SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:1
¶ Hermanos, si alguno fuere tomado en alguna falta, vosotros que sois espirituales, restaurad al tal con el espíritu de mansedumbre; considerndote a ti mismo, para que t no seas tambin tentado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 6:1
Verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken] ean prolhfqh? If he be surprised, seized on without warning, suddenly invaded, taken before he is aware: all these meanings the word has in connections similar to this. Strabo, lib. xvi., page 1120, applies it to the rhinoceros, in its contests with the elephant: he suddenly rips up the belly of the elephant, an mh prolhfqh th proboskioi, that he may not be surprised with his trunk.
For, should the elephant seize him with his trunk first, all resistance would be afterwards in vain; therefore he endeavours to rip up the elephant's belly with the horn which is on his nose, in order to prevent this. It is used also by Arrian, in Peripl. Mar. Eryth., page 164, and page 168, to signify a vessel being suddenly agitated and whirled by the waves, and then dashed on the rocks. See Kypke.
Ye which are spiritual] Ye who still retain the grace of the Gospel, and have wisdom and experience in Divine things; Restore such a one] katartizete ton toiouton? Bring the man back into his place. It is a metaphor taken from a dislocated limb, brought back by the hand of a skillful and tender surgeon into its place.
In the spirit of meekness] Use no severity nor haughty carriage towards him; as the man was suddenly overtaken, he is already deeply humbled and distressed, and needs much encouragement and lenient usage. There is a great difference between a man who being suddenly assailed falls into sin, and the man who transgressed in consequence of having WALKED in the counsel of the UNGODLY, or STOOD in the way of SINNERS.
Considering thyself] skopwn seauton? Looking to thyself; as he fell through a moment of unwatchfulness, look about, that thou be not surprised; AS he fell, so mayest thou: thou art now warned at his expense; therefore keep a good look out.
Lest thou also be tempted.] And having had this warning, thou wilt have less to plead in extenuation of thy offense. It is no wonder if a harsh and cruel censurer of a weak, backsliding brother, should be taught moderation and mercy by an awful proof of his own frailty. Such a one may justly dread the most violent attacks from the arch enemy; he will disgrace him if he can, and if he can overtake him he will have no small triumph. Consider the possibility of such a case, and show the mercy and feeling which thou wouldst then wish to receive from another. From the consideration of what we are, what we have been, or what we may be, we should learn to be compassionate. The poet Mantuanus has set this in a fine light in his Eclogue, Deuteronomy honesto Amore:- Id commune malum; semel insanivimus omnes: Aut sumus, aut fuimus, aut possemus omne quod hic est.
"This is a common evil; at one time or other we have all done wrong. Either we are, or have been, or may be, as bad as he whom we condemn."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault , etc..] Or be taken before in one; not, as Grotius thinks, before this epistle should come to them, which is a very jejune and empty sense of the words; nor before the conversion of the man, because sins before conversion do not come under the notice and cognizance of a church, or are liable to its reproofs and censures; but before the man is aware, through negligence and imprudence, for want of caution and circumspection, and so is carried away, either through the treachery of his own heart, and the power of corruption; or through the temptations of Satan, who goes about, and comes on the back of them, lays snares for them, and attacks them unawares, and takes all advantages of them; or by the ill examples of others, whereby they are drawn aside, and into sin. The apostle has no particular respect by a fault to schisms in the church, or to any errors or heresies in doctrine, though the restoration of such in meekness should be endeavoured; but rather to immorality in life and conversation, and indeed to any of the works of the flesh mentioned in the preceding chapter; and especially he means any fall of professors, as the word used signifies, into sin, through inadvertency and want of care and watchfulness, in distinction from a wilful, obstinate, and continued course of sinning; and intends not any man in the world, for those that are without, churches and members of churches have nothing to do with in a church way; but any man that is a brother, a church member, that stands in such a relation to them, when he falls into sin, is to be taken notice of by them. And so the Syriac version reads, any one of you; as does one of Stephens's copies. Ye that are spiritual ; meaning not such who had greater spiritual gifts than others, their ministers, pastors, and ecclesiastical governors, though these may be so called; and to them it belongs to reprove and rebuke, recover and restore backsliders, which they should do in gentleness and meekness; but the apostle here addresses the brethren in general, the several members of the church, even all but those that were fallen: nor does he mean such as have more spiritual knowledge than others, in opposition to babes; nor regenerate persons, and such as had the Spirit of God, in distinction from carnal men; but such as live and walk in the Spirit, and are strong, and stand by the power and grace of the Spirit of God, as opposed to the weak, and who were fallen through the prevalency of the flesh, and force of temptation; whose duty it is, and on whom it lies, to restore such an one , that is overtaken and fallen. The allusion is to the setting of bones that are broken, or out of joint, which is done with great care and tenderness. Professors fallen into sin are like broken and dislocated bones; they are out of their place, and lose both their comfort and usefulness, and are to be restored by gently telling them of their faults, and mildly reproving them for them; and when sensible of them, and troubled for them, by speaking comfortably to them, and by bringing them again, and resettling them in their former place in the church, and restoring them to their former usefulness and good conduct: and which is to be done in the spirit of meekness : in the exercise of that grace which is a gift and fruit of the Spirit of God; or with a meek and humble spirit, not bearing hard upon them, and treating them in a supercilious and haughty manner, upbraiding them with their faults, aggravating them, and using them roughly, and with sharpness, which in some cases is necessary, but not in this: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted : a spiritual man should consider himself as in the body, and as carrying about with him a body of sin, a corrupt and treacherous heart, that is full of deceitful lusts, by which he may be tempted also, and drawn away and enticed; and as being liable to the temptations of Satan, and of being overcome by; them, against which he should watch and pray; and should think with himself what he would choose, and should desire to be done to him in such a case, and do the like to others that are in it. This is a reason enforcing the exhortation; and indeed almost every word in the text carries an argument engaging to it.
