“Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.” (Galatians 6:6, ESV)
When a man and a woman come together in marriage, something very important is to happen. Unfortunately, it often takes years to fully experience it. Let me explain. When my wife and I married, we knew that immediately we would share in all material things. This was quite obvious as I was the wage earner and she kept our household afloat. We consequently had joint ownership of everything, our car, our home, our bank account, everything.
However, while understanding that sharing in the material things is important, there is something a married couple must share which is far more important to a healthy marriage. It is the sharing in those things which are not material. It is in sharing the things which come from the heart. To be honest, when we married while we shared all things material, but struggled in sharing the deeper things that were beneath the surface. I am referring to hidden emotions, the hurts and wounds of life, the inner struggles and desires, the fears and confidences. These things normally come out through conversation. I do not think we were alone in this, but sharing in these deeper things was something in which we needed to grow.
This particular verse in the book of Galatians speaks of sharing “all good things with the one who teaches.” It is an interesting verse and I believe the translation is a bit unfortunate due to the way we might understand it on a superficial level. On the surface it appears to say that one who is taught the word must ensure that he shares in the financial burdens of the teacher. In other words, those in the church must support their pastor. While this principle is taught in the Scriptures, it is not the main point here. Here, Paul communicated something much deeper and vital.
Let us take a look at a couple words in this verse. First, the verb translated as “share,” is koinoneo, which refers to sharing with others (Strong G2841). It traces its root from the noun, koinonia, which we commonly translate as “fellowship.” When we look at this in context with the passage, it has the idea of something held or shared in common rather than an exchange of material compensation for hearing the word of truth.
Second, the phrase “good things,” is from the noun agathos, referring to something good, profitable, upright, virtuous (Thayer p.1). This word is primarily used in a qualitative sense of goodness in the New Testament, referring to things that are of moral and spiritual virtue.
So, here the more appropriate thought is that the hearer of the truth and the one presenting the word are to share in the spiritual blessings of the gospel. This thought goes much deeper than a mere provision of funds for one who preaches the gospel.
Paul wrote this letter to churches in which parishioners were disassociating from the truth and those who taught it, and following false teachers and their teachings. Paul’s charge to them was to break off the association with the false teachers and share in common with those who preached the good news, the true gospel.
How does this apply today? We who are in churches are to enjoy our fellowship with one another in the truth of God’s word. We are to hold these precious truths in common. We are not to allow heretical teachings or teachers to split us apart. We are to examine everything, rejecting the false, and holding to the truth of God’s word. This takes believers to a much greater depth of fellowship with one another, and those who teach and preach the truth. The result of which will be greater love, joy, and peace experienced in the assembly of believers, the church.
Renewing the Heart 