Pearls of the Word

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Bear one another's burdens

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Bear one another's burdens [bastazo], and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

The Greek verb bastazo means to bear, to take, to lift with hands, to hold up. The apostle Paul gives some advices to the Galatians on walking in the Spirit. In bearing others' burdens we accomplish the Torah of Christ that is summed up in one word, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Galatians 5:14).

But we do not have to let us glorify, or compare ourselves to others. Indeed, everyone must take his own responsibility [phortion, translated by load] (Galatians 6:5), because obedience to the Word of God comes from the heart.