Here’s our Text in full, even though today we will only study its last clause. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, LEST THOU ALSO BE TEMPTED.” I have purposely capitalized the last few words.

Clearly, the man “overtaken” in a fault was “tempted” into some sort of failure. That’s why Paul employs the word “also,” lest we also fall into the same trap!

The implication is that our helping that weaker brother … could (if we are not ultra cautious) result in our succumbing to his particular temptation! Or to one like it.

Thus we need to be extra diligent (and as we saw in our last Lesson) to “consider ourselves.” In other words, “watch ourselves.” And look for the devil lurking nearby!

The New Testament is always leery of this thing called “temptation.” At least in its sense of meaning “an allurement to sin.” It is a thing to be avoided. Do remember Jesus’ prayer, better yet, Jesus’ instruction to us on how to pray: “Lead us not into temptation.”

That is, do not put yourself in the way of temptation!

Maybe that is why Paul so strongly warned young Timothy: “FLEE ALSO YOUTHFUL LUSTS: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2nd Timothy 2:22, King James Version, “flee,” to escape!

Jude picks up on this possible “danger when helping others” syndrome. “And others SAVE … WITH FEAR, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude’s 23rd verse, with “fear” meaning the utmost carefulness, nearly to the point of anxiousness. 

Do NOT knowingly put yourself in the “crosshairs” of the devil!

Paul’s second Epistle to the Corinthians may help here: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:11

Now back to where we started: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, LEST THOU ALSO BE TEMPTED.”

Except … having been fore-warned, maybe we can thus be better fore-armed as well!

So let us henceforth (especially when helping weaker brothers and sisters in Christ) be, as Peter suggested: “Be SOBER, be VIGILANT; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 

“Sober” here means “alert, circumspect (looking all around)!

And “vigilant” means “awake!”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Debbie last week riding the elevator. We were going down 12 floors to the car. On the way to preach in Conway, South Carolina.

I am up and busy this morning, already doing some preliminary packing for the drive to Bath Springs, Tennessee … this week’s Revival. But I must run to my library (a climate controlled storage building) and do some research on these five upcoming Sermons!

My point … the Lesson will be written later this morning.

Thanks for stopping by …

Dr, Mike Bagwell

Update …

We went to vote “early” … in order to voice our convictions in a critical Georgia election. But we stood and stood and stood in line … and are just now getting back home!

We want our conservative Christian values to be heard!

Anyway, no time to write the Lesson now. I apologize. My intentions early this morning were pure! We are finishing the last minute details to get on the road to this week’s Revival.

Pray for us please.

 

Galatians 6:1 toggles back and forth between some critical “plurals” and “singulars,” grammatically speaking. And today, in the Lesson, we are back to studying one of the “singular” pronouns the Verse employs.

Let me show you what I mean …

“Brethren (plural), if a man (singular) be overtaken in a fault, ye (plural) which are spiritual, restore such an one (singular) in the spirit of meekness; CONSIDERING THYSELF (singular), lest thou (still singular) also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

Now (having already discussed the majority of the Text)  we must notice the clause “considering thyself.”  Sort of a warning, I’d call it. Take caution!

If you try to help that fallen (“overtaken in a fault”) brother or sister, be careful!

The verb “considering” (a present tense, active voice participle) is spelled “skopeo” in Greek. This gives us our English word “scope,” as is evident. The Greeks “loaned” it to us Americans!

And “skopeo” means “to look at, to observe,” even at times “to contemplate.” In the King James New Testament it is rendered “mark” twice, and “take heed” once. As in “keep an eye” on him or her or that!

Then Paul adds that singular pronoun (mentioned earlier), “thyself.” It’s spelled “seautou” in Greek, here in the accusative case, indicating the “object” of one’s watchfulness.

Be careful for yourself … you’re on dangerous ground … exercise caution!

Help your brother, then quickly get away from that type of sinfulness, the very thing that brought him down! Second Corinthians 2:11 comes to mind: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us (get a hold of us, in abundance): for we are not ignorant of his devices (thoughts).”

Wow!

