Galatians 4:12-20 (ESV)

2. Galatians 4:12-20 (ESV) Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.

3. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,

4. and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

5. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.

6. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

7. They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.

8. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,

9. my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

10. I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

11. Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. Galatians 4:12, ESV

12. Personal Appeal Compared to the rest of the letter, this section is rather incongruent This makes sense, since Paul is focusing more on a personal level rather than a technical level In the Greek this section begins with the entreaty “I entreat you” Paul begins it this way for emphasis Paul wants them to become as he is which is a reflection back to Galatians 2 There we find Paul arguing that it is unnecessary for the Jews to follow the Law to be justified

13. Personal Appeal So, Paul is arguing now that the Galatians be like him, who does not seek justification from the Law but from faith in Christ Paul then calls them brothers Paul likely recognizes that they have not fully accepted the agitators stance on justification, therefore he still considers them members of the family of God

14. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. Galatians 4:13-14, ESV

15. Reception We find Paul preaches to them because of his illness What this means we’re not sure Some scholars think that because Galatia is higher in elevation he went there as a remedy, but this is a stretch Regardless, he goes to Galatia because of his illness The ailment caused a trial in them This could mean that the physical ailment meant Paul needed support (financially etc.) Or it could be that there was a temptation to not accept Paul because of his ailment (he would be considered cursed for it rather than blessed) Ultimately, though, they did not scorn or despise Paul

16. Reception (2) Scorn is fairly straightforward in the Greek Despise, however, has the original meaning to spit, or spit out To spit out would obviously mean disdain which is why it became understood to mean disdain However, in the Greek it has a deeper nuance of spitting out in order to get rid of the “Evil eye” and this “evil eye” motif was found in Galatians 3:1, when Paul asks who has “bewitched” you It is possible, then, Paul is using this evil eye for a particular reason we will see soon Instead of rejecting Paul, scorning or despising him, they accepted him as an angel or Jesus Himself This is significant, they were able to see passed the messenger and take note of the message itself

17. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Galatians 4:15, ESV

18. Blessedness The blessedness is likely the blessing they gave to Paul with the acceptance of the Gospel The blessing had such great depth that the Galatians would give him their eyes if they could Within the last two verses we may have found what Paul’s physical malady is By saying they would gouge our their eyes for him, along with the evil eye motif in the previous verse, it is possible Paul’s malady may be his eyes (contra Walter )

19. Blessedness (2) However, it is also possible that this is not the case, since this was a common expression showing how much one would do for another But that begs to question, why this particular saying instead of another? Ultimately, his physical ailment does not change the text Whether or not the physical ailment was his eyes does not change their love for Paul

20. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16, ESV

21. Truth The Galatians and Paul were at one time exceptionally close Now Paul asks the rhetorical question if he is now their enemy because of the truth The truth is the Gospel, that we are justified only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ He is willing to become enemies if they choose to side with the agitators and reject the Gospel, though his hope is that this letter will convince them to remain faithful to the Gospel

22. They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. Galatians 4:17, ESV

23. The Agitators Paul reflects on the agitators Their zeal to win the Galatians to their side Though Paul recognizes their zeal is misplaced Instead of helping the Galatians they are really just shutting them out The agitators are shutting them out of the freedom found in Christ They are doing this by claiming justification (being made right with God) comes by works (human ability) plus faith (God)

24. The Agitators (2) Their goal is not the wellbeing of the Galatians, but their own esteem This is the exact opposite of Paul who only preached to them because of illness We see a dichotomy here between the one who preaches the Gospel for the sake of the Gospel, and the one who seeks greater esteem and numbers

25. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! Galatians 4:18-19, ESV

26. Zeal Paul shifts back to the Galatians He recognizes that zeal is good for the right reasons Paul further emphases this is the case when he is there or not This may imply that they should be able to discern good from bad, but currently they are unable to do so on their own

