Galatians 6:1-10
Key verse Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” I was challenged by the topic that Alastair spoke about the other week at the prayer meeting with regards to the beam in the eye and it led me to look beyond this to what happens when because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and we do take the beam out of our own eye and see each other through Christ’s eyes and how we should look after each other.
In this book to the Galatians, Paul writes that Christian brothers and sisters are supposed to carry one another’s burdens v2. He states that in doing so we fulfill the law of Christ, but then he goes on to say that everyone needs to carry their own burden as well v5. This was quite confusing to me and I had to read the passage again and again using different versions of the bible and I will use them tonight, so what is Paul saying? Are we supposed to carry each other’s burdens or not? What are the burdens he’s talking about? and where does the law of Christ fit in?
To get a better understanding of what Paul is trying to tell us, look at the passage again as I had to. It certainly seems that Paul is contradicting himself, and it is worth noting from the KJV that he says burdens
(plural) v2, and burden (singular) v5 at first glance a seemingly insignificant use of the word. The commentators tell us that the original text was written in Greek. So I think it is worth looking at what is said about both the original words, as well as their translations.
Bear– Paul used the same word both times v2 & 5. The commentators tell me that this word in Greek means to take up, bear, carry, or to take away. It also means to endure, tolerate, or support. This word has been translated as bear, carry, share, help carry, and assume.
Burden – Paul use of the word in the singular and plural form of the word is significant because it separates Paul’s first instruction from the second.
What is the difference?
Burdens – a weight, burden, trouble, heaviness. This type of burden has real substance with value, carries personal or eternal significance.
Burden – the freight of a ship, a cargo, a load, a burden. This word has been translated into a variety of words: load, conduct, burden, responsibility, luggage, actions, or shortcomings. In other words this type of burden must be carried by the individual as something personal, it is not transferrable.
We see that Paul is addressing two different types of burdens, in the first – we are to help one another with and in the second – we are responsible for ourselves.
I still, found it difficult to understand how to apply Paul’s meaning in the text. I would like to use three different translations to show how the bearing of burdens is to be carried out (bold emphasis mine).
From ‘The Message’ – a paraphrase of the New Testament written by American theologian Eugene Patterson. v 1-3 “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived”,
From ‘God’s Word Translation’ a translation by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society a Lutheran based Church. – v 2-3 “Help carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings. So if any one of you thinks you’re important when you’re really not, you’re only fooling yourself”.
From the Amplified version. – v 2-3 “Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself”.
Paul states that by bearing one another’s burdens we fulfill the law of Christ. He refers to this in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 as an example in his life “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that I might by all means save some.”
What is this law and where is it written? It isn’t defined in Scripture as such but the commentators say that this is understood to be the law of love. Jesus the Christ revealed this law when asked what the most important command was by a scribe in Mark 12:29-31, He answered “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”, and James also speaks of the law of love, calling it royal “You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” James 2:8
We are to love one another as Christ loves us, remember that God is love and Paul instructs us to imitate Jesus as dear children saying in Ephesians 5:1-2 “be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
There is a burden that we have to bear individually and that is the burden of the cross as Jesus tells us in
Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” It is this burden we are to carry because we know that we are unworthy sinners and that our salvation is from Christ and there is nothing that we can do, it is all about Him. Praise His holy name for He also tells us “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30.
Yes there is the burden we bear but importantly not alone, for Jesus is with us and has given us the Gift of the Holy Spirit. There are burdens in which we are meant to share and help each other with and in doing this we are fulfilling the greatest commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbour as yourself”. Remember this God tells us that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 and Jesus tells us “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
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