6:1
In one sense they have been concerned about avoiding sin in its widest sense. They wanted to please God and misguidedly thought that getting circumcised was the way to do this. Paul has told them that while their motives might be good, the outcome would be more sin. Instead, living by the Spirit, living by faith, is the only way for us to please God and sin less. In a legalistic culture if someone is caught sinning the reaction is often to condemn them. What are we to do in a faith culture if someone is caught in sin? The answer is that rather than condemn the brother, he is to be restored in a spirit of gentleness. and this is to be done by those who are “spiritual”, not those who are legalistic.
6:2
Rather than competing against each other, which is what legalism encourages, we are to “bear one another’s burdens”. We are to help and encourage each other. “and so fulfill the law of Christ”. Paul is not saying that this is an alternative law. Rather the Law was a whole way of life, influencing everything that was done, just see how widespread the laws are in Leviticus and the other books of the Pentateuch, even covering what to do about mildew! In Christ the whole way of life, the whole culture, is one of helping each other.
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