Gospel Church

Ministries

Rev Rodney A Gray

 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should
restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without
comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone
who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”

Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians may be generally outlined in three primary divisions. In
the first two chapters he largely devoted himself to a defense of his calling as an apostle
of Jesus Christ. He was an apostle, “sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ
and God the Father” (1:1). As for the gospel he preached, he “received it by revelation
from Jesus Christ” (1:12). Then in chapters three and four he developed the doctrinal
teaching he wanted to communicate to the churches of Galatia – the doctrine of
justification by faith. The message of the Epistle to the Galatians is that sinners are
justified by faith in Jesus Christ without any co-mingling of their own works or merit.
This is nothing other than the gospel about which Paul insisted there is only one (1:6-12).
The grace of God that brings salvation is by definition entirely free. Sinners must receive
it by faith alone. No Christian has any legitimate reason to think that he is anything apart
from what the cross of Christ has made him. This was the testimony of the apostle Paul
toward the conclusion of this great epistle: “May I never boast except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ…” (6:14). It is the heart and soul of the doctrine Paul expounded. The
faith of Abraham is saving faith. “He believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness” (3:6). The final two chapters of Galatians explain how this is supposed to
work. It is an exposition of the Christian liberty that is demonstrated in Christian love.
This act of God’s free grace places sinners in a position of right standing, peace, and
reconciliation with God. But it also results in complete liberty, because the justified
person is now released from everything that had formerly enslaved him. Sinners who are
justified by faith are brought into a new relationship with God, with other believers, and
with the world. In justification God establishes us in the life that he intended for us in the
beginning. Union with Christ by faith brings freedom from sin and the law. It is not
freedom to do as we please, but freedom to serve Christ and become what God intended
us to be. Bondage to sin is broken and the rule of law is superseded by the rule of love.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (5:6).

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
flesh; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single
command: Love your neighbor as yourself” (5:13, l4).

If we have been redeemed by Christ, if we are the children of God, if we are possessed by
the Holy Spirit, and if we are heirs of God (4:5-7), how does God expect us to live? What
does it mean to “live by the Spirit?” (5:16). What does it mean to be “led by the Spirit?”
(5:18). What does it mean to “belong to Christ Jesus?” (5:24). The way of Christ is the
way of love, demonstrated by the fruit of the Spirit.
 I. The Ministry of Restoration

It is essential that we remember that the apostle Paul wrote this epistle “to the churches in
Galatia” (1:2). If the churches are called to a ministry of restoration, we can only
conclude that gospel churches are comprised of broken people. This is what makes the
gospel the very heart and soul of a true church of Jesus Christ. The church is not called to
accept, approve, or accommodate, but to restore. God in the gospel reveals to us what is
wrong and proclaims how to make it right. A gospel church is not a social agency, nor a
recovery ministry, nor a motivational center. It is a gospel church and its calling is to
preach the gospel as the method of restoring men and women to God. This is important
for at least three additional reasons. First, it tells us that Paul did not regard the Christians
in the region of Galatia as belonging to the “church” of Galatia, but to the “churches” of
Galatia. In other words, the church is not a regional entity, or a territorial entity, but a
local entity. Second, each of the churches in Galatia was complete in itself. Paul did not
think of them as parts of the church, but each one was a church in its own right. Third,
each church was therefore autonomous, meaning that it took care of its own business. A
church is subject only to the authority of Christ and his apostles. Every gospel church has
a ministry of restoration. These principles are foundational to Paul’s teaching in these
verses. They have a direct bearing on how a gospel church is supposed to function. As we
consider these verses, we must do so with this in mind.

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin.

Sometimes Christians are caught in sin. The situation in view was that one of the brethren
had committed an act of sin. Paul probably did not have in mind an actual situation, but a
possible one. It did not have to be a man as the KJV translation might suggest. The word
for “man” refers to “mankind” in general without any specific gender reference. This is
the sense in which Paul used it in 1:1,10,11, and 12. In verse 7 of this chapter he wrote,
“A man reaps what he sows.” So it could have been a woman. The point is that it was
“someone.” It was someone in particular who was known to belong to the group called
“Brothers,” a designation Paul often used in writing to the Galatians (1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28,
31; 5:11,13; 6:18). It is a term he used freely in all his epistles to repeatedly remind his
readers that they and he belonged to the same family. They shared in the same blessings
of the grace of God. They were children of the same heavenly Father. They were all
united to Jesus Christ by faith. So the apostle Paul assumed that this person was
recognized among the brothers as being one of them. If one of the believers had gotten
into trouble, it would become a matter of concern to all the brothers. Whenever a member
of the body becomes entangled in some sin, the other members of the body have a
legitimate interest in the situation. Not only that, they have a responsibility in the matter
because it is “church business.” In other words, it is an internal matter. It is the concern
and responsibility of the brothers when any one of them is caught in a sin.

What should we understand by the expression “caught in a sin” or “overtaken in a fault”

(KJV)? For one thing, it could mean that this was someone who was not known to be in
the habit of sinning. It could also mean that this was a departure from the pattern of living
by the Spirit that Paul had described in the previous chapter. Remember that this was one
of the brothers. The expectation was that he did not normally behave this way, but he has
been caught in some sinful act. The word for “sin” here is instructive, because it means,
“trespass.” The idea is that the person had lapsed or fallen; he had deviated from the
course of life he usually followed. What happened was out of character for him. It was
out of the ordinary. It is the same word we find repeatedly in Romans 5:15-20 to describe
mankind’s deviation from the standard of God’s righteousness. This reminds us that sin is
the most abnormal and unnatural thing there is, because it is a deviation from what God
requires. In another place Paul said that without the grace of God in salvation we are
“dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus warned that if we do not forgive men
their trespasses our heavenly Father will not forgive our trespasses (Matthew 6:15). And
James urged that we confess our trespasses (“faults,” KJV) to each other and pray for
each other (James 5:16). So when we consider a brother or sister who was been caught in
a sin, we need to regard the situation as abnormal and something that requires treatment
that will result in a remedy.

We are not informed what sin or trespass was involved, and perhaps it is better that we do
not know. Let us not foolishly or proudly think that Paul had in mind only sins relating to
sex and violence. It is easy for us to imagine this if we have not been caught in such sins.
But the apostle did not name any specific sin. It could be anything, any trespass, any
deviation from the way of love. It could be any of the acts of the sinful nature named in
5:19-21. What difference does it make, anyway? There are countless reasons why the
alarm ought to be sounded among our brothers and sisters in Christ when we are found to
be in sin. Sin always threatens the safety and soundness of the whole body of a gospel
church. There are many things that disturb the peace and order of the church. The apostle
Paul admonished the church in Thessalonica to warn those who were disorderly or
unruly, and even to withhold fellowship from them if they persisted in their ways (I
Thessalonians 5:14; II Thessalonians 3:6). It may be sewing discord among the brethren
(Proverbs 6:19). It may be holding to and promoting false doctrine (I Timothy 6:3). It
may be refusing to be in attendance when the church meets for worship, teaching, and
fellowship (Hebrews 10:25). It may be nursing a grudge or grievance toward another
member (Matthew 5:23,24). It may be the desire for preeminence (III John 9). It may be
an unteachable spirit (II Timothy 4:3). So precisely how the person has transgressed is
not of primary importance. What is important is how the brethren will respond. Christians
who have been set free from the power of sin to serve one another in love do not trouble
themselves with analyzing the sin; they want to restore the brother. They recognize that
sin has outwitted the brother, that the evil one has gained an advantage over him, that he
is caught and needs to be helped. Perhaps the implication of the text is that this brother
has been caught in an act of sin by one of the other brothers. Someone has become aware
of some sort of misconduct, or perceived misconduct. What does he do about it? How
will he handle it? Is he going to set about restoring the brother, or will he make the
situation worse? The law of love dictates what must be done.

You who are spiritual should restore him gently.

Spiritual people always try to restore the brother in a “spirit of meekness” (KJV). The
ministry of restoration is made a test of spirituality. Our own personal spirituality, as well
as the spiritual quality of our church as a whole, can be measured by our responsiveness
to this issue. Here is where “spirituality” is really put to the test. All too often, those who
consider themselves “more spiritual” than others prove to be capable of doing the greatest
damage to the church. “Spiritual” people were corrupting the gospel in Paul’s day.
“Spiritual” people were undermining his ministry. “Spiritual” people were threatening the
peace and safety of the churches. His challenge to the church in Corinth was, “If any man
think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write
unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (I Corinthians 14:37, KJV). In a similar
way the apostle was calling upon spiritual people in the churches of Galatia to put their
spirituality where their mouth was. If we are spiritual, we will be part of the solution, not
part of the problem. Are we committed to restoring people? Now it is important that we
understand that Paul was not suggesting that there is an identifiable “class” of people in
every church whom he would recognize as the “spiritual” ones, as distinguished from
those in the church who sin. It is not as if some Christians sin and others don’t.
Spirituality here is not a class distinction, but must be understood in terms of the
language of 5:22-25. Whatever is spiritual is of or related to the Holy Spirit. There are
spiritual gifts (Romans 1:11), spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:44), spiritual things (I
Corinthians 2:14), spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19),
spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9), spiritual food and drink (I Corinthians 10:3,4),
and a spiritual house (I Peter 2:5). Christian spirituality, then, is nothing other than the
demonstration of the presence and power of the Spirit of God in the lives of Christians. It
manifests itself in such qualities as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In the work of restoration, the fruit of the Spirit
brings the kind of influences that accomplish the desired result.

Let us reflect upon the meaning of “restore.” It is well worth our attention in view of the
fact that we are dealing with people. To restore means to reinstate, to put back in its
place, or to set in order. It is like a dislocated shoulder; it causes terrific pain until it is put
back into place. Or we might think of restoring an old car or piece of furniture; what we
want to do is make it as good as new or, if possible, better than new. Examples of how
this word “restore” is used elsewhere in the New Testament are as follows:

Matthew 4:21 – James and John were “preparing (or mending) their nets.” That is, they
were getting their nets in shape so that they could be used for their intended purpose.

I Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that
you may be perfectly united (joined together) in mind and thought.”

Hebrews 11:3 – “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s
command...”

So the goal of restoration is to have everything in its proper place, functioning as it

should in a harmonious relationship with everything else. But notice that, within the
setting of the church community, this must be done in a spirit of gentleness or meekness.
This is a word that comes right out of the fruit-of-the-Spirit language in the previous
chapter (5:23). Paul appealed to the church in Corinth “by the meekness and gentleness
of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:1). He often urged this quality upon the people of God
(Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; I Timothy 6:11). Using a similar word James said that
we must have this same spirit to properly receive the word of God (James 1:21).
Meekness will also characterize a life directed by the wisdom of God (James 3:13). The
apostle Peter made this an attribute of the godly wife (I Peter 3:4) and of the answer we
give to those who ask us a reason for our hope (I Peter 3:15). Spiritual people are gentle
people, and gentleness becomes a test of spirituality when it comes to restoring the erring
brother. If the church is a restoring community, it must prove itself to be an environment
in which people are not abused or treated harshly. Brothers and sisters in Christ must
learn that they can trust each other. We must demonstrate that we are worthy of that trust
whenever one of us is caught in sin. This means that we do not speak rudely to one
another. We make every effort to contain the problem within the fellowship of the church.
We do not parade around with a chip on our shoulder, boasting in self-righteousness. On
the contrary, we must be filled with a gentle spirit, one that gives assurance that the
business of restoration will always be managed in a way that none need fear. At the same
time, gentleness does not contradict firmness. A parent may gently but firmly insist on his
child’s obedience. We must speak the truth in love, but by all means speak the truth
(Ephesians 4:15).

But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Spiritual people also have a responsibility to themselves in such cases. We should not be
thinking only about the brother or sister who has fallen, but about ourselves also. The
warning is to “watch yourself,” “consider yourself,” or “keep yourself in view.”
Throughout the process of restoration, a careful watchfulness must be maintained. Paul
used this word in Philippians 3:17 – “take note of (watch) those who live according to the
pattern we gave you.” He urged the church in Rome to “watch out for those who cause
divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have
learned” (Romans 16:17). The word “watch” is related to the word for “bishop or
overseer.” The bishop, who is also an elder and pastor, must have the oversight of the
church. So the apostle was urging the believers to give careful attention to themselves in
the process of attending to the needs of others. The reason is that there is always the
possibility that you yourself may be tempted. Being “spiritual” does not protect you from
the possibility of temptation and sin. Spiritual people are susceptible to temptation. What
happened to the other person may happen to you.

If we think we are impervious to temptation we should remember that Jesus was tempted
(Matthew 4:1). Paul, out of concern for the Thessalonians, wrote, “I was afraid that in
some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless”
(I Thessalonians 3:5). The same word can mean “temptation” or “trial.” James counseled,
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2).
Trials are designed to test and prove the genuineness of our faith (I Peter 1:6,7). Any trial
may become a temptation to sin, and every temptation to sin is a trial for the believer.
This is reason enough to always be on our guard, but the more so when we become
involved with a brother who has been overtaken. We must realize that we are capable of
even worse offences than the one in which our brother has been caught. There is also the
likelihood that what the brother has done may become a temptation to others if it is left
unchecked and unresolved. It may also encourage carelessness and indifference about sin
generally when others know that it will not be confronted. This is why it is so important
for the church to function as a restoring community. A small amount of yeast spreads
throughout the whole lump of dough (Galatians 5:9). An infection in the body will spread
throughout the system until it results in a general sickness and weakness. Therefore, out
of consideration for the offending brother as well as everyone else in the body, the work
of restoration must go on.

There is clearly an additional word of admonition for us here with regard to the manner
in which we approach the work of restoration. If we recognize our own weakness, our
own susceptibility to temptation, and our own capacity for spiritual deviancy, it will go a
long way toward making us more sensitive and gentle in our dealings with others. The
sins that so easily beset us may not be the sins that beset our brother, but they are sins
nonetheless. As we approach the brother, we need to consider ourselves. When Abraham
rallied his fighting men to rescue Lot from the confederacy of four kings, he refused to
accept any reward from the king of Sodom (Genesis 14). Abraham knew his own
capacity to become ensnared by the attractions of Sodom. But it should also be stressed
that the knowledge of our own weaknesses and faults must not cause us to shrink from
our responsibility. It is not going to do anyone any good to reason that, because we also
are beset with remaining sin, we are therefore disqualified from restoring the brother.
Restoring the brother and watching ourselves are really two aspects of one function of
members of a gospel church.

God’s word is unequivocal in teaching that believers are to deal with the sins of believers.
If preaching the gospel, observing the ordinances, receiving members, paying the bills,
and auditing the books are “church business,” so is this. It is not the business of the
church to straighten out the world. Neither is it the prerogative of those outside the
church to meddle in the business of the church. In another place Paul asked, “What
business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” (I Corinthians 5:12). The whole
structure of this text is built around the premise that we are dealing with people who
stand in a brotherly relationship with one another. It is this relationship of the church
community that gives this teaching its meaning and significance. Paul had in view here a
brother who committed a sin in which he became ensnared. He was not dealing with the
ills of society or the evils of the ungodly. The purpose of the church is not to resolve the
problems in the lives of those who have nothing to do with the church. The church’s
concern is with brothers and sisters who need to be restored. This being continually done,
believers will adorn the gospel with godly living to bring the world the message it needs
to hear.

