Burden Bearers

by J. Miller | Category: Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings | Sept 1979

The words of Paul in Galatians 6:2 and 5 seem, at first sight, to be contradictory: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ"; and, "each man shall bear his own burden". If, however, we read them in their connexion, help will be derived as to the meaning of the word "burden" in each case. It will be noticed that in verse 1 Paul deals with a man being overtaken in a trespass, and the spiritual ones are to restore him. They must endeavour to find what burden or burdens have pressed too heavily upon the man and brought about his downfall. When they find these out they must lift the pressure from him to give him the opportunity to regain his footing. This may be compared to a cart-horse which falls, yoked to a heavily laden cart. If it is ever to rise, they must take the cart with its load away, and when they have taken the pressure of the weight off, the horse can rise to its feet. So must it be with the man overtaken in a trespass. You must relieve him of the pressure which has brought and keeps him down. The word used here is baros which has been described thus:- "Baros denotes the pressure of a weight which may be relieved or transferred".

The word for "burden" in verse 5 is phortion, which means a specific load, as of the load of a ship, which each one has received and must bear himself. This load is the work God has given to us each to do. It is not the pressure of circumstances, and so forth, which may become too great for a man, as in verse 2. It will be seen from verse 4 that the burden of verse 5 refers to a man's work: "Let each man prove his own work". A workman should be taken up with his own work and not with that of his neighbour. The man who spends his time criticizing his neighbour's work will have none of his own to criticize. Let each get on with his own work and bear his own burden, and bear it manfully.

Paul in Hebrews 12:1 refers to another weight. The word he uses (ogkos) literally means a tumour, or swelling, and as used here means an encumbrance, or impediment, which will hinder the runner in the race. Every such hindrance is to be laid aside, that he may run the race to a victorious ending.

J. Miller | Sept 1979
Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings