D. Scott Meadows

An Exposition of Galatians 6.2–6

Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches is a masterpiece of theological argument against two plagues in the church, both contrary to the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and both just as deadly. The first and main plague Paul addresses is legalism, that heresy where people think to justify themselves by rule-keeping. In its more subtle form, rule-keeping is joined to faith in Christ, but faith alone is considered insufficient. Paul goes after that false gospel with a vengeance.

The second plague is license, another heresy that perverts the gospel and would absolutely ruin the church. License, or “antinomianism” as it has been called, is basically the idea that salvation by grace makes moral rule-keeping wholly optional and unnecessary. Having demolished legalism in the first four and a half chapters of Galatians, Paul turns to warn in the middle of chapter five that spiritual liberty is not a license to do evil but the freedom to good— specifically, to love one another, especially in the church. To quote him precisely in chapter five, verses 13 and 14, “for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Next, Paul warns about the vices of the flesh and exhorts to virtuous living in the Holy Spirit. Don’t commit sins like adultery, hatred, and angry outbursts, but rather exhibit the fruit of the Spirit with graces like joy, peace, gentleness, and meekness. The first virtue in this familiar list is love—first in order and also first in importance. In another letter, Paul wrote, “but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Col 3.14 NKJV). The apostle Peter preached similarly. “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4.8).

But what does love in the church look like? “We may have a general idea but it would be so helpful, Paul, if you could give us some simple rules of love in the church. Please, tell us very plainly and straightforwardly what to do and how to do it.”

That is exactly what he does in our sermon text for this morning, Galatians 6.2–6. As I read it aloud, listen with great attention and faith. Yes, Paul wrote it, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this is the word of the Lord.

2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Amen. I think we can discern four simple rules for love in the church from these verses. I have worded them in a punchy way for impact and memory. Put up with each other, get over yourself, be your own main project, and pay the preacher. Where love reigns in a local church, these social dynamics are flourishing and everyone benefits because of it. Most importantly, God is glorified among us and in front of a watching world. This is part of what it means to adorn the true gospel with good works, and this will promote our effective witness to unbelievers.

Now let us consider these simple rules one at a time, and may the Lord sweep away our prejudice against His truth and give us rather hearts of implicit faith and zealous obedience to Him.

Put Up with Each Other (2)

Before we get to this rule that begins, “bear ye one another’s burdens,” it is good to see its connection to the previous verse, “brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal 6.1). We could say this is the rule, “restore the fallen brother.” In the most loving churches, rejection and exclusion are not the first reactions to someone’s sinning. It is the responsibility, especially of the more spiritual members, to come alongside one fallen into some sin specifically to restore them spiritually and socially. Paul insists they must be full of Christlike love, humility, and meekness to do this important ministry.

And it is immediately on the heels of this “restore the fallen brother” rule that the next rule appears, “put up with each other.” Here’s why in my opinion. Too many of us are prone to judge ourselves “spiritual” and therefore especially responsible for what amounts to pastoral care for others. And the least spiritual are the most apt to take Galatians 6.1 as a green light to be on the lookout for other’ faults with eagerness to correct them. They are like spiritual meter maids pacing up and down the street to see if there is somebody, anybody, whose parking time has expired so they can write a ticket and glory in their “ministry.”

Clearly, Paul is implying that we do not need church member restoration ministry for every single real or perceived fault in one another’s character and conduct. Even the best church is a hodgepodge of sinful saints whose restoration to the image of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ has just barely begun! He is incomprehensibly praiseworthy and we are far from it. “We all stumble in many things” (Jas 3.2 NKJV). If every imperfection among us were sought out, confronted, reproved, and made an object of special attention in repeated and close private counseling until it was sufficiently rectified to the point of being undetectable, how miserable we would soon become as a congregation! There is no way we could worship together peacefully and joyfully, as God wills us to do, in an environment like that.

In verse two, Paul gives one exhortation with one reason following. “Bear ye one another’s burdens” is the exhortation, and the reason is, “and so fulfil the law of Christ.” This exhortation comes to each and every church member, in contrast with the last one which was directed more specifically to “ye which are spiritual” (v. 1). Whatever our spiritual maturity or consistency, this applies to each one of us. The less spiritual must bear the burdens of all the rest, just as the more spiritual must do also. Burden-bearing is a metaphor for helping one another generally, but in this context I believe it has special reference to the grace of forbearance when we are annoyed or provoked. An old Puritan commentary says that the “burdens”

principally meant in this place [are] . . . personal or actual sins of men, as anger, hatred, jealously, envy, etc., [and] outward frailties in the actions of men’s lives . . . as curiousness, [scrupulosity], slowness, self-conceitedness, [disagreeableness], [irritability], and such like. . . . [These] must be borne by disburdening [the guilty] of them by gentle and mild admonition, or if they cannot be [remedied], by bearing and tolerating of them, in passing by them as though we did not perceive them, for as Solomon says, “It is the glory of man to pass by infirmity” (Prov 19:11)—or lastly, by praying for them (Works of William Perkins 2.427).

This kind of gracious forbearance with one another as our duty, even in our sins, is commended in the biblical proverb, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” We need this simple rule of love in the church so desperately in the real life nitty gritty of our fellowship together here and now. The old four-line ditty against perfectionist expectations is worth memorizing.

In heaven above, with saints we love,
That will truly be glory.
On earth below, with saints we know,
Well, that’s a different story! (copied)

So much for the exhortation in verse two. Now consider the reason we are morallyobligated to do this: “and so fulfil the law of Christ.” The Amplified Bible puts it this way. “Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].” The reason to put up with each other is actually in practice to carry out the law of Christ, which is our abiding responsibility under grace.

And what is “the law of Christ?” This way of phrasing it seems to be Paul’s deliberate contrast to “the law of Moses” including circumcision with the rest of the ceremonial requirements of the Old Covenant era, which was being so urgently and wrongly pressed upon the consciences of these Gentile Christians who were free in Christ from those things. But they were not free from doing Christ’s revealed will, from obeying His moral law. And the number one thing upon which He insisted was love—supreme love to God and unselfish love to neighbor— especially to one’s fellow believers. Paul very likely alludes to the new commandment of John 13 where Jesus said, “a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (vv. 34, 35). Put up with each other because Jesus requires it of you! This is one way you can show your allegiance to Christ as your Lord and Master. Kindly forbearance among a large group of people is a grace that is sorely lacking in the world. When a congregation of any size and diversity excels in this, it presents a great testimony to the unconverted about what wonderful changes the gospel effects in us who were formerly so proud and selfish.

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