We should also note that there is wise counsel here to help us avoid making matters
worse. Sometimes in our zeal to help we only compound the problem. But this can be
avoided if we begin with the right relationship. Are we really committed to serving one
another in love (Galatians 5:13)? When a member of the church gets into trouble, it soon
becomes known. When it becomes known, it gets talked about. People want to ask
questions and voice their opinions. Usually, discussion is absolutely necessary if the
church is going to take the erring brother in hand and seek to restore him. But how do we
keep this exchange of information and ideas from degenerating into malicious gossip?
How do we guard against categorically writing this person off as a total reject? How do
we insure that our dealings with the matter do not create a forum in which everyone feels
justified in venting suspicions and bad feelings about the person now that he is down?
The answer to all of these questions is that none of it can be avoided, and we will most
assuredly engage in all of these things, if we do not sincerely love the brother. If we do
not have a relationship of love, the whole process will fall apart, and our attempts to deal
with the problem will only aggravate it. Do we approach the fallen brother with the
attitude that we finally have him where we want him? Has he proven himself to be what
we suspected of him all along? Does his weakness make us feel that we have power over
him now? Do we make sure he understands that his problem has been a real nuisance to
us, and that we had better not be bothered with it again? If we love the brother like we
say we do, we will manifest none of these attitudes, and we really will be able to serve
him in love.

II. The Ministry of Burden Bearing

We have seen in verse one that a gospel church is entrusted with the ministry of
restoration. The local church must be a community of fellow believers in which
restoration is established policy. Every member must be committed to it. This is how we
demonstrate the principle, rule, or law of love as propounded by Jesus himself and
expressed in the words of Galatians 5:13,14. It is noteworthy that the fruit of the Spirit is,
first and foremost, LOVE. And this rule of love is what Paul is working out in very
practical terms in Galatians 6:1-10.

At the same time we must remind ourselves that the New Testament makes no claim that
there ever will be a perfect church in this present evil world. But a church does not have
to be a perfect church in order to be a true gospel church, the reason being that gospel
believers are never perfect believers in this life. Some Christians may entertain
occasional delusions of perfection, and many Christians cause themselves and others
untold grief by thinking that they can find or create the perfect church. But if there were
any such thing as a perfect church it would render Paul’s teaching here amazingly
superfluous in that case. The very fact that we do not arrive at perfection in this life is
what makes this teaching practical and relevant to every true gospel church. The
assumption is that Christians do sometimes default on their commitment to live the
Christian life. What will be done with them in such cases? The teaching here is that the
aim of the church is always to them, whoever they may be and whatever their
transgressions may have been, to a position of usefulness and happiness in the body of
Christ. This is manifestly the “spiritual” approach to take. One of the best ways to avoid
temptation, or to keep others from temptation, is to deal with the erring brother in the
appropriate way.

In verse 2 the apostle intended to press the matter a step further. This verse outlines an
additional measure that must be taken. In fact, if we are willing to take this step and
implement this ministry in the life of the church, it will go a long way toward insuring
that our approach will be as it should be with regard to restoring the brother who has
sinned. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” If
our relationship is such that we are already committed to bearing one another’s burdens,
we will likely already have in mind the positive goal of restoration in the event that one
of us becomes ensnared by sin. The way of the world is often to live and let live. Many
are reluctant to be drawn into other peoples’ problems. They want to take care of
themselves and they expect everyone else to do the same. Like Cain they have a cavalier
attitude about their brother and ask, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). They
refuse to accept responsibility for anyone but themselves. But those who have come
together in a church relation must take a different view and pursue a different way. We
must carry each other’s burdens. This is an expression of the mutual responsibility
already implied by the teaching of verse 1 of this chapter. Let us, then, attempt to apply
this instruction to our own hearts.

But before we proceed, let us remind ourselves of an important fact about this expression,
“bear one another’s burdens.” The important fact to consider is that this is one of many
such similar requirements the New Testament places upon all members of gospel
churches. We find them sprinkled throughout the epistles, and they are always expressed
as commandments we must obey. These are the ways we are to understand our
relationship as fellow members. They are descriptions of our mutual obligations to one
another. The principles defined by such commandments can only work within the context
of a visible, organized church. Were it not for the fact that the apostle was giving this
directive “to the churches in Galatia,” we would not know specifically what it means,
whose burdens he had in mind, or when, where, and how to do it. Consider some
additional “one another” commandments the New Testament requires of members of
gospel churches:

Church members should love one another (John 13:34,35; 15:12,17).

Church members should think and act like they are members of one another (Romans
12:5).
Church members should be devoted to one another in brotherly love (Romans 12:10).
Church members should honor one another above themselves (Romans 12:10).
Church members should live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16).
Church members should consider it an obligation to love one another (Romans 13:8).
Church members should stop passing judgment on one another (Romans 14:13).
Church members should make every effort to build one another up (Romans 14:19).
Church members should be of the same mind with one another (Romans 15:5).
Church members should receive one another as Christ has received us (Romans 15:7).
Church members should instruct one another (Romans 15:14).
Church members should greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians
16:20; II Corinthians 13:12).
Church members should have the same care for one another (I Corinthians 12:25).
Church members should serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).
Church members should not bite, devour, or consume one another (Galatians 5:15).
Church members should not provoke or envy one another (Galatians 5:26).
Church members should bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
Church members should bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).
Church members should not lie but speak truth because they are members of one another
(Ephesians 4:25).
Church members should be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to one another (Ephesians
4:32).
Church members should submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21).
Church members should consider one another better than themselves (Philippians 2:3).
Church members should not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9).
Church members should bear with and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13).
Church members should increase and abound in love for one another (I Thessalonians
3:12).
Church members should love one another (I Thessalonians 4:9).
Church members should encourage one another (I Thessalonians 4:18).
Church members should encourage and build one another up (I Thessalonians 5:11).
Church members should always seek what is good for one another (I Thessalonians 5:15).
Church members should increase in love for one another (II Thessalonians 1:3).
Church members should not be hateful to one another (Titus 3:3).
Church members should provoke one another to love and to good works (Hebrews
10:24).
Church members should not slander one another (James 4:11).
Church members should not complain against one another (James 5:9).
Church members should confess their sins to one another (James 5:16).
Church members should pray for one another (James 5:16).
Church members should love one another deeply, from the heart (I Peter 1:22).
Church members should offer hospitality to one another without grudging (I Peter 4:9).
Church members should clothe themselves with humility toward one another (I Peter
5:5).
Church members should greet one another with a kiss of love (I Peter 5:14).
Church members should have fellowship with one another (I John 1:7).
Church members should love one another (I John 3:11; 4:7,11,12; II John 5).
Church members should love one another as Jesus commanded us (I John 3:23).

Bearing one another’s burdens, therefore, is only a part of the wide-ranging responsibility
of fellowship and mutual care that is expected of every member of a gospel church. Let
us now consider this mutual ministry in more detail.

Carry each other’s burdens.

We have seen that in verse 1 the apostle Paul directed his instruction to “you who are
spiritual.” There is no reason to think he was aiming his remarks in verse 2 to anyone
else. In other words, spiritual people carry each other’s burdens. It is very difficult to
evade this conclusion. Paul was still addressing his remarks to people whom he called
“you who are spiritual.” He did not hesitate to come to the point. He spoke directly and
once again put his instruction in the form of a commandment. He was dealing with
matters of Christian responsibility and obedience. So the point here is that, if we are
going to consider ourselves spiritual people, we had better pay attention to the
commandments of God. God’s word has something to say to us about the conduct of our
lives that is aimed at securing our obedience. Our view of the commandments of God is
severely limited if it can only see ten of them. We are obligated to “whatever other
commandment there may be” (Romans 13:9).

Let us consider first of all the problem of “burdens.” What are burdens? After all, how are
we supposed to carry them if we do not even recognize what they are? What are these
burdens? The burdens the apostle had in mind are best identified and understood within
the immediate context. We have already been introduced to them in verse 1. Burdens,
understood in relation to the teaching of the previous verse, must have something to do
with temptations that lead to sin with all of its complications and consequences. These are
the burdens that make us susceptible to being overtaken in a fault. These are what we
often call “remaining sin,” or the sin that so easily besets us (Romans 8:13; Hebrews
12:1). These are sins that have to do with the weaknesses of the flesh, the body of sin or
the body of death. They are the misdeeds of the body or the desires of the flesh (Galatians
5:16,17). These are burdens we carry as long as we live in a body that is still subject to
weakness and a world that still groans under the curse brought by man’s transgression
(Romans 8:23). The apostle Paul described his own experience of this struggle in Romans
7:21-25. It is not that sin reigns in us, for grace has once and for all broken sin’s
dominion over our lives. But neither is it the case that sin is entirely absent. There are
pockets of rebellion that must be searched out and destroyed. The Christian life is like
guerilla warfare. The decisive battle has been won at the cross of Christ, but snipers and
insurgents still lurk here and there. They will not surrender, and we must never come to
terms of peace with them.

We have an excellent illustration of this truth in John Bunyan’s The Holy War, published
in 1682. The story describes how the town of Mansoul rebelled against its rightful
Sovereign, the King Shaddai. This took place at the instigation of Diabolos (the evil one).
The plot develops as the Prince, Emmanuel, King Shaddai’s Son, sets out to win the town
of Mansoul back for his Father. In due course this was accomplished. The great image of
Diabolos that had been set up was taken down and completely destroyed. Diabolos and
his lackeys were driven out or destroyed. We read also that the image of Shaddai, the
Prince’s Father, was set up again, along with the image of Emmanuel himself, upon the
castle gates,

“and that it should be more fairly drawn than ever, forasmuch as both his Father and
himself were come to Mansoul in more grace and mercy than heretofore. He would also
that his Name should be fairly engraven upon the front of the town, and that it should be
done in the best of gold, for the honour of the town of Mansoul.”

The strongholds and fortifications that Diabolos had ordered built had to be taken down.
“But this was long in doing, because of the largeness of the places, and because the
stones, the timber, the iron, and all rubbish, was to be carried without the town.” Bunyan
continues Emmanuel to the town of Mansoul:
“Next, O my Mansoul, I do warn you of that, of which, notwithstanding that reformation
that at present is wrought among you, you have need to be warned about: wherefore
hearken diligently unto me. I am now sure, and you will know hereafter, that there are yet
of the Diabolonians remaining in the town of Mansoul, Diabolonians that are sturdy and
implacable, and that do already while I am with you, and that will yet more when I am
from you, study, plot, contrive, invent, and jointly attempt to bring you to desolation, and
so to a state far worse than that of the Egyptian bondage; they are the avowed friends of
Diabolos, therefore look about you. They used heretofore to lodge with their Prince in the
Castle, when Incredulity was the Lord Mayor of this town; but since my coming hither,
they lie more in the outsides and walls, and have made themselves dens, and caves, and
holes, and strongholds therein. Wherefore, O Mansoul! thy work, as to this, will be so
much the more difficult and hard; that is, to take, mortify, and put them to death
according to the will of my Father. Nor can you utterly rid yourselves of them, unless you
should pull down the walls of your town, the which I am by no means willing you should.
Do you ask me, What shall we do then? Why, be you diligent, and quit you like men;
observe their holes; find out their haunts; assault them, and make no peace with them.
Wherever they haunt, lurk, or abide, and what terms of peace soever they offer you,
abhor, and all shall be well betwixt you and me. And that you may the better know them
from those that are the natives of Mansoul, I will give you this brief schedule of the
names of the chief of them; and they are these that follow: The Lord Fornication, the
Lord Adultery, the Lord Murder, the Lord Anger, the Lord Lasciviousness, the Lord
Deceit, the Lord Evil-Eye, Mr. Drunkenness, Mr. Revelling, Mr. Idolatry, Mr. Witchcraft,
Mr. Variance, Mr. Emulation, Mr. Wrath, Mr. Strife, Mr. Sedition, and Mr. Heresy. These
are some of the chief, O Mansoul! of those that will seek to overthrow thee for ever.
These, I say, are the skulkers in Mansoul; but look thou well into the law of thy King, and
there thou shalt find their physiognomy, and such other characteristical notes of them, by
which they certainly may be known.”

Bunyan was saying that the battle for possession of the town was won and Mansoul has
been occupied by the victorious forces of the Prince of peace, but there are still snipers
and insurgents to be ferreted out. The image of God has been set up in the town again, the
banner of Christ and his cross flies high over the town, but the Christian must never rest
in his struggle against remaining sin. This, coupled with the weakness and temptation that
lead to it, as well as the consequences resulting from it, is what explains the burdens in
view in our text. It explains what has happened to the brother in question in verse 1, and
it identifies the burdens we must help one another bear. A burden is a heavy thing that
someone might be required to carry a long distance. It is often too much for one person to
bear. In a parable Jesus spoke of those who had “borne the burden of the work and the
heat of the day” (Matthew 20:12). When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane the disciples fell
asleep “because their eyes were heavy (burdened)” (Mark 14:40). The Jerusalem council
did not want to impose any burden on Gentile believers that was not in keeping with the
gospel (Acts 15:28). Paul reminded the church in Thessalonica that he did not make
himself a burden to them (I Thessalonians 2:6).

The Scripture says that spiritual people carry each other’s burdens. It is not our own
burdens that are in view here, but one another’s burdens. The burdens of Christians may
be many and varied. Paul may not have had in mind physical burdens, but sometimes the
physical dimension may be involved. Burdens may come in the form of sickness or
injury, a disturbance in the family, loss of a job, or loneliness because of the death of a
loved one. As members of one another we must “rejoice with those who rejoice and
mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). The apostle was teaching about the
mutual obligations of members of the body. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;
if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (I Corinthians 12:26). If the burden is
not physical, or material, or financial, it is no less a real burden. It is a burden we must
help carry. To carry something means to pick it up and bear the weight on your own
person. John the Baptist used this word when he said that he was not worthy to carry the
sandals of Jesus (Matthew 3:11). It is the word used in Luke 7:14 when they were
carrying the widow’s dead son. The word is used to describe carrying a cross (Luke
14:27), carrying stones (John 10:31), and of Judas carrying the disciples’ treasury bag
(John 12:6). Paul used this word in Romans 15:1 when he wrote, “We who are strong
ought to bear with (carry) the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” In
Galatians 6 we find the word in verse 5 and again in verse 17.

Bearing one another’s burdens means that we share a common interest in one another’s
happiness and wellbeing. It means that we share an interest in one another that is like the
interest that Christ has in us. It means that we share a common nature with one other,
which though most assuredly redeemed, is beset with the weaknesses of remaining sins.
It is not a problem that belongs exclusively to the brother who is caught in a sin, but to all
of us in common with him. His remaining sin is our burden, and our remaining sin is his
burden. We are concerned to shoulder the load with him so that none of us is
overwhelmed by its weight. We recognize, as we consider him in the unhappy fix that he
is in, that there is something about him that is also true of each one of us. The only
difference at this point is that he got “caught,” and, for the time being, we have escaped.
So instead of maligning him, mocking him, criticizing him, or ignoring him, we will
attempt to carry his burdens with him.

Fulfill the law of Christ.

The importance of bearing one another’s burdens cannot be over emphasized because of
what follows. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ.” What does it mean to “fulfill” something? To fulfill means to correspond to, to
satisfy the requirements of something, to be compatible with it. It is something like when
a prophecy of Scripture is said to be “fulfilled.” Jesus used this word in Matthew 13:14
when he said, “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.” The prophecy was fulfilled
because whatever happened satisfied the intended meaning and purpose of the prophecy
in question. Concerning Epaphroditus, Paul wrote to the Philippians that “he almost died
for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for (fulfill) the help you could not give
me” (Philippians 2:30). The idea is that Epaphroditus “fulfilled” what was needed. His
help was like the help supplied by the Philippian Christians, because he did so in their
behalf. They sent him as their “messenger” so that his ministry to Paul really represented
the ministry of the whole church. His help corresponded to theirs; it was up to standard; it
was appropriate and thus acceptable. Epaphroditus did what they would have done. Thus
there is the sense here that fulfilling the law of Christ means that what we do must
correspond to what Christ does. The law of Christ is thus worked out by this means of
bearing one other’s burdens.

What is the law of Christ? At the very least it is “to serve one another in love” (Galatians
5:13). Jesus said,

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
(John 13:34,35).

It is important to remember that the law of Christ has special reference to Christ for at
least two reasons. For one thing, he articulated it. That is, he verbalized this law, calling
it a new commandment. He made it the character trait of all his disciples. The law of
Christ is the law of love as issued by Jesus Christ. Closely related to this is the fact that
Jesus demonstrated it. “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Jesus
demonstrated that he loves us by way of his incarnation, sufferings, and death. This
means that, as the eternal Son of God, he willingly suffered the humiliation of “being
made in human likeness” and “humbled himself and became obedient to death”
(Philippians 2:5-8). The Creator and Lord of all lived a life of dependence as a man. He
undertook this because he wanted to carry our burdens. He determined to make our
burden of sin his own, to accept our weaknesses, and pay a debt to God that we can never
pay. He even faced the temptations that are common to man (Hebrews 4:15). “Surely, he
took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). “He himself bore our sins
in his body on the tree” (I Peter 2:24).

What was Jesus doing in all of this? He was carrying our burdens. And what Paul is
calling upon believers to do is essentially what Christ has done for us. If we are serious
about fulfilling Christ’s new commandment, we must know how he has loved us. We
must understand how God demonstrated his love to us (Romans 5:8). We must
understand the atonement. We must understand how he put himself in our place. We must
understand how he laid down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). The importance of
understanding the gospel cannot be overstated. The better we understand the gospel, the
better burden bearers we should become. As we grow in our appreciation of God’s grace
we will improve in our administration of God’s grace (I Peter 4:10,11). It is a shallow,
uninformed understanding of the love of Christ for sinners that produces a judgmental,
self-righteous, insensitive approach to the brother who carries a burden. What are the
doctrines of grace, the great doctrinal themes that explain how Christ has carried our
burden? Let us allow them to instruct, guide, and motivate us to bear each other’s
burdens.

It is important to repeat here that what we are dealing with is a matter of Christian
responsibility. If this is not happening with us and with our church, we should be deeply
humbled and concerned. If we are not carrying each other’s burdens, there is something
fundamentally wrong. We need to look at this carefully. Among the various aspects of it
to consider, it must be said that this is mutual, shared responsibility. Carrying burdens is
difficult enough when every shoulder shares the load. But refusing to help carry someone
else’s burden is no more serious than refusing to allow someone else to help me with my
burden. We should not have the attitude that we don’t need anyone to help us with our
burdens. When we adopt the policy that we will take care of our own problems and
expect everyone else to do likewise, we making it extremely difficult if not impossible for
believers to fulfill the law of Christ. What we are looking at here is shared responsibility.
This means that we must be equally willing to allow others to bear our burdens and to
bear their burdens. Bear one another’s burdens.

How do we do this? In practical terms, how do we go about carrying each other’s

burdens? One of the most obvious, if not the easiest, answers is that we can pray for one
another. Praying is serious business. Do we treat it seriously? Now we need to be careful
at this point, because many people border on going a bit too far here. They want you to
pray about this and pray about that, giving you a list of items that is way beyond your
capacity to remember. Sometimes the tendency is to become trivial or childish about
sharing prayer concerns. It is important to use judgment and discernment in this matter,
yet not to the extent that we never have any burden of prayer to bear with anybody. Some
people seem to never need you to pray about anything, and it makes you wonder how it is
possible that they can live so free of problems. Paul’s prayers for the churches
demonstrate his commitment to prayer as a major component in bearing one another’s
burdens.

Another way of carrying each other’s burdens is by talking about them with the idea that
sin and evil are our common enemies. How often do two Christians see each other as the
enemy, rather than sin as the enemy of them both? Sometimes we are afraid to talk freely
about our burdens, simply because we do not trust each other with them. We are not sure
that the other person will keep his shoulder under the load once he realizes what is
involved. We are not sure that he can handle it. Will he humiliate us, intimidate us, make
us feel cheap, foolish, or useless? Will he complain, criticize, or blab about our burden to
someone else? We worry that maybe he will let it be known that our burden is nothing
that he wants to have anything to do with, that it has never been a burden to him, and he
is not going to let it become one now. One of the problems here is that we forget that
temptation, sin, and evil are our common enemies. The brother is not our enemy, but the
evil that has victimized him is our enemy and his, too. Let’s face it. A lot of our spiritual
vitality is sapped because we concentrate our efforts on defeating one another rather
combining our efforts to overcome sin and its consequences. We talk at each other rather
than to each about our burdens. We need to let the brother know that we are with him,
that we are for him, and that his burden is our burden.

Still further, we must use the added factor of encouraging each other with the Scriptures.
Again, we must be careful here, lest we come across as an overbearing know-it-all.
Remember that we are sharing burdens, not talking down to a bunch of ignorant donkeys.
Paul wrote, “through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope” (Romans 15:4). Peter wrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need
for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness” (II Peter 1:3). Paul is addressing “you who are spiritual” in our text, and we
should be able to assume that spiritual people are capable of spiritual conversation. When
we think about this whole problem of burden bearing, we dare not settle for substitutes.
We need to encourage one another and deal with one another on the basis of the revealed
word of God. We all need the encouragement of the Scriptures. To be an encouraging
person is a talent that must be developed if we want to be good burden bearers.

A further suggestion for learning to carry each other’s burdens is to mentally put yourself
in the brother’s place. What is he thinking? How is he feeling? What are the challenges
and difficulties he is facing right now? What are his needs? How would you want people
to treat you if you were in similar circumstances? How would you want others to handle
this burden if it was yours? Think about the way you regard this brother. Would you want
to be regarded like this if you were he? Realize that you could very well be in his shoes.
You would need his help, just as he needs yours now.

III. The Ministry of Self-Evaluation

We have seen in verse 1 that a gospel church has a ministry of restoration. In verse 2 we
have learned about the ministry of bearing one another’s burdens. Now we come to yet
another ministry of the local church. It is the ministry of self–evaluation.

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one
should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself
to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load” (Galatians 6:3-5).

