Galatians 6:4 (ASV)

Passage

But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor.

Nearby Context

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another`s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:3 For if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Galatians 6:4 But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor.

Galatians 6:5 For each man shall bear his own burden.

Galatians 6:6 But let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "each", "prove", "shall", "glorying", "regard", "himself", "alone", and "neighbor". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "each" and "prove", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For if a man thinketh himself to..." into verse 5's "For each man shall bear his own...", so "each" and "prove" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "each" and "prove" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.