Galatians 6:1 Restoring a Brother October 21, 2007
Introduction
We have seen that Galatians has several major sections in which the gospel is de-
fended (1-2), explained (3-4), and applied (5-6). The earlier emphasis on faith vs. the
Law has given way to more of the day-to-day, practical concerns of the Christian life.
A new sub-section is started in chapter 6, which we can determine based on the
vocative ―Brethren.‖ Paul uses that to get the readers’ attention. He now moves from the
general instruction on walking in the Spirit to avoid producing the works of the flesh, and
poses a scenario which requires a concerted corporate effort by the church to handle it.
The hypothetical situation supposes that some believer falls into sin. As we walk through
the passage, it may be helpful to think of such a situation you have experienced in the
past and see how you could have handled it appropriately or better.
Our thoughts are immediately pushed into the realm of ―church discipline.‖ While
this is not the most pleasant of subjects, it is necessary to the healthy operation of a
church, and critical for the growth of the believer, both for those who are addressed here
(the brethren) and particularly for the one who has fallen into sin.
1. The Transgression
A. The Idea of Being “Overtaken”
Other translations use the word caught or discovered in place of ―overtaken.‖ There
is a small question as to whether it is ―someone finds it out‖ or ―the sin overtakes him
and grabs hold of him.‖ It seems to me to be the former—that a brother’s sin is discov-
ered and comes to light. Sin may seem to leap out and grab someone, but we cannot get
off the hook so easily as to blame the sin for overtaking a person.
The word used is ―taken beforehand‖ and may indicate the additional idea that if we
find someone going down the path to sin, we need to take some action. This, of course,
can be a slippery thing wherein some well-meaning folks turn into busy-bodies. This
word is not in the Bible to turn us into private investigators. Being judicious in your use
of confrontation and restoration will go a long way to helping people know that you are
serious when you say something to them. If you are always running off about some sin in
everyone’s life, it will be like crying wolf! And we are not talking here about areas in
which you would do something differently or you think the other person is not being as
wise as you are. We are talking about SINS.
One implication of this phrase is that we have to be able to point out sin. We cannot
be limited to the wishy-washy kind of ―Christianity‖ in which everyone is OK and sin is
gray and no one can make a definitive statement about what is right or wrong. This
brings up the issue of ―judgment‖ and Matt. 7:1.
B. The Nature of the Trespass
The trespass is of any sort. The term is a general word for sin, used 19 times in the
NT and 22 times in the Greek rendition of the OT (the LXX or Septuagint). Like our
English ―trespass‖ it is stepping over a boundary. It is known and willful. It is not just
that the person ―fell into sin‖ as if he has no culpability. The same word is used in pas-
sages that teach us that everyone trespasses (Eph. 2:1, 5, Col. 2:13) and needs forgive-
ness (Eph. 1:7). Thankfully, Jesus died for our trespasses (Romans 4:25).
One implication of this is that we have to know what sin is! Not only do we have to
be able to point out right from wrong, but we have to know what wrong is. We thus need
to know our Bible so that we know the mind of God as to what sin is.
2. The Restoration
A. Restoration is a Fixing Operation
To restore something is to fix it, like repairing and preparing a fishing net (Matt.
4:21, Mark 1:19). There the term means not just to fix rips in the net, but to clean and
fold the net properly for the next use. To restore means to make something without divi-
sion (1 Cor. 1:10), to set a broken bone, to be straightened out or mend ones’ ways or set
things right (2 Cor. 13:11). It can mean to put into the proper moral condition or return to
a former good condition. It means to put in order, to restore, mend, or make complete so
as to cause to be in a well-functioning condition.
This is done is by pointing out sin to the believer and helping him turn from it. It
may include steps to avoid it in the future, some instruction as to why something is
wrong, and so forth. Whatever your words or method, it should always involve the Bible!
By way of application, your life history can have lots of rips in it, but today you can
be on morally right footing, with help of God and other believers. You can be useful to
God. This text gives hope that we can be restored when we have sinned.