It is especially important to depend on the context for our understanding of these verses.
Otherwise it will be difficult for us to conceive of this as a “ministry.” Paul’s teaching
seems to have more to say about our opinion of ourselves than about any ministry we
may exercise toward other Christians. But this is precisely why the context is so
important. The teaching here continues to expand upon what it means to serve one
another in love and to fulfill the law of Christ. If a brother is caught in sin the law of
Christ dictates a ministry of restoration. The goal is to restore the believer to his former
position of usefulness and safety in the body of Christ, the local church. This means that
the church must be a community of people among whom the work of restoration is a
mutually agreed upon goal and responsibility. And this in turn means that members of a
church must have a relationship among themselves in which they are already committed
to carrying each other’s burdens in order to fulfill the law of Christ. To the extent that a
body of Christians is committed to sharing common burdens, they will restore one
another. But the reverse is also true: to the extent that they will not, for whatever reason,
carry each other’s burdens, they will alienate one another more and more. These burdens
must be treated as burdens that somehow belong to everyone in common. In his Holy
Spirit-inspired wisdom, the apostle Paul has defined this as something that fulfills or
satisfies the requirement of the law of Christ. The law of Christ is revealed to us both in
terms of what the Lord Jesus said and what he did to bear our burdens and thus
accomplish our redemption from sin and all its terrible consequences.

The ministry of self-evaluation will keep us from deceiving ourselves.

At first it may appear to us that Paul has forgotten what he has been teaching us, because
we are almost certain that he has contradicted what he so pointedly set forth in the first
two verses. But of course we know better than to think anything like that. What we
discover is that this is a further development of the same teaching. It is all in context, and
it is all related. Reading the Scripture in its natural sequence and context, we find that
Paul is now turning our attention to what is perhaps the biggest hindrance to fulfilling the
law of Christ. It is the greatest obstacle to the restoration of erring brothers and sisters. It
is the most stubborn of all impediments to mutual burden bearing. It is of all sins most
subtle and deceiving, not to mention difficult to subdue. It is so insidious and cunning by
its very nature that it is capable of doing what would seem to be the impossible. It can
persuade us to think we are something when in reality we are nothing! The man who
thinks this way “deceives himself.” This is the biggest complicating factor, the proverbial
monkey wrench that gets into the works and hinders believers from successfully building
the kind of relationships they ought to have. When we think we are something when we
are nothing, we create endless problems for ourselves and for everyone around us. How
may we anticipate the problem in ourselves so that it does not hinder our relationships
with our brothers and sisters from being what they ought to be? How may we keep pride
from getting in the way of our restoring each other, carrying each other’s burdens and
fulfilling the law of Christ?

We must realize, in the first place, that we are susceptible to this sin. Any believer who
knows his own heart will not be surprised at this. But of course the challenge is to know
our own hearts. “To think” is to have an opinion or a point of view. Our minds are
capable of thinking many thoughts both good and bad. Our minds have the amazing
capacity to process information and form opinions based on that information. The
problem is that when it comes to thinking about ourselves we must exercise special
caution. We are prone to give ourselves too much credit and too much of the benefit of
the doubt. We tend to put ourselves in the best possible light. The apostle wrote to the
church in Rome,

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more
highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance
with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3).

In the second place, we must realize the absurdity of this sin. It is the sin of thinking we
are something when we are nothing. A more literal translation would be, “seeming to be
something while being nothing.” It is “nothing” thinking it is “something.” Now of
course we cannot interpret this in an absolute sense. Everyone is “something,” and no one
is “nothing.” But the apostle intended this to be understood in relation to the previous
teaching. Thinking that we are something means that we think we are above it all. We
need not concern ourselves with the ministry of restoration. We need not restore anybody
and nobody needs to concern himself with restoring us. We have no burdens for others to
bear with us, and we are not interested in bearing anyone else’s burdens. We think of
ourselves as “something.” Relatively speaking, we think we are something better or
superior. The reality is that, relatively speaking, we are nothing. Paul addressed a similar
situation in the church in Corinth. “The man who thinks he knows something does not yet
know as he ought to know” (I Corinthians 8:2). He was not saying that no one knew
anything at all, but that they didn’t know as much as they thought they knew. To think
otherwise is to be self-deceived. So it is with the person who thinks he is something when
he is nothing. He is deceiving himself. Thinking we are something when we are nothing
is just as absurd as thinking we are saved when we are lost; thinking we are alive when
we are dead; thinking we are in the light when we are in the dark; or thinking we are free
when we are slaves. To safely guard against self-deception we must engage in self-
examination.

The ministry of self-evaluation will keep us from boasting in ourselves.

The ministry of self-examination means that each one should test his own actions. What
does it mean to “test” our actions? It means to examine them, to prove them, to determine
whether they are authentic. To put it another way, it means to put them to the test in order
to find out whether they should be approved. It may be understood much like any test or
examination. If we apply for a driver’s license, we are claiming that we deserve to have
one by virtue of having learned how to drive a car and having learned the rules of the
road. But, before granting us that license, the authorities must test us with a view to
approving our claim that we should be allowed to drive on the highways. The apostle
wrote that Christians should “be able to test and approve what God’s will is” (Romans
12:2). In his instructions about the Lord’s Supper he said, “A man ought to examine
himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup” (I Corinthians 11:28).
Prospective deacons “must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let
them serve as deacons” (I Timothy 3:10).

In a similar way Paul was saying that each one of us has the responsibility of testing his
own, not his brother’s, actions. Instead of wondering about the brother’s motives, which
we cannot know, we should be looking at our own actions, which we and others can
know. Instead of doubting the brother’s sincerity, we should consider the measure of our
own sincerity. Actions speak more loudly than words. Instead of passing judgment on the
brother’s works, we might better pass judgment on our own works. In short, each one
should test his own actions. And we should not fail to notice that the accent is on our
actions or “work” (KJV). Each of us must be willing to subject our actions to the test of
whether or not they are fulfilling the law of Christ. Words are easy and inexpensive.
Thoughts are even easier and cheaper. But what are we actually doing to serve the Lord?
Jesus said that our love for him is proven by our obedience to him. What do our actions
say? What effect are our actions having upon the local church?

A second consideration is that there is such a thing as a Christian “taking pride in himself,
without comparing himself to somebody else.” This is an extremely important point,
because it reminds us once again that the problem lies in comparing ourselves with
others. This is where we get into trouble. But there is an area of legitimate responsibility
here described in terms of taking pride in oneself. This is the idea of boasting or glorying,
and of course not all boasting is wrong. It all depends on whether you have a legitimate
ground for your boasting. The word is often translated “rejoice,” because it has to do with
something that brings genuine satisfaction (II Corinthians 9:2; 10:8; 12:9; James 1:9).
Our problem all too often is that the only way we can take pride or rejoice in ourselves is
by comparing ourselves with others. But this is the way of the Pharisee (“Lord, I thank
you that I am not like other people, etc”). This is sinful, self-righteous boasting. We
should be able to find satisfaction in our own actions, and thus rejoice in them in a proper
sense, without comparing ourselves to somebody else. Too often we evaluate ourselves
by testing somebody else’s actions. But this is not the thing to do, because it is nothing
more than fuel for pride. It builds in our minds an image of ourselves that is based
squarely on a comparison with other people rather than the standard of the law of Christ.
The problem Paul was addressing is that people tend to evaluate themselves in
comparison to others. When we do this, it takes our attention away from our own work
and focuses it on someone else’s work. But the only other person’s work that holds before
us a perfect and unchanging standard is the Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote,
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves,” he did not
mean for the members of the church in Corinth to compare themselves with each other,
but to examine their relationship with Christ (II Corinthians 13:5).

Relating this to the matter of restoring the brother who has been caught in a sin, it applies
both to that brother and the person or persons who want to restore him. The problem with
the brother who has sinned is that he may take the position that his sin is not nearly as
serious as someone else’s. His attitude may be that he doesn’t need to be restored, that he
is a better Christian than most, and that there are other sins in the fellowship that require
attention far more than his. He does not want anyone meddling in his business under the
guise of wanting to bear his burdens with him. In short, he thinks everyone should stay
out of his life and mind their own business. He is comparing himself to other people and
giving himself a favorable edge. He is thinking he is something when he is nothing. He is
evaluating himself by testing someone else’s actions. And in so doing he is stopping the
process of mutual burden bearing and restoration dead in its tracks.

