Initial Impression of Galatians

My initial impression of Galatians is that it is indeed well written and easy to read. There are some undoubted losses in translation but one thing I did find pleasing is that the text did feel really fresh to me, as if Paul's letter was speaking to me in a new way.

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I'm now going to move on into Paul's letter to Timothy, a letter written to a young apostle as opposed to a church and see what gems of thought I might uncover there in this fresh translation. I am really enjoying it though because the scriptures feel new all over again.

Palpable Disappointment

In Ch 3, it seems as if Paul breaks off from the disappointment of his experiences with the apostles to launch into the Galatians who are in the process of being led astray. But it almost seems as if Paul alone is fighting for truth, battling with Peter and even Jesus' own flesh and blood to defend the centrality of the cross. I wonder whether Paul has worked himself up into a stew with his reminiscences and now is laying into the Galatians or whether he is genuinely trying to reform their faulty thinking with generous rhetoric. Either way, he is taking no prisoners.

The important leaders

I was a little confused by the passage in Gal 2:3-8. The leaders in 2:6 sound like the infiltrators in 2:4.

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The CEV communicates something of an antipathy and a sense of mutual mistrust between these giants of the early church, almost as if there is a dividing of constituencies. The apostles can have the Jews; Paul can have the rest. And all can live in peace. It seems quite sad really.

Preaching as Revelation

1:11 My friends I want you to know that no one made up the message I preach. It wasn't given or taught to me by some mere human. My message came directly from Jesus Christ when he appeared to me.

I know this is not the point of the text but I was reminded that having a message to preach is not just an exercise of the mind but should at some level involve an aspect of revelation or inspiration, even imparted understanding, if you like.

Grace as Kindness

I love that the CEV is trying to get contemporary with their translation of grace as kindness (1:3) but is the sense of God's unmerited favouring being lost in translation? And for that matter is grace as kindness and mercy as undeserved kindness (6:16) being truncated into one concept rather than two? And how come grace is translated as kindness in one verse and wonderful kindness in the next (1:6)?

I'm not complaining. It feels more real to me already.

thoughts on galatians

The first thought that strikes me is the extent to which Paul is defending his own ministry. This is quite personal stuff from him. I think when I come to preach a text I am looking for the eternal perspective, what will translate well and be applicable to people reading the text and trying to be a Christian in a 20/21 century context, but Paul quite loudly proclaims his credentials. So much for humility? Not really: he is vigorously defending the authority of his call. But the letter doesn't automatically translate into preaching material. Even exegetically, the requirement to produce a sermon can impose itself on the process of discovering what the text is really saying.