You are NOT above (immune to, exempt from) that temptation (whatever it may have been) that overtook your friend in Christ!

Be prudent here! “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:13, two times, same words!

Pull the “overtaken” one out of that pit … and both y ‘all run away!

A line of Paul warning to Timothy fits here: “Save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1st Timothy 4:16, amazing!

May the Holy Spirit apply this truth to our lives today. And may He bring this little warning to mind next time we reach our to help a weaker brother!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, just one more Lesson from Galatians 6:1, tomorrow morning. Then Monday we continue our long journey through his wonderful Epistle, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorites!

 

Yes, Galatians 6:1 is still our Text, but only for a couple more days. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

“The spirit of meekness,” what a term, an expression, a phrase!

Or is it a Title, referring to God the Holy Spirit?

Whatever interpretation we use here … we had best have this “spirit” if we are going to try to help pull someone up out of some dirty pit of sin! Into which he or she has fallen!

“Meekness” (in Greek it’s spelled “praotes”) means something like “humility, lowliness, submission (really, willing submission).

Do NOT try to restore a fallen comrade with a proud attitude like “at-least-I-did-not-fall” or “I-knew-I-was-stronger-than-you!” 

No!

But rather, “meekness of spirit” would react/behave this way: “Let each esteem other better than themselves.” (As in “you-fell-once, but I-have-fallen-many-times!”) The verse I just used, Philippians 2:3, King James Version.

And when “helping” others, we need to remember Proverbs 16:18 … “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Wow!

Today’s emphasis is Biblical to the core. No doubt. But it is also good “common sense!”

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And do not forget that this “meekness” is a actually a Trait (Fruit) of the Holy Spirit Who indwells our lives as Christians!

 

The ministry of RESTORATION, not here reconciliation as Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:18, again I mean “restoration.” 

In this context, our Verse today: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, RESTORE such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Yes, we are still looking at Galatians 6:1.

Our verb is here written as an imperative! It is a stark command from our old beloved Apostle Paul. We have no choice. Such “restoration” is our duty!

But what does it mean?

To “restore” someone overtaken in a fault?

The Greek verb is “katartizo,” used 13 times in the New Testament! What a ideal number, giving us a pleasant array of Holy Spirit “uses” of the word!

And if we can define it, that data will teach us how to “help” any of our fallen brothers or sisters along the way. Those suffering lapses in their faith. “Temporary” failures, we hope!

Twice (both in Matthew 4:21 and Mark 1:19) “katartizo” is used when some fishermen are “mending” their nets! (Try that for a good word picture! Healing, repairing a “torn” bother in Christ! Trying to assist in his spiritual “mending!”) Yes, that is Bible “restoration,” for sure.

But in Matthew 21:16 Jesus uses “katartizo.” He is there quoting (and adapting) a verse from Psalm 8. And He has God the Father “perfecting” praise from the lips of little children! (Hence … bringing something to completion, to maturity, to fulfillment!)

Wow!

In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul uses “katartizo” to mean “perfectly joined together!” In the King James Version, anyway. (I am told that in the ancient Greek medical world, “katartizo” was the verb used for “setting broken bones” so they “could mend together” once more!

Wow!

Here is Paul again, desiring “to mend” some deficiency in the Thessalonian Church! “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and MIGHT PERFECT that which is lacking in your faith?” This is 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Paul the “restorer!”

In Hebrews 10:3 “katartizo” is used of God the Father “preparing” a Body for His Son, surely in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This is Jesus talking to His Father … “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He (Jesus) saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body HAST Thou PREPARED Me.”

Wow, again!

God, in creating the world, did so via the “katartizo” principle, in that much detail! “Through faith we understand that the worlds WERE FRAMED by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3

These should be enough Bible “illustration” of how the Holy Spirit defines “katartizo!”

Now we should “go and do likewise!” (An allusion to Luke 10:37, a line in the marvelous parable of the “Good Samaritan.”)

I mean … go “restore” someone who may be floundering in the faith.

But do so carefully!

And that’s the thought we will explore in tomorrow’s Lesson, the Lord willing, “carefully!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell