Bear One Another’s Burdens; Restore in Gentleness (Galatians 5:26–6:6)

Although the holy Apostle does not say it directly, his manner of speech suggests that he is addressing the leaders of the Churches here. For he says—you, spiritual ones, correct those who sin, bear one another’s burdens… And in the last verse (see Gal. 6:6) he determines the relations of the taught to the teacher. To correct, to teach and to bear the burdens of others is not fitting for everyone. There must be special persons for this; otherwise disorder in society is inevitable. In the Church this is the duty of the leaders. The Apostle Paul, wherever he founded Churches, everywhere established both pastors and teachers. Of course, they were appointed by him also in the Galatian Churches. To them he now turns his speech. Why did he not call them by name directly? Surely because they were guilty of that which the Apostle speaks against. So, to soften his rebuke, he speaks generally. Or perhaps, along with the leaders, other prominent persons proved to be at fault in the same way. All of them the holy Paul brings under a general view; and meanwhile the teachings are such that some aspects of them could apply to all Christians in general.

To the more perfect and leading the Apostle says: do not boast (Gal. 5:26); be attentive to the needs of the falling and weak (Gal. 6:1–2); and do not trumpet yourselves, thinking yourselves to be something (Gal. 6:3–5).

Gal. 5:26. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Vain is the seeking of glory when one thinks to be glorified by what cannot give true glory, or strives to catch glory and praise from those whose praise and glorification are nothing, as is the case with all people in general. Those suffering from this weakness are usually people-pleasers and are reluctant to intentionally provoke anyone. But the very striving to achieve that which will be trumpeted about them, especially when there is also success in this, against their will, awakens envy in others and irritates them against them. Likewise, they themselves, when someone surpasses them in this empty pursuit, envy him and redouble their efforts. This rivalry in both word and deed establishes discord among the rivals, which from them extends to those who come in contact with them. The brotherhood is torn apart and dissolution threatens society. “In vanity lies the cause of many evils,” says Saint Chrysostom, “for from it is born envy, and from envy comes an innumerable number of evils”.

Such is the general sense of the text; but if we take into account the circumstances of the writing of the Epistle, it will take on a special tint, which some of our commentators give it. Blessed Theodoret writes: “Perhaps those who were firm in faith, constantly condemning those who wavered, aroused disputes. It is these whom the Apostle exhorts to extend a hand to those who were inclined toward the Law.” Blessed Augustine understands this place similarly: “After teaching them how to resist those who deceitfully wanted to subject them to slavery under the Law, he warns them that, having become more learned and already having the strength to answer the reproaches of carnal people, they should not fall into useless quarreling from mere vanity, and, having been freed from the yoke of the Law, become slaves to glory-loving desires.” One dwells on these thoughts the more willingly because the word: provoking—in Greek: προκαλουμενοι—means: “challenging”,—which Blessed Theophylact explains thus: “challenging one another to disputes and contentions, as happens, for example, when someone says to his opponent: Come on, let’s measure our strength, if you have as much power as I do”.

Perhaps such an error had already been made when diversity of opinion arose in the Christian community. Those upon whom lay the obligation to guard the faith of the believers looked down upon those who were led astray, and in defending the truth were guided not by love of it and for the brothers being scandalized, but by envy of the false teachers, who seemed to be robbing them of their glory and dignity. That is perhaps why they labored in the struggle, but had no fruit; on the contrary, they only inflamed irritation and increased discord. Something like that must have occurred. The holy Apostle had to mention it and does mention it. But, fearing that the touching upon this wound might be too sensitive, he puts himself in the ranks of those being instructed, as if he himself needed such a lesson. Not “let us be”, he says, “conceited” and the rest.

Gal. 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in any fault, you who are spiritual restore such an one in a spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.

It is as if saying: here is how you should act; but since the matter is already past, make it a rule from now on to correct the discouraged with gentleness. “Since the Galatians (it is thought—the greatest, the leaders) under the pretext of rebuke avenge others for their own passions and deceive themselves that they are doing this for others’ sin, when in truth they only wish to establish their own dominion, the Apostle speaks to them thus” (St. Chrysostom).