27. Anguish Paul shifts again by reminding the Galatians how much he cares for them He shows his great care for the Galatians and his relationship with them as his children The anguish Paul is feeling is likely that which he felt when he first proclaimed the Gospel to them (hence…again in anguish) As when he first proclaimed the Gospel to them, he is hoping for true regeneration and rebirth in them Paul’s anguish will not cease until Christ is formed in them Until Christ is rooted in them becoming the focus individually and perhaps corporately This, again, reminds us of the difference between Paul and the agitators, the agitators boast in numbers and esteem, Paul boasts only in Christ

28. I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Galatians 4:20, ESV

29. Tone Paul concludes by wishing he could be with them so he could change his tone So far in Galatians he has been spending much time in argumentation and rebuke If he were with them he could speak to them in a different tone, but since he is unable he must continue in hopes that they will turn back to the Gospel Just as Paul finished the previous paragraph with concern, he does so again now Paul is perplexed because they know the blessing which comes by grace through faith They have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit Paul must wonder why they would choose to turn away from the truth of the Gospel and to a false teaching

30. Main Points Paul appeals to the Galatians on a personal level Paul shows his concern for them by reflecting on their relationship Throughout the letter Paul has shown concern, but now he does so on a deeper relational level, reflecting on their previous experiences He does all of this in hopes that they return to the Gospel which was first proclaimed to them by Paul

31. Application Points By Our Love As we have seen, Paul reflects greatly on his previous relationship with the Galatians The love between them was so great that they would give their eyes to him Regardless if this reflects on his illness or not, it shows the relationship between Paul and the Galatians This experience between them is a great example of the love between believers This love is a reminder of the love we should share among each other, especially among our congregation

32. Application Points By Our Love (2) We notice the love of Paul in sending the letter itself He loves the Galatians and is willing to keep them from falling into false teachings This reminds us that love does not equate with acceptance True love will give warning, and sometimes even be harsh in order to bring truth Even if Paul is rejected by the Galatians, he still warns them because of his love for them It is not only Paul’s love for the Galatians which motivates him It takes more than love for our fellow humans to continue to love them

33. Application Points By Our Love (3) When we consider how many times we have been hurt by others, or mistreated, what will keep us loving them? The answer is in Jesus Christ While others fail us, Jesus never has It is Jesus who is the foundation to keep us loving others, to continue to speak the truth even if no one is listening

34. Application Points By Our Love (4) This is the example of love we find in Galatians Though this letter might mean rejection by the Galatians, Paul is willing to accept that for the sake of truth We find here Paul’s greatest love which is for the truth of the Gospel We also find the great difference between Paul and many of our congregations today Many will focus their energies on loving individuals above all else This eventually leaves people burned out because people are fallible and fall into sin When we expend all of our energies on loving individuals above all we very often find ourselves in great sorrow

35. Application Points By Our Love (5) Yet, if we have our foundation on Christ we will be able to continue to love even when rejected and when others fail We can do this because we know Jesus commands us to love This love is not merely an emotional love, but a love which will lead others to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus When we get knocked down we can get up again because we love Jesus first and know that the Lamb who was slain is worthy of the reward for His suffering

36. Application Points By Our Love (6) Be encouraged by this love here Paul’s great love which is first for the glory of God through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ If we do this nothing in heaven or hell or on the earth can stop us from proclaiming in love the truth of His Gospel

37. Application Points The Focus As we recall the Galatians accepted Paul despite his ailment This should cause is to consider preachers and teachers today There are many who are willing to listen to certain individuals based upon their presentation rather than what they are saying That, or they are listened to because of popularity (conferences are a good example of this) The main speaker is usually someone who is well known and provides a great presentation

38. Application Points The Focus (2) Let’s say you go to a conference and you hear the main speaker and accept the message, because it’s the main speaker You think to yourself, “I’ve never heard that before!” You come back to Church and remarkably you find that your pastor or Sunday School teacher says the exact thing Then, you find out that this hasn’t been taught just this week, but has been taught or said dozens of times What makes you listen to the conference speaker but not the individuals you are with all the time? Is it possible we tend to gravitate toward those who reputation rather than on the message said?

