Galatians 6:2

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ.

It will be observed that "Law" has been capitalized here, the great pity being that it was not done in the common versions. There is no excuse whatever for writing this word with a capital "L" where the Law of Moses is concerned, as throughout this epistle, and then writing it with a little `T' where the superior and glorious Law of Christ is involved. Of course, there is a rebellious and sinful design in such an unjustifiable discrimination, that being the unbelievable theological proposition that there is no "Law of Christ"! We are under grace! This verse deals the coup de grace to any such fallacy. See summary of THE LAW OF CHRIST at the end of this chapter. In the verse before us, two essential elements of that Law have already been mentioned in this chapter, and others will be enumerated in a moment. No. 1 is: "Restore the Backsliders" (Galatians 6:1). No. 2 is "Bear Ye One Another's Burdens" (Galatians 6:2).

Of course, in Galatians 6:5, Paul said, "Each man shall bear his own burden"; but it is still surprising that even a Christian scholar should read this as a "contradiction," even Ridderbos saying, "It is not necessary to eliminate contradiction."[4] The Greek words from which the translation comes are diverse; one is [@baros], denotes a weight, and is applicable to a spiritual burden; whereas the other is [@fortion], which means "load," being used in Acts 27:20 of the cargo of a ship, thus something that relates to the purpose of being.[5] Thus, in Galatians 6:2, Paul speaks of Christians bearing each other's sorrows, due to sins or misfortunes; and in Galatians 6:5, he speaks of every man bearing his own responsibility, fulfilling the purpose of his own responsibility, filling the purpose of his own life. See article, "What to Do with Burdens," under Galatians 6:5.

So fulfill the Law of Christ ... It is almost unbelievable that Christian scholarship has so nearly unanimously ignored or misinterpreted LAW OF CHRIST. That Paul meant the Christian duty of helping fellow Christians to be understood as the totality of the Law of Christ is a preposterous error. Of course, such a view is so patently wrong and unreasonable that the rule on burden-sharing is interpreted in a wider frame of reference to mean "Love thy neighbor as thyself'; and that misinterpretation is hailed and saluted as the law of Christ (little "l")! Note what is alleged:

The meaning is that by showing sympathy to others ... the Christian will best fulfill that "new commandment" ... "the law of love" (John 13:34,1 John 3:23).[6]

In such a statement Christ is not being set up over against Moses as a new lawgiver![7]

There is a law to which they owe obedience and devotion - the new commandment of Christ ... the royal law of love.[8]

"The law of Christ," an uncommon expression, is the law of love.[9]

It seems better to take it of the whole moral institution of Christ.[10] (This restriction eliminates the ordinances Christ commanded).

(It is) Christ's law of love.[11]

The law of Christ (little "l") is not a law in the legal sense of the word.[12]

To fulfill the law of Christ is to love thy neighbor as thyself.[13] The law of Christ which bids us to love one another.[14]

With all due deference to the learning, scholarship and devotion of the advocates of such interpretations, all of them utterly fail to get the point which is that Christians are to obey the Law of Christ (all of it) as distinguished from the Law of Moses. As for the allegation that the "law of Christ is not a law in the legal sense," there is no way to read "Law of Christ" except in the sense of "God's Law"; and how could divine law be defined as not being in a legal sense? The very term legal means "pertinent to or conformity to law." So the proposition means "Christ's law is not pertinent to law!" Such a notion must be rejected. Moses was the type of Christ, and Christ surpassed Moses, being the Lawgiver for all mankind.

Thus Paul's true meaning in this place must be, "Fulfill the Law of Christ," in this particular also, that of bearing each other's burdens! All of the interpretations cited above make bearing burdens to be inclusive of the larger principle of "love thy neighbor"; but the interpretation here makes Law of Christ to mean just what it says: the totality of our blessed Saviour's teachings. See article, "Law of Christ," at end of chapter.

The total disbelief of many scholars that there is really any such thing as "the Law of Christ" is as incredible as it is unreasonable. That holy Law is mentioned in that terminology in this verse; and the context cites a number of its components such as No. 1 and No. 2, above, and others to be noted below.

[4] H. N. Ridderbos, op. cit., p. 215.

[5] Vine's Greek Dictionary, on "burdens."

[6] William Sanday, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 460.

[7] H. N. Ridderbos, op. cit., p. 213.

[8] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 957.

[9] John Wesley, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973), in loco.

[10] E. Huxtable, op. cit., p. 296.

[11] James MacKnight, Apostolical Epistles with Commentary and Notes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 201.

[12] David Lipscomb, A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles, Galatians (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, n.d.), p. 277.

[13] J. W. McGarvey, The Standard Bible Commentary, Galatians (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 285.

[14] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 235.