97. Are we to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2), or are we to bear only our own burdens (Galatians 6:5)?

(Category: misread the text)

The question is asked: 'Who will bear whose burden?' Galatians 6:2 and 6:5 are compared, one says each other's, while the other says your own.

There is no contradiction here at all. This is not a case of 'either/or' but of 'both/and'. When you read Galatians 6:1-5 properly you will notice that believers are asked to help each other in times of need, difficulty or temptation; but they are also called to account for their own actions. There is no difficulty or contradiction in this, as the two are mutually inclusive.

How do Galatians 6 verses two and five harmonize? According to the apostle Paul, Christians are to “[b]ear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). However, only three verses later, he writes: “For every man shall bear his own burden” (6:5). Skeptic Steve Wells, author of the popular Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, categorizes Galatians 6:2 and 6:5 as contradictory verses (see Wells, 2015). Bible critic Dennis McKinsey comments on these verses, saying, “Gal. 6:2 says that we should bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ, while three verses later we are told that everyone should bear his own burden. So who is to bear our burdens?… One can’t help but ask why people would be obligated to aid the poor if every man is supposed to bear his own burden” (1995, pp. 86, 430). So are Christians to “bear one another’s burdens,” or is the child of God to “bear his own burden”?

First of all, though skeptics generally seem rather unconcerned for the original language in which the Scriptures were written, oftentimes consulting the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek gives the reader a better understanding of the text (see, for example, Lyons, 2009). In Galatians 6:2 and 6:5, though the same English word [“burden(s)”] is used in the King James translation, the fact is, different Greek words were used in the original manuscripts. In verse 2, “burdens” is translated from baros, meaning “weight,” or figuratively, an “experience of someth[ing] that is particularly oppressive” (Danker, 2000, p. 167). In verse 5, “burden” is from fortion, meaning “that which constitutes a load for transport,” or “that which is carried and constitutes a burden” (Danker, p. 1064, emp. added). Many modern versions have attempted to show readers the difference in the two words by translating baros as “burden(s)” in 6:2 and fortion as “load” in 6:5 (NKJV, NASB, ESV). Though further explanation to the alleged conundrum is still necessary, noting the difference in the Greek should cause skeptics to reconsider their KJV-based accusations.

Second, Galatians 6:2 and 6:5 do not represent an either/or command. If it is possible for the Christian both to (1) bear his own burden/load, while at the same time (2) help bear another’s burden, then both commands must be followed, without assuming that one command must be obeyed to the exclusion of the other. Consider how the Bible writers condemned laziness (Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:5; 21:25). Paul even went so far as to say, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, emp. added). At the same time, the child of God is to give to the poor (Proverbs 28:27; Luke 3:11). Paul instructed the penitent thief to “labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28, ESV, emp. added). Are we to work to take care of our families and ourselves? Yes. Are we to help others who are genuinely in need (i.e., who have burdens that they are unable to bear alone)? Yes. Should lazy busybodies expect to receive physical help from Christians? Not necessarily. (They should “work in quietness and eat their own bread.” If anyone is capable of working, yet willfully chooses laziness instead, “neither shall he eat.”) In short, the Christian takes his personal responsibilities seriously (he “bears his own”). At the same time, for those whose burdens of life are more than they can carry, the Christian joyfully comes to their aid to provide them various kinds of physical and spiritual assistance.

There are some responsibilities that no one can carry for us. No one can become a Christian for someone else. No one can worship for another. And no one will be able to “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” for someone else. Rather, “each one” will receive “the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10, emp. added). Therefore, “Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4). Just as a soldier is expected to carry his own “load” in battle, the servant of Christ the King recognizes his individual responsibilities to the Lord. At the same time, as soldiers assist fallen comrades on the battlefield in hopes of saving their lives, dedicated servants of Christ look to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Problem: In Galatians 6:2, Paul exhorts us to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” But only a few verses later he says “every man shall bear his own burden” (v. 5, kjv).

Solution: The word for “burden” is different in each case. In the first passage, Paul urges sympathy for others. In the other, he is speaking of taking responsibility for ourselves. There is no conflict between being accountable for our own lives and being helpful to others.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

For each one will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:5)

On the face of it, these verses appear to say one thing and then say something entirely opposite: are burdens and loads to be borne collectively or individually? The contrast appears even stronger in the King James Version (and truly most English translations prior to the 1950s) where the word burden is used in both verses. Surely the Apostle Paul would not have made such a seemingly egregious error within just a few sentences. Certainly not—instead, he helps us to see how our love for one another in this work of burden-bearing emulates the love that our Lord Jesus has shown to us.

Help One Another Bear Unwieldy Burdens

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to “bear one another’s burdens” (verse 2). In contrast to the individualized load of verse 5, these burdens are extra heavy loads or situations that are difficult to endure by oneself. For example, this word is used variously in Scripture to refer to laborers bearing “the burden of the day and the scorching heat” (Matthew 20:12) and the “eternal weight of glory” produced as we endure “our light momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The related verb form reflects the excessive physical weariness of the disciples in Gethsemane (“their eyes were heavy [with sleep],” Matthew 26:43) and the oppressive personal resistance Paul and his companions faced in Asia where they “were so utterly burdened beyond our strength” (2 Corinthians 1:8).

