SOFRIMENTOS SUFOCANTES (material)
INTRODUÇÃO
CONTEXTO
E algo dessa natureza realmente ocorreu, pois não ficou em segredo o regozijo que Antioquia sentiu ante o regresso dos missionários e de todas as novidades que trouxeram acerca das multidões de pessoas, especialmente de gentios, que haviam abraçado a Cristo e sua salvação. A notícia espalhou-se por todos os rincões. Jerusalém também ouviu falar a respeito. Podemos ainda crer que houve regozijo na Igreja. Mas esse regozijo não era universal. Nessa cidade da Judéia, entre aqueles que ouviram as boas-novas, havia também alguns convertidos nominais que eram da seita dos fariseus (At 15.5). Como se deu com todos os discípulos do Senhor, todos os fariseus também criam na ressurreição dos mortos. Além disso, é provável que os fariseus mencionados aqui em Atos 15.5 teriam ficado impressionados com a força da evidência da Ressurreição de Cristo e com a indiscutível grandeza de seus milagres, e, possivelmente, por essas razões, tenham-se unido aos seguidores do Nazareno. Entretanto, no fundo permaneciam judeus legalistas. Eles convenceram-se de que era necessário muito mais do que simples fé em Jesus para se obter a salvação; e que ainda se fazia necessária a estrita observância das cerimônias judaicas, particularmente a da circuncisão.
Quando, pois, a notícia da conversão dos gentios, sem as obras da lei, e especialmente sem a necessidade de se receber a circuncisão, chegou aos ouvidos desses homens, eles correram a Antioquia, com um protesto no coração e um ultimato nos lábios. Ao chegarem à cidade, não hesitaram em nenhum momento em anunciar à assustada congregação, na maioria gentia, que “Se não vos circuncidardes segundo o costume de Moisés, não podeis ser salvos” (At 15.1). Esse forte pronunciamento, uma vez que condenara a maioria da congregação à perdição, teria causado considerável consternação e tumulto.
Tiago, em seguida, apresenta sua opinião. Movido pelo fato de que o que estava acontecendo no mundo gentílico era um claro cumprimento de profecias (Am 9.11, 12), ele afirma: “Diante do exposto, minha opinião é que não perturbemos aqueles do mundo gentílico que se voltam para Deus”. Sem de forma alguma ferir a doutrina da justificação pela fé somente, sem as obras da lei, Tiago, que era um indivíduo muito prático, sugeriu a adoção de certos regulamentos que, em período de transição, tornassem possível a crentes judeus e gentios viverem juntos em paz e harmonia (At 15.20, 21).
A decisão da Conferência foi levada a Antioquia, Síria e Cilícia (15.23), bem como às cidades da Galácia do Sul (16.1–4). “Assim as igrejas eram fortalecidas na fé e, dia a dia, aumentavam em número” (16.5).
Os judaizantes, entretanto, não estavam dispostos a se render. Seguiram Paulo muito de perto a fim de destruir os resultados de seu trabalho. Em Antioquia, a culpa pelo comportamento repreensível de Pedro (Gl 2.11, 12) é parcialmente deles. Eles atravessaram a Galácia insistindo com os gentios para que fossem circuncidados como meio de atingir a salvação (Gl 5.2, 3; 6.12). Não negavam ser necessária a fé em Cristo, porém proclamavam em alta voz que a circuncisão e a obediência a certos requisitos legais são também necessários (4.9, 10). Entretanto, com assustadora inconsistência, não insistiam na obediência a toda a lei (5.3). Com o fim de reforçar sua causa, lançavam suspeitas sobre Paulo. Tentaram desacreditá-lo, afirmando que seu apostolado não procedia de Deus, e sim dos homens, e que, por isso, seu evangelho era de segunda mão (Gl 1.1 cf. 1Co 9.1ss.); que ele estava simplesmente tentando ganhar o favor dos homens (Gl 1.10), e que, quando lhe era conveniente, ele pregava até mesmo a circuncisão (Gl 5.11).
Paulo sabia que esses perturbadores não passavam de cristãos nominais. Eram insinceros e inconsistentes, pois enquanto tentavam obrigar outros a observarem a lei eles mesmos deixavam de guardá-la (Gl 6.13). Seu alvo era: a. escapar à perseguição por parte dos judeus; e b. por causa de sua ambição pessoal, queriam receber glória carnal de seus seguidores; ou seja, apontar com orgulho para aqueles gentios que, em razão de sua insistência e exortações, receberam a circuncisão (4.17; 6.13). “Mas longe esteja de mim gloriar-me, senão na cruz de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo” – diz Paulo (6.14).
Pode parecer estranho, porém muitos gálatas ouviram atentamente esses usurpadores. Estavam a ponto de trocar pão por pedra e peixe por serpente. Generoso, solícito, o coração de Paulo se enche de tristeza ao saber que na Galácia a doutrina da liberdade cristã estava ameaçada. Guiado pelo Espírito, e sob sua direção, ele decide escrever uma carta a essas pessoas que são tão queridas de seu coração. Não estão elas entre os primeiros frutos de seu trabalho como missionário ordenado? A esses, a doutrina da graça soberana, com toda sua simplicidade e glória, tem de ser enviada novamente.
Não obstante, embora se gloriasse na cruz, o apóstolo sabia que era preciso alertar os gálatas contra a perversão da doutrina da graça, para que não pensassem que essa nova liberdade cristã fosse equivalente a licenciosidade. Ele enfatiza que, se uma pessoa realmente anda no Espírito Santo, o Espírito da liberdade, ela não satisfaz os desejos da carne; ao contrário, produz frutos, o fruto do Espírito (Gl 5.16–26).
A letter from the Apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, a region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Among the 13 New Testament letters traditionally ascribed to Paul, Galatians is perhaps second in influence, following Romans.
Galatians is one of the most-studied letters of the New Testament. It was the object of attention in early and medieval Christianity, and its influence increased during the Reformation period.
• Luther (1483–1546) lectured on Galatians in 1519 and 1523. The substance of his lectures was later compiled into a commentary bearing his name (see Graebner, “Preface,” iv—v).
• Calvin (1509–1564) cited Galatians frequently in his Institutes, wrote a commentary on it, and preached on it.
• More recently, Boice described Galatians as the “Magna Carta of Christian liberty” (“Galatians,” 403).
• Longenecker and Bruce, in large measure owing to the influence of Galatians, characterized Paul as the “Apostle of Liberty” and the “Apostle of the Free Spirit” (in works bearing these titles, respectively).
Galatians addresses both Christian freedom (2:4; 4:22, 23, 26, 30, 31; 5:1, 13) and Christian obligation (5:13–6:10; compare Barrett, Obligation). As is typical of ancient Greek letters, Galatians contains three basic parts (see White, “Literature,” 1731, and “Letters,” 97):
• opening (1:1–5);
• body (1:6–6:10); and
• closing (6:11–18).
In 5:1–6:10, Paul spells out the freedom and responsibility that the Galatians bear as recipients of the Spirit and as sons of God (compare 3:2–3, 5, 26; 4:6). They are to stand fast in freedom (5:1), which means that circumcision is not a legitimate option for them (5:2–6). They are to refuse the message of the troublemakers (5:7–12). Above all, they are to pursue the ethical implications of Paul’s gospel of freedom. This involves not an opportunity for the flesh (5:13), but rather a life characterized by the Spirit’s direction (5:14–26) and by mutual responsibility within the believing community (6:1–10).
COMPREENSÃO DO TEXTO
κατηχέω, -ήχησα, -ήχημαι, -ηχήθην, instruo (oralmente), informo,
κατηχέω (katēcheō): vb.; ≡ Str 2727; TDNT 3.638—1. LN 33.225 teach, instruct (Ac 18:25; Ro 2:18; 1Co 14:19; Gal 6:6+), for another interp, see next; 2. LN 33.190 inform, report (Lk 1:4, Ac 21:21; 21:24+), for another interp, see prior; note: there may be overlap in the verses and entries
Paul himself uses κατηχέω exclusively in sense b. “to give instruction concerning the content of faith.”
This is the high value he attaches to the significance of κατηχεῖν, for he realises that faith comes through preaching. Gl. 6:6 draws a contrast between the κατηχῶν who gives instruction in Christian doctrine and the κατηχούμενος who receives this instruction. It thus establishes the claim of the teacher to support, and therewith confirms the validity and necessity of a professional teaching ministry in the congregation.
The κατηχοῦντες of Gl. 6:6 are to be equated with the διδάσκαλοι of 1 C. 12:28 and Eph. 4:11. Hence Paul uses not only the common διδάσκειν but also this much rarer word, hardly known at all in the religious vocabulary of Judaism, as a technical term for Christian instruction. He desires thereby to emphasise the particular nature of instruction on the basis of the Gospel. The word selected was in fact very apt to assume the exclusive sense of Christian instruction, and it finds an echo to-day in the word “catechism.” This was particularly true when κατηχέω was specifically used for the instruction given before baptism, and the one preparing for this sacrament was called a catechumen. Clear evidence of this use of κατηχεῖν is to be found already in 2 Cl., 17, 1.
