August 07, 2006

Horse 606 - Stupid Stupid People!

Oi Stupidheads - Yeah you Galatians! Has someone now put some sort of evil spell on you? I want to know one thing from you; how were you given God's Spirit? Was it by obeying the Law of Moses or by hearing about Christ and having faith in him? How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God's Spirit started in you? Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. But does he do this because you obey the Law of Moses or because you have heard about Christ and have faith in him? - Galatians 3:1-5 REV (Rollo Exasperated Version)

If there ever was an emotive piece in the Bible then this is it. You can just imagine Paul going "Bah! You're all so stupid... it's not that hard! How many... dah... idiots!", then tearing out what little hair he had left. If Romans is a detailed explanation of how the gospel works then this is the "It's so simple - why don't you get it?" passage.

I bet that the original of this was written in really awful handwriting. Mass scribbles as though the pen was being forced into the paper. Admittedly I'm not a scholar and people can tell me if the note in Chapter 6 refers to what bits, but it's literally times like this that you just want to hit people over the head with the Bible and yell at them for being so dumb.

I've met people like this. You tell them the gospel and it seems that they understand and then want to add stuff. Or think that somehow they can work up enough Frequent Flyer points or earn a Skippy Badge to get in. Isn't a man dying a horrid death on two bits of wood good enough? If not, why not? Sometimes you just want to cheer along with Paul as he writes to the churches, but then you quickly realise that he's actually writing to us as well.

The Gospel is simple people!

A man died so that you don't have to. How hard is it to get that through your thick skulls?!!

Stupidheads! Bah! - Are we really any different to the Galatians?

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