Galatians Part 27 - Galatians 4:12-16

vs. 12-16. 1. Paul here assures them that the bond betweem them and himself has not been broken, though it has been stretched, and he rhetorically asks them what changed their minds. A. Paul shows himself to be a longsuffering dresser of the vineyard. c/w LUK 13:6-9. B. God is wont to preserve something largely decayed for the sake of a small amount of good still in it. GEN 18:32; ISA 65:8. C. That some churches survive is owing more to God’s longsuffering and kindness than to their own righteousness. REV 3:14-19. 2. “Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all” (v. 12). A. As foolish as they had been in swerving from the faith (GAL 3:1), Paul assures them that all was not lost and calls them unto himself. The tone here is one of an earnest entreaty rather than an authoritative command. c/w PHM 1:8-10. B. “...be as I am; for I am as ye are...” (1) They were still brethren, partakers with him of the common salvation by grace. c/w JUDE 1:3. (2) Yet Paul was the model of a Christian to follow, their teacher of the truth of the gospel and father of their conversion. c/w PHIL 3:17; 1CO 4:14-16. (3) Paul by example had both lived the futility of Judaism and forsaken it for the truth of Christ (PHIL 3:5-9). Here is his call to them to again have Christ (not Moses, circumcision or law) formed in them as He was still formed in Paul. GAL 4:19. (4) Believers should note that it is particularly Paul’s gospel that will be their judge. ROM 16:25; 2:16; GAL 1:9. C. “...ye have not injured me at all.” c/w 2CO 2:5. (1) God is more the injured party by the grieving of the Holy Spirit. EPH 4:30. (2) Departure from the truth is injurious to the church: a self-inflicted wound. 2TI 2:17-18; 1PE 4:17. (3) At the least, Paul is letting them know that his stature as a minister of Christ has not Galatians 1-1-17 Page 48  been diminished by their waywardness and he remains in his gospel, ready to work with them. (4) Paul is a great example to ministers to be cautious about making saints’ disobedience to God a personal thing: they are fighting against God; the minister is just in the way. 3. Paul had not cut an impressive personal swath when he first set Christ before their eyes. vs. 13-14. A. The best work for God is done not by might nor power but by His Spirit. ZEC 4:6 c/w 1CO 2:1-5. B. God relishes using the weak and base to confound the mighty. 1CO 1:27-29. C. Christ was impressive for His holiness, not His handsomeness. ISA 53:2. D. Paul did not let his fleshly infirmity excuse him from duty. ct/w EXO 4:10. E. To their credit, they had initially received him well, “...as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus” (v. 14). (1) The good news is more important than good health in the preacher, something that ministers need to embrace. 2CO 12:9-10; 1TI 5:23. (2) Humble hearts will recognize the value of the truth depends not on the natural impressiveness of the preacher, and some of the most commanding messages have been preached by gravely afflicted men. (3) To receive a minister of Christ preaching truth is to receive Christ. MAT 10:40. 4. “Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?...” (v. 15). A. Something had changed: not Paul, not his gospel, not Christ, but their hearts, and the gospel only has enduring effect in a good and honest heart. LUK 8:15. B. The true gospel is indeed a blessing. ROM 15:29; ACT 3:25-26. C. Perversions of the gospel are not blessed but blasted. GAL 1:7-9. D. Paul and his gospel had once established powerful ties of love as one would have towards a cherished friend: “...if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me” (v. 15). (1) This indicates that Paul’s eyesight was bad, perhaps damaged by the brightness of the vision at conversion. ACT 22:11. (2) It’s almost as if he was trying to make a point by his words in GAL 6:11. (3) Paul’s rival Hebrew detractors scorned his infirmity. 2CO 10:10. (4) It would not be surprising if the false teachers had implied that Paul’s infirmity was indicative of a sinner, or at least one not blessed of God. c/w JOH 9:1-2. a. Christ’s reproachers falsely equated His weakness on Calvary with being a promoter of lies. MAT 27:39-43. b. Paul was in good company. E. The honor that a minister may have from his converts may not last so he must make the best of the time. 2TI 4:2-3. 5. “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth” (v. 16)? c/w JOH 8:45. A. False teachers by good words and fair speeches deceive the simple. ROM 16:17-18. B. They can as easily poison the minds of such against good teachers. ACT 14:2. C. To the lust-led or ill-affected mind, the truth becomes burdensome, distasteful and even hateful. NOTE: “The truth cannot be hateful however, except in the eyes of those who hate the truth.” (Michael Hoffman) D. Do not confuse your friends and your enemies. PRO 27:5-6. Galatians 1-1-17 Page 49