Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.
All Commentaries on Galatians 6:1 Go To Galatians 6
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
But let every man prove his own work. Let no one treat his neighbour as the Pharisee the publican, but rather take heed to his own works, and see whether the motive of them be pure. He will probably find many faults, and so will not think himself to be something. But even if he finds none, or very few, then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone—that Isaiah , in his own conscience—and this will be in the Lord, who gave him the power to do all his good deeds. He will not rejoice because he finds himself good by comparison with others, i.e, he will not have rejoicing in another, as S. Paul expresses it. So Chrysostom, Theophylact, Anselm.
S. Jerome says well: "The meaning is this: You who think yourself spiritual, and superior to another"s weakness, ought to consider, not his weakness, but your own strength; for he does not make you a perfect Christian by any inability of his to pass from Judaism to Christianity. If indeed your own conscience does not reprove you, you have whereof to glory in yourself, but not in comparison with him. An athlete is not necessarily strong because he has overcome a competitor who was feeble. If he really is strong, he rejoices in his strength, not in his rival"s weakness. Or we may understand the Apostle"s words as meaning: If a man on due consideration finds nothing to reproach himself with, he is not to go and trumpet the fact abroad, that he may win the applause of men, but keep his knowledge to himself, and say, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." But the first interpretation is closer to the text.
