Be not deceived: God is not mocked.
μη πλανασθε θεος ου μυκτηριζεται ο γαρ εαν σπειρη ανθρωπος τουτο και θερισει
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
As with sowing, the one who sows peas cannot reap wheat, because the harvest must be of the same kind as what was sown. It is exactly the same with deeds. Whoever fills his flesh with pleasures, drunkenness, and unrestrained desires will reap what usually grows from these things.
Since some often accused teachers of a bad life, despised them, and did not feed them in their poverty, he shows even now that one must be generous even toward such teachers. He says this later too: let us not grow weary in doing good. Yet even here he shows it, because this expense is made for a spiritual work.
Therefore, comparing expenses for fleshly works with expenditure for spiritual things, he says this. If you spend on the flesh, preparing dinners and various seasonings, sowing drunkenness, luxury, and gluttony, you will reap corruption. For this itself perishes and destroys the body along with itself.
But if you sow spiritually, that is, spiritual works, showing compassion to all and preserving continence, then you will reap eternal life. For God is not mocked or deceived, but will then render to each his own.
Therefore it is better to spend on spiritual works, among which are expenses for teachers, than on fleshly pleasures, which are corruptible and corrupt the body. For diseases come from pleasures and excesses.
Do not think, then, that there is no judgment, and do not dare to sin. God does not allow Himself to be mocked by anyone: [...] Whoever, after renouncing and withdrawing from the world, turns his thought toward worldly things is no different from a man who cuts his own hair. Whoever thinks to make sport of both deceives himself, for it is written: "God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
Foreseeing in the Spirit that those who are under instruction and ought to help their teacher with support and the necessities of life might plead their poverty, the Apostle added: "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked."
The God of all watches over everything. Do not think that He does not know what is being done. But know that the harvest will correspond to the sowing: what you sow, that you will also reap.
Paul adds another instruction, which sums up everything and is connected with what was said before: to follow nothing except the Gospel, that is, not to strive after the rules and works of the Jews. “Do not be deceived,” Paul says. For everything found outside the Gospel is error.
He also joined to his instruction the force of necessity: “God is not mocked,” he says. He did not say, “since God sees everything,” lest they hope for indulgence toward their error, or think that it could be hidden. He does not speak this way, but says, “God is not mocked.” Then Paul warns of what awaits those who are deceived and direct their life toward earthly things.
The Galatians, who thought that they ought to accept the rules of the Jews, keep the Sabbath, undergo circumcision, and observe everything else of this kind, were acting according to the understanding of the flesh. They hoped in the flesh and cared for the flesh.
Everyone who hopes in the flesh and sows to his flesh will reap from the flesh, that is, he will receive the fruit of the flesh. What is this fruit? Corruption, Paul says. For the flesh is subject to corruption, and its end is such that it decays, grows old, dies, and perishes.
Therefore it is better to hope in the spirit, so as to have hope in what comes from the spirit and in what is the fruit of the spirit. This is the meaning of sowing to the spirit, that is, to eternal life. For this earthly life is life, but not eternal life.
The one who lives in the spirit and acts according to the spirit does nothing according to the flesh, but sows eternal life for himself. Such will be his harvest: when he departs from this world, he will receive eternal life.
"God is not mocked." The all-knowing God does not leave violators of His commandments without punishment, just as He does not leave those who do good without reward.
The strongest motives for unflagging good works and for the spiritual life (Gal. 6:7-10). Gal. 6:7. The Apostle indicates these motives, first, in the omniscience of God. God sees everything and knows precisely the measure of each person's strength. Therefore no one can hide from the Lord God in his negligence. "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked."
Arousing Christians to a good and spiritual life, the Apostle says that as the life is, so will be the reward for it from the Judge of all, God. It is like the harvest that follows the sowing. He points out that everything done by man to please the flesh will end in corruption, while spiritual works will have eternal meaning. Therefore one must by every means not weaken in doing good, both for oneself and for others, and especially for those of the household of faith.
Saint John Chrysostom says: “As with seeds, whoever sows peas cannot reap wheat, for the harvest is of one kind with the seed. The same occurs in deeds. Whoever fills his flesh with pleasures, drunkenness, and unrestrained desires will reap what usually grows from these things. For costly and luxurious tables end in corruption alone. The works of the spirit, however, are not such. See: you have sown almsgiving, and heavenly treasures and eternal glory await you. You have sown chastity, and honor and reward await you, greetings from the angels and crowns from the Giver of the contest. The Apostle opens the door of generosity to all, though he has greater care for his own. He commands giving to all, but in due order.”
The turn of speech reveals the importance of the subject and demands attention. It is as though, after reviewing all that was said about the Christian life, and after seeing how some might deviate from its right direction while thinking that perhaps this too would pass without consequence, the Apostle warns them: Do not deceive yourselves. God cannot be deceived. He sees everything.
The Apostle does not say exactly what deviations are possible. Yet those to whom the Epistle was written could not fail to come to awareness of this by the testimony of their conscience. The Apostle's word attained its aim.
One may conjecture the following possibilities. The Apostle freed them from all the bonds of the elemental law, but with the condition that they live in the Spirit. It is possible that someone used this freedom like the others, but did not care for life in the Spirit. He regarded it as something abstract and not very necessary.
It is also possible that another, while recognizing the necessity of spiritual life for Christians, limited it to abstention from gross vices and the performance of some visible good deeds. He did not give strict attention to the purification of his heart.
In both cases moral laziness is assumed: unwillingness to compel oneself, to make an effort, to labor with mind, heart, and body. It rests on the false hope that what exists will pass as sufficient, since something does exist.
The Apostle says: no, do not deceive yourselves with such empty hopes. God cannot be deceived. He sees everything: your laziness and your unscrupulous attitude toward the work of your salvation. You will be condemned for the very fact that you do not do everything that depends on you. You dig in your heels and make excuses as soon as any sacrifice or effort is required, whether bodily or spiritual.
For this you will hear from the righteous Judge: evil servant! You will receive the sentence given to the slothful man who hid the talent. The Apostle draws this from the general law: what you sow, you will also reap.
Yet the thought is also visible here: what you sow, however you hide it and however you color it, will in due time come into the open. It will serve either for your justification or for your accusation. Only true fruitfulness will receive the bright reward.
Everything that seems good but is not truly so will not stand in its disguise before the light of God's all-penetrating judgment. What a man has sown in his nature, what he is according to the sum of his whole life and activity, such he will be recognized to be. According to this his true worth will be determined. Such a place he will receive, and the corresponding measure of either blessings or punishments. This is what he will reap, and what he will go on reaping for all eternity.
“The God of all watches over everything. Do not think that He does not know what is done. But know that the harvest will correspond to the sowing. What you sow, you will also reap” (Blessed Theodoret).
“God knows your hearts. Your powers and means are not unknown to Him. A plausible self-excuse may satisfy a man, but it cannot deceive God” (Blessed Theophylact).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS