CONTROVERSY XIV: What about Restoring the Fallen Brother?

(This is a new article series that I am "trying out" with my readers. These are intended to be thought-provoking. Please see their Intro Article: Jan. 26, 2008)

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Gal. 6:1-3 NASB)

Paul had just spent the majority of his letter passionately reprimanding this Galatian church for allowing the Judaizers, a sect of “Jewish Christians” who taught that salvation comes only with circumcision, to undermine the Gospel of grace, which he had taught when he was present with them. He explained that Christ’s salvation is a gift of His grace, which is not dependent upon the religious works of men. However, knowing the tendency of human nature to flee from one extreme to adopt the other, Paul states that Christ’s freedom does not infer succumbing to carnality either.

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh…” (5:13)

Following this statement, Paul details the difference between a spiritual life of freedom and a life of the flesh (5:20-25). He closes this account with the statement, “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another,” (vs. 26) to ensure that when one does walk in the spirit, he is not to look down upon those who are not.

Now we come to the selected text of chapter 6. The main point of the three verses is verse two, exonerating the believers to bear one another’s burdens according to the law of Christ. The key words of the passage are the following:

· “trespass”: paraptoma-to fall beside or near something a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness a sin, misdeed
· “spiritual”: pneumatiko-one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God
· “restore”: katartizo-ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be
· “gentleness”: prautes-mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness, consideration, humility
· “bear”: bastazo-to sustain, i.e. uphold, support; to take up in order to carry or bear, to put upon one's self (something) to be carried
· “burdens”: baros-heaviness, weight, burden, trouble

Paul is speaking to the Church about how one should “deal” with a brother, who has fallen into sin or is living according to the flesh, as he had described in the previous chapter. Those, who are living according to the Spirit, are not to chide or reject the fallen brother; they are to restore him, strengthen that, which is spiritual within his being. The manner, by which they are to do this, is in the manner of the fruit of the Spirit gentleness (5:23), in a meek and humble spirit, recognizing that they too, are not immune to the carnal nature, as Paul had described in chapter 5:17, 24:

“17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please…24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Moreover, the members of the church are exonerated to “bear” or “uphold and take on” the “burdens” or “weights and troubles” of their brethren, for this fulfills/completes the law of Christ, which was detailed also in chapter 5:14:

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” (ref. Matt. 22:39; Jn. 15:17)

This concept is related to Paul’s description of the body of believers as being apart of the Body of Christ. He wrote to the Corinthian Church a more detailed account of this concept, prohibiting any member to reject another for its weakness or “fallenness”:

“But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you;’ or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary…so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:20-22; 25-26)

All are apart of a body, a family of believers, and all should take the viewpoint to ensure the wholeness and health of all members of the body. Furthermore, Paul denounces any self-righteousness or haughtiness of perspective from the “spiritual” brothers of the Lord, for they too may find themselves in such a predicament, a potentiality that Paul states in another letter:

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom. 3:23)

How is this applied to today? It is not uncommon for Church members of the present day to quickly judge and criticize the fallen among the congregation. Gossip, rejection, and self-righteousness seem to characterize the majority of congregations across the nation today. However, Paul is imploring the Church to reach out to those within her family and restore, not reject, those, who are trapped in carnality, recognizing that no one is invincible to the temptations of the flesh. This fulfills the second Greatest Commandment, and one of the only commandments Christ gave to His disciples:

“‘This I command you, that you love one another.’” (Jn. 15:17)

If one has fallen, the others who are stronger are to “… to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please (them)selves.” (Rom. 15:1) How does one bear with another? Meeting with them, praying with and for them, counseling them, and walking the road of discipleship, i.e. “doing life” with them, challenging them to put off the old man and put on the new (ref. Eph. 4:22-24). This is fulfilling the law of Christ, to love others as one would have others love them. This is dying to selfish desires so that Christ may be preached.