CARRY EACH OTHER'S BURDENS
Key verse: 2
NIV
Doing Good to All
6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit(A) should restore(B) 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.(C) 3 If anyone thinks they are something(D) when they are not, they deceive themselves.(E) 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,(F) without comparing themselves to someone else,(G) 5 for each one should carry their own load.(H) 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.(I)
Cross references
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Bear One Another's Burdens
6 Brothers,[a] (A)if anyone is caught in any transgression, (B)you who are spiritual should restore him in (C)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 (D)Bear one another's burdens, and (E)so fulfill (F)the law of Christ. 3 For (G)if anyone thinks he is something, (H)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one (I)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For (J)each will have to bear his own load.
6 (K)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Galatians 6:1 Or Brothers and sisters; also verse 18
Cross references
- Galatians 6:1 : [Ps. 141:5; 2 Cor. 2:7; Heb. 12:13; James 5:19]
- Galatians 6:1 : [Rom. 15:1; 1 Cor. 10:15]; See 1 Cor. 2:15
- Galatians 6:1 : 1 Cor. 4:21; [2 Tim. 2:25]
- Galatians 6:2 : Rom. 15:1; 1 Thess. 5:14
- Galatians 6:2 : [ch. 5:14]
- Galatians 6:2 : 1 John 4:21; See John 13:34
- Galatians 6:3 : [ch. 2:6]; See 1 Cor. 3:7, 18
- Galatians 6:3 : 2 Cor. 12:11
- Galatians 6:4 : [1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5]
- Galatians 6:5 : [Rom. 14:12]
- Galatians 6:6 : [Rom. 15:27; 1 Cor. 9:11]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Carry each other's burdens (1,2)
An individualistic society tends to make people indifferent and selfish. But Christians must care about others. This means that we must gently rebuke and lovingly exhort a brother who sins. But when we do this, we must be keenly aware of our own shortcomings and weaknesses. We exhort others, not as righteous judges, but as forgiven sinners. We must be responsible for helping a brother who has a burden too heavy to carry.
2. Each one must carry his own load (3-6)
Each of us must strive to live before God, not before people. When we do this, there is no room left for inordinate pride. We should not compare ourselves to others or be dependent, either emotionally or materially on another. We must learn to be dependent on God and be an encouragement, not a burden to our Bible teachers.
Prayer: Lord, help me to depend on you alone, and to care about others enough to lovingly rebuke them when necessary.
One Word: Carry each other's burdens
