the sole responsibility that devolves upon each individual Christian to give an account of his own life before God at the judgment seat of Christ. The future tense of the verb, “will have” (ἕξει, hexei), in verse 4 supports this point. In other words, at the judgment seat of Christ we cannot bear one another’s burden, for there we each stand upon our own Christian life and the way we have lived it. There, it is true, “each one will bear his own load.” Now, however, we are to bear one another’s burdens and, if we do that well, it will certainly go better with us when the time comes for us each to “bear his own load.”

Responsiveness to the Word, verses 6–10

Sharing, verse 6

The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

There are two differing interpretations of verse 6. It is the generally accepted view that the apostle refers to the duty of providing for the temporal needs of the teachers of the Word. [25] When Paul writes, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him,” the word “to share” (κοινωνέω, koinōneō, lit., have fellowship), is taken as simply a euphemism for making a financial contribution.

Now, I do not wish to create the impression that the sentiment voiced in this interpretation is not a scriptural one. It is. Those taught in the Word should share with those who teach and who therefore have less of an opportunity to obtain a larger share of the world’s material goods. The principle is expressed by our Lord (cf. Luke 10:7) and elsewhere by Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 9:11; 1 Tim. 5:17–18), as well as in the Old Testament in God’s dealings with the tribe of Levi. The question is: Is this the meaning of Paul here?

There are some things that suggest that the apostle may not be referring to money here. First of all, the context is not very favorable, for the apostle speaks of the morally evil in verses 1–5 and of the morally good in verses 9–10. The temporal does not seem to be in his mind. Second, there is no indication of a problem of finances in Galatia and, further, who was the chief teacher of the Galatians? Was it not Paul himself? It would be very out of keeping with Paul’s other utterances to hear him asking for support, when the whole bent of his ministry is negative to that elsewhere (cf. 1 Cor. 9:1–23; 2 Cor. 11:20). There is good reason, then, for taking the apostle to be referring here to the “good things” (ἀγαθοῖς, agathois) of grace, the principles outlined in the preceding chapters. He is telling the Galatians to have fellowship with the teachers of grace instead of with the Judaizers. It is they that have the good things, and the Galatians are to share in them in order that they may be enriched. There is much to be said for this interpretation, but there remains some doubt about its accuracy. [26]

Sowing and Reaping, verses 7–10

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

A warning follows in verses 7 and 8. The Galatians cannot expect to outwit God by following the Judaizers. Further, whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap, not what he meant to sow, or thought he sowed, but that which he did sow! In the context “to sow” is to follow the teachings of the legalists. To do that is to sow to the flesh (cf. 2:16). Their teachings gratify the flesh (cf. 6:12–13) in that they do not demand regeneration and life by the Spirit. The results of such sowing can only be death, for the corruption to which Paul refers is inclusive of both physical and spiritual corruption, as the following words, “eternal life,” indicate. The entire biblical record illustrates this principle upon almost every page. There are the Calebs, the Joshuas, the Josephs, the Ruths, and the Rahabs. And, on the other hand, there are the Hamans, the Pharaohs, and the Herods. They all illustrate the radical nature of the principle. But even in the believers’ lives the principle operates for a time. And while it may not reach its ultimate conclusion through the hindering ministry of the Spirit, it remains a principle that brings anguish, failure, and defeat when it is followed, even by the saints. The lives of Jacob, Abraham, David, and Peter illustrate this.

Finally, Paul writes, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” If in Galatians 5 our duty is to walk by the Spirit, in chapter 6 it is to sow to the Spirit. And to sow to the Spirit is to do good to all men, especially to the saints. That is not easy, so the apostle encourages and exhorts the believers to not grow weary in their work for him. The rewards lie in the future, but that future is sure to come. We need patience in the meantime.

There are two seasons in verses 9 and 10. In verse 9 we have God’s season, the “due season” when he shall reward his own. In verse 10 we have our season, that is, the time in which we labor for him. Our lifetime is one due season; if missed, then so is the harvest (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5).

Conclusion

The “so then” (ἄρα οὖν, ara oun) introduces the Pauline conclusion to the section. “With this verse,” Burton writes, “the exhortations of the paragraph reach the utmost point of generality.” [27] But, as Paul notes, “charity does begin at home,” although it is not to stop there. All men are the objects of the Christian’s works, but the saints have first call upon them. To sum up, Paul’s “do good” (ἐργαζώμεθα τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ergazōmetha to agathon) includes the restoration of the fallen brethren, the bearing of one another’s burdens, and the sharing of the principles of grace. In this sense, may we all be “do-gooders”!

