Galatians 6:1, commentary and pictures

The fault the verse speaks of is being surprised and overcome by temptation through lack of watchfulness, which is very different from deliberately planning an evil course and skillfully hiding it.
Those who are spiritual are those connected with God and renewed after Christ, and their work is to set the fallen back in joint as a dislocated bone is set, reclaiming and healing him through Christ instead of cutting him off.
This restoring is to be done in tender meekness with pity, patience, and forgiveness rather than pride, harshness, or condemnation, going to the erring one alone instead of talking of his faults to others.
The restorer is to remember his own weakness and liability to be tempted, which keeps him from high-minded severity and makes him compassionate, careful, and humble in seeking to help rather than destroy.
The work belongs not to ministers alone but to every member, and in bearing one another's burdens in love it fulfills the law of Christ and bears the fruit of the Spirit.

Overtaken in Fault Meaning

The word overtaken keeps its full significance, meaning surprised or overcome by temptation, led into sin unawares without intending to sin through want of watchfulness and prayer and failure to discern Satan's snare and temptation and so falling into it. This being surprised into sin is very different from deliberately entering temptation, marking out and planning an evil course, and skillfully covering sin so as not to be detected, and the treatment cannot be the same, for premeditated sin needs more decisive and effective measures to check it. Error in such a surprised one must not be exaggerated into willful premeditated sin. The fault is often contrary to the person's general conduct, even a small indiscretion, and must not bring judgment and condemnation or forever destroy confidence in him. God rebukes sin but graciously forgives the repentant and still reveals His presence and works through them, as He did with men in Bible history who committed grave sins, and restoration should aim to recover rather than condemn, publicize, or make the fault appear as bad as possible.

The verse applies especially to those who are young and inexperienced with great imperfections, and to the newly converted soul who in fierce conflict with established habits or some special temptation is overcome by a master passion and becomes guilty of indiscretion or actual wrong through ignorance, thoughtlessness, or weakness. It covers poor, suffering, struggling souls who are often overtaken in fault, sinning and repenting, tempted and discouraged, to be met with Christlike sympathy touched like the merciful High Priest with the feeling of their infirmities, not reserved only for those who appear faultless or perfect. It includes mistakes through weariness, care, forgetfulness, or impatience, and those struggling for eternal life amid temptation and Satan's opposition. It includes one who has backslidden and strayed from the fold and from the Lord into darkness and the wilderness into Satan's snare, spiritually ready to perish or already spiritually dead, fallen under temptation and ready to perish, wounded and bruised by the enemy and assailed by temptations from within and without urged on by Satan and his angels.

It also covers a Christian brother believed to be in error in his views of Scripture and one led into false doctrine and danger. Error is to be shown from the Word of God where he is out of harmony with its teachings, with weighty reasons proving the error to him, while respecting his feelings and treating him as an honest Christian brother and gentleman esteemed of God so long as there is no evidence he is unworthy, for honest difference of views is no reason to treat him as an offender or a dangerous man. False doctrine is best overcome by preaching the truth, not by controversy or denunciation.

Spiritual Ones Who Restore

Those qualified are the spiritual, meaning those who have a living connection with God, greater light, and renewal after the Spirit of Christ, and spiritual maturity and the fruits of a Christlike life show who is fitted for the work. To restore means to set back in joint as a dislocated bone is set, for sin throws a person out of relation with what is around him and remorse alone cannot bring him back. The work is to bring him to himself by convincing him of sin and error, so that he is not separated from the true Vine or cut off from the body like a hopelessly diseased limb.

The fallen one is confused and helpless and needs to be reclaimed, healed, and re-established, and this comes through the love of Christ flowing in the helper as life flows through a tree or blood through the body. He is to be carried by faith to Christ the sin-pardoning Saviour, and the work calls for the Spirit's love and power, divine wisdom, and the Spirit of Heaven to form pity and sympathy in the heart. When a brother is overtaken God has not forsaken him, and he may yet recover himself out of the snare of the devil. Christ died for the erring that they might be forgiven, coming to save and not to condemn, and the erring remain the purchase of His blood and objects of His unchanging love, bought by His precious blood.

