6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 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. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6–10, ESV)
They tell us we should invest early and often into our retirement accounts. I don’t mean to make you feel bad if you haven’t, but that investment advice provides a good way to understand our passage today. When we deposit into the right areas—let’s call them gospel investments—we will eventually experience great returns. So where should we invest? Our Scripture today will give us three areas.
Before considering the first one, we should notice that at the center of this paragraph is a universal principle—it states that God has designed the universe so that whatever one sows, that he will also reap (7). Practically, this means that when we sow to our flesh, we will reap corruption, but when we sow to the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (8). This is an unalterable law, which is why Paul prefaced it by saying, “God is not mocked” (7). God is unchangeable, and so is his design for the cosmos. What we sow, we will reap. Like a farmer who puts a seed in the ground, we know what to expect from our sowing. Whatever we put in is what will grow.
So the agricultural metaphor Paul hinted at when he wrote of the fruit of the Spirit still stands (5:22). Paul has already told us what sowing to the Spirit would produce—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—and here he calls those elements eternal life (8, 5:22-23). But the other side of this truth is that sowing to the flesh brings an eventual harvest of corruption. What we sow today—whether flesh or Spirit—will yield results tomorrow. Even the smallest seed-like investments will develop into full-grown eternal life or corruption in our lives (8).
This principle is good because God authored it, but we decide whether its value in our lives will be positive or negative. Sow to the flesh, and its value is negative—it’s a scary principle. But it’s an amazing principle that when we sow to the Spirit, its value is positive. So we should sow to the Spirit! We should make good gospel investments.
1. Your Church Leadership (6-8)
The first investment this paragraph mentions is our church leadership. Paul said, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (6). Throughout Scripture, to “share all good things” is often a euphemism for financial support. It might mean other good things, such as encouragement or prayer, but it definitely includes money.
After everything Paul had to write to the Galatians, he is more conscious than ever of the need for solid Bible instruction. These believers were in danger of cashing in the gospel for legalism. They were tempted to believe lies and fall for traps that Paul carefully and strategically dismantled with the word.
As much as this was a massive need in Galatia, it’s also a need in our modern world. When the word is rightly understood, we come to sound conclusions about who God is and who we are in light of him. Good Bible teachers promote the well-being of God’s people. Through solid teaching, servant-leadership, and a healthy example, they impact our spiritual, emotional, and even physical health. They calm, encourage, and correct us. They help every relationship we’re in. They strengthen us in our life pursuits. They talk us out of grave errors and life-altering sins. And they help us draw close to God.
All these spiritual benefits are of great importance to everyday life, so they are worthy of financial support. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1 Cor. 9:11). When Paul wrote this, he was not giving the Galatians a brand-new concept:
Ever since the days of the Exodus in the Old Testament, the spiritual workforce of priests could expect to both work hard and be supported for that work.
When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, he told them to eat and drink what others provided because “the laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7).
He also said that the religious leaders should have focused on justice, mercy, and faithfulness while maintaining their practice of tithing everything they had, down to their herbs and spices (Matt. 23:23).
Paul appealed to both Jesus and the Old Testament law when he said the church should “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘the laborer deserves his wages'” (1 Tim. 5:17-18).
In 1 Corinthians 9:1-14, Paul gave eight reasons a gospel-worker had a “right” to eat, build a family, and refrain from other work so they could focus on the ministry (1 Cor. 9:1-6).
While making that long argument, Paul explained that soldiers fight wars others pay for, farmers eat the fruit of the crops they grow, and ranchers get milk from the flocks they tend (1 Cor. 9:7). And worthy gospel-workers can also be provided for, since they are fighting the good fight, tending God’s field, and protecting God’s flock.
And obvious abuses occur here. One abuse comes from the teachers. Are they lazy? Do they take advantage of the people? A great correction to this abuse is that they must work hard. Paul wrote to pastors: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). A worker. It is work. And their teaching should make it evident that they aren’t merely talented or gifted or humorous or dynamic, but workers.
Another abuse comes from the hearers. Some congregations have tried to control their preachers by the paycheck: Say what we want you to say. Stop saying things we don’t like hearing. Tickle our ears. Good teachers must resist pressure like this, but good churches won’t create that pressure in the first place. [1]
When we invest in this area, we share in a good thing with our teachers. They give us the goods of the word, and we give them the goods to sustain life. But when we invest in this area, we also give to our community. Good teachers are a gift to any town and church, so this form of generosity is kindness to others. And, when we invest in this area, we give back to ourselves. Rather than merely consume the benefits of our local church, we partake in the ministry and mission of that church, embedding ourselves in its life in the process. So, strategically and methodically, let’s be people who give to our spiritual leaders.
Next week, we’ll look at two more places this passage tells us we should invest in.
[1] Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.