The relation the saints stand in to one another, as brethren, should excite them to seek each other's welfare, and to restore any that are fallen, and to abstain from all roughness and severity. The persons addressed are spiritual, and therefore should behave as such as have the fruits of the Spirit, and, among the rest that of meekness; and, since they are strong, should help the weak, and raise up the fallen: the persons recommended to them, as the objects of their pity, care, and concern, are not such who have given up themselves to sin, but are circumvented by it, and overtaken in it, suddenly, and at unawares. And besides, are men, frail sinful men, liable to sin, encompassed with infirmities, and exposed to snares and temptations, which are common to human nature, and therefore should be used gently and tenderly: The apostle having given an enumeration in the foregoing chapter, of the works of the flesh, and fruits of the Spirit, directs such as are in the exercise of the latter, how to behave towards those that fall into the commission of any of the former, which may be expected, since there is flesh as well as spirit in the best.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - We are to bear one another's burdens. So we shall fulfil the law of Christ. This obliges to mutual forbearance and compassion towards eac other, agreeably to his example. It becomes us to bear one another' burdens, as fellow-travellers. It is very common for a man to look upo himself as wiser and better than other men, and as fit to dictate to them. Such a one deceives himself; by pretending to what he has not, he puts a cheat upon himself, and sooner or later will find the sad effects. This will never gain esteem, either with God or men. Every on is advised to prove his own work. The better we know our own hearts an ways, the less shall we despise others, and the more be disposed to help them under infirmities and afflictions. How light soever men' sins seem to them when committed, yet they will be found a heav burden, when they come to reckon with God about them. No man can pay ransom for his brother; and sin is a burden to the soul. It is spiritual burden; and the less a man feels it to be such, the mor cause has he to suspect himself. Most men are dead in their sins, an therefore have no sight or sense of the spiritual burden of sin Feeling the weight and burden of our sins, we must seek to be ease thereof by the Saviour, and be warned against every sin.
Greek Textus Receptus
αδελφοι 80 εαν 1437 και 2532 προληφθη 4301 5686 ανθρωπος 444 εν 1722 τινι 5100 παραπτωματι 3900 υμεις 5210 οι 3588 πνευματικοι 4152 καταρτιζετε 2675 5720 τον 3588 τοιουτον 5108 εν 1722 πνευματι 4151 πραοτητος 4236 σκοπων 4648 5723 σεαυτον 4572 μη 3361 και 2532 συ 4771 πειρασθης 3985 5686
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Overtaken in a fault (prolhmfqh - en tini paraptwmati). The verb means lit. to take before; to anticipate or forestall. Elsewhere only Mark xiv. 8; 1 Cor. xi. 21. LXX, Wisd. xviii. 17. Not, be detected in the act by some one else before he can escape, but surprised by the fault itself; hurried into error. Thus prohas the sense of before he is aware, and ejn is instrumental, by. 86 For fault or trespass, see on Matt. vi. 14. Spiritual (pneumatikoi). Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 1. Mostly in Paul. See 1 Pet. ii. 5. Those who have received the Spirit and are led by him. See ch. iii. 2, 3, 5, 14; iv. 6; v. 5, 16, 18, 25. He leaves it to the readers' own conscience whether or not they answer to this designation.
Restore (katartizete). See on Matt. iv. 21; xxi. 16; Luke vi. 40; 1 Peter v. 10. The word is used of reconciling factions, as Hdt. v. 28; of setting bones; of mending nets, Mark i. 19; of equipping or preparing, Romans ix. 22, Heb. x. 5; xi. 3; of manning a fleet, or supplying an army with provisions. Usually by Paul metaphorically as here. The idea of amendment is prominent: set him to rights: bring him into line. Comp. 2 Corinthians xiii. 11; 1 Cor. i. 10.
Spirit of meekness. Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 21. Led by the Spirit of God, whose fruit is meekness (v. 23). For the combinations of pneuma with genitives, see on Rom. viii. 4, p. 87.
Considering (skopwn). Only in Paul, except Luke xi. 35. The verb means to look attentively; to fix the attention upon a thing with an interest in it. See Rom. xvi. 17; 2 Cor. iv. 18; Philip. ii. 4; iii. 17. Hence, often, to aim at (comp. skopon mark, Philip. iii. 14). Schmidt (Syn.) defines: "To direct one's attention upon a thing, either in order to obtain it, or because one has a peculiar interest in it, or a duty to fulfill toward it. Also to have an eye to with a view of forming a right judgment." Notice the passing to the singular number - "considering thyself." The exhortation is addressed to the conscience of each. Before you deal severely with the erring brother, consider your own weakness and susceptibility to temptation, and restore him in view of that fact.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:1 {If a man be overtaken} (ean kai prolemfqei anqrwpos). Condition of third class, first aorist passive subjunctive of prolambanw, old verb to take beforehand, to surprise, to detect. {Trespass} (paraptwmati). Literally, a falling aside, a slip or lapse in the papyri rather than a wilful sin. In Polybius and Diodorus. _Koin_ word. {Ye which are spiritual} (hoi pneumatikoi). See on 1Co 3:1. The spiritually led (#5:18), the spiritual experts in mending souls. {Restore} (katartizete). Present active imperative of katartizw, the very word used in #Mt 4:21 of mending nets, old word to make artios, fit, to equip thoroughly. {Looking to thyself} (skopwn seauton). Keeping an eye on as in #2Co 4:18 like a runner on the goal. {Lest thou also be tempted} (me kai su peirasqeis). Negative purpose with first aorist passive subjunctive. Spiritual experts (preachers in particular) need this caution. Satan loves a shining mark.