Restoration is shepherd work, seeking out those who have strayed and bringing them back with human sympathy as a shepherd seeks and carries back a lost sheep. It means leaving the ninety and nine and resting not until no means are untried to recover the lost, taking the wandering sheep in arms or on the shoulder and bringing him back rejoicing, and it applies even to the most hopeless, sinful, and outcast. It includes binding up the wounds sin has caused, helping the person resist evil, regain strength, and return to steadfastness through faith, love, sympathy, and patient care, directing him to Christ who offers acceptance, mercy, forgiveness, and strength rather than deepening shame.

True restoration requires personal piety and abiding in Jesus, with hearts filled with His melting love and spiritual power after experiencing His healing touch in close fellowship. It requires heart religion and the transforming grace of Christ felt upon heart and character, taking hold of God with one hand while with the other in love laying hold of the erring to draw them to Jesus, praying and weeping with them and never letting go. Self must be submerged in Christ so that words and actions together reveal His disposition, kindness, and compassion, manifesting heavenly love toward every erring fellow being and inspiring hope in the most hopeless. Without this, work becomes dictatorial, accusing, and judging with unsanctified hearts and unholy tempers that drive souls away, while faithful watchcare does not allow what God condemns or let sin strengthen in the church under the name of love.

Restoring in Meek Spirit

Restoration is to be done in meekness with tender pitying sympathy, forgiveness, patience, brotherly kindness and forbearance, never with pride, harshness, accusation, condemnation, or a domineering dictatorial self-exalting manner that crushes hope and courage, wounds, or drives into despair. Awareness of personal weakness and liability to temptation produces compassion for the weakness of others, and correction of wrongs and shortcomings, though plain when necessary, must be kind and humble and in harmony with Christ's directions. Spiritual maturity is shown by such gentleness, and because habits can blind the erring to faults plain to others the work is delicate and calls for humility rather than harshness. It is a shared Christian duty joined to bearing one another's burdens and fulfilling Christ's law.

The one thought to be in error must be approached directly and alone first, told plainly and faithfully of mistake and danger, and given opportunity to explain and have difficulties adjusted. His errors are not to be talked of to others, nor unfavorable tales reported, reports listened to, reproach taken up, gossip spread, or surmisings left to circulate. Such tale-bearing does Satan's work, planting roots of bitterness, breeding suspicion, unsettled confidence, variance, wrangling and division, destroying the love and harmony needed to pray and work together, disgusting unbelievers, while following the direct way closes the door to temptation and draws hearts together in Christian love. Approach is to be personal and private, tenderly and respectfully as one would wish to be treated in his place, with truth plain enough to help him recognize and correct error but without judging, condemning, shaming, exposing, slander, or harsh condemnatory speech that drives him farther from the Saviour, but giving help and room to recover.

The work includes faithful reproofs, kindly counsel, and supplications to God to bring the erring to see sin and danger, and decided earnest efforts by opening the Bible with prayer and tender love, talking and praying together, and words of encouragement and caution that help resist evil and regain strength. Faithful efforts done in love and meekness are effective and not wasted, and compassion is due to sinners who feel shame or discouragement rather than avoidance of them. Restoration is to be as a true physician with prayer, tender love, careful prudent action and personal closeness rather than harshness, aiming to save and right wrongs, and when confession comes the Lord pardons and the experience teaches compassion toward others who fail. The erring are not to be left out in the cold or censured and called dishonest, and only after restoring work has been faithfully done and they will not hear is it right to go forward warning the church, for to neglect it is positive neglect of counsel.

