Howdy All,

I've read this passage in NIV, and NASB, and thought I understood it.  I read it in the Amplified translation, and found out there were things I didn't realize. 

The Amplified translation doesn't just translate a Greek word into the closest word in English.  If necessary, it will translate a Greek word into an entire phrase to present the fullest meaning.

Galatians 6:1-6
1  BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

2  Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

3  For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.

4  But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor.

5  For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults]. 

I had gotten the gist of the passage, but missed some of its nuances.  It's interesting how much this passage talks about accepting other people, in spite of their character flaults.

6:1
* The concern is: "overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort".  This is very specific concern.  It doesn't include personality (in general), or hair color, or musical preference.  It also doesn't concern another persons affect on my comfort zone.  There are a lot of things that aren't sin about a person.  Those things are not my concern, in the context of this passage.
* I shouldn't try to help unless I'm qualified.
* Helping someone has a goal: restoration and reinstatement.  If I need to help so I feel significant, I'm helping for the wrong reason.

6:2
* I need to look past the "burdens and troublesome moral faults" of my spiritual siblings, and value them (this is a personal application of this verse - I can be rather unforgiving of faults).
* Accepting people while enduring their faults is a very Christlike thing to do.
* If someone has a 'weakness' (like not owning a car, or is an alcoholic, or can't stop from judging others, or doesn't eat a healthy diet), I'm not to hold that against him.

6:3
* I'm deluding and cheating myself if I think I'm better than anybody.
* I'm deluding and cheating myself if I think other people are better (or worse) than me, since self denigration is just another way of focusing on myself.

6:4
* I should only be concerned with my own work (God's tasks for me).  I shouldn't compare my work to my sibling's work.

6:5
* We've all got issues.  It's my job to understand, and calmly receive my own issues.  I see 'calmly receive' as 'accept that I have faults, without self condemnation or self delusion'.  I've got enough to worry about without trying to figure out other people's faults.
* I'm to 'be equal to understanding' my faults.  This is a process.  I take this to mean I need to study my faults enough to intelligently follow God's leading.  I also take this to mean my faults are something that God wants to work on.  I need to be available to work on these faults as God leads.
* Everybody has faults which oppress them.  Since my faults oppress me, they are important enough that I should deal with them as God directs.

Please post any ideas you have of this passage.