Notes

1. This is article fifteen in a sixteen-part series, “Expositional Studies in the Epistle to the Galatians.”
2. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Free: An Expository Study of Galatians (Wheaton: Victor, 1975), 139; idem., The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton: Victor, 1989), 1:721.
3. The NASB reads, “doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”
4. Editor’s note: Dr. Johnson is here paraphrasing, yet giving the precise sense of, James Denney, The Christian Doctrine of Reconciliation (reprint ed., London: James Clarke, 1959), 307.
5. John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, BST (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968), 160.
6. Longenecker translates, “Brothers, if someone is entrapped by some sin.” The protasis is cast in the form of a third class condition (ἐάν with a subjunctive verb), in this case suggesting a more probable future occurrence. The event hasn’t happened, yet it probably will in the future (Richard N. Longenecker, Galatians, WBC [Dallas: Word, 1990], 272). On the semantic range of third class conditions, cf. Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 696.
7. BDAG, s.v. “παράπτωμα,” 770.
8. Ernest De Witt Burton, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, ICC (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1921), 327.
9. John Albert Bengel, quoted by J. B. Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians (1865; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 215.
10. The form is 3rd pers. sg., aorist passive subjunctive of προλαμβάνω. The prefix προ- gives the notion of “before one is aware,” i.e., “if anyone is surprised by a trespass, before he has time to think of it” (John Eadie, Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians [Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1884; reprint ed., Minneapolis: James and Klock, 1977], 432). On the temporal force of προ-, cf. BDAG, s.v. “προλαμβάνω,” 872.
11. In addition to the two options cited here, there is a third view, viz., “the precise force of προλημφθῇ is uncertain” (F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, NIGTC [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982], 260).
12. For example, Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, 215; more cautiously, James D. G. Dunn, The Epistle to the Galatians, BNTC (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993), 319.
13. R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians (1937; reprint ed., Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961), 297; cf. Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Epistle to the Galatians, trans. G. H. Venables (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1884; reprint ed., Winona Lake, IN: Alpha, 1979), 247.
14. “The sin has reached him more rapidly than he could flee from it” (Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Epistle to the Galatians, 247).
15. “Despite the use of ἄνθρωπος (“anyone,” lit. “man”) instead of ἀδελφός (cf. 1 Cor. 5:11) the reference is clearly not to an outsider but to a member of the Christian community” (Burton, The Epistle to the Galatians, 325).
16. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, 297.
17. Editor’s note: While Dr. Johnson has concluded that the trespass in question is a fall into legalism, other commentators believe that Paul is speaking of a believer who may succumb to one of the “deeds of the flesh” enumerated in Galatians 5:19–21. Paul is not here speaking of a “settled course of action but an isolated action which may make the person who does it feel guilty” (Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, 260).
18. “All Christians are indwelt by the Spirit, but ‘spiritual’ Christians are also ‘led by the Spirit’ and ‘walk by the Spirit,’ so that ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ appears in their lives” (Stott, The Message of Galatians, 161.).
19. In 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:4 Paul divides the human race into four categories: (1) The “natural man” (ψυχικός, 2:14), i.e., the unregenerate or lost man. Jude [v. 19) says that the natural man (ψυχικός, “worldly-minded,” NASB) does not have the Holy Spirit, and Paul says that a man who does not have the Holy Spirit is not a Christian (Rom. 8:9). (2) The “spiritual man” (πνευματικός, 2:15), i.e., the mature believer. That Paul understands the spiritual man to be mature is indicated by two things: First, he is characterized by perception and understanding of spiritual things. Such perception can only come with time as a believer gains skill in the use of the Word (Heb. 5:13–14). Second, he is contrasted with the infant Christian in 3:1. (3) The “infant” (νήπιος) or “fleshen/weak Christian” (σάρκινος, 3:1), i.e., the new believer who is nurtured on the basic truths (“milk”) of Christianity. “In a real sense all Christians had the Spirit, but converts at first might be so unformed and immature that the Spirit did not control [them as fully as He would the spiritual or mature believers”]; (James Moffatt, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, MNTC [London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938], 36). (4) The “carnal or fleshly Christian” (σαρκικός, 3:2b–3), i.e., the willful or stubborn believer whose life is presently marked by prolonged immaturity (“milk…not