Friday, February 23, 2007

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. If you're not careful, the requirement to produce a sermon can impose itself on the process of discovering what the text is really saying.

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