"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
— Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
Galatians 6:2 is the "bear one another's burdens" verse, Paul's short picture of what love looks like among believers. This page gives the verse, what the key words mean, where it sits in Galatians 6, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about friendship, Bible verses about community, and Bible verses about serving others.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
"Carry" (KJV "bear") is bastazo (G941), to pick up and carry. "Burdens" is baros (G922), a heavy weight. "Each other" is allelon (G240), one another. "Fulfill" is anapleroo (G378), to fill up completely, and "law" is nomos (G3551).
Where it sits in Galatians 6
Just before it, Paul writes, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). Right after it he warns, "If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves" (Galatians 6:3).
A few lines later he says, "for each one should carry their own load" (Galatians 6:5). The word there is phortion (G5413), a normal load, not the crushing weight of verse 2. The chapter goes on: "Let us not become weary in doing good" (Galatians 6:9).
What the verse is saying
Paul has just told the Galatians that "the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:14). Galatians 6:2 shows what that looks like in practice: when someone is weighed down by sin, grief, or trouble, others step in and help carry it.
"The law of Christ" points back to Jesus' own command: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). Verse 5 does not cancel verse 2. Each person carries their own ordinary load, and the church helps when the weight is too heavy for one person.
Questions people ask
What does Galatians 6:2 say?
In the NIV it says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." The KJV reads, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
What does "bear one another's burdens" mean?
It means helping carry what is too heavy for someone else to carry alone. In context Paul starts with a person caught in sin (verse 1), but the word "burdens" covers any heavy weight, including grief, need, and hardship.
What is the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2?
It is the command to love one another as Jesus loved us (John 13:34). Paul says in Galatians 5:14 that the whole law is summed up in "Love your neighbor as yourself."
How do Galatians 6:2 and 6:5 fit together?
Verse 2 uses baros, a heavy burden, and verse 5 uses phortion, a person's ordinary load. Everyone is responsible for their own load, and believers help each other when a burden is too heavy to carry alone.
What other verses are like Galatians 6:2?
John 13:34 (love one another as I have loved you), Romans 12:15 (rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn), and Galatians 6:9 (do not become weary in doing good) are close companions.
