Burdens

[brakelite]

KJV Galatians 6
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Is there a contradiction in the above passage of scripture... Two verses with but two other verses dividing them?

What say you Bible scholars?

 

[LoveBeacon]

No Bible scholar, but I do have an opinion.

As the body of Christ, we are called to help our other brothers and sisters, thus fulfilling the 'bury one another burdens'; but, if we ourselves aren't able to handle our own burden, then we shouldn't try to carry someone else's burden or else we collapse.

In other words, "First take the beam out of your own eye first, so you can see clearly how to take the beam out of your brothers eye."

If we see each other as a body, then we would want to make ourselves available to help those that are in need of spiritual help. This could be meant in 2 ways: 1) we go to that person and help them with that issue, 2) we prepare ourselves for these issues and deal with them ourselves, so when it is time to help someone we would have the necessary experience to help this person.

In peace

 

[Heart2Soul]

KJV Galatians 6
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Is there a contradiction in the above passage of scripture... Two verses with but two other verses dividing them?

What say you Bible scholars?

I am not a Bible scholar but what I understand of this is that we are to have compassion towards one another when they struggle with an issue in their life remembering that we were once there as well. We each still have to prove our own work....and to act like we are wiser and better than our fellow brethren and presume we can teach others the errors of their ways sets us up for a huge fall.

 

[Enoch111]

KJV Galatians 6
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Is there a contradiction in the above passage of scripture... Two verses with but two other verses dividing them?

What say you Bible scholars?

The way to understand these two seemingly contradictory verses is to note that:

1. The Law of Christ requires that we put others before ourselves, and make every effort to reach out to brothers and sisters who are struggling with any kind of issue. Thus enabling them to carry that burden with the help of others.

2. The other verse lays the responsibility of our own service to God and Christ -- "his own work" -- squarely upon our own shoulders. Also, each one gets a different cross to carry. So no one else will be held accountable for your negligence or blunders, and each man will give account for "his own works" at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

 

[farouk]

I am not a Bible scholar but what I understand of this is that we are to have compassion towards one another when they struggle with an issue in their life remembering that we were once there as well. We each still have to prove our own work....and to act like we are wiser and better than our fellow brethren and presume we can teach others the errors of their ways sets us up for a huge fall.

Fellowship encompasses sympathy and compassion. I do appreciate what John's First Epistle says about fellowship.

 

[Taken]

KJV Galatians 6
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Is there a contradiction in the above passage of scripture... Two verses with but two other verses dividing them?

What say you Bible scholars?

Not a contradiction.
A Teaching ABOUT Burdens (consequences).

1) There is always a consequence for an action.
2) A negative consequence is a Burden.
3) A positive consequence is a Blessing.

God doles out "consequences" to men for a mans Behavior TOWARD God.

1) Some consequences are Negative (burdens), and the individual man must bear that burden.
2) However a man WITH God;
..(A) will be Comforted THROUGH the burden.
..(B) will be FORGIVEN of God, of a Repentant man.

THE TEACHING IN Gal 6, IS directed to "ye which are spiritual"....TO DO the SAME AS GOD...

When another mans behavior WRONGS (a spiritual man)...the spiritual man Should Also, comfort the other THROUGH his (negative consequence, ie burden). AND forgive the other...which is the effect of "bearing" another mans burden.

HOWEVER....NOT to IGNORE..
There ARE men WHO ARE NOT spiritual.
AND a spiritual man MAY be the CAUSE of a Trespass, AGAINST another man, WHO IS NOT spiritual.

The TRESPASSING "spiritual man", will have "consequences" (a burden) effected toward him, by the one TRESPASSED against.
The Trespassor (spiritual man), will have to bear the burden, of the negative consequence.

Very Likely, the Trespassing "spiritual man";
WILL NOT be comforted, or forgiven, by the "trespassed against, non-spiritual man".

A spiritual man, SHOULD ask the other for forgiveness, and correct the wrong, and may or may not be forgiven, or a consequence lightened, OR NOT. The spiritual man will still have to bear the burden of the negative consequence.

(God can Still Comfort a (spiritual man), THROUGH the "effect of the consequence (burden)"......however the consequence (burden) is Still, the individuals burden to bear.

Gal.6
[1] Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
[2] Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
[3] For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
[4] But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
[5] For every man shall bear his own burden.
[6] Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

God Bless,
Taken

 

[Windmill Charge]

KJV Galatians 6
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Is there a contradiction in the above passage of scripture... Two verses with but two other verses dividing them?

What say you Bible scholars?

First of all, please quote the whole passage and not selected extracts.

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

As you can see from the passage v2 is talking about someone struggling with sin. We are to help them, to carry their burden.
It goes on we are to test how we act to ensure we are serving, for we should be able to be responcible for our actions/carry our load.

Basically we should help those in trouble/difficulty and be able to stand on our own two feet.