B. Restoration is Commanded
This restoration is commanded. It is not optional. It might be more convenient to let
someone’s sin to be swept under the rug, but this is not the Christian way. So many have
abandoned this area of Christianity in our pluralistic, relativistic day and age.
3. The Qualification
Not just anyone is told to work with sinning brothers. It takes a certain level of
Christian maturity. Note the following concepts:
A. One Who is Spiritual
The task of restoration falls only to those who are ―spiritual.‖ These are saved and
mature Christians. Sometimes the word spiritual is used of those who simply are Chris-
tians—who possess the spirit. Here, it means more than that—it means those whose lives
are characterized by the things of the Spirit of God, i.e. who are filled with the Spirit,
who walk in the Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit from chapter 5.
Presumably the sinning brother is also spiritual in the sense that he is saved, but he
is not acting like he is led by the Spirit in this particular area.
B. One Who is Gentle
The task of restoration falls only to those who are gentle. This means they are meek
and gentle in their manner of approaching the problem. Sin must be handled humbly and
carefully, in a gentle manner. Gentleness is a characteristic of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1, like
the example of the woman caught in adultery in John 8). Gentleness is also a fruit of the
Spirit (Gal. 5:23). A pastor should be gentle. In fact, that is one of his qualifications (2
Tim. 2:24-26, Titus 3:2)—and good thing too because often the task of this verse specifi-
cally falls to him. (But note that does not let John Doe Believer off the hook!) See also
Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:12, James 3:13, 1 Peter 3:16 for other uses of the word for gentleness.
C. One Who is Careful
The task of restoration, thirdly, falls to those who consider themselves carefully in
the process. They must look at, contemplate, observe, notice, keep their eyes on, pay
careful attention and actively think about their own spiritual state.
We must recognize that any proximity to sin is dangerous (Jude 23) because we can
also be tempted by the particular sin we are dealing with in restoration, or any sin in
general. We can be dragged down into sin if we are not keeping watch over our own
lives. Bottom line: our acquaintances can have an impact on us—sin wants to spread, not
just stay static. So, watch out. If you don’t have that mindset, you are not qualified to be
―spiritual‖ and do this corporate function.
Conclusion
A very necessary component of Christianity is the personal interaction of it, the one-
another nature of it, the help we receive from other brothers and sisters in Christ. It can
be said that there are Christians who are lone-rangers, but there are not really mature
Christians who are lone rangers! This will become even more evident as we look at the
following verses wherein we are to bear one another’s burdens. The ―one another‖ com-
mands imply this kind of idea as well. In this particular passage, we see that other mature
Christians can help those who have fallen into sin. In fact, they must do so. MAP
Excursus on Matt. 7:1 and Judgment
Judgment issue: Matt. 7:1. We are supposed to discern right from wrong, good from
bad, better from best– Eph. 5:10, Phil. 1:10, Heb. 5:4. So the text of Scripture does sup-
port Christian discernment, calling wrong wrong and right right. But 7:2 tells us to judge
carefully because that same standard will be applied to us. The type of judgment forbid-
den is hypocritical (Rom. 2:1-2), hyper-critical, self-righteous, Pharisaic judgment that is
hasty and uninformed (Prov. 18:13), full of double-standards, unmerciful, condemning,
based on human standards. We can discern and make judgments in a gracious, under-
standing, way, but not in a harsh, judgmental, self-exalting kind of way.
4. A Presupposition
Nothing dulls the force of God’s command here to restore sinning brothers. After
all, 1 John 5:16 says we should pray for brothers who are in sin. And James 5:19-20 says
that if we turn one back from sin we are covering a multitude of sins. We are helping that
person avoid even more sin.
However, there seems to be a presupposition behind the text that, to be successfully
applied, the person who has sinned wants help, wants to get out of sin, and wants to be
restored to close communion with God and his fellow believers. This would be like the
repentant believer of Matthew 18:15. But sometimes people in sin do not want to be
restored. They are like the unrepentant person of Matthew 18:16-17. They simply refuse
to do the right thing. Whoever it is, we are still obligated to work to restore that person to
moral uprightness. One case is rewarding and encouraging; the other frustrating and
discouraging.