39. Application Points The Focus (2) Consider another alternative: Let’s say you go and hear something completely new You come back and tell others about it and they begin to say, “That doesn’t sound right…” We all study the Scriptures together and conclude that it is a false teaching Two things happen: One, the teaching is rejected The second: everyone else must be wrong because the well known teacher clearly knows more than everyone else

40. Application Points The Focus (3) Not all well known teachers know much There are many well known teachers who do not know the Gospel and cannot exposit on the Scriptures Many fall prey to their traps and snares, though, because they are great communicators first and foremost We need to be wise with what we hear We need to be take care not to fall into false teachings from false teachers Give me someone who stands at the pulpit, drones on and on, sometimes can be hard to follow, but preaches the truth of Jesus Christ on the cross!

41. Application Points The Focus (4) Give me a Jonathan Edwards He was well known for his dull monotone voice and just reading his sermon when he preached it Perhaps his most well known sermon is Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Can you consider that it was not preached with great passion and yet it filled people with great passion for God? Give me the power of God not the power of a communicator!

42. Application Points The Focus (5) We see this when Paul references here, when he is accepted by the Galatians It wasn’t his great oratory ability His bodily ailment would likely hinder them rather than make them listen to him The focus is not on the messenger but the message It reminds us of the great message preached, the Gospel of Jesus Christ which raises the dead to life

43. Application Points The Focus (6) The encouragement is to always discern what you hear, focusing not on the presentation, or the communicator, but on the message itself Be cautious in not rejecting someone because they do not meet certain standards Instead, as hard as it might be sometimes, focus on the message itself and test the message against the Scriptures Do not be led astray by false teachings, but make sure the teachings you hear coincide with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures

44. Application Points Zeal Zeal can be a hazardous thing There are those who are zealous for their false gods and do abominable things in their passion for their gods Yet, zeal is not only religious People can be zealous for sports, work, books, anything Paul’s admonition, then, to the Galatians is just as important for us today: Zeal is good when it is for good What is good? It is necessary for us to define what is good so that we will be zealous for the right things

45. Application Points Zeal (2) A good example is planned parenthood In case you haven’t heard or seen the videos they were asked if they sell body parts of the babies they abort, to which they replied yes This sounds awful because it is awful, yet the question is, what do we do? We become zealous over the right thing We should be zealous in being against them selling aborted body parts It is sorrowful thousands of babies die every day It is sorrowful that our money collected from us through taxes goes to places that practice abortion

46. Application Points Zeal (3) But, what do we do? For so long we have held a fortress mentality If we ignore the culture the culture will ignore us However this has not been the case The more the culture spins into sin and darkness, the more we find our walls closing in We are pushed back more and more until nothing is left and our congregations look exactly like the culture

47. Application Points Zeal (4) What we have forgotten is that we have a right as citizens to speak out concerning virtues and morality Many believe that once we become Christians we no longer associate with the nations which we come from This isn’t true, and good evidence of this is Paul’s own use of his Roman citizenship within the Scriptures (see Acts 21-22) However our zeal should not be for political reasons The problem with clinging to a certain political party makes us look and act more like a cog in the political machine and less like the salt and light of the world

48. Application Points Zeal (5) That all said, our zeal needs to be placed in the right place In regards to abortion our zeal should be for the Word of God In Genesis 1-2 we learn we are created in the Image of God Because of this all humanity has dignity as Image Bearers of God It is because of this we can argue for the sanctity of human life, not some human life, but all human life Our zeal has foundation, then, on the Word of God

49. Application Points Zeal (6) We can be zealous for abortion because all humans bear the image of God Our zeal, however, may not end there Yes we need to be vocal, but our zeal must also take shape in our actions That may look like funding Christian orphanages, or Christian ministries which focus on helping women who are in need This is just one place we can focus our zeal And we can know that we can place our zeal here because of the Scriptures which define what is good versus bad

50. Application Points Zeal (7) There are a great many places we can place our zeal, but the greatest of our zeal should be for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our greatest zeal should be for God and His glory The more zeal we have for the glory of God then the more we will be changed according to the Word of God, and the saltier we will be and the brighter our light will be in the world This encouragement is important: be zealous for good things The greatest zeal we could have is not for a political party or system, but for the glory of Godthrough the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Be zealous for good things, but make sure good is defined according to the Gospel of Jesus and the Scriptures