θερίζω, -ίσω, -σα, -ίσθην, ceifo
σπείρω, ἔσπειρα, ἔσπαρμαι, ἐσπάρην, semeio
to scatter seed over tilled ground—‘to sow.’ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ἃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν ‘as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path’ Mt 13:4. In many languages there is a problem of translating σπείρω literally as ‘to scatter seed,’ since this is interpreted as an exceedingly wasteful manner of sowing, but unless one translates more or less literally and then provides some explanatory footnote, the parable loses much of its significance for many cultures.
ἀγαθός, -ή, -όν, (intrinsecamente) bom, excelente, útil, salutar, feliz, agradável, reto, generoso; τό + neut. sing., o bem; τά + neut. plu., bens, riquezas, benefícios. § 449, 778s
σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ, § 256, 567, carne, a natureza não regenerada, os restos desta natureza operosos no crente; às vêzes quase = σῶμα; “um ser humano, a humanidade, a natureza animal do homem; fraqueza, corruptibilidade e mortalidade física e intelectual” — Souter; “a natureza humana inclusive a alma; qualquer criatura viva; o homem segundo sua aparência exterior; o corpo; em contraste com πνεῦμα é a natureza terrena do homem à parte da influência divina e, por isto, dada ao pecado e oposta a Deus” — Thayer; “a inteira natureza do homem, sensibilidade e razão, sem o Espírito Santo”—Melanchthon; V. πνεῦμα, ψυχή, σῶμα, καρδία
καιρός (kairos), οῦ (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc.; ≡ DBLHebr 4595, 6961; Str 2540; TDNT 3.455—1. LN 67.1 occasion, points of time (Mt 13:30); 2. LN 67.78 period of time, indefinite period of time (Rev 12:12); 3. LN 67.145 era, age, (Mk 10:30); 4. LN 22.45 opportunity, good occasion (Ac 24:25); 5. LN 67.109 πρὸς καιρὸν ὥρας (pros kairon hōras), for a while (1Th 2:17+); 6. LN 65.42 make good use of opportunity, (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5+), see 1973; 7. LN 68.73 work urgently, (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5+) see 1973
καιρός, -οῦ, ὁ, ocasião oportuna, oportunidade, época conveniente, tempo próprio; tempo; § 806 (10); V. χρόνος
καλός, -ή, -όν, lindo (em forma, excelência, estética, utilidade ou ética), excelente, formoso, admirável, bom, nobre, digno, precioso, competente, geralmente vertido bom, sugestionando a evidente formosura moral ou excelência prática; V. ἀγαθός, χρηστός, δίκαιος, § 453, 778
φθορά, -ᾶς, ἡ, corrupção, destruição, decomposição, ruína
φθοράa, ᾶς f: a state of ruin or destruction, with the implication of disintegration—‘ruin, destruction.’ ἅ ἐστιν πάντα εἰς φθορὰν τῇ ἀποχρήσει ‘all such things are ruined by use’ Col 2:22; ὡς ἄλογα ζῷα γεγεννημένα φυσικὰ εἰς ἅλωσιν καὶ φθοράν ‘like wild animals born to be captured and destroyed’ 2 Pe 2:12. In 2 Pe 2:12 it may be more appropriate in a number of languages to translate ‘… to be killed.’
Muito trabalho tinha de ser feito, e tinha de ser feito com firmeza, com carinho e tato. E, em sintonia com isso, um peso desproporcional repousaria sobre os dirigentes, de um modo especial sobre aqueles que instruíam na Palavra. Podemos bem imaginar que nesses primeiros dias do estabelecimento da Igreja e de seu crescimento cercado de tanta oposição, tanto de dentro como de fora, teria sido quase impossível, às vezes, para um líder da igreja granjear seu sustento e ainda realizar todas as suas lides espirituais. É bem provável que essa tenha sido a razão por que Paulo acrescentou: 6. O que recebe instrução – literalmente, o catecúmeno, uma palavra que ainda é usada nos círculos religiosos – na Palavra deve compartilhar todas as coisas boas com seu instrutor, ou seja, com seu catequista?
Ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς is probably to be taken as referring to both spiritual and material good. Cf. 1 Cor. 9:11; Rom. 15:27; Barn. 19:8; Did. 4:3. For ἀγαθά, meaning material good, see Lk. 12:18; 16:25; spiritual good, Mt. 12:34, 35, the latter a particularly instructive example, since it refers not precisely to good conduct but to good thoughts and words, as does the present passage if it designates that which the teacher imparts. The idea of good conduct Paul usually expressed by the singular τὸ ἀγαθόν (Rom. 2:10; 12:9, 21; 13:3b; 14:16; 16:19; 1 Thes. 5:15; cf. the similar use of τὸ καλόν in 5:21 and in v. 9 below) or ἔργον ἀγαθόν (Rom. 2:7; 13:3; 2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 1:6). The neuter plural occurs in the Pauline letters in the phrase ἔργα ἀγαθά in Eph. 2:10; 1 Tim. 2:10, and without ἔργα, but with the article in Rom. 3:8 only, where it signifies things that are (spiritually) advantageous. The Pauline usage, therefore, furnishes no decisive or weighty evidence for or against either the material or the spiritual sense here; and in view of the common Greek usage illustrated in the passages from the gospels quoted above, the word πᾶσιν, and the inclusive, mutual sense of κοινωνέω, it seems probable that the phrase is intended to cover both the spiritual good which the teacher has to impart and the material good which he is to receive. The thought is then akin to that of Rom. 15:27, the exhortation being to those that are taught to be partners with their teachers in all goods, giving to those who teach them of that which they themselves possess, as they receive what the teachers have to impart. See esp. Wieseler’s full discussion. Consistently with their respective interpretations of κοινωνείτω Ell. Alf Ltft. Zahn take it of material good only, Mey. and Sief. of spiritual good.
Although Burton sees a reference to both spiritual and material good (cf. Rom. 15:27), it seems that the ‘all good things’ (πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς) are mainly material things, as in Luke 1:53 (in the Magnificat where Mary says that God has filled the hungry with ‘good things’) and Luke 16:25 (where the rich man, in contrast to Lazarus, had ‘good things’ in his lifetime). In the context in Galatians 6, the expression refers to voluntary financial contributions. ‘The ones who are catechized in the Word are to share with those who catechize’ (we derive ‘catechist’ and ‘catechize’ from the Greek words that Paul uses here). In the Old Testament, priests received of the tithes and ate of the sacrifices. God specifically warned the Israelites not to neglect the Levites (Deut. 12:19). With the passing of the old covenant, some provision had to be made in the New Testament for those who taught full-time.
1. Do not be deceived
6:7. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked …
Jerome and Thomas Aquinas say that we are not to excuse ourselves by pretending poverty. Luther too thinks that Paul is still speaking about the maintenance of the minister in verses 7–8. Burton sees verses 7–8 as the general principle to enforce the exhortation of verse 6. But John Brown does not see any particular link between verses 6 and 7, and this is more convincing.
We are warned that deception brings spiritual danger. The Bible often warns us against being deceived (Luke 21:8; 1 Cor. 6:9; 15:33; James 1:16; 1 John 3:7). Calvin says, ‘There is none so evil that he does not have a clever way of concealing his shamefulness from men.’ He goes on to speak of a bad motive being painted with make-up. That is what we do with sin. We deceive ourselves and then try to deceive others into thinking that we are better than we are.
The character of God is such that he cannot be mocked. Literally, people cannot ‘turn up their snouts’ at God (see Ezek. 8:17). He is holy and righteous, and knows all things. Those who mock him—like Goliath (1 Sam. 17) and Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:21–23)—find that he judges us; we do not judge him. In the judgement, even our motives will be revealed (1 Cor. 4:5).
Não se enganem; Deus não se deixa escarnecer; pois o que um homem semeia, isso também colherá… Esta regra é válida não só para os membros da igreja; ela é válida para o mundo inteiro. Deus não é (e não pode ser) escarnecido. Ele não permite que alguém faça pouco caso do evangelho ou das exortações implícitas nele. Não lhe passará desapercebido o menosprezo de alguém, dizendo: “Deus está morto!”. Ao contrário, cada um será recompensado na proporção de suas obras (ver comentário sobre o v. 5). Naturalmente, isso também significa a maneira como alguém reage ante a presente carta, na qual a doutrina da justificação pela fé sem as obras da lei é defendida contra seus difamadores (sejam eles legalistas ou libertinos), não escapará à observação de Deus, e será certamente levada em consideração.
7. μὴ πλανᾶσθε, θεος οὐ μυκτηρίζεται· ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει. 8. ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ἐκ τῆς σαρκος θερίσει φθοράν, ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς το πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ πνευματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap; because he that soweth to his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the Spirit reap life eternal.” With μὴ πλανᾶσθε (cf. similar use of these words in 1 Cor. 6:9; 15:33 Jas. 1:16) the apostle introduces the statement of a general principle, which serves primarily to enforce the exhortation of v. 6 by bringing the specific matter there referred to under a great general law. To the apostle’s thought the attitude of the Galatians towards their teachers is but a specific example of their attitude towards life in general. If they are unreceptive to spiritual teaching, and, undervaluing it, are unwilling to support their teachers, preferring to spend their money on themselves, they are sowing to (for the benefit of) their own fleshly natures, and the harvest will be corruption. If, on the other hand, recognising their need of teaching and its value, they are of receptive mind towards those who are able to instruct them and willingly contribute of their goods that such teaching may continue, they are sowing to (for the benefit of) the spirit, and the harvest will be eternal life. For similar instances of a seeming disparity in importance between the duty enjoined and the consideration appealed to to enforce it, see Phil. 2:1–10; 1 Cor. 11:31–33. Yet these verses are probably not simply for the enforcement of v. 6. The apostle may also have desired to bring this principle before his readers for its own sake. Having in vv. 1–6. brought before his readers certain specific applications of the teaching of 5:13–26, thus narrowing the horizon from the general contrast between life according to the flesh and life by the Spirit, he now, reversing the process, restores the broader view with which he began.
Φθορά (a classical word in use from Æschylus down, meaning “decay,” “destruction,” “death,” used also in the Lxx, Apocr. Ps. Sol. Patr. Ap.) interpreted solely by the clause in which it stands, would naturally mean “corruption,” “decay” (cf. Col. 2:22) perhaps inclusive of a physical (cf. Ps. Sol. 4:6 [7]) and a moral sense, but probably referring particularly to moral corruption (Wisd. 14:12; 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Clem. 6:4; cf. the use of φθείρω in 1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor. 7:2; 11:3; Eph. 4:22). Nor is it impossible that this is the apostle’s meaning, for to such a thought, eternal life, ζωὴ αἰώνιος, is not an impossible antithesis. Yet in view of the Pauline use of φθορά (Rom. 8:21; 1 Cor. 15:42, 50), the reference to the flesh in the immediate context, and the antithesis of eternal life in the second member of the sentence, it seems probable that by φθοράν Paul means that corruption and death of the body, from which, for those who have not lived according to the spirit, there is no rising to eternal life. See Rom. 6:19–23; 8:8–17, esp. 13: εἰ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆτε μέλλετε ἀποθνήσκειν, εἰ δὲ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε ζήσεσθε, where, to be sure, σάρξ is used in a distinctly ethical, not as here in a physical sense, but τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος conveys very nearly the idea here expressed by σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ. In other words Paul here affirms that devotion of one’s self to the material, bodily side of life, brings physical death unrelieved by the Christian hope of resurrection which rests upon the indwelling of the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead.
2. Sow to the flesh or sow to the Spirit
6:7–8.… 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.
Sowing and reaping refer to some kind of proverbial saying (see Job 4:8; Ps. 126:5; Prov. 22:8; Jer. 12:13; Hosea 8:7; 10:12–13; 2 Cor. 9:6). Indeed, it is found in Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Plutarch; it is a law of nature as well as a divine revelation. To cite Haldane, ‘Life is the seed time, eternity the harvest.’ Paul is not simply contrasting the bodily and material side of life with the spiritual and intellectual side—as Burton thinks—but two spheres of life. The unregenerate person, without the Holy Spirit, is contrasted to the regenerate person, indwelt by the Spirit of God.
The flesh and Spirit are portrayed as two fields, which are producing two very different crops. What Paul says is true in the financial sphere, but it has a much wider application. It is certainly a general truth in Romans 8:13: ‘For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.’ John Brown writes, ‘To suppose that sin can end in happiness, is as absurd as to suppose that tares will produce wheat.’
This surely is the beginning of all sin—we convince ourselves that good will come of it. ‘Flesh’ can refer to a carnal worldly life or to a respectable, law-abiding life. For example, the flesh is linked to sin in 5:19–21 but to circumcision in 6:12–13. So you can sow to the flesh by chasing after the wild life, or you can sow to the flesh by being a Pharisee. So far as being justified before God is concerned, the result is the same. This is obscured by the Jerusalem Bible’s translation of ‘flesh’ as ‘self-indulgence’.
Depending on what we have sown, we shall reap either ‘corruption’ (φθοπάν) or ‘eternal life’ (ζωὴν αἰώνιον). It does not just happen. This is a divine law. You know this in agriculture—plant potatoes and you reap potatoes. Well, it is also true in the spiritual life. Sow in pride, selfishness, lust, greed, or even in outward religiosity, and the result is corruption. Sow in the Spirit, as he leads you to Christ, and to grow in him, and the harvest is eternal life. You would not be deceived in agriculture; do not be deceived in the more vital issue of the spiritual life.
6:9. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Children tend to want to sow and reap on the same day. Let’s face it—we all do. I was always one of those fellows at school who did not excel in running races. Once I found myself in a long-distance race, and took off as if it was a sprint. I did it just for the sheer and unusual pleasure of being out in front for a while. The inevitable happened, however, and I was soon back with the pack, and then back behind the pack. That sort of thing can easily happen in the Christian life, so Paul exhorts us to press on in doing good. We are to maintain patience and vigour. Even first-century Jews needed to be reminded that crops take time to grow (Mark 4:26–29).
There is a natural temptation to run out of steam and grow weary. We volunteer for some Christian work, and then lose interest. We can resolve to pray after hearing a sermon, but after a little while our prayers fizzle out (Luke 18:1). There is a constant temptation to lose heart (2 Cor. 4:1, 16; Eph. 3:13). More than once, Paul exhorts us not to become weary in doing good (2 Thess. 3:13). Three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his disciples to watch with him, but instead they slept (Matt. 26:36–46). How like us all! Christ’s great act of redemption is about to take place, and all his followers can do is sleep. For us, Calvary has taken place, but we are still prone to sleep. We are almost surprised that Christ can commend the church at Ephesus for not becoming weary (Rev. 2:3). The world is littered with people who at one stage of their lives had something to do with the Christian faith—they met with the church; they prayed; they read the Bible; they viewed themselves as Christians, or at least as sympathizers with the Christian faith.
Even the most earnest and true Christian can find it easy to grow weary of doing good, especially when that good is not particularly appreciated. The more realistic, and hence more dangerous, temptation for us may not be parading about in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but simply slowing down and becoming lazy in the Christian life. We may not commit gross sin; we may simply put our feet up and retire. However, we are not to be sprinters but marathon runners. George Whitefield sets the standard for Christian service. He used to say that he would rather wear out than rust out—and he lived out this approach to life. His journal for 30 December 1738 records: ‘Preached nine times this week, and expounded near eighteen times … I am every moment employed from morning till midnight.’ That is for the preacher, but every Christian is to find godliness, freshness and vigour in the routine things of life.
τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιοῦντες μὴ ἐνκακῶμεν, καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ θερίσομεν μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι. “And let us not be weary in doing that which is good; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The thought of reaping, i. e., of obtaining result from one’s efforts, forms the link of connection between the preceding verses and this, in which, nevertheless, the apostle passes still further away from the thought that vv. 7, 8 were introduced to enforce (viz., the support of teachers), to speak of persistence in well-doing in general and its reward. On τὸ καλόν as a general term for the morally good (it is scarcely used at all in N. T. in an æsthetic sense), see 1 Thes. 5:21; Rom. 7:18, 21, and cf. on ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς, v. 6, and on τὸ ἀγαθόν, v. 10.
9. A idéia de colheita (vv. 7 e 8) prossegue neste versículo, mas agora com a ênfase sobre a perseverança na prática do bem, a qual é requerida dos crentes, se é que vão colher as bênçãos da vida eterna. Também parece haver conexão entre o versículo 9 e a matéria mencionada no versículo 6. Além disso, no tocante a “fazer o bem”, a conexão que existe entre o versículo 9 e o versículo 10 é evidente. Paulo diz: E não nos cansemos de fazer o bem, porque no devido tempo colheremos, se não desistirmos. “Fazer o bem” – literalmente, fazer aquilo que é belo – é um conceito muito amplo, tão abrangente quanto “andar no Espírito” e “ser dirigido pelo Espírito”. Ver também Romanos 7.21; 2 Coríntios 13.7; e 2 Tessalonicenses 3.13. Em cada uma dessas passagens, o significado é geral, ou seja, a expressão “fazer o bem” não se limita a “dar aos pobres”. Uma vez admitido isso, devemos também afirmar que certamente não se exclui a idéia de prover para os necessitados (em qualquer sentido). Essa obra de caridade e de dar diretriz espiritual não é um ingrediente essencial da prática do bem? De fato, é plenamente possível que no presente contexto Paulo esteja pensando especialmente em “ajudar alguém que se acha necessitado”, seja de coisas materiais: comida, vestes, abrigo (ver Gl 2.10; 2Co 13.1); ou espirituais: instrução, ânimo, conselho, etc.; ou ambas as coisas. A exortação contida neste versículo pode muito bem ser o comentário do versículo 2: “Levem as cargas uns dos outros, e cumprirão assim a lei de Cristo”.
