Galatians 5:25-6:18
Dear RTB’ers,
Better late than never?? Actually, packing pre-empted posting! We have a plane to catch in six hours. Please remember to pray for us while we’re gone.
Paul has a number of disparate thoughts in today’s reading – no common denominator that I could find. But what is interesting to me is that as he closes his letter, he returns to where he began in Gal. 1:6 – focusing on those Jewish Christians who are forcing circumcision on the Gentiles and forcing obedience to the Law on all the believers (Gal. 6:12,ff). I think Paul is being a bit sarcastic in verse 13a: For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law…. Paul is on good authority here. Jesus had challenged the Pharisees with being “whitewashed sepulchres”: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28) I’m reminded of a line from a Moody Blues song, “If only you knew what’s inside of me now, you wouldn’t want to know me, somehow.” Too true, too often, for me…!
Blessings!