Burdens and Loads

Today's reading: Galatians 6

'Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.'
'For each will have to bear his own load.'
- Galatians 6:2, 5 ESV

These two verses have been pointed to as an apparent contradiction by many skeptics, but we know better than for Paul (the Holy Spirit) to make such a mistake three verses apart.

Should we allow others to help us along the way, or should we go solo and hope for the best?

The word for "burdens" is baros and describes the hardship of working daily.

The word for "load" is pholtion and describes a heavy object that is carried as cargo on a ship.

Every day we should look for opportunities to help someone along the way (see verse 10), but we should note that we all have a personal responsibility as well. We will not be able to carry someone else into heaven.

Each of us has our own heavy cargo, and we cannot look to others to do the work for us. In this instance, we have to look to Jesus, the only one who can make us safe (justification) and sound (sanctification).