and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia
Paul wasn’t by himself when he wrote this letter. There were other believers who also agreed with him and worked from the same mind-set and on the same goals. This is also an important thing to consider as we go into this letter. Paul was going to say some things that some were trying to make “controversial.” Since those same “controversies” still exist today, it is good for us to take note of the fact that Paul wasn’t standing alone for what he was saying.
This letter was written not just to one person or even to one location, but to all of the “assemblies of Galatia.” It was Paul’s intent that this letter spread to many “assemblies.” This could be translated “churches,” but the WEB translation chooses to use the meaning of the word “churches” instead. I think it is fitting here because there really is only one Church. We all meet in “assemblies” that represent only a small part of the church of Jesus Christ.
This idea can be stretched, and in fact, is stretched, too far. When Paul says “assemblies” he means “assemblies” of Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ as we shall see later. This idea that “church” can mean other things other than assemblies of Jesus Christ today is a clear perversion of history. In other words, it doesn’t include witches or the church of Satan. It doesn’t include pagans or those who believe that they can become their own Jesus like the Mormons. It doesn’t include Islam, or the “church” of science and it clearly doesn’t include the godless. There is only one church of Jesus and it is His body. It is known not by the name of the “assembly’s” building, but by the fact that the Holy Spirit lives within the members as we get to read more about later in this letter.
For Yahweh says, “Don’t enter into the house of mourning. Don’t go to lament. Don’t bemoan them, for I have taken away my peace from this people,” says Yahweh, “even loving kindness and tender mercies. Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried. Men won’t lament for them, cut themselves, or make themselves bald for them. Men won’t break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Men won’t give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.
Here we read that God was so serious about bringing shame on Israel that He told Jeremiah that he wasn’t allowed to be seen publicly mourning for any of them. God intended for them to feel the pain and not to be comforted in their sin. This is an important and difficult part of being a follower of God.
God has been impressing on me the importance of maintaining purity as a Church. The world around me is stressing that we follow a doctrine called: “inclusiveness.” It’s important for us as believers in Jesus to see this for what it really is. It’s an invitation to be impure. A bride that has been engaged is not to be inclusive of other men. Only the bridegroom matters now. God has called out the Church. That means we are exclusive not inclusive. Part of being exclusive is to separate from those who have chosen to live a life of sin against God. If we mourn with those who are being punished by God, we are saying that we agree that God is mistreating them. We are acting like one of them. We are not separating ourselves from their way of thinking and agreeing with God’s way of thinking.
The concept of worldviews is very strong in this part of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was just reprimanded by God for being influenced by the thinking of the world around him, and here we read that he is to maintain his separation by not participating in their mourning ceremonies. Jeremiah was a Jewish man just like those around him. It must have been hard to not participate in common customary events but it serves as an example to us today. Are we participating in worldly things that God does not approve of? It’s important for us to consider this carefully and separate ourselves to God and dedicate ourselves to His way of thinking.