Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Apostle Paul wrote in Parallels.

These observations were made back in 7th July 2013

The words of the Apostle Paul were written parallels, as shown in the following instances from Galatians 6: 1 - 6 (the lectionary for this Sunday in Wesley Methodist Church, Kampar)

When he wrote in v2, "Bear one another's burden", he was writing in parallel to v1 where he taught that those who are spiritual should set aright him who is caught in wrong-doing.

Also, his words in v3, "If anyone thinks he is somebody when he is nobody, is only deceiving himself" is in parallel to v1b telling his readers to "keep an eye" on themselves so that they will not be tempted.

Similarly, v7 "god is not mocked, a person reaps what he sows" is a parallel of v4 where Paul called on each one to judge his own conduct without comparing with what another person has done. This teaching provides the context for v5, "Everyone has to carry his own load (bear his own burden)".

Likewise, the exhortation in v9, "Be not weary of well doing - we will reap in due time if we do not give up" and the call in v10 to do good to everyone, particularly to the household of faith, is parallel to the teaching of v8 that those who sow in the spirit will from the spirit reap the harvest of eternal life.

Finally, Paul's boast in v14, "Only in the cross (death, suffering) of our Master Yeshua the Messiah" is a parallel to those who boast in the submission of the Galatians to physical circumcision (v13). Note from v13 that that the latter do NOT obey the Torah.