Is Paul writing to a collectivity of “churches” or to a plurality of “churches”? The plural “you” [as opposed to “thee”] indicates the latter.<\/p>\n
Jesus “gave Himself for our sins.” Did Jesus give Himself for the sins of the churches or for the sins of the individuals who make up the churches? It is obviously the latter. Jesus “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age.” Deliver “us congregations” or deliver “us individuals”? It is obviously the latter.<\/p>\n
The “you” who were “turning away so soon” were the same “you” who had been “called…in the grace of Christ.” Were they “called” as congregations or as individuals? It is obviously the latter.<\/p>\n
Were the false teachers in Galatia troubling the churches collectively or distributively? They were troubling them distributively by demanding that the men [individuals] submit to physical circumcision (see Acts 15:19-24; Galatians 2:1-3; 5:1-6; 6:12,13).<\/p>\n
The gospel was preached to them as individuals, not as churches.<\/p>\n
Here, Paul makes it clear that he is writing to the individuals who make up the churches.<\/p>\n
Paul had “persecuted the church of God” by persecuting the members of “the church of God” (see Acts 8:1-3). Thus, the “church of God” is distributive.<\/p>\n
In what sense was Paul “unknown by face to the churches of Judea”? Surely, it was in the sense that he was “unknown by face” to those who made up those churches. Notice the “us” in what they were hearing (v. 23). Had he “persecuted us” churches or “persecuted us” individuals? It was obviously the latter (see again Acts 8:1-3).<\/p>\n
We shall reap as individuals not as congregations (see Romans 14:12; II Corinthians 5:10).<\/p>\n
The first-person plural pronoun always includes the speaker\/writer. Paul was not a congregation but an individual. Thus the “we” and “us” are referring to individuals rather than to congregations.<\/p>\n
Were they trying to “compel you” churches “to be circumcised” or trying to “compel you” individuals “to be circumcised”? Again, it is obviously the latter.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Bob Myhan Is Paul writing to a collectivity of “churches” or to a plurality of “churches”? The plural “you” [as opposed to “thee”] indicates the latter. Jesus “gave Himself for our sins.” Did Jesus give Himself for the sins of the churches or for the sins of the individuals who make up the churches?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[710,1098,1508],"class_list":["post-58773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-galatians","tag-grammar","tag-institutionalism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61054,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-churches-of-christ-differ-so-widely\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":0},"title":"Why Do “Churches of Christ” Differ so Widely?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Sewell Hall via\u00a0Biblical Insights, February 2012 A sign reading \"Church of Christ\" in front of a building tells you very little these days. Most any doctrine or practice may be found inside. This is frustrating to many people. Outsiders make fun of the situation, saying, \"You preach unity but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9534,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-story-of-the-churches-of-christ-in-central-europe\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":1},"title":"The Story of the Churches of Christ in Central Europe","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by H. Godwin Grimm January 1957 Mannheim, Germany The history of the churches of Christ is the story of a small group of men and women united to Christ in a bond of obedience and mutual love, guided and inspired by His spirit. They felt commissioned by the Lord to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44443,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-the-apostles-have-the-right-to-forgive-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":2},"title":"Did the apostles have the right to forgive sins?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear sir, A question was posted a decade or so ago on John 20:21-23 and whether or not all men could forgive sins. I couldn't see that the responder actually addressed what was meant by the Apostles having the authority to forgive sins, except to say that they could\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5354,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/churches-of-christ-are-different\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":3},"title":"Churches of Christ Are Different","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne S. Walker \u201c... The churches of Christ greet you\u201d (Romans 16:16). Non-denominational, New Testament churches of Christ are different from other religious organizations.\u00a0 Even the very terms by which they identify themselves are different.\u00a0 It is clear that congregations of Christ\u2019s followers in the first century were known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70930,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-the-galatians-repent-of-their-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":4},"title":"Could the Galatians repent of their sins?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, I have been reading your website for quite some time. I struggle with the unpardonable sin and have read your articles dozens of times. My question is: Could the Galatians repent of their sin of mixing the old and new covenant and return to Christ, or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91970,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-remain-a-christian-when-christians-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":58773,"position":5},"title":"Why Remain a Christian When Christians Sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Why do we stay faithful to Jesus when so many churches and people do so much wrong? It's a common complaint. Here is an elder, a deacon, or a preacher who fell from grace in some way or abused other members. 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