Evil is to be reproved plainly and faithfully, but the one who reproves must first be sure evil works have not separated him from Christ and must be able to restore in meekness. Unless he can restore in meekness he must not attempt to correct or reprove, for he will make two evils instead of curing one. One inclined to censure and lacking a meek spiritual spirit has no duty to correct, since harsh correction adds harm instead of healing and can destroy influence; such a censorious person should comfort and encourage rather than censure. The erring are the purchase of Christ's blood and are to be treated with the forbearance and patience Christ showed, in love as He loved, with desire to draw them to Jesus.

Restoring means hating and reproving sin while pitying the sinner with tenderness, a difficult achievement requiring earnest effort for holiness of heart and life by which sin is perceived more acutely and disapproved more decidedly. It guards against undue severity yet never loses sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, showing Christlike patience and love without so great toleration that the wrongdoer looks upon himself as undeserving of reproof and rejects it as uncalled for and unjust. Firmness in rebuking evil must not become harshness or lose meekness, and patience must not become tolerance that excuses or joins in sin. It requires faithful watchcare that does not carelessly allow irregular conduct or let evil strengthen in the church under the name of love, nor allow what God condemns or smooth over wrong and encourage self-justification, for a wrong is a wrong by whomever done and the higher the position the greater the accountability; loving brethren means taking stand on eternal truth then taking the brother by the hand to stand alongside in truth. Correction must address wrongdoing without excusing it, yet harsh denunciation and bitterness are sinful ways to reprove; self must be subdued, principle held firm, and kindness and love shown so Christ's character and not a condemning domineering spirit appears.

Another's faults are never to be exposed and published, infirmities magnified, misdoings made capital of, or a small indiscretion turned into a large unpardonable offense before others; reproof is to be humble and measured without exaggeration, and exposure only upon positive necessity. A harsh coarse unrefined spirit proves a heart as impressible as stone rather than flesh and not spiritual, needing to fall on the Rock and be broken and tried until Christ's image is reflected. Reproof should be plain and serious but free from pride, anger, contempt, bitterness, accusation or reproach, coming from a lowly loving heart with kindness and earnest love, setting aside personal opinions and judgments to help and save. Its success depends greatly on the spirit in which it is given, requiring tender compassion, deep humility, remembrance of own weakness and liability to temptation, and prayer for humility and for God to prepare the other's heart, with any good accomplished as God's work and no ground for personal credit.

Forgiveness must be in heart and expressed in word and action, whether humbly asked or not, and especially when the hand is reached out asking forgiveness, without turning away or refusing because humility looks insufficient or insincere, since no one can read the heart. No one has right to judge another's confession, and a repentant person is not to be treated as unworthy of confidence. However aggravated the offense, if he yields to the Holy Spirit and gives evidence of repentance by confessing and forsaking sin, he is to be forgiven, given another trial, welcomed to the fold again, encouraged in the right way, helped to a respected place, and treated as one would wish to be treated in his place; forgiveness toward one another is to be as often and as free as God's. Refusing to forgive puts one in opposition to Christ and away from God and leaves need of repentance, while forgiving keeps the weight of the brother's sin from resting on the wronged and encourages repentance and confession, and even if he does not repent and stands outside, servants of God still seek earnestly to win him to repentance.

It is earnest personal persevering shepherd labor, with wise well-directed efforts to search for and restore the backslidden strayed into Satan's snare, spiritually ready to perish or already spiritually dead, instead of cold-hearted indifferent neglect passing by on the other side and leaving the wounded helpless. The very time to show Christlike pitying tenderness is when men commit errors, whatever the work and however pressing other calls, for the Chief Shepherd presents it as of true importance; it is not whipping, scolding and lashing the wandering back at every step, but leaving the ninety and nine and resting not until no means are untried, taking the wandering sheep in arms or on the shoulder and bringing him back rejoicing at every step. The strayed never finds way back without such special effort, and the work applies to the most hopeless sinful outcast, even one who had great light and turned to sinners and unbelievers, for the salvation of one soul is as important as another and the prodigal feeding on husks awakens the True Shepherd's special sympathy and love. When a man is fallen under temptation, straying into darkness and the wilderness ready to perish, wounded and bruised by the enemy, he needs special care as a sick person needs treatment at the very time he needs it, with Christ's love, tender sympathy, earnest labor and travail of soul, not careless indifference, misjudging motives, worst constructions, or harsh stinging words that wound to the quick. It is delicate work like helping one about to lose balance over a precipice, requiring waiting for the safe right time even many months, fearing to judge, suspicious of self as finite erring beings, lifting him out instead of discouraging, denouncing or pushing into temptation, while subduing self and fearing to lose first love in chastising others.