 

[farouk]

First of all, please quote the whole passage and not selected extracts.

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

As you can see from the passage v2 is talking about someone struggling with sin. We are to help them, to carry their burden.
It goes on we are to test how we act to ensure we are serving, for we should be able to be responcible for our actions/carry our load.

Basically we should help those in trouble/difficulty and be able to stand on our own two feet.

Pastoral work within the local church does indeed have a mandate for patient help and sympathy.

 

[Willie T]

"Encourage one another" to bear up under the burdens they have. Lighten their load, although you cannot take it from them.

 

[brakelite]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, ideas and views which I can entirely go along with. I am glad you fellas looked at the context also, not just judged matters on the two verses I presented, for the context gives us much to consider. In my study of this passage I discovered that the two occasions the word 'burden' was presented, verses 2 and 5, are in the Greek two different words. In verse 2 the word used is βάρος baros , which has the idea of a burden or weight in the sense of being unbearable. The weight exceeds that which is supporting it. In verse 5 the word is φορτίον phortion, which means 'load' ...as one would place on a truck or ship for transportation, a burden entirely appropriate for the carrier to take on.
We read with regarding the Pharisees in Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
The word burden above is the same as phortion, but is qualified by the word 'heavy', βαρύς barus, which has the same meaning as unbearable...too heavy...being weighed down by something too grievous to be born.
It is in those instances where we can be of help by making ourselves available in sharing the burden. Grief for example can overcome people, but if we are there, even just as a listening ear, that burden becomes lighter. However, the converse is also true. If we are close to someone who has lost a loved one, and we withhold our sympathy, by our selfishness we can make that burden of grief even heavier, as the disappointment of our absence in such a time adds to the burden already carried. If our children, parents, spouse, or neighbour even asks us for help in a matter, and we refuse, what is the effect of our refusal upon the burden being carried by that person. Does the weight of the burden remain static, or does it increase?
Over recent years I have noticed an increasing sense of independence throughout society. The idea of community among neighbours is being diminished for all manner of reasons. 'Friends' do stuff together far less often, as technology takes the place of action. People are left alone punching buttons on their phone or laptop, and are thus isolated from anyone who can help or even become aware of any problem rising. I wonder if that lack of fellowship has a direct impact on suicides, there being no-one able to share the weight of unbearable emotional crisis that is so prevalent in todays society. I wonder even if the growing non-denominational phenomenon is adding to the current crisis. We are called to call people out of Babylon, but what are we calling them into? What are we offering as an alternative?
There are burdens we cannot carry alone, and neither does God expect us to do so. Some burdens the body of Christ is well equipped to share, having 'two arms' instead of one, some burdens only God can help with.
The passage in Galatians speaks of the 'spirit of meekness', in restoring someone to Christ who has fallen into sin. For example, one who has reverted perhaps back to a life of alcohol or drug abuse. How can we restore such a person? A definition of meekness I read long ago I believe is very apt in such a situation. Meekness is that temper of spirit towards God where we accept His dealings with us without disputing; then towards men whereby we endure meekly their provocations, and do not withdraw ourselves from the burdens their sins impose upon us. Living with a drug addict can be a great burden, and at times one which we cannot bear alone. But doing so, and doing so patiently in the fear and admonition of the Lord, helps ease those burdens from the addict, and makes it easier for him to step out from underneath the addictions or sins with which he has been tangled.
Another question which touches on the relatively new concept of political correctness. In universities and campuses we now have "safe places",
where folk can retreat to in order to escape whatever offends them. Are we pandering to their emotions and in effect making them weaker by removing emotional burdens altogether from them, by pretending they have no need to face the realities of life everyone else must face? Are we raising a generation of what colloquially we now call "snowflakes"? A generation of young people incapable of bearing their own burden, let alone be in any position to learn to share others burdens?

 

[Enoch111]

Another question which touches on the relatively new concept of political correctness. In universities and campuses we now have "safe places",
where folk can retreat to in order to escape whatever offends them. Are we pandering to their emotions and in effect making them weaker by removing emotional burdens altogether from them, by pretending they have no need to face the realities of life everyone else must face? Are we raising a generation of what colloquially we now call "snowflakes"? A generation of young people incapable of bearing their own burden, let alone be in any position to learn to share others burdens?

This is a disturbing development of the Left-Liberal madness and the Trump Derangement Syndrome which raised its ugly head as soon as the so-called liberals discovered that the majority of ordinary people despise their evil philosophy. What those so-called *safe places* truly represent are mental institutions (which don't exist any more). There's no such condition as madness anymore, but Left-wing extremism is total madness.

 

[Windmill Charge]

new concept of political correctness. In universities and campuses we now have "safe places"

Note these 'safe place' exist to protect only those who support 'libera' policies from the truma of having to think about their ideas.
These safe place do not exist to protect Christians from being confront and compelled to support 'liberal policies'.