Galatians 6:3 (GNV)

Passage

For if any man seeme to himselfe, that he is somewhat, when he is nothing, hee deceiueth himselfe in his imagination.

Nearby Context

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be suddenly taken in any offence, ye which are spirituall, restore such one with the spirit of meekenes, considering thy selfe, least thou also be tempted.

Galatians 6:2 Beare ye one anothers burden, and so fulfill the Lawe of Christ.

Galatians 6:3 For if any man seeme to himselfe, that he is somewhat, when he is nothing, hee deceiueth himselfe in his imagination.

Galatians 6:4 But let euery man prooue his owne worke: and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in another.

Galatians 6:5 For euery man shall beare his owne burden.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seeme", "himselfe", "somewhat", "nothing", "deceiueth", and "imagination". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seeme" and "himselfe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Beare ye one anothers burden and so..." into verse 4's "But let euery man prooue his owne...", so "seeme" and "himselfe" 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 "seeme" and "himselfe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.