The restorer acts as a true physician and as a tender father and brother, with kindly approach, talk and prayer, personal closeness, and needed counsel to help become firmly grounded in Christ rather than harsh treatment. Mistakes are to be pointed out gently in the Spirit of Christ with meekness and care, never using a mistake to control or restrict liberty. Those who see wrong should kindly and faithfully point out mistake and danger and guide toward right, and ministers are to give needed counsel to those in danger through temptation and are accountable if they leave wrongdoing unreproved or fail to warn.

When brethren do not meet God's word, the spiritual must not condemn them, retaliate when provoked, or try in own strength to mold them and force reform. They must labor with heart subdued and softened by God's Spirit in humility and meekness, letting the Lord work through them as His agents, rolling the burden on Jesus where Satan strives for mastery over a soul. Tangled complicated matters are to be put into God's hands, directions in His word followed, outcome left to His wisdom, not impatiently cutting the knot and making matters hopeless but letting God untangle snarled threads; having done all to save, they cease worrying and go calmly about other pressing duties, for it is no longer theirs but God's.

Considering Self Lest Tempted

Considering oneself lest one also be tempted means remembering personal weakness, past mistakes, and liability to wrongdoing. This remembrance produces compassion for the weaknesses of others who fall and struggle to rise, and guards against condemnation that would push them into greater darkness. It turns the gaze away from self to Christ, whose love breaks down every cold, Pharisaical barrier, banishes harshness and selfishness, melts cold unapproachableness, and blends soul with soul even with those opposite in temperament. Those who love Jesus in this way love all the children of God, and give pure, Christlike sympathy not to those who are perfect but to poor, suffering, struggling souls who are often overtaken in fault, sinning and repenting, tempted and discouraged. Such awareness helps prevent a response that discourages or repels the erring, leading instead to helping with pity, encouragement, and sympathy.

The caution forbids being high-minded and requires fear and trembling before God. No persons are more exposed to temptation than those who think they are in no danger, and such ones are impatient at hearing restoring counsel. Amid the perils of the last days, a will not in subjection to the will of God, with self clamoring for victory and ruling through selfishness, brings danger of making shipwreck of faith. Those who keep their own danger of temptation in view, God will not leave to their own weakness. This self-consideration also governs speech, avoiding idle, cheap, meaningless words even when responding with holy indignation to the foolishness of those who do not love God, and speaking instead in a way that shows belonging to God and fullness of His love, while careless spiritual conduct that turns the weak aside is to be heeded as warning.

Those who try to correct the faults of others must beware lest they commit sins equally great themselves. Hatred, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, and envyings are as truly works of the flesh as lasciviousness, adultery, drunkenness, and murder, and will as surely shut the guilty out of heaven. Correction therefore requires self-watchfulness.

Failure to heed this caution shows spiritual decay, self-conceit that divorces the soul from God, and blindness to being more guilty of the very faults condemned in another, leaving the soul deceived and ripe to fall into the same sin. He who sets himself up as full of wisdom and strength and bears down on one oppressed and longing for help, in a proud, officious, masterly manner, pouring out accusations, casting aside, pressing into hopeless discouragement and despair, manifests the spirit of the Pharisees and is in constant danger himself. God may see greater faults in the harsh corrector than in those corrected. Those who ignore a brother's need, or who condemn with hasty judgment, triumph over a misstep, and refuse a chance to answer or recover, will be brought over the very same ground of trial and sorrow to learn by bitter experience how helpless and needy they are and what discouragement they made others endure. Such a condemning course, lifted up in vanity instead of standing by to encourage, heal, and strengthen when the mistake is seen and acknowledged, does serious injury to the soul, imperils prospects, ruins reputation before church and world, and shows walking apart from Jesus and lack of thorough conversion.

Correction calls for meekness and care because through constant exercise certain modes of acting or thinking become second nature, a moral taste is created by habit, and it is very hard for those who err to see their errors, with many blind to faults in themselves which are plainly discerned by others. Reforms and adjustments must aim to restore people, not destroy them. This rules out hatred and bitter feelings toward one who has erred, pride, contempt, anger, bitterness, reproach, peevish exacting fault-finding, and using a mistake to control or restrict another's liberty. Correction can be plain when needed, even with plain and serious words, but it must be given kindly, from a lowly loving heart showing kindness and earnest love, in harmony with Christ's directions, without spreading or magnifying errors, and its manner greatly affects its success. One should therefore pray for humility and for God to prepare the other person's heart, recognizing that any good accomplished is God's work and not grounds for personal credit, while there remains hope of repentance and reformation in one who recognizes faults, in contrast to proud confession in only a general way that counts nothing.

Considering oneself means entering into the feelings of the tempted, suffering long and being kind, and putting oneself in his place. It requires imagining how hard it would be to receive harsh treatment, to be given no chance to answer charges or to recover, and to be regarded as unworthy of a respectful or encouraging word. Those who correct must first examine their own spirit, conduct, feelings, motives, and hearts by God's law, acting rightly rather than following personal feelings, acting in meekness and holiness under the Holy Spirit, putting away pride, envy, malice, unkindness, sins, and defects of character. When tempted to be hard, overbearing, dictatorial, or punishing, taking the role of punishing sinners instead of talking and praying together, one is to rest in silence rather than bruising souls, for dictatorial authority and harsh treatment can harm God's people and put salvation in serious danger. Such forbearing, meek spirit does not magnify a small indiscretion or direct wrong into a large unpardonable offense, does not make capital of misdoings, does not expose errors and weakness unless it is a positive necessity, meets even the stubborn heart, covers a multitude of sins so they do not prey on the offender, and avoids driving the one dealt with to desperation beyond healing.

Shared Duty and Fruit

Restoring one surprised by wrongdoing is not the work of ministers alone but of every individual church member, to be carried out both in the family and in the church, and each person has work both in overcoming personal faults and in helping others overcome theirs. Love and unity are strengthened by exercising it, rather than becoming impatient when a brother's life is not in accordance with the Bible standard of righteousness, and rather than making his errors prominent while acting as if oneself were guiltless. While probation lingers no one is to pronounce sentence upon others or look to himself as a model, for Christ is the model to imitate, and Christians are to love and pray for one another and weep over the erring as Christ wept over Jerusalem. This is a great Christlike missionary work of saving a soul from death and hiding a multitude of sins, far different from accusing and condemning those who do not exactly meet one's own mind, and it is to be done by seeking to restore rather than denouncing, accusing, condemning, discouraging, or destroying, remembering personal liability to error and temptation and showing the same mercy depended on from God, who gives the erring another opportunity. Neglecting visiting and restoring is positive neglect of counsel and shunning of a required though disagreeable responsibility.

Brethren who are spiritual, especially those in responsible positions with strength of influence, must make it their burden to restore, because peace and love are needful among commandment-keeping people lest souls be driven away from the truth. This belongs in a special sense to ministers of Christ who labor in word and doctrine and to pastors and spiritual leaders, who admonish those gone astray, settle disputes, and promote harmony and brotherly love, approaching fallen people with warm, kind, sympathetic hearts. Daring to reprove sin with meekness, with deep experience, sound judgment, courage, and understanding how to feed the flock, is unmistakable evidence of God's call, for God will not entrust the burden for His flock to unqualified individuals. The restoring is never to be done in a proud, officious, masterly manner saying by manner I have power and will use it, never pouring out accusations, never casting aside, never pressing into hopeless discouragement or driving into despair by saying you have disappointed me and I will not help you. He who sets himself up as full of wisdom and strength and bears down on one oppressed and longing for help manifests the spirit of the Pharisees and is in constant danger himself, and he who ignores his brother's need will be brought over the very same ground of trial and sorrow to learn by bitter experience that he is as helpless and needy.