Quando o apóstolo diz: “Não nos cansemos (ver especialmente Lc 18.1; 2Ts 3.13) de fazer o bem”, ele está apontando para a fragilidade tão notória da natureza humana (5.7). Fazer o bem exige um esforço contínuo, um trabalho constante; a natureza humana, porém, tão amiga da comodidade, carente de perseverança, logo se desanima. Isso acontece especialmente quando os resultados demoram a surgir, quando os que deveriam cooperar não cooperam, e quando a recompensa não parece estar em vista. É bem provável que essa fosse a idéia – ou seja, o aparente atraso no tocante ao cumprimento da promessa referente à volta de Cristo com o galardão para seus servos – o que agastava os gálatas. Assim o apóstolo lhes lembra o fato de que colherão “no devido tempo”, ou seja: “no momento do tempo exatamente certo”, porém não como o determinamos, e sim como Deus o decretou em seu plano eterno. É então que se conferirá a recompensa da graça – não dos méritos! Recebê-la-emos caso não nos desanimemos e não nos dermos por vencidos (cf. Hb 12.3, 5).
2. Looking to God’s blessing
This is what John Piper’s Future Grace is all about. Piper argues that the greatest impulse in Christian living and growing comes not from backward-looking gratitude (real as that ought to be) but forward-looking faith. We are to look to what is coming. John Brown puts it neatly: ‘Every act of Christian duty, every sacrifice made, every privation submitted to, every suffering endured, from a regard to Christ’s authority, with a view to Christ’s honour, shall assuredly be recompensed.’ What we do is a result of what we are and what we believe we will be (1 Cor. 15:58; Heb. 10:36). Galatians does not appear to emphasize the resurrection and Second Coming of Christ, but there is a strong delineation between the two worlds separated by the cross of Christ (e.g. 1:4; 5:5, 24; 6:8–9). Hence J. Louis Martyn can write of ‘the apocalypse of his cross’.
William Carey lived for the presence and service of God: ‘Probationers for an eternal world, how should we live!’ We shall reap, even in this life, if we do not give up. Robert Morrison in China hardly saw any converts, and by the time he died in 1834 there were only three known native Christians in China. Yet he persevered, and his translation of the Bible and his dictionary were much used by later missionaries. Carey (who also died in 1834) himself laboured in India for over seven years before he saw his first convert. Then came more blessing.
Another example who might be given is Samuel Zwemer, who left America in 1890 in order to devote his life to the most difficult cause he could find—that of seeking the conversion of his beloved Muslims. The story does not consist of one success story after another. Zwemer’s brother, Peter, died in 1898, as did his two daughters in 1904. The response of Muslims to the claims of Christ was bitterly disappointing, but Zwemer pressed on, earning Canon W. H. T. Gairdner’s description of him as ‘a steam engine in breeches’. In 1911 he wrote of ‘the glory of the impossible’, and cited the words of Adoniram Judson in chains in a Burmese dungeon and mocked by a fellow prisoner concerning the prospects for the conversion of the heathen: ‘The prospects are as bright as are the promises of God.’ Those who persevere in sowing must reap, because God has declared that it will be so.
God enables his people to persevere; he invariably blesses his people in this life, and they shall certainly reap in the life to come.