We do face situations in life that are weighty and oppressive, especially as they relate to our battle against sin and temptation.

We do face situations in life that are weighty and oppressive, especially as they relate to our battle against sin and temptation (Hebrews 12:4). So Paul says that we need to help one another bear these unwieldy and troublesome burdens as a fulfillment of Christ’s commandment of love (cf. Galatians 5:14). What is one way we can do that? The previous verse says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (6:1).

Some burdens we must help one another bear are temptations to sin as well as sinful thoughts and practices. The word transgression or trespass describes sins as rebellious and disobedient as Adam’s sin in the garden (Romans 5:17), the sin of Israel’s unbelief in Jesus Christ (Romans 11:11), our sins against one another and God (Matthew 6:14–15), and our former state of being dead in our “trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, 5).

The word caught suggests that this brother may have been taken by surprise by the trespass and has been subsequently carried away with it. The brother may have become ensnared in sinful thoughts and practices, or perhaps he has given up, losing hope that he can ever get away from this trespass.

In this very situation, “you who are spiritual” must step forward to help in love. This refers to those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and who therefore seek to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). This is not a measure of spirituality as much as it is a statement of responsibility: Christians are to care for one another as an expression of our relationship with God.

What are we to do for our sinning brother? Paul says we are to “restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). This is the gentle, careful, and sometimes time-consuming work of helping to rescue and straighten out the brother—not because we may have been offended by his sin, but because He has offended a holy God and is in a dangerous situation himself. We are not to despise or condemn him, gossip to others about him, or simply ignore him. As far as it depends upon us, we must do this without harsh, fierce, or contemptuous words, and without a hope for retribution or revenge. But motivated out of love for the brother we are to seek his liberty from this entangling sin (cf. Galatians 5:13).

Earlier in this letter to the Galatian churches, Paul gave us an example of this restorative expression of love. His fellow apostle, Peter, had visited the predominantly Gentile church in Antioch and shared non-kosher meals with them. But when Jewish believers came down from Jerusalem, Peter fell into the fear of man (cf. Proverbs 29:25) and withdrew from his Gentile brothers. His actions also influenced the other Jews, like Barnabas, who had been associating with the Gentiles. So Paul confronted Peter with the truth of his actions and the truth of the gospel: “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). Following Paul’s example, then, a primary way in which we “bear one another’s burdens” is by speaking truth to one another—specifically referencing thoughts or practices that fall short of God’s standard for us. This is also Paul’s general method in his epistles: communicating right doctrine and encouraging right practice in light of that truth.

Bear and Be Accountable for Our Individual Loads

In contrast to the unwieldy burdens we encounter, we each have a load that we can and must carry individually. The word load can be used nearly synonymously with burden, referring to those things that are carried, as in a tree branch upon the shoulders (Judges 9:48–49) or the cargo of a ship (Acts 27:10). It has the figurative connotation of something that may be difficult but not impossible to do, as in providing for the physical needs of another (2 Samuel 19:35). Loads can become oppressive beyond strength, as in the case of David’s awareness of his own sinfulness (Psalm 38:4) or the excessive man-made requirements put forward by the self-righteous Pharisees and lawyers (Luke 11:46). For those who feel the burden of sin or the overbearing requirements of the self-righteous, Jesus promises that His yoke is easy and His load is light (Matthew 11:28–30).

The key distinction Paul makes here is that there are some aspects of our lives that can only be dealt with individually.

Besides the subtle difference in terms, the key distinction Paul makes here is that there are some aspects of our lives that can only be dealt with individually. Proving our faithfulness, each of us must examine and take personal responsibility for our own performance (Galatians 6:4), knowing that our gracious Lord will call us to account for the deeds which we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10). While we help others we ought not to think that we are somehow exempt from the truth we are speaking to them—“Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). There are all sorts of entangling temptations and sinful habits that catch us off-guard and unprepared. We ought to be wary of the sins of pride and vainglory as we might think of ourselves as better than our sinning brother, comparing our perceived strengths against our brother’s weakness. Neither should we be easily offended or exasperated at our struggling brother. Instead we must diligently examine and be honest about ourselves, knowing that we also are in need of admonition from our brother (Romans 15:14). We have every reason to be humble in our practice of sanctification (Galatians 6:3). If we do boast, we should boast in what Jesus has done for us (verse 14).

Jesus Bore the Weight of Our Sin

What does burden-bearing teach us about our Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (3:13). He bore the oppressive burden of our sin in His own body, paying the penalty for our sins so “that we might be justified by faith” (verse 24). It was not the burden of His own sin which He bore on the Cross—for He was without sin—but He carried His own Cross to die in the place of sinners. As Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

In the hours prior to His sacrificial death for us, our kind Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave His followers a new commandment, “that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34). He expected that the practice of this love by His obedient people would be so distinctive to a watching world that He said, “all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (verse 35). So our identity in Christ fundamentally expresses itself in the practice of this mutual love. True love acts in the best interest of the other person, often at great sacrifice to oneself. May we follow our Lord’s example and fulfill His law of love.