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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Bear each others load, or our own? | Gal 6:5 | Just Read Mark | 147508 | ||
This verse instructs us to bear our own load. 2 verses earlier, Paul tells us to bear each others loads. What is he getting at? Please help me understand these verses in context. |
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2 | Bear each others load, or our own? | Gal 6:5 | EdB | 147517 | ||
Toward The Christian Who Is Burdened (6:2-5) 6:2. A serving Christian lends a helping hand with heavy loads (barç, cf. comments on v. 5). Though the principle would apply to all burdens the context has special reference to the heavy and oppressive weight of temptation and spiritual failure. While the “spiritual” do the work of restoring, all believers are to become involved by prayer and encouragement. This, wrote Paul, will fulfill (anaplçrôsete) the law of Christ, that is, the principle of love (cf. 5:14; John 13:34). 6:3-4 6:3-4. Something must be laid aside if a believer is to be a burden-bearer and that is conceit, an attitude that breeds intolerance of error in others and causes one to think he is above failure. The remedy for self-conceit is found in verse 4—everyone is told to test (dokimazetô; cf. 1 Peter 1:7) his own actions. This means that rather than comparing himself with others he should step back and take an objective look at himself and his accomplishments. Then he can take pride in himself over what God has done in and through his life (cf. Rom. 12:3). The Greek word kauchçma, rendered “pride,” means personal exultation, not sinful pride. 6:5 6:5. The Christian does in fact test himself by carrying his own load. This does not contradict verse 2 because the reference there is to heavy, crushing, loads (barç)—more than a man could carry without help. In this verse a different Greek word (phortion) is used to designate the pack usually carried by a marching soldier. It is the “burden” Jesus assigns to His followers (cf. Matt. 11:30). There are certain Christian responsibilities or burdens each believer must bear which cannot be shared with others. Jesus assured His disciples that such burdens were light. —Bible Knowledge Commentary Paul knew the problems that arise in any Christian society. The best of men slip up. The word Paul uses (paraptoma, G3900) does not mean a deliberate sin; but a slip as might come to a man on an icy road or a dangerous path. Now, the danger of those who are really trying to live the Christian life is that they are apt to judge the sins of others hardly. There is an element of hardness in many a good man. There are many good people to whom you could not go and sob out a story of failure and defeat; they would be bleakly unsympathetic. But Paul says that, if a man does make a slip, the real Christian duty is to get him on his feet again. The word he uses for to correct is used for executing a repair and also for the work of a surgeon in removing some growth from a man's body or in setting a broken limb. The whole atmosphere of the word lays the stress not on punishment but on cure; the correction is thought of not as a penalty but as an amendment. And Paul goes on to say that when we see a man fall into a fault we do well to say, "There but for the grace of God go I." He goes on to rebuke conceit and gives a recipe whereby it may well be avoided. We are to compare our achievement not with the work of our neighbours but with what our best would have been. When we do that, there can never be any cause for conceit. Twice in this passage Paul speaks about bearing burdens. There is a kind of burden which comes to a man from the chances and the changes of life; it is fulfilling the law of Christ to help everyone who has such a burden to carry. But there is also a burden which a man must bear himself. The word Paul uses is the word for a soldier's pack. There is a duty which none can do for us and a task for which we must be personally responsible. —Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT) |
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3 | Bear each others load, or our own? | Gal 6:5 | Just Read Mark | 147522 | ||
Thanks, Ed. That is very helpful. I have printed out the response, to follow the references better. I particularly like this notion of the "soldier's pack" as distinct fromt the oppressive burden. Both mutual service and individual responsibility are important. Also, the link to "come all who are heavy laden" is meaningful. JRM |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Gal 6:5 | Author | ||
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Tan_Flipper | ||
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Just Read Mark | ||
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EdB | ||
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Just Read Mark |