Slip of the Knife

Scott Beyer
06/23/23 - Bulletin

“I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.” (Galatians 5:12)

            If you ever had a question about how upset Paul got when people troubled Christians, you need look no further than the above verse.  For those that were making circumcision mandatory (when it wasn’t), Paul wished they would stop troubling the church and turn that knife onto themselves… yikes!

            This is a good reminder of how much God detests those who try and turn the church into their own personal sandbox.  Jesus didn’t die so that I could use His name to get people to live and act like me.  He died to transform all of us into who God wants us to be.  The church is often troubled by individuals who are determined to make their own personal preferences for dress, behavior, boundaries, and views of difficult doctrine mandatory for all.  We need to make sure we aren’t walking around with a knife, trying to cut and shape other people to look like we want when the Word of God is meant to cut and shape us each to look like who God wants.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 5:10-18

Questions to ask:

1. How is Paul feeling as he writes today’s passage? What is his mood?
2. What are the central themes in Paul’s preaching and teaching which are being emphasized, or how are the central themes in this epistle being emphasized in today’s reading?
3. How does our reading show Paul’s people skills, especially how he handles conflict?
4. What in this passage would change the lives of the believer(s) being addressed? How does it make me a better disciple?
5. How does this show the “good news” of the gospel? How can I share that with someone else?

This year, #Biblebites are following the life and writings of Paul.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2023-vision

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