The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 353

oven free from doubts e.nd fee.re, but to lee.cl na to the Lord for fresh pardon and grace. It ie a. useful correoUve to the merely morbid aelf-sorutiny with which men torment themselves, to he.ve the test applied to their work. Ver. 6.-0ur (J1D11, mdividuaZ 1rurden. "For ea.eh one shall bear hie own burden." He is not called to glory in reference to hie neighbour, for he ha.s his own burden to ce.rry. The "burdens" of the second veree paint to the mutua.l sympathy; the " burden," or load, of this verse, to tha.t burden which ea.eh one carries for himself and no one can carry for him. I. MA.BK THE INDIVIDUA.LI'l'Y OF EACH MAN'S POSITION IN· Gon's BIGHT. Though God has set us in a wonderful scheme of human relations, we have an individual life that ce.nnot be touched by man. We are individually responsible to God. This individuality sets man, as it were, in a solitude, He lives alone; he suffers a.lone; be dies alone. If he has pain in his body, no sympathy of friends can destroy it ; it is still his pain. O1ll' friends may soothe our dying moments by their prayers a.nd their words of affection; but still we die alone. Thus every man carries alone, and a.part from other men, his own burden of responsibility, or of frailty, or of sorrow. "Each soldier bears bis own kit." li. MABK THE INFEBENOEB TO BE DBA.Wlll' FBOllt: Tl[I8 INDIVIDUALITY OF POSITION. The e.postle does not mean to countenance the neglect of social concern nor to recom- mend a selfish isolation in· human relations, but he condemns the harsh judgments pronounced upon others by men who have their own imperfections and infirmities to answer for. We cannot lighten the blll'den of our own responsibilities by any attempt to bear hardly upon others. Ver. 6.-The:duty of swpporting the ministry. "But let him who is being instructed in the W ol:d communicate with him that teacheth in all good things." The apostle had spoken of burdens, but he did not mean to exempt the Galatians from the btll'den of supporting their teachers. Perhaps they were niggardly-for Gaulish avarice was a J>roverl>-a.nd it was necessary to teach them their duty. I. !!'ms PA.BSA.GE IMPLms THAT THEBE IS AN OBDEB; OF lllINIS'l'EBS IN 'l'HE C=cx. If the ministry was common ;to all Christians, why should there have been provision made .for the support of' a particular class? 1. It is implied that the ministers were tea:chers,· not mere celebrants or· ritualistic devotion or spectacle. They taught orally, llll'the word signifies.· It was thus that the early disciples were "nourished up in the words··of good ·doctrine." 2. It is implied that tha Word of God was their text-book. The early Christians were "taught in the Word." They had the Scriptures in their own tongue, and were -in a position to test the teaching of their guides as well as "to try the spirits" generally.- 3. It is implied that the teachers refetTed to devoted themselves· entirely to the work 0£ ministry. They had isolated. themselves from secular employments, else why should it be necessary to provide them with an independent support ? . ·II. '!'HIS PASSAGE TEAOBES THAT MINIS'l'EBS ABE TO BECEIVE AN .ADEQUATE llt:ACT- TENANCE. 'l'hey ere to share " in all good things•;" not e.s a gift or dole, but as a right; for Christ said. " The labolll'er is worthy of his hire." If inspired teachers like the apostles ali.d prophets deserved this consideration, is it not much more needed for a. class of teachers who spend much time and thought in preparation for their work? The duty is clearly set forth by the apostle. (1 Thess. ii. 6, 9; 2 Cor. xi. 7; ix.; Phil. iv.·10; lTim.v.17,18). Luther says, "Who~oever will not give the Lord God a penny gets his du0 when he is forced to give the devil a dollar." Calvin sugaests that "it is one of the tricks of Satan to defraud godly ministers of support that the Church may be deprived of their services." Vers. 7, 8.-The two sowings and the two r.eapings. The Galatians were probably disposed to find excuses for avoiding the responsibility of supporting their religious teachers. 'l'he apostle wams them of the danger _of self-deception, and, ,~bove all, of the danger of imagining that a man may sow to the flesh and yet expect to reap. the fruits of the Spirit. Mllrk- . }. TBK ll01..Ell'.N WABNING AGAINST SELF-))ECEl'TlON. "Be not deceived i God is not  320 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [ CII, VI, 1-18,