If Galatians had been published in the Methodist Newsletter

Imagine if Galatians had been first published in the Methodist Newsletter! I wonder what the letters page would have looked like the following month!

Dear Editor,

I am so disappointed that you would publish so narrow minded an article as that written by Mr. Paul of Tarsus to the Galatians. What right does he have to judge those in that church for what they believe? How intolerant of him to condemn them over the small matter of circumcision. I do hope that in the future you will refrain from giving a platform to such divisive opinions.

Dear Methodist Newsletter,

I am appalled that you would publish so vile a letter as that from this fellow Paul to those Galatians. Yours is supposed to be a Christian magazine yet you publish an article in which someone says that he hopes the Galatian teachers will cut off their own privates. Shame on him for such an attitude and shame on you for printing such things!

Dear Editor,

Do you really think that is serves the church to be printing such things as Paul’s letter to the Galatians? At a time when we are trying to build relationships between Christians of differing opinions Paul’s fundamentalist outlook serves little purpose. He is out of step with this age of tolerance and frankly his attitude seems unchristian. Can we please respect diversity? Can we not embrace difference of opinion? Can we not put an end to this outdated language of anathema and condemnation?

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is not an exercise in tolerance. It seems out of step with our Christian culture that tells us that we are to embrace diversity—even diversity of belief. It is very un-post-modern! Were this letter not found in our Bibles we might be shocked at its content. We might be tempted to say that it was ‘un-Christian’ in its tone for Paul is uncompromising when it comes to his opponents. He suggests that those who don’t see the gospel the way he sees it should be eternally condemned. He even writes those famous words, as for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves (5:12)!Why is Paul so uncharitable to his opponents in Galatia? Why does he get so worked up on what might seem a small issue—the matter of circumcision and our understanding of the place of the Old Testament law? Because he believes the gospel is at stake! The gospel is not an issue for diversity of opinion. The gospel is not something we can afford to be cloudy on. The gospel is a matter of life and death. God’s glory and human well-being are at stake here. The activities of the false-teachers in Galatia require a stern response. Thank God that the apostle Paul was out to win the approval of God rather than men and so was willing to write this letter.

Note: The idea for letters to the editor came from the Briefing magazine.