FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: A queer rendering of Galatians chapter 2 by Rev. Steve Parelli

An adaptation of  chapters 1 and 2 of Paul's letter to the Galatians for the queer Christian by Rev. Stephen Parelli; an alternative queer interpretation, a verse-by-verse amplified paraphrase.

The full verse by verse rendering of Galatians 1 and Galatians 2 is posted on the Other Sheep Exec Site.  The queer rendering is set in parallel form, verse by verse, along side of the text of the Authorized Version of King James (KJV).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 30, 2010):

In an adaptation of chapters 1 and 2 of Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Rev. Stephen Parelli gives an alternative queer interpretation of the apostle's letter, rendering and amplifying the text verse by verse.

Today, Parelli posted his rendering of Galatians chapter 2 to the Internet via his website, Other Sheep Exec Site.

In the first half of the second chapter of Galatians (verse 1-10), Parelli parallels his personal beginnings in queer justice work with Paul's beginnings in Antioch and Jerusalem. In the second half of the chapter, Parelli relates Paul's confrontation with Peter over circumcision and hypocrisy with the evangelical church's failure to maintain inclusivity within its community of believers, especially the inclusivity of queer believers.

Parelli gives the following subheadings to his rendering of Galatians chapter 2: Personal beginnings (verses 1-10); The evangelical church's closeted queer ministers (verses 11-12); The evangelical church's problem of artificial inclusion (verses 13-14a); The problem of the "down low" queer Christian (verse 14b); The evangelical church's need to live the message it knows it has received (verses 15-16); Christ is not the minister of discrimination (verses 17-19); Here is the way of Christ (verse 20); and Laws without love cannot produce a just society (verse 21).

Last October (2009), immediately following his participation in the Equality March in Washington, D.C., Parelli, inspired by the March, wrote his queer rendering of Galatians chapter 1. On his website he says he had memorized and studied Galatians during his freshman year of Bible college filling five notebooks with personal study notes with the purpose of applying his studies to himself as a Christian struggling with his same-sex attractions. Now he reads the Bible as a queer Christian.

The subdivisions of his verse by verse rendering of Galatians chapter 1 are: To live as he lived (verses 1-5); That the church has mistaken the "good news" as something else (verses 6-8); You see how important it is to keep the message in focus (verses 8-9); We know what we are about (verses 10-12); Sadly, we have destroyed our own daughters and sons (verse 13); A religion of "living-by-the-Bible" for profit (verse 14); What a "calling" - to reveal the rejected and despised Jesus (verses 15-16); A time to grow in knowledge and a time to speak out from that base of knowledge (verses 17-20); and That the LGBT Christian might see Jesus, the friend of the oppressed (verses 21-24).

Rev. Parelli is the Executive Director of Other Sheep. His ordination credentials are with the Metropolitan Community Church. He is a member of MCCNY and The Riverside Church of New York City.

Queering Chapter 1 of the Epistle to the Galatians: An adaptation of Paul's letter by Rev. Stephen Parelli

While returning home by bus from the 2009 National Equality March and reflecting on Galatians chapter 1, I queered the passage. When I was in my freshman year of Bible college (1971-1972), I had memorized most of Galatians to "battle" my same-sex attractions. Suddenly, while reflecting on the march and quoting Galatians chapter 1 over in my mind, Paul's writing became gay-friendly for me. I found it very powerful!

The letter, in the King James Version, begins: "Paul, an apostle . . . " or, Paul, the sent one. I made Paul the "equality marchers" and gave them Paul's words as if the words were their own. Here's what the "equality marchers" have to say in the adapted words of Paul:

1 We who strive for the equal rights of LGBT people are sent ones – not because some pro-LGBT organization has enlisted us – but because Jesus Christ – his earthly ministry to the oppressed and marginalized – has called us to do, at this time, what he did then in his day. We are sent by him and the life-giving Creator with the good news of liberty for all. 2 We are not alone in this mission, for there are many with whom we work and who work with us. Now, it is to the churches at large in the United States that we write this letter. 3 We begin with this greeting: Grace and peace to everyone from God the Creator and from Jesus our Lord 4 who lived for the oppressed in society to such an extent that he died at the hands of those who hated his mission; he gave his life in the pursuit of delivering us from a world where men do evil to other men; he died for a just world for all – a world as God originally intended it to be. 5 For this sacrifice we give him the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The paraphrase continues. You can see it on my Other Sheep Exec Site where I parallel my paraphrase along side the King James Version so you can compare the two accounts. Click here for the complete chapter.