To whom is the word addressed? To the spiritual: “you who are spiritual”. Who then are these spiritual? According to the Apostle, from the preceding discourse, all Christians are spiritual; for they have received the Spirit of grace and serve God in spirit and truth, in opposition to the material service of Jews and Gentiles. Does the Apostle then wish all to correct all? But this never happens in any society. It is impossible to expect such a rule to come from the lips of the Apostle Paul. Let us take another interpretation: all Christians have received the Spirit and ought to be truly spiritual; but since the manifestation of the Spirit in power is not revealed all at once, but requires certain labor, and consequently time; it is natural that not all Christians possessed that spirituality which was evident in power and who properly should be called spiritual. So is it not these more perfect whom the Apostle means? Put yourself in their place and decide: would anyone take on the work of correcting others when it was not entrusted to them? We must suppose not. Therefore it is more likely that St. Paul means by “the spiritual” those persons to whom he entrusted the care of others and the guardianship of both faith and life according to faith among the believers. They, of course, were the most perfect among all; but the duty of correcting the fallen did not rest upon them because of their perfection, but because of apostolic calling to this work, which in St. Paul’s case was usually accompanied by the laying on of hands.

From among many duties that rested on such persons, the Apostle focuses on one: how they should regard those who fall. This was demanded by the circumstances of the Galatian Churches and perhaps by the errors of these very persons.

With what tenderness does St. Paul regard those who fall? Grave falls are possible; but he already disposes us toward forbearance toward them as well, calling all falls accidental slips, not proceeding from evil intent but from enticement and external force; that is, either from the sin dwelling in us or from our enemy of salvation. For he says: “if one is overtaken”, προληφθη—seized will be, drawn away suddenly, before reckoning the matter as it should be. “He did not say: commits some transgression, but: προληφθη,—that is: will be drawn into some sin” (St. Chrysostom). In the same spirit, the sin itself he called: παραπτωμα—a passing, accidental falling, a slip.

The Apostle teaches to regard transgressions of others with such eyes, so that merciless, senseless zeal might not arise first, but rather the spirit of forbearance, compassion, and love might meet and embrace the fallen. When this is present, then it is easy to fulfill the Apostle’s command: “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”. He does not say: pay no attention, as if he did nothing. “He did not say again: punish or condemn, but: ‘restore’. But he did not stop there, for, wishing to show that they ought to be extremely forbearing toward the sinning, he adds: ‘in a spirit of gentleness’ (St. Chrysostom).”

In a spirit of gentleness are contained both humility and compassion, prudence and zeal for salvation. The blessed Jerome writes: “The Apostle commands the spiritual man, when correcting the sinning, to use a spirit of gentleness, so that not with severity, not with anger and vexation he would deal with him, but with love would he summon him, pointing to salvation and promising forgiveness in the words of Christ the Lord Himself, Who calls all burdened with sins to His easy yoke and light burden, that they may learn that He is meek and humble of heart, and shall find rest for their souls (Matt. 11:29). One might raise against us what is written to the Corinthians: ‘What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?’ (1 Cor. 4:21). If there he says that he comes to sinners not in a spirit of gentleness but with a rod, how here does he command that those who shall be overtaken in some sin be approached not with a rod but with a spirit of gentleness? But there the discourse is to those who, after committing sin, not feeling their guilt, refused to submit to their leaders and to correct themselves through repentance. But where the sinner, understanding his wound, gives himself to the physician for healing, not a rod is needed but a spirit of gentleness. We might also propose another question: if one who corrects another is to do so in a spirit of gentleness for fear of being tempted oneself, then a righteous man, confident in his steadfastness, knowing that he might not fall, as if he should not correct another in a spirit of gentleness? To this we say that a righteous man, even if conscious of being a conqueror, will show all the greater forbearance to the sinner, knowing with what difficulty he himself overcomes the passions. And the Savior for this reason was tempted in all things like us, except sin, that He might suffer with us and be weak with us, knowing by experience what labors mortals in the flesh bear. (So it is here.) Whoever has remained a virgin to old age, he will doubtless show forbearance to one who is sometimes swept away by the heat of youth, knowing under what difficulties he himself passed through that age.”

The words of the blessed Augustine may serve as a continuation of this discourse to our passage: “Nothing so proves anyone’s spirituality (perfection of spiritual life) as how he treats the sins of another, namely when he, in this case, plans how soonest to free him from sin, and not fall upon him, how to help and not heap reproach upon him, and not only plans but at once proceeds to the work—as far as he is able. Having said: ‘restore in a spirit of gentleness’,—the Apostle impresses that no one should think he restores rightly when he mercilessly torments the sinner, mocks him, turns away from him in pride as from one incorrigible. Why he adds: ‘watch yourself, lest you too be tempted’. For nothing so disposes to mercy as the sight of one’s own danger (if mercy be not shown). However, the Apostle does not wish that no correction be done to the brethren, but that through this no discord be spread. Peace and love shall be kept in the heart, by acknowledgment of the equal danger of sin for all; and the manner of corrective conversation, that is, when to speak more sternly, when more gently, should be suited to what the salvation of the one being corrected demands. In another place the Apostle says: ‘the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, apt to teach, forbearing, correcting opponents with gentleness’ (2 Tim. 2:24–25). Thus showing that we should not refuse the correction of the errors of another, and should do this with gentleness. But how will you correct with gentleness if not by tempering the bitterness of the medicine in the corrective word with heartfelt sympathy and tenderness? And one should never take up the work of healing the sinning if first, with strict examination of conscience before God, we are not assured that we approach this in a spirit of love. Therefore, when your soul is vexed by something from the one you are correcting, and you still hope somehow to heal him, say nothing to him until you yourself first are healed, lest the bitter word break forth in the form of revenge and your tongue become an instrument of unrighteousness to sin (Rom. 6:13). Whatever you say in a spirit of vexation will be the attack of one who punishes, not the love of one who corrects. Love, and say what you will.”

“Watch yourself, lest you too be tempted”. “You are a man, your nature is easily changed, sympathize with one who is seized by sickness” (the blessed Theodoret). “In order that one who corrects another not become proud, he frightens him with the danger of a similar fall. As the rich give alms to the poor so that, if they themselves should fall into poverty, they might receive the same from others, so should we do. And he defends the sinner, first, with the words: if one is overtaken (προληφθη—will be drawn away),—by which he points to the great weakness of the soul; second, with the words: ‘lest you too be tempted’,—blaming rather demonic temptation than the negligence of the soul” (St. Chrysostom).

“Whether in temptation to be overcome or to overcome—that is in our power; but to be tempted—that depends on the will of the tempter. If even the Savior was tempted, who can be sure that he will cross the sea of this life without temptations?” (the blessed Jerome).

But in the words: “lest you too be tempted”,—it seems the Apostle presents the danger of a fall similar to that of the one being corrected. He indicates not merely the enticement of sin: for what is there to speak of this, since without it everyone knows he is not free from it,—but the fall into sin itself. Whoever is unmerciful to the sinning, grace abandons him, and for this he himself falls. Examples of this are everywhere. If one stands, let him not forget that this is God’s mercy. And what is more fitting for the one shown mercy than to show mercy to another? And how quickly will he lose mercy except through mercilessness to others? “In the Lives of the Desert Fathers we often find that those of them who too severely exacted payment from disciples for their faults were themselves subjected to the danger of falling, from which they were delivered only by recognizing their own wrongdoing and repenting of it” (Philaret of Chernigov).

The Apostle says this to the spiritual, those in whom the activity (energy) of the spirit has already begun to manifest itself in power. Since he does not define the measure of spirituality in which this is possible, but speaks generally of the spiritual, one must see here an assurance that, however much one might appear to be graced, for him both temptation and falling from temptation are possible. There is a story of how the enemy pursued a certain saint and attempted to arouse self-conceit in him, even on the way of the toll-houses, crying after him: you have defeated me; but the saint answered him nothing. When he had passed all the toll-houses and entered the bright Kingdom of God, he said: now I see that I defeated, but yet not I, but God’s grace in me.

Gal. 6:2. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The first incentive to mercy toward the sinning the Apostle took from the danger of his own fall, and the other he takes from the common law; “bear one another’s burdens”,—which flows directly from the law of love and serves as its immediate manifestation. The Apostle speaks as if to the leaders: if all are bound by the duty to bear one another’s burdens, how much more you, who are chosen precisely to be servants of all, and this means: not only to bear burdens but also to fulfill their desires. But if you do not wish to show such perfection in your relations to the brethren, keep at least to the minimum in this—bear the burdens of others along with all.

Our commentators chiefly explain this common law. Theodoret writes: “You have one deficiency, and he does not have it. He, on the other hand, does not have the deficiency that you have, but has another. You bear his deficiency, and let him bear yours. Thus is the law of love fulfilled. For the Apostle called love the law of Christ. These are Christ’s words: ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another’ (John 13:34)”.

Here are the words of St. Chrysostom: “Since it is impossible, being a man, to live without blemish, the Apostle persuades us not to be strict judges of the faults of others, but patiently to bear the deficiencies of our neighbors, that others also may bear our deficiencies. That one is quick-tempered, and you are sluggish and dull: bear his quick-temperedness so that he may bear your dullness and sluggishness. Thus, offering each other a helping hand when the danger of falling threatens, fulfill the law with your joint strength, each supplying the deficiencies of his neighbor by his forbearance. If you do not act thus, but each begins only to judge the deeds of his neighbor, you will never attain what you ought to attain (active mutual love).”

The blessed Jerome applies his interpretation to the state of the Galatian Christians of that time. “Burdens—are sins, as the Psalmist testifies: ‘as a heavy burden they weigh upon me’ (Ps. 37:5). This burden the Savior bore for us, teaching us by His example how we also should act. He bears our iniquities and grieves over us (Isa. 53) and calls those burdened with sins to His easy yoke of virtue (Matt. 11:30). Therefore, whoever, not despairing of his brother’s salvation, extends to him a hand of necessary help and, as he is able, weeps with the weeping, is weak with the weak, and makes the sins of others his own, through such love fulfills the law of Christ. Whoever does not have mercy and is not moved in the bowels of compassion and sympathy, he, even if spiritual, does not fulfill the law of Christ. But we must harmonize this place with the preceding. In this respect the Apostle speaks as if: if anyone is weak in faith and is still nourished by milk of infancy and cannot swiftly pass from life under the Law to spiritual mysteries, you who are stronger, bear his burden, so that through your knowledge the brother does not perish, for whom Christ died.”

Gal. 6:3. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself with his mind.

In this and the following two verses the Apostle heals the self-conceit of spiritual leaders, which is usually born when, thinking of themselves, they compare themselves not to the norm to which they ought to approach, but to the weaknesses of others. The blessed Theodoret writes: “By this he cast down the arrogance of those puffed up by some small advances.”

Whoever thinks he is something, that he has some perfection, weight, and worth, errs in thinking thus. For whatever he has, it is not his own. Both natural and divine gifts are from God, and all the more the gifts of grace. Therefore, give glory to God. You in yourself are nothing, neither in being nor in perfections. That you are, you are by God’s grace. Why then deceive yourself?

“With his mind,” he says, “he deceives himself”. He deceives himself, wrongly directing and interpreting the witness of his own consciousness about himself. If there is something in a man, he cannot hide it from his consciousness; but examine how it is and whether it exists to the degree it ought to, and you will find in it not a matter for self-exaltation but an occasion for self-condemnation, as of a wicked servant and unfaithful in little. If you add to this consciousness of what you have the consciousness of what is lacking, and all the more the consciousness of what ought not to be in you at all; where can the spider-web of self-conceit stand before the fire kindled by such self-exposure? If you establish in yourself such a view of yourself, self-conceit will never arise. And it will not appear, and if it does, it will at once flee, driven away by the conscience condemning itself. If it happens that someone thinks himself something, it is because he has not taken pains to determine well how utterly nothing he is in himself, and falls into this sin through the deception of the mind, to which arrogance is customary. “Such lightheartedness the Apostle presents as the first evidence of the nothingness of such a person” (St. Chrysostom).

Gal. 6:4. Let each one test his own deed, and then he will have reason for boasting in himself alone, and not with respect to another.

“If you wish to boast, examine your life, and if you find it worthy of praise, boast of yourself, if only you ought to do so” (the blessed Theodoret). “Here the Apostle shows that we must be judges of our own life, examining what we have done, and not lightly but with diligence. So if you have done a good deed, see whether you did it not out of vainglory, not out of necessity, not out of hypocrisy or some other human motive. For as gold seems bright even before it is put in fire, but is fully known in fire, when every alloy is separated from pure gold; so our deeds will appear in their true form only when we examine them with diligence; then we will see that we ourselves are guilty of condemnation for much” (St. Chrysostom).

One may understand here not each individual deed but the whole work of life in general. The work of life is the work of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. That we believe in the Lord, that we receive grace through faith in the mysteries, as aid for living by faith or for fulfilling the Lord’s commandments, this was done once for all by the economy of salvation, and constitutes the beginning of the work of accomplishing salvation. And we are in this work if we are aware that we have zeal for it and labor earnestly over it. Of course, this too must be examined—whether all is as it should be, whether our moral and religious state is such as it ought to be in a Christian. But we cannot limit all examination to this alone. In this we only arm ourselves for the work of salvation; but how much the work itself has been accomplished, you cannot know from this alone. We must, as mentioned, keep in mind the norm of the perfection of Christian life and compare our life with it. A builder has a plan of the temple, and he builds the temple according to it, and sees whether the building proceeds rightly and how much it fulfills the plan. So too for Christian life there is its own all-encompassing plan. Know it, apply it to your life, and you will see how much the work of your own salvation has advanced.

Someone will say: but this is too general a rule, and therefore indefinite. It can be reduced to something very definite and tangible. Let us recall that man, by creation, is a very good creature—the image of God. But egoism came with the passions and spoiled everything, broke and disturbed it all. Drive all this out, and you will become as created, and you will be saved. What are self-love and passions, everyone knows. So watch—to the extent that self-love and passions have diminished in you, to that extent has your work of salvation advanced. There is no escaping indefiniteness by saying the opposite: the works of passions are tangible. But since they are many, so as not to become confused, the Apostle, as we have seen, reduces them all under two main ones—lust and anger. If you grow angry, if you crave something, if you are attached to something created so that others cannot touch it, then you have a passionate heart, and your work of salvation is in doubt. These kinds of signs you can meet constantly.

It is necessary to distinguish here between passionate external deeds, passionate internal movements, and above all—the relation to them of freedom and will, and even more—of the heart. One can refrain from passionate deeds and yet be stirred internally by passions. This is almost the same if there is also delight in the passions. Within, in relation to passions, there is thought, sympathy, attraction, and inclination. From inclination begins the path of passion. Attraction, sympathy, and thought can be involuntary. The free will may not allow itself to reach inclination; but attractions will keep appearing, sympathies will break out, and thoughts will be thrust in. When the rational-free will holds the rule—in no way to incline toward the suggestions of passion, and does not incline in reality, enduring its fast through inner struggle; then this is a decisive sign that the person so disposed has entered upon the path of salvation and walks in it. But if he feels within not merely passionate thoughts but also breaking forth sympathies toward them and attractions; then he must recognize and continue to recognize that his mind or spirit has not remained and does not stand in its proper place and the soul and heart are still unclean, in them still dwell the seeds or deposits of passions. This is like a city shut up and defending itself against enemies, but with traitors hidden within. Consequently, the work is only begun, and it is unclear whether it has advanced. Here are the signs of its advance—by constancy and decisive unyieldingness in inner struggle it is achieved first that attractions begin to diminish, then cease altogether: this is the first stage. Then sympathies also diminish and completely cease: this is the second stage. And when aversion, dislike, and anger against the passionate thoughts themselves begin to appear in the heart; then this will be the third stage, the final one. This is the sign that the ore has been melted and has cast out from itself all that is foreign to it. By these signs everyone can very accurately determine his own work of salvation—whether it advances, and how it advances, and how much has been accomplished. It is very easy to notice how, on looking at the object of passion or when thinking of it, sympathy breaks forth from the heart toward it. So when you notice this, know that passion dwells in the heart; if passion dwells in the heart, the heart is unclean; if it is unclean, what place has it in another life? Reflect on all this, and then boast in yourself, if you have the nerve to do so.

“And then he will have reason for boasting in himself alone, and not with respect to another”. What is the thought? If it means: boast of yourself to yourself, and not to another, this will contradict what was said above: “if someone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself with his mind”. For boasting of yourself to yourself is indeed counting yourself as something. Under such a thought, the Apostle would be favoring self-conceit, whereas he is actually arming himself against it here. More directly it is this: take your boast not from comparing yourself to the weakness of a weak brother, but from comparing yourself to the norm of Christian perfection. If upon strict examination you find that you correspond to that norm, then have your boasting in this correspondence, not in the fact that another is somewhat weaker than you. Thus the Apostle spoke, concealing his intention. We all desire to boast. The Apostle seems not to abolish this but merely points out the way one can arrive at rightful and true boasting in oneself. But the way he proposed is such that, if you proceed by it to determine yourself, you will never have occasion to boast, and rather through it will keep yourself in constant self-condemnation. For if the Apostle said of himself that he had not yet attained but was only striving to attain; then who would dare to say of himself that he has attained? And if he dares not, what has he to boast of?

St. Chrysostom understands “with respect to another” as: “before others”—and expresses the Apostle’s thought thus: do not boast before others, but to yourself. The intention of the Apostle is, he says, to disaccustom people first from boasting before others, and when someone is disaccustomed to this, he will cease to boast even before himself. “By these words the Apostle does not prescribe a rule but only shows indulgence, as if saying: boasting is not good; and if you wish to boast, do not do so before your neighbor, like the Pharisee. For whoever learns not to boast before his neighbor will soon cease to boast before himself. Therefore he makes them this indulgence, gradually to destroy the evil in them. For whoever has grown accustomed to boasting only before himself and not in others will soon correct this deficiency also. For whoever does not count himself better than others (this is what the words mean: ‘and not with respect to another’), but boasts only of himself, examining himself alone: he will finally cease to do even this. And that the Apostle indeed had this goal in mind you can see from how he humbles such a one with fear, and after first saying: ‘let each one test his own deed’,—and then adding: ‘for each one will bear his own burden’. He seems to give a commandment forbidding boasting in another; but at the same time he corrects the one who boasts, so that he does not think much even of himself, bringing him to consciousness of his own sins and striking his conscience with the terms ‘burden and load’.”

Gal. 6:5. For each one will bear his own burden.

“Do not be curious to know the affairs of others. For each of us will give an account of his own sins” (the blessed Theodoret). “Why do you boast against your neighbor? Both you and he will bear (to judgment) your own burdens, and then the deed of each will be tested. So since you too have a burden—and a heavy one—do not boast against another, nor trumpet about your own good deeds before yourself” (the blessed Theophylact). “At first sight this seems contrary to what was said above: ‘bear one another’s burdens’: for if each will bear his own burden, then to bear one another’s burdens is no longer possible. But there the instruction is that we, sinners, in this life should bear with one another and help one another; but here it is said of the judgment of us by the Lord, that He judges us not by the sins of another and not by comparison with worse, but by our own deed (the labor of all life) to be sinners or saints: and by this deed each will receive his reward” (the blessed Jerome).

By speaking thus, the Apostle sets the attention of each before the face of God’s judgment. Occupy your mind with this, and you will forget to elevate yourself over others, and will forget to trumpet about yourself even to yourself. For God’s judgment is not like the judgment of men. It may decide completely contrary to our judgment and understanding: for it sees us more deeply than we see ourselves. And the decision of God’s judgment is such that you cannot expect a reversal of it. It will set a seal upon your fate, which will remain unchanged forever and ever. Therefore, if the decision is such that we ourselves cannot predetermine a favorable decision in our favor; then better not to predetermine at all, but having this fear of an unfavorable judgment for us, let us strive all the more to do deeds and dispose our heart such that by the infallible word of the Lord, condemnation is not pronounced upon them—forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13).

Memory of the judgment is the most powerful remedy not only against self-conceit and arrogance, but also against every other passion and every passionate thought. All the holy ascetics taught this and placed the lesson on remembering the judgment first in their teachings, alongside the remembering of God’s omnipresence and omniscience.

Gal. 6:6. Let the one who is taught the word share in all good things with the one who teaches.

Up to this point, from (Gal. 5:26) to (Gal. 6:5), the Apostle gave teachings to the most perfect, the spiritual, the leaders.