The Paradox of Shared and Personal Burden-Bearing

Paul sets before the Galatians an apparent contradiction: 'Bear ye one another's burdens,' yet 'every man shall bear his own burden.' Rather than error, this paradox reveals complete truth—the north and south poles of a rounded sphere. Maclaren identifies the reconciling principle: what prevents burden-sharing is self-absorption and spiritual conceit. A man who thinks himself 'something when he is nothing' deceives himself and cannot sympathize with others' struggles.…