Just READING it is sufficient for me!
Galatians 5:12
As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
I'll be more specific:
Do you suppose that this wish was utterly serious? Had these agitators had indeed emasculated themselves, would Paul have been happy?
(In the context of the surrounding verses, this is not so much my interpretation. For example, I find it interesting to compare the contents of verse 12 and verse 15.)
I'm reminded of something else, which Jesus said (here, Matthew 5:29-30):
[29] And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
[30] And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
How ought we to interpret or apply this? Should I ready a knife, or would I be misinterpreting this passage?
Catholics would get out a knife; if they applied the same rules to it as they do they oft mentioned...
...this is by body...