But what about the brother or sister, or group of them, who approach this person with a
view to helping and restoring him? How does the principle apply to them? The problem
with the brother who tries to do the restoring is that he may exhibit an air of superiority -
a “holier-than-thou” attitude or a haughty spirit. He may tend to give the distinct
impression that he alone is saintly enough to handle this situation. The fact that the other
person is “down” and he is “up” right now may give him a sense of power and
dominance over the fallen brother. He sees the situation as an opportunity to “make a
statement,” to solidify his perception of himself as a “pillar of the church.” But this is
more like the works of the flesh than the fruit of the Spirit.

The ministry of self-evaluation will keep us responsible for ourselves.

We note in the first place that carrying each other’s burdens does not relieve us of the
responsibility of carrying our own load. There is no contradiction here, but what does it
mean? It is the same word as “carry” in verse 2, but there is something different about
what is to be carried and who is to carry it. Clearly each of us has a personal
responsibility to bear his own load. There is no one who does not have a load to carry,
and it is the recognition of this fact that helps to temper our assessment of the burden we
must help our brother carry. “Carrying our own load” refers to the normal workload that a
man may be expected to carry. It is his job, his duty, or his responsibility. The
responsibility cannot be shifted to someone else. In Acts 27:10 a similar word refers to
the cargo of a ship – the normal load that a ship could carry. For the individual believer,
whatever this “load” is, it is his to carry and no one else’s. This underscores the element
of individual accountability, meaning that each one must pay attention to his own actions.
Carrying his own load means that he is responsible to look at his own performance and
not at someone else’s performance. It reminds us, when we begin to think that we are
“something, “ that we also have a load to carry. “Each of us will give an account of
himself to God” (Romans 14:12). We have plenty of weaknesses and temptations, secret
sins and failings. If we ignore all of this when we look at our brother, we do so at our
peril, because it will lead us into the belief that we are something, when we are nothing.
Self-deception is a sorry state to be in, but we need to remember that it is the person who
claims to be without sin who is self-deceived (I John 1:8).

What might an individual’s “load” include? It would include our individual responsibility
to obey all of the instructions given in this text. No one can obey the word of God on our
behalf. None of us can call upon a substitute to fulfill our personal responsibility. It is
each person’s duty to be committed to restore the brother, to carry his burdens, and to
fulfill the law of Christ. It is each person’s duty to examine himself, to test his own work,
and to avoid comparing himself to others. No one can carry this load for us. It grows out
of the fact that no one can become a Christian for us. No one can repent for us. No one
can believe in Christ for salvation for us. No one can know God for us. No one can
receive the blessings of God’s grace for us. Each of us must have personal dealings with
God. If no one can become a Christian for us, no one can live the Christian life for us. No
one can serve Christ for us. No one can mature in godliness for us. The load that each of
us must carry is our personal responsibility before God. And consider this:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (II
Corinthians 5:10).

This teaching should compel each one of us to ask himself certain questions. Do I
understand the law of Christ and am I committed to obeying it? Where do I stand with
reference to the law of Christ? How are my actions genuinely influenced by? If our
response to questions like these is to immediately begin to think about how they might
apply to somebody else, it should tell us something about ourselves. Are we really testing
our own actions, or are we testing somebody else’s actions? Are we evaluating ourselves
against the standard of Christ, or are we comparing ourselves to others? The law of Christ
must have taught us some very simple and basic truths if it has taught us anything at all.
But it is no good just talking about it or knowing the theory of it. Christianity is not
merely a theoretical religion. Christianity is a life that each one of must live, applying the
principles Christ has given us, “for each one should carry his own load.”

Many or most problems among Christians may be traced to the problem of thinking we
are something when we are nothing. It is the problem of thinking more highly of
ourselves than we ought to think. It is our tendency to compare ourselves favorably with
other people. The law of Christ reminds us that we have only one standard to which to
compare ourselves and our actions. This standard is the only person qualified to be a
standard – the Son of God himself. And every believer knows that, in the light of Christ’s
majesty and glory, our sin shows up in all it’s true vileness and shame. If we would only
remember this when someone criticizes us about one of our faults or failures, we would
realize that that person has not seen the half of it. Or when we feel constrained to offer a
word of criticism to the brother, our words would be measured and few if the Lord Jesus
were standing at our side. If ever there was a common burden that all Christians should
recognize as theirs to shoulder together, it must be this problem of thinking ourselves to
be something when we are nothing.

There is a word of admonition here with regard to the matter of self-esteem. We may
think of this in connection with the teaching about “taking pride in oneself. “ There is a
sense in which, as we have already observed, it is proper for Christians to take pride in
themselves, to be happy about themselves, to feel good about themselves. But the biblical
principle is that happiness is the product of holiness. Genuine and uninterrupted
happiness was the experience of the human race until Adam and Eve stopped being holy.
And just as it was in the first creation, so it is in the new creation, that holiness leads to
happiness. The point is that people who do good, feel good. If we can test our actions and
find them compatible with the law of love, it is sure to follow that we will feel good
about ourselves. If we can discover actions in our lives that have been done sincerely in
the Spirit of Christ, at least in some measure as he would have done them, seeking the
happiness and well being of our brother, we have good reason to rejoice in this. To have
developed and matured in our Christian experience beyond always having to look
sideways at others in order to feel good about ourselves is a great evidence of grace in
our lives. It is, after all, an indication that we are truly following after Christ, not looking
to the right or left, but trying to walk even as he walked in the days of his flesh.

IV. The Ministry of Sharing All Good Things

We come now to a fourth ministry given to every local church. Reminding ourselves that
Paul was writing to “the churches of Galatia,” we are in a position to understand that
every gospel church is complete in itself and is therefore called and qualified to fulfill
these ministries. That to which we turn our attention in verse 6 places the accent on
another important aspect of the relationship that exists in the brotherhood of believers.
While the previous instruction developed practical guidelines for the believers to follow
as brothers, at this point the apostle was aiming at the relationship between those who
teach and those who are taught. In the churches of Galatia there were those who gave
instruction in the word and there were those who received instruction in the word. This
means that there were believers who bore a brotherly relationship to one another, but the
relationship of teacher and taught brought an added dimension to their fellowship. The
apostle Paul wanted this to be recognized and encouraged. “Anyone who receives
instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” Let us consider
this local church ministry in each of its component parts.
 There is a teacher who teaches.

The ministry of sharing all good things with teaches means, in the first place, that there
are teachers who teach. This of course tells us that Paul did not expect everyone to be a
teacher in the sense he intended here. It is true that Christians are to “teach and admonish
one another” (Colossians 3:16) and are “competent to instruct one another” (Romans
15:14). But here we are asked to think about those who are recognized as teachers in a
different sense. The word Paul used in our text is the word for catechism or catechize.
This way of teaching was understood to be verbal instruction that is deliberate,
structured, and systematic. It assumes that there is a body of information or subject matter
that has been provided and the teacher is supposed to communicate it to others in an
organized, methodical way. The word literally means, “to sound down” to someone, thus
pointing to the relationship of those who are taught to the one who teaches. The word
“echo” is embedded in this word, suggesting the principle that the teacher expects that
what he teaches will be “echoed back” from those he teaches. The apostle Paul assumed
that teachers in this sense did not have the right to tailor or modify their instruction to
reflect their personal ideas. Nor did those who were taught have that right. To catechize
means that what is given out must be given back in the same form. This is what Paul
meant when he said that the Jews were “instructed by the law” (Romans 2:18). It was
said of Apollos that he “had been instructed in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25). In his
discussion of speaking in tongues Paul wrote: “But in the church I would rather speak
five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (I
Corinthians 14:19).

