Dr Paul Allen

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus , who walk not after the flesh , but after the Spirit.” ( Romans 8:1 ) This promise in our text is followed in a later Pauline epistle by two nuanced commands in the letter to the church at Galatia . “This I say then,” Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” ( Galatians 5:16 ). Then again, “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” ( Galatians 5:25 ). Although they appear to be the same command in English, there is a significant distinction in the original Greek language in which Paul penned the letters. Both the Romans 8:1 and the Galatians 5:16 passages use the wordperepeto, which carries the connotation to “walk around” and to “be at liberty.” The second iteration in Galatians 5:25 uses stoicheo, which means to “step precisely,” to “march,” or to “go in procession.” Same command but different emphasis. The context of Galatians 5 stresses the differ

Image via Wikipedia "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" ( Galatians 3:1 ) The Greek word for "bewitched" is used only this once in the New Testament and does not necessarily refer to witchcraft as such.  The connotation is "fascinated" or "deceived." Unlike most of his other epistles, the book of Galatians includes no commendations from Paul, nor even any prayer requests. Paul evidently was very disappointed in this church and its ministry. He had clearly preached the gospel to them, setting forth "Jesus Christ, and him crucified" ( 1 Corinthians 2:2 ) among them, and they had apparently believed and started out well. They seemed to understand the great doctrines of salvation by grace and of liberty in Christ, and it was hard for Paul to understand how they had been so quickly led astray. If a

One of these is unlike the others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, niceness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. According to Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia , all but one of these is what he refers to as the fruit of the Spirit , which is to say, visible evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. If you are a Christian, your life will necessarily be marked by this kind of character. But which one is foreign to the list?  Niceness . Humans seem to be naturally drawn to niceness. Niceness is comfortable. To be nice is to be pleasant in manner, to be agreeable, to adhere to social conventions. We like to be around people who are nice at least in large part because we are comforted by their pleasant words or deeds and by their adherence to whatever social custom dictates. It is an attractive quality, but it can also be a deceptive one. It is, after all, an external trait, and one that has no necessary correlation with what is g

Opening of the Epistle to the Galatians, illuminated manuscript for reading during Christian liturgy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The New Testament does not hide the fact that nearly every church in the Apostolic age experienced conflict. As the New Testament writers addressed these matters, they provided invaluable instruction on how believers are to think, act, and treat one another when conflict arises. By studying the churches in the New Testament and the instructions given to them regarding conflict, we can learn biblical principles for handling conflict in a constructive, Christ -honoring way. One of the most important principles I have discovered to guide me when engaged in conflict of any kind is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians . It is this: when conflict arises, our attitudes and behaviors should reflect our new life in Christ given by the Holy Spirit who lives within us. We are to display the fruit of the Spirit and not the works of the flesh. We are to be Sp

Saint George Preca has been likened as a successor to Saint Paul's evangelical work on the island of Malta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man . For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ ." ( Galatians 1:11-12 ) In writing to the believers in Galatia , Paul was concerned that they were "so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" ( v. 6 ). What was Paul's gospel that he was so concerned about? "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father , and from our Lord Jesus Christ , Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever" ( vv. 3-5 ). Furthermore, he added that "if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be acc