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St. Paul on Sinners in the Church (Notorious Galatians)

St. Paul on Sinners in the Church (Notorious Galatians)

Last updated on: October 29, 2019 at 6:34 pm by Dave Armstrong

St. Paul on Sinners in the Church (Notorious Galatians) 2019-10-29T18:34:06-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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The example of the Galatian congregation proves that Christians can be tremendous hypocrites and sinners. It’s nothing new and will always be with us, because Christianity is a very difficult path.

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The Apostle Paul on the Galatians as Miserable Sinners

Galatians 1:6 (RSV) “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel”

Galatians 3:1-3 “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? [2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?”

Galatians 4:9b “. . . how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more?”

Galatians 5:4 “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”

Galatians 5:7 “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?”

The Apostle Paul on the Galatians as Fellow Christians

Galatians 1:2 “To the churches of Galatia”

Galatians 1:11 “For I would have you know, brethren, . . .”

Galatians 3:25-27 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Galatians 4:4-7 “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.”

Galatians 4:9a “but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, . . .”

Galatians 4:12 “Brethren, I beseech you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong”

Galatians 4:19 “My little children, . . .”

Galatians 4:28 “Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

Galatians 4:31 “So, brethren, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.”

Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, . . .”

Galatians 6:18 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”

There are similar dynamics with the Corinthian church as well. Our Lord Jesus also calls all seven assemblies of Revelation “churches” (2:1; 2:8; 2:12; 2:18; 3:1; 3:7; 3:14; along with the repetition of “what the Spirit says to the churches” in 2:7 and similar passages), yet excoriates several of them in no uncertain terms (2:4-5; 2:14-16; 2:20-22; 3:1-3; 3:15-18).

***

Are Sinful Church Leaders a Disproof of Catholicism? [1998]

How Can the One True Church Have Sinners in it? [2002]

Resisting Heretic Popes: Classic Catholic Reflections [12-1-07]

“Bad Popes”: How Many Were There? [12-17-07]

Bad Popes: Replies to a Sincere Inquirer [5-27-08]

Sinners in the Church & God’s Mercy (vs. Calvin #8) [5-15-09]

Some Bad Popes = Ditch the Papacy? (vs. Calvin #22) [6-29-09]

Bad Popes / Indefectibility / John XXII (vs. Calvin #24) [6-30-09]
*

Do Catholic Sexual Scandals Disprove Catholic Truth Claims? [11-10-11]

Catholic Sinners & Corruption: the “Jesus, Paul, & Revelation” Retort [5-25-17]

Sinning Christians: Catholic vs. Protestant Approaches [8-10-17]
*

Shock! Former Catholic Rod Dreher Loves Lawler’s Pope-Bashing Book (Sin in the Church and Dreher’s Inadequately Explained Rejection of Catholic Doctrine) [2-22-18]

“Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner”: Biblical & Christlike? [8-21-18]

Leaving the Church for Insufficient Reasons (Damon Linker) [8-30-18]
*

Don’t Confuse Papal Infallibility with Impeccability [Facebook, 8-31-18]

Dialogue on Christians Hating Gays & Gays Hating Christianity [9-25-18]
*

Christian Sinners & “Puritanical” Fanaticism (Reply to Calvin #5) [12-17-18]
*

Catholic Sex & Heterodoxy Scandals: Long-Term Causes [9-3-18 and 1-26-19]

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Unfortunately, Money Trees Do Not Exist: If you have been aided in any way by my work, or think it is valuable and worthwhile, please strongly consider financially supporting it (even $10 / month — a mere 33 cents a day — would be very helpful). I have been a full-time Catholic apologist since Dec. 2001, and have been writing Christian apologetics since 1981 (see my Resume). My work has been proven (by God’s grace alone) to be fruitful, in terms of changing lives (see the tangible evidences from unsolicited “testimonies”). I have to pay my bills like all of you: and have a (homeschooling) wife and three children still at home to provide for, and a mortgage to pay.

My book royalties from three bestsellers in the field (published in 2003-2007) have been decreasing, as has my overall income, making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. I provide over 2500 free articles here, for the purpose of your edification and education, and have written 50 books. It’ll literally be a struggle to survive financially until Dec. 2020, when both my wife and I will start receiving Social Security. If you cannot contribute, I ask for your prayers. Thanks! See my information on how to donate (including 100% tax-deductible donations). It’s very simple to contribute to my apostolate via PayPal, if a tax deduction is not needed (my “business name” there is called “Catholic Used Book Service,” from my old bookselling days 17 or so years ago, but send to my email: [email protected]). May God abundantly bless you.

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(originally 12-20-11)

Photo credit: 1903 German map of the Galatian region (in present-day Turkey) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

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