The Burden of Love
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Review
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (c) Exhortation to Restore Those Who Fall, and to Bear One Another’s Burdens (6:1–5)
Mindful of the danger that not all those who purpose to live by the Spirit will always live thus, the apostle appends to the injunction of 5:25 an exhortation to those who live by the Spirit to restore any who fall, adds exhortations to mutual burden-bearing, and reminds them that each man has a burden of his own.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
How Should Christians Relate to Each Other?
How you see yourself - vv.1-2
How you see yourself - vv.1-2
The pride that is behind this statement is acceptable in the religious world of the self-righteous.
In the kingdom, it is an untenable question.
How you treat yourself - vv. 3-4
How you treat yourself - vv. 3-4
The way that a person sees himself must be the way that a little child sees himself.
“παιδίον” = a young child in training.
Unless a person sees himself like this, he will see himself in the question asked above: “Who is the greatest?”
Do not think of yourself any higher than this.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
How you treat your brother - v.5
How you treat your brother - v.5
Therefore, since we are all little untrained children, we must see each other that way.
It is always hard to be spoken to in a condescending way.
However, a child does not speak to a child in condescension since they are equals.
The relationship is that of a family.
God is the Father.
We are all equal children.
5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;
You receive another Christian in the church in the way that you would receive a brother or sister in the family.
Love
Joy
Help
How NOT to treat your brother - v.6
How NOT to treat your brother - v.6
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
I have learned that every conflict in the church is not because a person rebels against another person in the church.
Broken relationships are only symptoms of the real problem.
Broken relationships are ways to see where love does not exist.
Conflicts in the church are the result of disobedient children TOWARDS GOD.
v.2
v.2
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
2 Ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσετε τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Romans 15:1
1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of athose without strength and not just please ourselves.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Matthew 8:17
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “aHE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND 1CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Galatians 6:17
17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the abrand-marks of Jesus.
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament βάρος, ους, τό
βάρος, ους, τό literally burden, weight; figuratively in the NT; (1) burden, hardship with the meaning suiting the context; (daily) toil (MT 20:12); oppressive suffering (GA 6:2); difficult duty (RV 2:24); (2) as a large amount, weight, great extent (2C 4:17); ἐν βάρει εἶναι literally be in weight may mean either insist on one’s importance, claim high status or make demands (1TH 2:7)
Galatians 6:2 (UBS5)
2. Ἁλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε, καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσατε τὸν νόμον τοῦ χριστοῦ. “Bear ye one another`s burdens, and so fulfil the law of the Christ.” The reference of τὰ βάρη is clearly to that especially which is spoken of in the preceding verse, viz., the burden of temptation and possible ensuing sin. This burden they are to share, each bearing the other’s. Yet the principle that underlies the injunction, and so in a sense the injunction itself, applies to burdens of any kind. The position of ἀλλήλων makes it emphatic. On the force of νόμον, see detached note Νόμος, V. 2. (d), p. 459. On τοῦ χριστοῦ, see detached note on The Titles and Predicates of Jesus, P. 395, and concluding discussion under B, p. 398. See also 1:7; Col. 3:16. By “the law of the Christ” Paul undoubtedly means the law of God as enunciated by the Christ; just as the law of Moses (Lk. 2:23; Acts 13:39) is the law of God as put forth by Moses. By the use of the official term τοῦ χριστοῦ in preference to Ἱησοῦ or even Χριστοῦ, the authoritative character of the promulgation is suggested. It is clear also that the apostle conceived of the law put forth by the Christ as consisting not in a body of statutes, but in the central and all-inclusive principle of love; though whether in his present reference to that law he had in mind its content, or thought simply of the law of God set forth by the Christ, can not be decided with certainty. Whether he is here thinking of this law as having been promulgated by Jesus while on earth and known to him, Paul, through the medium of those who followed Jesus before his death, or as communicated through his Spirit, there is likewise no wholly decisive indication. If, as seems probable, the former is the case, this is one of the few passages in1
1 Ernest De Witt Burton, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, International Critical Commentary (New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1920), 329.
βαστάζετε 2pl paimpv you bear
βαστάζω fut. βαστάσω; 1aor. ἐβάστασα; (1) take up, lift up, pick up (JN 10:31); (2) carry, bear (MK 14:13); figuratively, of anything burdensome or difficult bear, endure, put up with (MT 20:12); (3) bear away, remove (JN 20:15); figuratively, of healing disease (MT 8:17); (4) steal, pilfer, carry off (JN 12:6); (5) figuratively, of serving as a source of supply support, provide for (RO 11:18)1
1 Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Baker’s Greek New Testament Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 89.
ἀναπληρώσετε = you will fulfill.
This will obey the righteous obligation of that law.
Remember, this is in response to a brother who has a burden, of sin, foolishness, immaturity, even sporadic rebellion.
How often has church discipline been brought to people who simply needed a wise man or woman to bear their burdens?
v.3
v.3
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
3 εἰ γὰρ δοκεῖ τις εἶναί τι μηδὲν ὤν, φρεναπατᾷ ἑαυτόν.
Tied to v.2 = pride that occurs from deceiving sin.
Galatians (1) Bearing One Another’s Burdens (6:1–3)
We all have burdens, and God does not intend for us to carry them by ourselves in isolation from our brothers and sisters.
φρεναπατᾷ ἑαυτόν
φρεναπατᾷ ἑαυτόν
φρεναπάτης, ου, ὁ (φρήν, ἀπάτη, cp. prec. entry; Herodian Gr. II 848, 27; PGrenf I, 1, 10 [II b.c.]=Coll. p. 178 ln. 18; s. UvWilamowitz, NGG 1896, 209 ff; PLond V, 1677, 22 [VI a.d.]) deceiver, misleader (w. ματαιολόγος) Tit 1:10.—Cp. DELG s.v. ἀπάτη. M-M. William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1065.
How can we keep from deceiving ourselves? (obedience)
Humble yourself
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”
Maintain/protect relationships in the body of Christ
16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Stay in the truth
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
v.4
v.4
4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
4 τὸ δὲ ἔργον ἑαυτοῦ δοκιμαζέτω ἕκαστος, καὶ τότε εἰς ἑαυτὸν μόνον τὸ καύχημα ἕξει καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸν ἕτερον
The Epistle to the Galatians VII Mutual Help and Service (6:1–10)
The most practical principles of the gospel are apt to be debased. In his Diocesan Letter of February 1980 the Bishop of Peterborough (D. R Feaver) remarks that at the General Synod of the Church of England there was ‘a confusion in the minds of many which identified the apostolic precept, “bear ye one another’s burdens”, with minding other people’s business’.
3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
How often to we examine our ministries?
Do we have a ministry?
When will we boast?
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation;
The accomplishments of which Jesus Christ worked through us.
We cannot do this unless we are bearing the law of Christ, bearing one another’s burdens.
v.5
v.5
5 For each one will bear his own load.
5 ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον φορτίον βαστάσει.
In the final examination, I will not be able to “blameshift” onto anyone else.
I will stand before God all by myself.
I will then answer to God for myself.