Brian Shar

RL205-52

Living the freedom that our Lord has given us, I from Galatia, a seeming wanderer, come to your city, at the time of the games, to show Christ within me and give thanks to Paul that I am not a wanderer in the Word no more.

    Grace, love and patience to you the City of Games and the City of warriors. My feet still burn with the fire of the desert sand; for a woman, sandles are astray. I thank you for the cool water offered to me.

    Corinthians, hear and liaten to me. Even though I am a woman, equal to you in my eyes, but submissive to men in your eyes, I was able to hear and listen to Paul speak in Galatia. I understand what he said, and I come to you to pass on his teaching which, in all honor, leads to the Lord. Corinthians you need to know that Paul proclaims his teaching in a way that fits the problem. The letter to Galatia and the letter to Corinth may seem to be different, but the apostle Paul has to alter his teaching to fit the problem. So, if we return to our hearts for understanding, you will see that what is needed for the Christ-follower is not strict obedience to any one teaching. But, a professing that fits the problem. He must observe the teaching that conquers the problem.

    In Galatia at the time when Paul's letter arrived, we were in bondage. The age of our downfall had come And without Paul, it would have consumed us--Praise to the Lord for saving us. As Pagans we saw the giving of flesh, castration of males, as the greatest form of spirituality to our gods. However, the Christ fr~ed US from pagani3m. But, again we entered a horror,we entered back to our pagan-roots. Holy men of our city told us that in order to be spiritual, we would have to observe, strictly, the Jewish Law. Thus, our roots were reborn. Flesh-giving among the Galatians came about. A need to circumcise was born. With this the will for law observance grew. It took Paul to come and re-teach us about the Christ and to cut our Pagan roots. Only

Jesus Christ can forgive sins and through Paul we were offered and granted forgiveness. "The Lord Jes~Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age" (Gal 1:3-4).

Tu show how wrong total observance to the Law was, Paul, with his feet stomping in the sand, told us that "(we should) know that no man is justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ"(Ga12:16), and that "...if righteousness could be gain~ through the law, Christ died for nothing"(Ga12:21).

Using the Law, we Galatians classed people and saw that men who kept the Law were the most spiritual to the Lord. However, Paul angrily expressed that we were wrong. With his eyes in a fiery rage, he pointed to a puddle of water that lay near him. The water reminded us of Baptism, and with this he said, "(F)or all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"(Ga13:27-28). This shows that as Christ-followers we are all equal, and that total observance of the Law does not make us spiritual. We are all brothers in Christ. He set us free. "God will justify the

Gentiles by faith"(Gal3:8), and "It is freedom that christ has

set us free" (Gal5:1).

Now, I call you to remember the letter Paul sent to you, Corinthians. Yes, it is defferent from what I have preached. But wait, the problem here is different from that of Galatia. You snakes left the freedom that God gave you and chose a freedom of %mortality and lust. How could you indulge and be proud of incest and being with prostitutes. All you people should be thrown to death, but Christ saves you, the Lord loves you. You are too free; you nee~

standards.

Needing standards, I ask you how could you believe in gnosis~

Your immortality enslaved you to think that the body was all bad and that the soul was the only thing that was good. Can you see that the Galatians needed freedom from the Law, but by believing in gnosis and the such has led you to need the Law and not freedom. You did not take responsibility in you freedom and thus totally disobeyed the Law. Gnosis led you astray. It is like the nQmad stranded in the desert with not food. Without nourishme~ he wanders in the desert and dies. You, how could you deny the body Christ gave you~ You snakes said that the body was bad You each have got the body of Christ; how could it be bad? "You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it"(Tcnrl~:27). With no care for the body, you made no distinction between male and female. Our Lord has not only given us one form of body. He gave us man and woman. He gave us both types of bodies for a reason.

Also, you pagans have sexual immoraltiy going on in your temple to poseidon. How could you kneel to lust and prostitution? Every time I think of this I want to swiftly leave the city, but I stay for I know my preaching and Paul's letter, with Christ's love, will redeem this city. Men you have a duty; instead of sex and immortality, you shall oversee the women. For it is said that woman was created for man (ICor11%9). This gives you responsibility unto God to oversee the ones created for you men. Formerly, you believed in no distinction between the body; now God shows you, with observance to the Law, that there is a clear distinction between bodies. God created man and woman. See your duty! Abide by the Law and command women rightly. "Your body is a temple of the Holy $pirit"(ICor6-19); "Honor God with your body"(ICor6:20). Oversee rightly, for woman is only interdepedent ~ you, and not dependent on you. Remember, a person is only dependent to God. "We are all baptized in one body"(ICor12:13), but remember male and female bodies are distinct. The body of Christ is within us.

Your lawlessness requires you to observe the Law. Corinth, you now know your shortcomings and the faults of Galatia. I have told you how God has handled both problems. And, I have told you that Paul, with Christ in him, will use the style of t~aching that will cure the wound (problem).

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law, so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I ahve become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings" (ICor9:19-23).

But, listen Corinth, we must all submit to God and love Him with all our hearts. We must love and interdepend upon each other For, love can cure all of our wounds and sins against each other and against the Lord. "Knowieee puffs up but love builds up"(ICor8:l). "Love never fails"(ICor13:8)

    My time has come to an end, I see the Lord calling me else-where. But, I know that the Lord will let my words echo in this land until you refrom unto Paul's Leaching and obey God. I Love You all "Do everything in Love"(ICor16:14).