The verse is the Bible rule for dealing with perplexing, unruly and erring ones in church and school, requiring gentleness, compassion and love such as Christ has shown instead of quickly dropping names from church books or expelling from schools. Workers are to give erring students and church members loving, diligent attention and try to reform them before expelling them, treating others as they would want the Lord to treat them and remembering their own need of mercy. In decisions about a helper believed to be at fault, the matter should be discussed with a trusted fellow worker, the reasons stated clearly, and the decision shared, for investigation may show reports groundless and the person retainable, and acting on impulse without this rule can cause serious mistake and harm to one who belongs to Christ. Decided, earnest efforts are to recover the erring by opening the Bible with prayer and tender love for Christ's sake and bearing their burdens, which fulfills the law of Christ, instead of leaving them out in the cold or censuring them and calling them dishonest. Only after this restoring work has been faithfully done and they will not hear is it right to go forward warning the church of defection, yet even when all that can be done has been done and the erring one still does not reform, forbearance and more effort are still required from those who have the spirit of Christ, with careful weighing of the effect of every action, where the divine Presence is discerned.

However aggravated his offense has been, if he yields to the striving of the Holy Spirit and gives evidence of repentance by confessing and forsaking his sin, he is to be forgiven, given another trial, welcomed to the fold again, and encouraged in the right way, with his brethren treating him as they would wish to be treated were they in his place. Even if he does not repent and stands outside the church, God's servants still have a work to do for him and are to seek earnestly to win him to repentance, and even after exclusion they should seek to lead him to repentance and, upon confession and forsaking and evidence of repentance, forgive and welcome back. The spiritual must not be exclusive, choosing only a few congenial or delightful associates and leaving others to care for themselves, or standing aloof from those in whom they see weakness and folly to associate only with those they think about perfect, or standing off saying I am holier than thou. The very souls despised need love and sympathy, and a weak soul must not be left to struggle alone wrestling with the passions of the heart without help and prayers, for those who do this and keep their own danger of temptation in view God will not leave to their own weakness, though they may have sins greater in His sight than the sins of those they condemn.

Copying the Pattern who made Himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant, became poor that others through His poverty might be rich, and toiled day and night and endured privation, scorn, suffering, and death to instruct, elevate, and bring everlasting joy, those who are spiritual come into sympathy with Christ and show His tenderness for all the sheep and lambs of His fold, having care for God's heritage and tender compassion for the erring, tempted, and tried. This means personal labor for orphans and neglected youth, not repulsing them when they seek favor but finding a place for them and treating them in all things as one's own son, and living to please others, seeing their necessities at once and taking hold to help them, working with both hands and giving to those in need instead of folding the hands in idleness. It means Christ has thrown His divine arm around the human race and brought divine power to encourage the poor, sin-sick, discouraged soul to reach up for a higher life, so helpers need more of Christ's spirit and much less of self, the converting power of God daily upon the heart, and the mellowing spirit of Christ to subdue and soften the soul, with the only way for those who feel whole being to fall upon the Rock and be broken, submitting to Christ so He can change them into His likeness. It includes the passed-by, neglected, wounded high or low who need a physician, those humiliated by mistakes and in need to be helped with Christlike love and compassion, colored brethren and sisters to be met with impartial justice and kindness not quick censure or separation, and a man once useful whose health failed and whose course seems inconsistent, who must not be met with withdrawn sympathy and brotherly kindness as though wanted nothing to do with, but with interest to help him steady himself with the tenderness of Jesus Christ.

