For so then, see the remark on the previous verse.

The expression as often as we have the chance is literally “as we have opportunity.” It can be understood either in the sense of taking every opportunity as it presents itself (New English Bible “as opportunity offers”) or in the sense of taking advantage of the opportunity which is now available (Jerusalem Bible “while we have the chance”). Both of these interpretations are possible, but the second seems to be more appropriate if the time will come of verse 9 is understood in an eschatological sense, that is, as referring to the return of the Lord or the end of the world. In view of the two possible interpretations, one may translate as often as we have the chance as either “as often as we can” or “now that we can.”

Paul exhorts his readers to do good to everyone, whether he belongs to the Christian community or not. But now he adds a specification and lifts it up as a very important obligation of the Christian, as indicated by the word especially, namely, to do good to those who belong to our family in the faith. The family in the faith is, literally, “the household of faith.” The imagery suggests that Christians are like members of one family, the distinguishing aspect of which is their faith in Jesus Christ. The church is thus the “household of God” (Eph 2.19). Our family in the faith may be rendered in some languages as “our fellow believers in Christ,” or “those who along with us also trust Christ and are thus a kind of family.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .