Dr Paul Allen

Paul the Apostle, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . . . . For every man shall bear his own burden.” ( Galatians 6:2 , 5)   This is one of the most commonly cited Bible “contradictions.” The apostle Paul commanding us, almost in the same breath, to bear other people’s burdens and yet to bear our own burdens. There is, however, no real contradiction, and both commands are equally valid and important.   The problem is partly one of translation. There are two Greek words used ere,  baros  and  phortion , respectively. The first means “heavy load,” the second, “responsibility.”   When a Christian friend has been stricken with a great burden—whether sickness, financial need, death of a loved one, or even a grievous sin in his life which he has been unable to overcome by his own strength (see verse 1)—he needs desperately the love and support o...

When we think of the law of God , the first thing that should come to mind is love— God 's love for us as fallen sinners, directing us to love Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him. God's law is a gracious gift to us, and it has three primary uses.  First, the law functions as a teacher by showing us God's perfect righteousness and our unrighteousness and sin, and it shows our danger of God's judgment, leading us, by God's grace, in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ who fulfilled all the righteous demands of God's law (Rom. 3:20; 4:15; Gal. 3:19–24).  Second, the law functions to restrain evil in all realms of society, preserving humanity and, thus, serving God's overall plan of redemption for His covenant people ( Deut. 19:16–21; 1 Tim. 1:8–11).  Third, the law functions a s a guide to righteous living for all men, and it directs us as God's beloved children by teaching us what pleases our heavenly Father and fulfills the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:...

The Yellow Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ ." ( Galatians 6:2 ) Although Christ has set the believer free from legalistic bondage, he is now under a still higher law --the law of Christ. It is also called "the law of the Spirit of life" which has made us "free from the law of sin and death" ( Romans 8:2 ). The law of Christ does not consist of many detailed ordinances which we are duty bound to obey. It is a law which we want to obey out of love for Christ. "Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" ( Romans 13:10 ). Paul says that "the end of the commandment is charity |that is, Christian love | out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" ( 1 Timothy 1:5 ). James calls it "the royal law," defining it simply as, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" ( James 2:8 ). Instead of a law bringing us into bondag...

The Reformed Church of France, Paris, France (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Scripture shows that God intends His law to function in three ways, which Calvin crystalized in classic form for the church's benefit as the law's threefold use. Its first function is to be a mirror reflecting to us both the perfect righteousness of God and our own sinfulness and shortcomings. As Augustine wrote, "the law bids us, as we try to fulfill its requirements, and become wearied in our weakness under it, to know how to ask the help of grace." The law is meant to give knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:7-11), and by showing us our need of pardon and our danger of damnation to lead us in repentance and faith to Christ (Gal. 3:19-24). A second function , the "civil use," is to restrain evil. Though the law cannot change the heart, it can to some extent inhibit lawlessness by its threats of judgement, especially when backed by a civil code that administers punish...