Monday, February 09, 2009

Galatians 3:4a (RSV)

"Did you experience so many things in vain?"

Paul to the church at Galatia (which, if I recall correctly, is a region, not a specific town). Quite angry, but then that's not abnormal for Paul. It seems that the galatian church was turning to Jewish practices as either a supplement to their faith or perhaps as a replacement for their faith. In either event, Paul calls them foolish and otherwise roughs them up for this turning away.

The turning away can be understandable. Remember the question asked of Christ: "What must i do to be saved?" It would be nice, no, if our salvation were a bit more a question of what we can do and not so much what we believe in our hearts or, worse, what God is willing to do. After all, God is merciful, sure, but who wants to rely on the mercy of another. I don't speak of the whole beholden-thing although perhaps that too. I mean the diciness of it all. How do we know God is as nice as we need him to be if he's going to be the one forgiving?

Well, we can know through our experience in walking with God. I assume this is the type of experience Paul had in mind. Manifestations of the spirit, miracles, the touch of God. Things that help make faith rational as far as it can be rational. because those are the incontrovertibles. The things Dives wanted Abraham to sen Lazarus back to Earth for. The things that the lack of which make atheism the vacuum it is. (Not sure that was strictly grammatical...)

So imagine a church where people have used their faith to ask for miracles, the miracles have been granted, then the people say "Meh. Rituals are a safer bet for getting into heaven." This is what Paul contends with. And he gets angry.

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