Bearing one another's burdens fulfills the law of Christ, and meek restoration refusing vain glory, provoking, envying, and self-exaltation is the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance — lived out by those who are Christ's and walk in the Spirit, showing the Bible standard of perfection of character by which all ideas and fruit are tested. Restoration and burden-bearing call for love and humility, not self-exalting control that bruises the soul, and for walking in all lowliness of mind, striving to reach all who need help, with all self-exaltation put to death, the precious grace of meekness found only beneath the cross to be cultivated and nurtured. Obeying requires daily cultivating love and heart religion with hearts filled with the Spirit of God, His melting love, and spiritual power, taking the erring in arms of faith to the cross and bringing them into contact with the sin-pardoning Saviour with divine wisdom in dealing with minds, meaning more than reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with longsuffering and doctrine. Without it believers become narrow, unsympathetic, bigoted, and critical, esteeming themselves righteous when far from approved of God, treating the erring and the young and inexperienced in an uncourteous, abrupt, harsh way that pricks at every touch, for which Christ holds them responsible if their course drives souls to discouragement, despair, and ruin, while cold Phariseeism holding one deluded by Satan at arm's length with coldness and lack of sympathy and little self-denial violates the verse, which requires treating the fallen as Jesus treats each person individually.

Following this direction by approaching directly in a meek and loving spirit rather than spreading suspicions or complaints closes the door to temptation and helps prevent division, drawing hearts together in Christian love, and the fruits of a Christlike life show who is spiritual in this work of representing Christ's character for unity rather than prejudice, division, or discord. It calls for faith joined with works in clear distinct lines, for setting the churches in order and closing the door of unbelief, for making straight paths for the feet so the weak are not turned out of the way, and for standing against Satan's increased seducing power while bearing aloft the banner of the third angel's message. When a brother is at fault, those who are spiritual are not to turn away from him or speak against him, but to treat him tenderly and seek to help him, with love, forbearance, and putting self aside joining the fallen to God, while discord and selfish concern for personal dignity hinder it. New workers should join experienced workers as helpers and fellow laborers in brotherly love, and changes should be handled justly and without discouraging faithful servants.

Meekness would have led Smith and Gage to treat Professor Bell differently, for their harsh treatment wounded both Bell and Christ in the person of His saints, and wrongdoing against a brother requires sincere confession and making restitution where injured, for merely acting as though one is just does not clear the wrong. The same warning applied to Brother Rumsey, who acted unwisely and used Brother Albert's failings to elevate himself and had cause for deep humility, and to Brother Rumery, who acted unwisely and used Brother George's failure to build himself up and had cause for deep humility, with the warning also bearing on those who speculated and exaggerated what they did not know. Saving Brother Palmer called for prayer that he will not lose his hold on God and for careful treatment to restore for the sake of his soul, not driving out or crushing by attitude, ill words, untimely remarks, and exposure of faults that damaged confidence instead of helping. Those who have erred are to be treated with sympathy and helped by people who have experience and have faced similar difficulties.

The false and cruel work of apostasy and rebellion must be dealt with in two ways at once, for destruction of evil and for restoration of evildoers, and those who do this remedial work must themselves stand pure and undefiled through the whole process. The verse means loving, patient cross-lifting work for erring souls to help them recover, done in love and not to reproach, and this work pays. It means keeping the last six commandments summed in loving one's neighbor as oneself by showing continual kindness to those needing love and sympathy, not exposing and publishing another's faults, magnifying infirmities, or placing the erring in an unfavorable light, but putting forth the most patient efforts to heal and bind up on Christ's lines, manifesting the love Christ has shown and dealing with souls purchased by His precious blood with the same kindness and forbearance one desires for oneself. Reproof should be humble and measured, with errors made clear without exaggeration, and mercy, compassion, patience, and tenderness should accompany justice, for in dealing with a wayward person it is better to risk being too merciful than too severe, while a harsh, coarse, unrefined spirit proves one is not spiritual but still has a heart as impressible as stone rather than a heart of flesh, and such a one must fall on the Rock and be broken and be tried in the crucible until Christ's image is reflected.