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鈥淣a meallar sibh; cha d猫anar fanaid air Dia: oir ge b鈥� e n矛 a sh矛ol-chuireas duine an n矛 ceudna buainidh e.鈥� Tha mi cinnteach gum bi sibh e貌lach air an earrainn sin, eadhon mura h-eil sibh mion-e貌lach air a鈥� Bh矛oball. Ge b鈥� e n矛 a sh矛ol-chuireas duine an n矛 ceudna buainidh e. No ann am Beurla, 鈥渨hatsoever a man soweth, that he shall also reap.鈥�

Tha e a鈥� nochdadh ann an Litir an Abstoil Ph貌il chum nan Galatianach, Caibideil a Sia, Earrann a Seachd. An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha sinn a鈥� toirt s霉il air na Galatianaich agus air an d霉thaich aca, Galatia. 鈥橲 e Ceiltich a bh鈥� annta. B鈥� e Galatia r矛oghachd Cheilteach ann an Asia Minor 鈥� far a bheil an Tuirc an-diugh.

Dh鈥檉halbh na Galatianaich 脿 fianais c貌rr is m矛le bliadhna air ais. Ach nuair a bha P貌l a鈥� gluasad nam measg, agus a鈥� searmonachadh dhaibh, bha c脿nan Ceilteach aca fhathast. Chan eil sin a鈥� ciallachadh nach robh c脿nanan eile gam bruidhinn ann an Galatia a bharrachd. Tha deagh choltas ann gun robh Phrigianais ga bruidhinn ann, 鈥檚 gun robh na Ceiltich a鈥� riaghladh nam Phrigianach.

Tha cuid ann am pr矛omh bhaile na Tuirc, Ankara, dhen bheachd gur iad na Galatianaich a chuir an t-ainm air a鈥� bhaile, ged a tha feadhainn eile ag r脿dh gu bheil an t-ainm nas sine na sin. Mas e na Galatianaich a bu choireach, seo st貌iridh mu dheidhinn: bha batail eadar cabhlach nan Galatianach agus cabhlach nan 脠iphiteach. Rinn na Galatianaich a鈥� ch霉is. Thug iad dhachaigh na h-acraichean bho na longan 脠iphiteach agus chuir iad nan teampaill iad. Ann an Laideann, 鈥檚 e ancora a chanar ri acair. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e car coltach ann an Galatianais 鈥� oir th脿inig am facal againne (acair) bhon t-seann Lochlannais.

Uill, chan eil fhios agam mun st貌iridh sin. Ach tha aithrisean ann mu na Galatianaich is cuin a nochd iad an toiseach ann an Asia Minor. Ghluais iad ann anns na seachdadan dhen treas linn ro Chr矛osd 鈥� sin na 270s BC. Bha r矛gh ann am Bithynia, faisg air far a bheil Istanbul an-diugh. 鈥橲 e Nicomedes an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Tha mi cinnteach gur e seann Ghreugais a bh鈥� aige mar ch脿nan.

Bha Nicomedes an s脿s ann an str矛 le a bhr脿thair airson ceannas. Thug e cuireadh do na Ceiltich thighinn don d霉thaich aige, thar a鈥� Bhosphorus, airson taic a thoirt dha. Chaidh fichead m矛le duine ann 鈥� boireannaich is clann, a bharrachd air saighdearan. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, fhuair iad fearann gu sear air Bithynia ann am meadhan Asia Minor. Bhiodh an 脿rd-ch霉irt aca a鈥� tighinn cruinn c貌mhla faisg air Ankara. Tha e coltach gun robh creideamh draoidheil aca aig an 脿m ud. Bha doireachan darach naomh dhaibh.

Bha sin air atharrachadh mun 脿m a sgr矛obh P貌l a litir thuca. Tha e coltach bhon litir aige gun robh cuid ann an Galatia a鈥� cumail ri n貌san Iudhach, seach a bhith a鈥� leantainn na slighe Cr矛osdail a mhol P貌l dhaibh. Tha P貌l gu s貌nraichte a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air an timcheall-ghearradh a tha a鈥� dol nam measg.

Cuiridh mi cr矛och air an Litir agamsa le earrann eile bhon litir a chuir P貌l do na Galatianaich: 鈥淥ir an t矛 a chuireas da fhe貌il fh猫in, buainidh e on fhe貌il truaillidheachd; ach an t矛 a chuireas don Spiorad, buainidh e on Spiorad a鈥� bheatha shuthainn.鈥� Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na Litreach: Caibideil: Chapter; Earrann: Verse; r矛oghachd: kingdom, state; cabhlach: fleet, navy; seann Ghreugais: ancient Greek.

Abairtean na Litreach: eadhon mura h-eil sibh mion-e貌lach air a鈥� Bh矛oball: even if you don鈥檛 have an intimate knowledge of the Bible; Litir an Abstoil Ph貌il chum nan Galatianach: The Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians; 鈥檚 e Ceiltich a bh鈥� annta: they were Celts; dh鈥檉halbh na X 脿 fianais: the X disappeared; a鈥� searmonachadh dhaibh: preaching to them; tha deagh choltas ann gun robh Phrigianais ga bruidhinn ann: it certainly appears that Phrygian was spoken there; mas e na X a bu choireach: if the X are responsible; thug iad dhachaigh na h-acraichean bho na longan 脠iphiteach: they took home the anchors from the Egyptian ships; chuir iad nan teampaill iad: they put them in their temples; ann an Laideann, 鈥檚 e ancora a chanar ri acair: in Latin an anchor is called ancora; bhon t-seann Lochlannais: from Old Norse; an s脿s ann an str矛 le a bhr脿thair airson ceannas: involved in a struggle with his brother for leadership; fhuair iad fearann gu sear air: they got land east of; bhiodh an 脿rd-ch霉irt aca a鈥� tighinn cruinn c貌mhla: their high court would meet; gun robh creideamh draoidheil aca aig an 脿m ud: that they had a druidical religion at that time; bha doireachan darach naomh dhaibh: groves of oaks were sacred to them; n貌san Iudhach: Jewish ways; a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air an timcheall-ghearradh: makes mention of the circumcision; oir an t矛 a chuireas da fhe貌il fh猫in, buainidh e on fhe貌il truaillidheachd: for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; ach an t矛 a chuireas don Spiorad, buainidh e on Spiorad a鈥� bheatha shuthainn: but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Na meallar sibh; cha d猫anar fanaid air Dia: The 鈥揳r ending on a verbal form often tells us it is a future [and therefore also present habitual] passive form. Cha d猫anar fanaid air Dia therefore means 鈥淕od will not be mocked鈥�. Cha mheallar sibh would be 鈥測ou will not be deceived鈥� but the 鈥渘a鈥� rather than 鈥渃ha鈥� in na meallar sibh makes it clear that this is an imperative form [as in 鈥渘a d猫an sin!鈥�- don鈥檛 do that]. So we have here an imperative passive form. Na meallar sibh is 鈥渂e not deceived鈥�.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Ge b鈥� e n矛 a sh矛ol-chuireas duine an n矛 ceudna buainidh e: whatsoever a man soweth, that he shall also reap [The Apostle Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians, Chapter VI, Verse 7].