E prossegue: 10. Portanto, quando tivermos oportunidade, façamos o bem a todos… Aqui novamente a locução negativa – “se não desistirmos”, “se não nos cansarmos” – é seguida da locução positiva: “façamos o bem”. Perseverar na prática das boas obras como produto da graça é a ênfase que Paulo está constantemente dando (3.3; 5.7, 18, 25; 6.2). Deus preserva seu povo através da perseverança deste. Por conseguinte, enquanto tivermos oportunidade – e é certo que a teremos – façamos o bem a todos em toda e qualquer ocasião que porventura nos surja pela frente. O crente foi posto na terra com determinado propósito. A melhor forma de se preparar para a segunda vinda de Cristo é fazer pleno uso de cada oportunidade de prestar-lhe serviço. Além disso, esse serviço deve ser prestado a todos sem levar em conta raça, nacionalidade, classe, religião, sexo ou qualquer outra distinção. Da mesma forma que o amor ativo de nosso Senhor atravessava fronteiras (Lc 9.54, 55; 10.25–37; 17.11–19; Jo 4.42; 1Tm 4.10), assim também deve suceder com o nosso. Contudo, isso não significa que não existam áreas de solicitude especial. Isso é perfeitamente natural. Os pais, por exemplo, têm uma obrigação para com os vizinhos, não obstante sua obrigação primordial ser para com seus próprios filhos. Assim também aqui. Paulo diz: especialmente aos que pertencem à família da fé. Neste particular devemos também imitar nosso Pai celestial, “Salvador de todos os homens, especialmente dos fiéis”. Para a exposição deste texto, ver C.N.T. sobre 1 Timóteo 4.10. Note bem a expressão cheia de conforto, “aos que pertencem à família da fé”. Todos os crentes constituem uma só família, “a família do Pai” (ver C.N.T. sobre Efésios 3.14, 15). Ver também 1 Coríntios 3.9; Efésios 2.19; 1 Timóteo 3.15; e não nos esqueçamos do Salmo 133. Pelo termo “a família da fé” entendemos todos aqueles que partilham do evangelho. Com respeito à ajuda material, não é plenamente provável que essa “família da fé” seja precisamente aquela que mais precisava de assistência direta?
With this v. the exhortations of the paragraph reach the utmost point of generality. Because of the certainty of the result of their efforts (v. 9 b), therefore (ἄρα οὖν), the Galatians are exhorted, whenever they have opportunity, to do good to their fellow men in general, but with special care for the welfare of their fellow-Christians.
The qualification of the exhortation to do good to all men by μάλιστα … πίστεως, if intended as a general principle, represents a lapse from the universalistic principle of 5:13, which really underlies the whole gospel of the apostle as against the particularism which the epistle opposes. To promote the spiritual welfare, e. g., of those who have faith in preference to that of those who have not, is indefensible from the general point of view of the apostle. If, however, the apostle has specially in mind the physical needs of the Christian communities, such an exhortation might be judged to be consistent with or demanded by the general principle of love to one’s neighbour. In time of famine or other general distress, the members of a Christian church composed of those who had recently come out of heathenism would, because of religious prejudice, be unlikely to receive any help at the hands of their non-Christian neighbours. Unless, therefore, their distress were relieved by their fellow-Christians, they would fare worse than the non-Christians. As the most needy, therefore, they would have a first claim. Moreover, the non-Christian members of the community would naturally expect the Christians most surely to manifest their love to one another. If, therefore, a Christian were left in distress this would be even more to the discredit of the new religion than if a non-Christian went hungry.
3. Doing good to all
6:10. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
The word καιρός is translated as ‘season’, or ‘time’ (NIV), in verse 9 and as ‘opportunity’ in verse 10. The rough idea is that ‘In time we shall be blessed if we make time to do good.’ We are to do good to all. Albert Barnes cites the words of Cotton Mather: ‘The opportunity to do good imposes the obligation to do it.’ Calvin too writes movingly, ‘We are all of one flesh, and we bear a mark which ought to induce us to do all that we possibly can for one another.’ There is a sense, says Calvin, in which we can speak of the brotherhood of all men, including ‘the Moor’ (the Muslim) and ‘the barbarian’ (the pagan).168 He almost sounds like an old-fashioned liberal here, but he is only saying what Paul is saying.
Yet there is a special claim of the Christian upon another Christian. The house of Israel (Num. 20:29; 2 Sam. 1:12; Ezek. 3:4) is now the household of God (Eph. 2:19; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Peter 4:17). Your family members have more claims upon you than anybody else—if you do not look after them, you are worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim. 5:8). There are certain people whom God has made your special concern. The same is true with the Christian family. All human beings have a claim on us, but Christians have a special claim on us. John Brown says that for a Christian to be unkind to a Christian is ‘monstrous’. Defrauding anybody is wrong, but for one Christian to defraud another is especially wrong (1 Cor. 6:8). Things that are evil become even worse if they are committed against one’s own family. More positively and by extension, there is a special obligation of the Christian towards his fellow Christian. In Haldane’s words, ‘As children of the same family, and members of the same body, they are, therefore, laid under the strongest obligation to love and to do good to each other.’