Galatians 3:1
This is a hard verse, you'll see why in a minute.
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
The problem is with my favorite phrase: "That you should not obey the truth." First, what I like about it: It makes you think. One isn't normally asked to "obey" the Truth. Instead, you're asked to "believe" the truth. I like the idea of Truth as a command or a law. Truth has a vitality to it that is ignored only at one's own peril. Jesus is the Truth. In fact, he, and all Paul thinks of Jesus - God, Savior, Risen one, etc - is the particular Truth being referred to in this verse. Sounds strange at first (obey vs. believe) but makes perfect sense.
The problem. The phrase doesn't show up in any other translation I own, and I don't get an explanation of why it's missing from any of the commentaries. Nothing. Not the slightest note. And it's not like one can say the phrase is subsumed into the rest of the text. I mean, the words have been cut out with an exacto blade, and there isn't the slightest hint of the sentiment left. I assume, but I can't know for sure, that the words have been judged to be a later interpolation. The work of a scribe, perhaps, who wanted to jazz up Paul's message.
Seems like a major revision. You see how fond I was of the phrase. It rings true to me. Yet, it may have no place in the Bible. Strange.
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
The problem is with my favorite phrase: "That you should not obey the truth." First, what I like about it: It makes you think. One isn't normally asked to "obey" the Truth. Instead, you're asked to "believe" the truth. I like the idea of Truth as a command or a law. Truth has a vitality to it that is ignored only at one's own peril. Jesus is the Truth. In fact, he, and all Paul thinks of Jesus - God, Savior, Risen one, etc - is the particular Truth being referred to in this verse. Sounds strange at first (obey vs. believe) but makes perfect sense.
The problem. The phrase doesn't show up in any other translation I own, and I don't get an explanation of why it's missing from any of the commentaries. Nothing. Not the slightest note. And it's not like one can say the phrase is subsumed into the rest of the text. I mean, the words have been cut out with an exacto blade, and there isn't the slightest hint of the sentiment left. I assume, but I can't know for sure, that the words have been judged to be a later interpolation. The work of a scribe, perhaps, who wanted to jazz up Paul's message.
Seems like a major revision. You see how fond I was of the phrase. It rings true to me. Yet, it may have no place in the Bible. Strange.
posted by Steven at 12:17 AM
2 Comments:
Tim,
Thank you for looking these things up. I think I'm going to have something of a definitive answer shortly.
Don't post your email address on the web man! What are you crazy? Just looking for spam?
Here goes Tim's comment:
Steve, I've been tring to find out why this has been omitted in some translations. The only site i have found so far that even comes close to explaining it is www.biblebelievers.com/New_Eye_Opener.html
now it does look like a wack job page, but there is atleast some sort of explination.
However there are still numerious translations that have kept "Not obey truth" in it. KJV, NKJV, Webster, Young, and Hebrew Name Version to name a few. Now when these books where published may have something to do with there inclusion of the phrase, but quite frankly I'm too tired to look it up. The drive from CT, back home to Rochester just killed me. I hope this has helped at least. _Tim Southard
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