Galatians 6:7
Bible verses · Also called: Gal. 6:7, Galatians 6 7, Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap, You reap what you sow, God is not mocked
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Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The verse is widely known for the principle that one reaps what one sows, though its use as a formula for karma or material blessing has drawn criticism.
Context
This verse belongs to the closing exhortations of Galatians. In chapter 6, Paul instructs believers to restore anyone overtaken in a fault in a spirit of meekness and to bear one another's burdens (vv. 1–2). In verse 6 he says that the one who is taught in the word should "communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." Immediately after verse 7, he explains that "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (v. 8). Verses 9–10 continue with the exhortation "let us not be weary in well doing."
Interpretation
- The two ways of flesh and Spirit: Because verse 8 explains verse 7, "sowing" is understood to refer to the life that follows the flesh and the life that follows the Spirit, as described in chapter 5. The reaping is the final outcome of either corruption or everlasting life and is thus connected with the Last Judgment.
- Supporting those who teach: Some interpreters read the verse together with verse 6 and hold that materially supporting those who preach the word is included in sowing to the Spirit.
- A general moral principle: Some applications treat the verse as general wisdom that human actions have consequences. This reading connects with the Old Testament wisdom tradition, as in Proverbs 22:8 and Hosea 8:7.
Controversies and Issues
Critics charge that the verse is used to support the "seed offering" teaching of prosperity theology, that is, the claim that giving more generously results in receiving greater material blessing. They point out that what is reaped in verse 8 is not material wealth but everlasting life. Others note that applying the saying "you reap what you sow" to people who suffer misfortune can sound like the Buddhist concept of karma and can become the kind of retributive judgment warned against in the Book of Job and John 9:1–3. A further question requiring explanation is how speaking to believers saved by grace about the consequences of their actions can be reconciled with grace itself.
Related Passages
- Galatians 6:8–10
- 2 Corinthians 9:6
- Hosea 8:7
- John 9:1–3
See also 6
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