 |  |
It is the third of these items, namely c | Persecution of the Cross, that is now
before us, occupying Gal. 5: 10 - 6: 10. The structure of this section is as follows:
A | 5: 10-12. The Troubler, he shall bear his judgment.
B | 5: 13-14. The law of love "fulfilled".
C | 5: 15-26. Flesh 5: Spirit. Works and Fruit. |
a | Biting and devouring one another.
b | Walk in the Spirit.
c | Not under law.
d | Works of flesh.
d | Fruit of Spirit.
c | Against such no law.
b | Walk in the Spirit.
a | Provoking and envying one another.
A | 6: 1, 2. The Restorer bear one another's burden
B | 6: 2, 3. The law of Christ "fulfil".
C | 6: 4-10. Flesh 5: Spirit. Sowing and Reaping. |
a | bear own burden.
b | communicate.
b | sow.
a | reap if faint not.
Two very different types of person come before us here. "The troubler" who is the
cause of the Galatian defection, and "The restorer" whose tactful and benevolent dealing
would help to restore those who had been overtaken by a fault. Two laws are brought
into prominence, the law which is fulfilled by love, and the fulfilling of the law of Christ
by bearing one another's burdens. Thirdly, two greater sections are concerned with the
conflict of flesh and spirit, stressing in one case the exemption from law that belongs to
those who walk in the spirit, and in the other case stressing the reaping that all must
expect who sow either to the flesh or to the spirit. Paul has already referred to `some that
trouble you' who were perverting the gospel of Christ, here he refers to an individual of
that company.
As many be supposed, by the very nature of the term, `trouble' represents some 35 or
more words in the original Scriptures. Of these, 14 different words occur in the Greek of
the N.T. The word used in Gal. 5: 10 is tarasso and means literally `to agitate' as for
example water (John 5: 4, 7; Ezek. 34: 18 LXX). This latter example is much to the
point, as the prophet addresses the people of Israel under the figure sheep and rams
saying:
"Is it not enough for you that ye fed on the good pasture, that ye trampled with your
feet the remnant of your pasture? and that ye drank the standing water, that ye disturbed
the residue with your feet?"
Bishop Chandler speaking of the various and contrary feelings excited in Herod at the
arrival of the Magi, said that there was not any one Greek word more proper and