The point is that in the churches of Galatia there were those who were recognized by the
churches as “instructors.” In some officially recognized way they were engaged in the
activity of giving instruction to others. We may conclude that, while everyone may have
received instruction, not everyone gave instruction in this sense. This principle is
completely in keeping with what we find elsewhere in the New Testament about teachers
in the churches. Paul wrote to the church in Rome that if a man’s gift is teaching, “let him
teach” (Romans 12:7). He described how Christ has given gifted men to the church,
including “pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). He exhorted God’s people to hold
them in the highest regard.

“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over
you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because
of their work” (I Thessalonians 5:12,13).

He required that an elder must be “able to teach” (I Timothy 3:2; II Timothy 2:24). “He
must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can
encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9). The
writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews urged his readers,

“Remember you leaders, who spoke the word of God to you…Obey your leaders and
submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.
Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no
advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:7,17).

Clearly the apostle Paul had in mind the leaders of the churches in Galatia. They were the
elders, overseers, or pastors of the churches (Acts 20:17,28). Theirs was the ministry of
teaching the word.

There is a word that is taught.

It was assumed that the teachers were teaching the word. “The word” was the subject
matter or the curriculum. A teacher in a gospel church may have many legitimate
interests, but he must teach the word. Outside of biblical revelation, we are more
accustomed to using “word” in the plural form. Words are units of language, like nouns,
verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. We use words to communicate.
We use words to describe ourselves and ask other people to do the same. We use words to
give and receive information of all kinds. Words may be spoken or written. They may be
signed for the deaf or felt by the blind. We are exposed to words in advertising. We use
passwords, code words, and buzz words. We use expressions like:

I heard it by word of mouth.

You might have to eat your words.
I gave my word on it.
May I have a word with you?
They had words with each other.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Can you explain it in a word?
He implied it in so many words.
She is a person of many words or few words.
There are no words to describe it.
Tell me word for word.

The most important thing about words is that they express thoughts. The Bible commonly
uses word in the singular to describe the thoughts God has revealed. In the Old Testament
the prophets spoke and recorded the word of the Lord. Jesus himself is the word of God
(John 1:1). But he also spoke the word. Jesus spoke of falling away when “trouble or
persecution comes because of the word” (Matthew 13:21). People crowded around him to
hear the word of God (Luke 5:1). After his resurrection the disciples “believed the
scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:22, KJV). He said to them, “You
are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). Those who
gladly received the word Peter preached were baptized (Acts 2:41). Paul said, “Unlike so
many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit…nor do we distort the word of God”
(II Corinthians 2:17; 4:2). He commended the Thessalonians because they “received the
word in much affliction” and they “received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the word of God” (I Thessalonians 1:6; 2:13, KJV). Elders who labor in the word and in
doctrine are worthy of double honor (I Timothy 5:17). Paul was certain that though he
was in bonds, “God’s word is not chained” (II Timothy 2:9). He encouraged Timothy to
preach the word (II Timothy 4:2). In Hebrews 4:12 we are reminded that “the word of
God is living and active.” And the apostle Peter noted that people are born again “through
the living and enduring word of God” (I Peter 1:23). So the word is the word of God. This
word is unlike any other word because it is the revelation of the mind of God. This is the
word Paul intended when he spoke of giving and receiving instruction in the word.

There are those who receive what is taught.

There are those who teach and those who are taught, the catechizers and the catechized.
Paul’s purpose in this text was to explain the nature of the relationship between the two.
The nature of this relationship is suggested by the word “share.” “Anyone who receives
instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” So we must
consider what it means to “share all good things.” It quickly becomes apparent that the
apostle used the word for “fellowship.” Biblical fellowship is of the nature of sharing,
and sharing is of the nature of fellowship. In Romans 12:13 Paul spoke of sharing “with
God’s people in need.” He warned Timothy against sharing “in the sins of others” (I
Timothy 5:22). The newly baptized believers were added to the church and then
continued in “the fellowship” of the church (Acts 2:42). “What fellowship,” Paul asked,
“can light have with darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14). Earlier in the Epistle to the
Galatians Paul reported, “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and
Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given me”
(Galatians 1:9). He thanked God for the Philippians’ “partnership in the gospel”
(Philippians 1:3). There is a fellowship between brothers in Christ, but there is an
additional dimension of fellowship between teachers and those they teach. Fellowship is
a partnership or communion. In a fellowship every person involved brings assets or
resources that he contributes to the relationship. Everyone does not bring the same things
into the fellowship. As the apostle Paul viewed the churches in Galatia, both the
instructors and those who received instruction contributed something, but not the same
thing. Some contributed teaching, and others were to contribute “all good things.” It is
worth noticing here that fellowship is not negated by a teacher/student relationship.
Neither does fellowship mean that all distinctions between teachers and those they teach
should be obliterated. The relationship is in fact a relationship of fellowship or sharing.

What are the “good things” to be shared with teachers? Some think that Paul was
stressing the responsibility of the churches to pay their pastors/teachers. This would
certainly be a part of the “good things.” The principle is taught elsewhere that “those who
preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:14) and
“the worker deserves his wages” (I Timothy 5:18). But is this all there is to it? If so, it
would mean that as long as a local church pays its pastor it is satisfying the requirements
of this text. Many churches do pay their pastors well but demonstrate little regard for
their teaching. The apostle wrote to the churches in Galatia about “ALL good things,” not
just “good things.” So “all good things” is a much larger and comprehensive concept than
mere money. And even money itself may not necessarily be a good thing, since the love
of it is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10). But those who receive instruction in the word
must share all good things with their instructors. Close and careful attention is a good
thing. Appreciation is a good thing. Encouragement is a good thing. Loyalty and
faithfulness are good things. Respect and confidence are good things. A teachable spirit is
a good thing. A spiritual appetite for the word is a good thing. Consideration of the
difficulties of such work is a good thing. Obedience and submission to the word are good
things. Tragically, many who expect those who hold a teaching office in the church to
faithfully prepare to teach are willing to share none of these good things with their
teachers. They are seldom present when teaching occurs. This can only demonstrate
contempt for the teacher and the word he teaches. It is a reminder to challenge ourselves
about our attitude toward the word of God. Do we prize those opportunities provided to
us when someone teaches the word? Do we appreciate those who devote their lives to
teaching it? What “good things” can equal it in value and importance?

The ministry of sharing all good things with teachers of the word reveals the heart and
soul of a gospel church. Indeed, it proves that it is a gospel church. Every church ought to
hold in the highest regard those who teach the word of God. Members of local churches
should treat the teaching of the word of God as the most important event in any given
week. We should treat it as the highest privilege and the greatest responsibility. Nothing
should be allowed to interfere with it. Nothing should hinder it. We should structure and
plan our commitments so that we are present whenever the word is taught. We should be
very attentive to the teaching and do nothing to interrupt it or distract others from hearing
it. We should not rudely walk out during the teaching of the word. We should not tolerate
noise and commotion. We should sit, and encourage others to sit, as close to the teacher
as is convenient, so as to let him know that we have come to give our best attention to the
word of God. People who tend to locate themselves as far away from the teacher as
possible send a signal that the distance is not just physical. They cause pastors and
teachers to suspect that they are half hearted at best, and perhaps rebellious at worst.
Where we sit in a church service or Sunday school class says a lot about our attitude
toward the ministry of the word of God. Some choose to sit in remote places because they
fully intend to go to sleep. Others sit in the back because they are more interested in
looking out the window or observing other people than they are in the word of God.
These are bad things. They discourage the teacher of the word and they suppress the
Spirit of God. If it is our duty to share all good things with our teacher, it is our duty to
find out what those good things are and share them faithfully and generously.

July/August, 1986
Revised October/November, 2006