According to Galatians 4:17, the Judaizers seek to arouse the Galatians to see association with them by shutting them out. They shut the Galatians out so that those outside will clamor to get in. A clever and recurring ploy in all sorts of groups.
Paul uses the verb ekkleisai (“shut out”), a transparent pun on ekklesia . The church of Jesus has a table at the center; it is a place of hospitality. A church that shuts out, or a party within the church that shuts out, has become an anti-church.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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