Tuesday 5th July - Galatians 5

Today’s chapter is Galatians 5, you can read it here.

Tom writes:

He wants them to cut their testicles off. We could dwell on the fruit of the Spirit.  We could compare them with the acts of the sinful nature.  That would be awesome.  That would give us a good boost in the life everlasting.  But I’m struck by the fact that Paul wanted them to cut their gonads off.  Not the Galatians of course, but the agitators who had led the Galatians astray.  It’s worth thinking for a moment what Paul was getting so narky about.  Paul was hot with rage over the confusion of the church - Paul was freaking out over doctrine.  We know Paul well enough by now to realise that he wasn’t some dusty academic - what drove him was the planting of churches and the discipleship of people.  So when he is getting so eggy about doctrine it must be because he believed it was absolutely critical to the discipleship of the people. 

Doctrine was fundamentally important to the health of the church because Holy Spirit moves most when his people are in truth. That’s not too trendy a thing to say today, but it probably should be.  Doctrine matters because it leads to obedience.  What we believe about Jesus really matters because it leads us to Jesus.  What we believe about the effects of his death and resurrection make a real difference in the real lives of real people.  If people get core doctrine wrong they are spiritually castrating themselves.  And nobody wants that.  So here’s to doctrine.  Here’s to systematic theology and an obsession with the scriptures.  Here’s to reading the bible day in day out and revelling in the saving work of Jesus Christ.  Not because we want to be able to pass theology tests but because we want to live well. We want to have a correct faith that really can express itself in love. We want to be able to stand firm and not get tied up again in slavery. We want lives overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit of truth. And we want that for the people around us as well. So here’s to doctrine. And if anyone starts to preach heresy; well, I’ll bring my knife if you will…

Question for reflection

Which truth about God most motivates you to live for him?