Monday, June 13, 2005
LUKE 10:25-37
Paul's letters normally open on a very upbeat note. He'll praise the addressees for the goodness of their lives and he'll thank God for the spiritual blessings he has bestowed on them. It seems that throughout the Roman Empire in Paul's day, this sort of an upbeat opening was common in letters.
So the Galatians when they first heard Paul's letter to them read in a church, must have been startled: "I am amazed," Paul wrote. "that you are so soon deserting him who called you . . . and [that you] are going over to another gospel."
It seems a group of believers, probably from Jerusalem and perhaps claiming the authority of the Jerusalem Church, were preaching in Galatia a gospel contrary to the one Paul had taught there. They were teaching that Gentile Christians must keep the Law of Moses, as it's found in the first five books of Hebrew scripture.
These "trouble makers," as Paul calls them, must have been quite persuasive. The Galatians apparently were being easily won over from the gospel Paul himself had preached to them.
Paul defends his gospel fiercely. It was not given to him by any man nor did he learn it through study. It was directly revealed to him by God. Should anyone, Paul exclaims, teach a gospel contrary to the one he preached to the Galatians, even if the preacher be Paul himself or an angel from heaven, "let him be accursed!"
Quarrels and disagreements among Catholics on matters of religion and theology are quite common today. Many are deeply disturbed by this phenomenon. Perhaps we should feel comforted somewhat if we reflect that this situation existed from the earliest days of the Church.
These people were sincere but they were also human. Being human, they had their biases due to cultural, educational and experiential factors. From the very beginning, however, God's spirit was with the Church, enabling her to separate truth and falsehood. So will it be until the end of time.
So the Galatians when they first heard Paul's letter to them read in a church, must have been startled: "I am amazed," Paul wrote. "that you are so soon deserting him who called you . . . and [that you] are going over to another gospel."
It seems a group of believers, probably from Jerusalem and perhaps claiming the authority of the Jerusalem Church, were preaching in Galatia a gospel contrary to the one Paul had taught there. They were teaching that Gentile Christians must keep the Law of Moses, as it's found in the first five books of Hebrew scripture.
These "trouble makers," as Paul calls them, must have been quite persuasive. The Galatians apparently were being easily won over from the gospel Paul himself had preached to them.
Paul defends his gospel fiercely. It was not given to him by any man nor did he learn it through study. It was directly revealed to him by God. Should anyone, Paul exclaims, teach a gospel contrary to the one he preached to the Galatians, even if the preacher be Paul himself or an angel from heaven, "let him be accursed!"
Quarrels and disagreements among Catholics on matters of religion and theology are quite common today. Many are deeply disturbed by this phenomenon. Perhaps we should feel comforted somewhat if we reflect that this situation existed from the earliest days of the Church.
These people were sincere but they were also human. Being human, they had their biases due to cultural, educational and experiential factors. From the very beginning, however, God's spirit was with the Church, enabling her to separate truth and falsehood. So will it be until the end of time.
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 4:45 PM 