solid food”) as well as envy, strife, and division. See Stanley D. Toussaint, “The Spiritual Man,” BibSac 125 (April, 1968), 139–46. Among the commentators, grammarians, and lexicographers there are two opinions on the distinction made here between σάρκινος and σαρκικός. Many of the more recent works think it doubtful that Paul made a clear-cut distinction (C. K. Barrett, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, HNTC [New York: Harper & Row, 1968], 79, n. 1; Eduard Schweizer, “σάρξ,” TDNT, 7 [1971]: 144; Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians, Hermeneia, trans. James W. Leitch [Philadelphia: Fortress, 1975], 72; Mikeal C. Parsons, “Σάρκινος, Σαρκικός in Codices F and G: A Text-Critical Note,” NTS 34 [1988]: 151–55; BDAG, s.v. “σαρκικός,” 914). Most older works and some recent works argue that there is a distinction between the two words in this context. They offer the following arguments: First, adjectives formed by the suffix -ινος indicate materiality and should be translated “made of,” e.g., σάρκινος in 1 Corinthians 3:1 means “made of flesh,” i.e., it has a morally neutral meaning. Adjectives formed by the suffix -ικος, on the other hand, have the notion of “likeness, fitness, characteristic of, or determined by,” e.g., σαρκικός in 1 Corinthians 3:3 has the morally negative sense, “fleshly, carnal” (Bruce M. Metzger, Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek [Princeton: Theological Book Agency, 1971], 43–44; David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians, BECNT [Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003], 109). Second, while Paul has nothing adverse to say about “infants in Christ” (v. 1), the words ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ ἔτι νῦν δύνασθε (“indeed, even now you are not yet able,” v. 2b) and ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε (“for you are yet unspiritual,” v. 3a) are words of reproach (GGNT, 158–59). It was understandable that four or five years earlier the newly saved Corinthians would be weak. But now their weakness (σάρκινος) has become willfulness (σαρκικός). They are unspiritual, i.e., immature, and centered upon themselves (Anthony C. Thistelton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NIGTC [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000], 292). Others arguing for a distinction between the two words in this context include: AGLNT, s.v. “σαρκικός,” 402; Frederic Louis Godet, Commentary on St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1889; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977), 166–68; Archibald Robertson and Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, ICC, 2d ed. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1914), 52; S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., “The First Epistle to the Corinthians,” in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, eds., Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison (Chicago: Moody, 1962), 1234; Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1987), 124; Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, NTC (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993), 102.
20. LSJGL, s.v. “καταρτίζω,” 910; Stott, The Message of Galatians, 160.
21. Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, vol. 27: Lectures on Galatians 1535, Chapters 5–6, trans. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1964), 111.
22. Stott, The Message of Galatians, 158.
23. Luther, Lectures on Galatians 1535, Chapters 5–6, 113.
24. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, 301.
25. The generally accepted view is held by, for example, William Kelly, Lectures on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians (London: Morrish, 1865), 174–75; Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, 218; Eadie, Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, 443–44; Burton, The Epistle to the Galatians, 335; C. F. Hogg and W. E. Vine, The Epistle to the Galatians (1922; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Kregel, n.d.), 320–22; J. N. Darby, Synopsis of the Books of the Bible (reprint ed., New York: Loizeaux, 1942), 4:395; Stott, The Message of Galatians, 167; William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, DSB, rev. ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976), 54; Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, 263–64; Ronald Y. K. Fung, The Epistle to the Galatians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 292–93; Longenecker, Galatians, 278; Dunn, The Epistle to the Galatians, 326–28; Friedrich Hauck, “κοινωνός,” in TDNT, 3:808; BDAG, s.v. “κοινωνέω,” 552. Burton writes, “The fact that those who receive instruction are called upon to contribute to the support of the teacher shows that such teaching in all probability was not undertaken merely as a voluntary and relatively light avocation (comparable to the work of a modern Bible-class teacher) but occupied in preparation for it and the work itself, if not the teacher’s whole time, yet enough so that it was necessary to compensate him for the loss of income which he thus sustained.”
26. This second view is defended by Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Epistle to the Galatians, 253–54; and Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, 302–4.
27. Burton, The Epistle to the Galatians, 345.