WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 32

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:15

WAIT… BITE AND DEVOUR EACH OTHER?!

Apparently Paul had reached the point in his letter where he needed to tell the church:

“CHRISTIANS… PLEASE STOP EATING EACH OTHER.”

Imagine being a first-time Bible reader.

You’re peacefully reading Galatians.

Freedom in Christ.

Love your neighbour.

Serve one another.

And then suddenly:

“IF YOU BITE AND DEVOUR EACH OTHER…”

Modern Bible reader:

“EXCUSE ME… WHAT EXACTLY WAS HAPPENING IN THE GALATIAN CHURCH?!”

Was the fellowship lunch getting a little out of hand?

Did somebody forget to bring enough food?

Paul:

“NO. IT’S A METAPHOR. KEEP READING.”

PAUL’S CHURCH CONFLICT RESOLUTION GUIDE:

☑ Love your neighbour.

☑ Serve one another.

☑ Walk by the Spirit.

☑ And apparently this needed saying

DON’T BITE EACH OTHER.

Context still matters!

Thankfully, Paul wasn’t dealing with a congregation of Christians literally trying to eat one another.

He was using deliberately vivid language to describe conflict and division among believers.

Just before this, Paul tells them:

“Serve one another humbly in love.”

Then he reminds them:

“Love your neighbour as yourself.”

His warning about “biting and devouring” paints a picture of what happens when people do the exact opposite.

Arguments.

Hostility.

Criticism.

Division.

People tearing one another down instead of building one another up.

And Paul’s warning is surprisingly serious:

If you keep consuming one another

EVENTUALLY EVERYBODY GETS HURT.

The imagery might make us laugh

but the warning still has TEETH.

Because a church can become so busy fighting one another that it forgets who the real enemy is.

Instead, Paul points them toward something completely different:

Walk by the Spirit.

Love one another.

Serve one another.

Build one another up.

So no

Paul wasn’t issuing an apostolic ban on biting people at the church fellowship lunch.

But still

Imagine walking into the Galatian church and seeing a notice on the door:

WELCOME TO CHURCH!

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR.

SERVE ONE ANOTHER.

AND PLEASE

NO BITING.

Sometimes Scripture gives us beautiful imagery.

Sometimes it gives us comforting imagery.

And sometimes Paul apparently decides:

“I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS SO VIVID THEY NEVER FORGET IT.”

Context still matters!