Last year I looked at the Top 10 Most Shared Bible Verses from 2013 in their context. They have recently posted their 2014 list and to my surprise there are ten new most shared verses, so I figured I’d look at these ten popular verses in their context again this year. Today we will look at Galatians 6:6-7, which is the sixth most shared verse of 2014.
The Verse:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he 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. (Galatians 6:7-8 ESV)
The Context:
Galatians 6 is part of a much larger section where Paul outlines what it means to live by the Spirit. Paul spent a great deal of Galatians arguing that believers are freed from the law. One could wrongly conclude, then, that we are freed from any obligation to one another. In order to combat this potential error, Paul shows us that life in the Spirit will mean a life of serving one another (5:13).
In all of Galatians, Paul is contrasting the way of the flesh (which includes things like flesh-only circumcision) with the way of the heart. Those who live for themselves are living according to the flesh. In contrast, those who live sacrificially for the sake of others and for the glory of God are said to be walking in the Spirit.
As we often see throughout the Scriptures, our wallet is a wonderful indicator of which kingdom we are for; the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God. In Galatians 6:6 we are told to materially provide for those who teach. If you benefit from the instruction of someone then you should support them.
You can see how the way of the flesh vs. the way of the heart plays out in this area. The one who feeds his flesh will take the instruction, benefit from the help, but never think about providing for the one who has benefited him. But the one who “sows to the Spirit” will “share all good things to the one who teaches”.
This is why Paul says what he does in verses 7-8. In the forefront of his mind is how we sow and reap in financial matters. But it is so much more. Financial matters are only one way to apply this principle of verse 7-8. What Paul is really wanting the Galatians to see is the big picture of how eschatological reward/judgment impacts our lives—and fundamentally our giving.
And so the context for Galatians 6:7-8 is centered upon the question of whether we will live according to the Spirit or live according to the flesh.
The Meaning:
I’m not terribly shocked that we like this particular verse. People love a reward based system. Most Americans (even professing Christians) believe that karma is true. We hear this with phrases like “pay it forward”. We love the principle that if I do good things then I’ll get good things given to me in return. Bad things are given to bad people.
But is Galatians 6:7-8 a biblical type of karma? Is it saying, as some prosperity teachers proclaim, that if I sow spiritual seeds (giving him $50) then I’ll reap a grand reward ($500)?
It is true, I believe, that Paul is thinking here in terms of finances. But it extends far beyond that. God is not mocked. If you live a life of selfishness you will not reap a reward. But what is this reward?
Verse 8 helps us see that what is chief on Paul’s mind is eternal life. Paul is thinking in terms of final judgment. This isn’t saying “do good in this life, get something good in this life”. This is saying, “Don’t be weary in doing good in this life” because at some point (“in due season”) we’ll be rewarded.
Notice the tense of the reaping in verse 8. Paul’s use of “will reap” points to final judgment. What Paul is saying in this passage is further defined by verses 9-10. It is easy to become weary in doing good when people around you who seem to be sowing bad things are being rewarded. But if we see things with God’s eyes—through the lens of eternity—we know that an eternal reward is so much greater. Therefore, we shouldn’t become weary in doing good, but we should do good in every opportunity we have, knowing that God will reward.
Conclusion
We butcher this text if we make it a Christian version of karma. This concept of reaping and sowing cannot be divorced from the greater context of Galatians. It is only through Christ and what He has done that we are able to “live according to the Spirit”.
But we also don’t allow this text to speak if we pretend like our actions don’t have consequences (both good and ill). And eschatological consequences at that. A life which constantly sows to the flesh is an indicator that one has not been transformed. Such a one has no valid reason to expect to hear “well done good and faithful servant”. But the converse is also true—those who are, by grace, sowing to the Spirit have reason to believe that we’ll hear “well done” and this motivates us to not be weary in doing good.
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