Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul distinguishes between "burdens," which overwhelm, and "loads," which are proportioned to strength, urging us to carry the former for each other. By doing so, we actively "fill up" the law of Christ, which is essentially selfless love, not a set of rigid rules. This mutual support, especially concerning moral failings and their guilt, is what truly completes Christ's commandment.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the Galatians, who are being swayed by some teaching that emphasizes adherence to the Old Testament law for righteousness. He's just reminded them that true freedom is found in Christ and that the Spirit empowers them to live differently, warning them not to turn this freedom into an excuse for sin or to fight amongst themselves. He then shifts to practical application, urging them to show genuine care for one another by bearing each other's difficulties, as this is how they truly live out Christ's command to love.
What kind of 'burdens' are we called to bear? It's more than just a casual inconvenience.
The Greek word used here for 'burdens' (bara) refers to heavy weights, things that press down and exceed one's strength. It's distinct from the word used later in verse 5, which refers to a load or task assigned.
Types of Burdens
How does bearing burdens 'fulfill' anything? It's the very heart of Christ's new command.
Jesus declared that the greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is like it: to love your neighbor as yourself. The 'law of Christ' isn't a set of rigid rules, but the embodiment of His selfless love.
Love in Action
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
bastazete · Greek Verb
To carry or support, particularly referring to the heavy, oppressive weights or responsibilities that cause distress to a fellow believer.
nomos tou Christou · Greek Noun phrase
The totality of the teachings, commands, and lifestyle exemplified by Jesus Christ, which centers on love as the summary of all moral obligation.
This passage shows Jesus fulfilling prophecy by bearing our sicknesses and diseases, directly paralleling the idea of bearing burdens in Galatians and highlighting the compassionate nature of Christ's ministry.
Romans 15:1Paul explicitly calls believers to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please themselves, which echoes the spirit of bearing one another's burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ through supportive community.
John 13:34Jesus' 'new commandment' to love one another as He loved them is the core of the 'law of Christ' that Paul mentions, and bearing each other's burdens is a practical outworking of that divine love.
1 Thessalonians 2:16This verse speaks of the wrath of God coming upon the Jews for hindering the apostles and not believing the gospel, illustrating the heavy 'burden' of sin and judgment that believers are called to help bear through intercession and compassion.
Philippians 2:30Epaphroditus risked his life for the work of Christ, which involved bearing burdens for the apostle Paul and the church, showing a practical example of self-sacrifice in service and mutual support.
cambridgeGalatians 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
2 . one another’s burdens ] Brotherhood is a mutual relationship, and entails mutual good offices. burdens ] This is not the same word in the Greek which is rendered ‘burden’ in Galatians 6:5 . It denotes any weight which presses heavily on the body or the mind, as toil, suffering, responsibility, anxiety. In Galatians 6:5 the reference is to the burden assigned to man or beast, to a ship or other vehicle, to carry…
vincentGalatians 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
One another's burdens (ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη)The emphasis is on one another's, in contrast with the selfishness which leaves others to take care of themselves. The primary reference in burdens is to moral infirmities and errors, and the sorrow and shame and remorse which they awaken in the offender.So (οὗτως)By observing this injunction.Fulfill (ἀναπληρώσατε)The verb denotes, not the filling up of a perfect vacan…
Paul distinguishes between "burdens," which overwhelm, and "loads," which are proportioned to strength, urging us to carry the former for each other. By doing so, we actively "fill up" the law of Christ, which is essentially selfless love, not a set of rigid rules. This mutual support, especially concerning moral failings and their guilt, is what truly completes Christ's commandment.
Paul is addressing the Galatians, who are being swayed by some teaching that emphasizes adherence to the Old Testament law for righteousness. He's just reminded them that true freedom is found in Christ and that the Spirit empowers them to live differently, warning them not to turn this freedom into an excuse for sin or to fight amongst themselves. He then shifts to practical application, urging them to show genuine care for one another by bearing each other's difficulties, as this is how they truly live out Christ's command to love.
Paul is addressing the Galatians, who are being swayed by some teaching that emphasizes adherence to the Old Testament law for righteousness. He's just reminded them that true freedom is found in Christ and that the Spirit empowers them to live differently, warning them not to turn this freedom into an excuse for sin or to fight amongst themselves. He then shifts to practical application, urging them to show genuine care for one another by bearing each other's difficulties, as this is how they truly live out Christ's command to love.
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." — Paul distinguishes between "burdens," which overwhelm, and "loads," which are proportioned to strength, urging us to carry the former for each other. By doing so, we actively "fill up" the law of Chr…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026