,
Galatians 6:1 Good News Translation
6 My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those
of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle
way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too.
We arrived at Helderberg
College near the end of January, 1976. I had been hired to teach math and
computer science there. Folks there warmly welcomed us, and we moved into a
house on campus. We appreciated coming from a Michigan winter into full blown
summer with temperatures reaching over 100º (40º C).
We
took our oldest child, Esther, down to Helderberg Primary School and registered
her and got her a uniform to wear. She seemed to enjoy going to school and
making friends there.
A
week or so later we got a call from Children Services. They told us that they
knew that we had a child of school age and that we were subject to a fine for
keeping her out of school. I was stunned. Someone was after our blood. After
informing them that Esther was indeed in school, they calmed down, and we never
heard any more about it. I’m sure they checked in with her school and found out
that what I told them was correct.
We
could stand on our front porch and view the beautiful, blue False Bay forming a
grand panorama in front of us; framed by Table Mountain and the Cape peninsula
on our right and the Hottentots Holland Mountains reaching out into the Indian
Ocean on our left. Behind us towered Helderberg Mountain on whose slopes our
home was built.[2]
This
was the beginning of our tenure at Helderberg. A string of little things made
what should have been a wonderful time in what is truly one of the most
beautiful sites in the world, the winter of our existence.
Many
of the Christians there believed in a judgmental Christ. They drove themselves
nearly to death trying to keep all the biblical law in order that they might
somehow earn their way into heaven. It is a discouraging life and often makes
the practitioners very critical of everyone else.
The
book of Galatians in the Bible contains Paul’s scolding of those who try to
live by the law. He emphasizes that we are saved by grace through believing in
Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, Paul calls the Galatians foolish for trying to earn
their way into heaven. Many of those trying to earn heaven become critical
believers. They even refuse to accept Galatians as an inspired part of the Bible;
therefore, they don’t read it. Some of them warned me about reading the book
and told me I should be aware that it would land me in hell for sure.
I
encourage you to take your Bible and read Galatians and form your own opinion
of it. Try reading it in several different translations just to get the feel of
it.
Lord, thank
You for giving us salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to love all
of Your children and treat them gently.
[2] The Hottentot Holland Mountains stretch from
the left edge of the picture all the way across the center of the picture until
they plunge into the ocean on the right. About a third of the way across the
picture is a tiny spur with round rocks pointing upwards: this spur is
Helderberg Mountain. Our home was on the right most slope of this mountain,
