Before and After Pictures

"Before and after" pictures can be VERY convincing.  Whether someone's peddling a weight-loss wonder, the latest exercise equipment or hair rejuvenating product, these images can be stunning.  We see people almost magically transformed right before our eyes.  

That's what Paul wants the Galatians to see here.  He shows them a picture of where they were before they heard about Jesus.  He then shows them a picture of what they looked like after coming to Christ.  

He hopes that by displaying the "before and after" images that the Galatians will realize they've made a huge mistake in falling for the teaching of the Judaizers.

First, Paul pulls out the "before" picture.  "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods" (v8).  

There was a point in time when followers of Jesus "did not know God."  The Greek verb here is οιδα/oida, which means to be acquainted with, acknowledge, recognize or perceive.  

The apostle is talking about a specific period in history when the Galatians were unaware of God.  They didn't have the head knowledge of God as revealed in the radical Rabbi from Nazareth.  

They didn't know ABOUT Him.  He's not describing an intimate relationship.  Paul's simply stating they didn't know the basic facts of Jesus.

Back in the day, he says, "you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods" (v8).  This confirms what Luke describes of Paul's visit to Galatia in Acts 13:13-14:23.  

He made his appeal first to Jews in the synagogues before reaching out with the Gospel to non-Jews.  "A great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" (Acts 14:1).  

The apostle had used God's promise of the Messiah in the Old Testament as the means reach the Galatians.  

The Judaizers rolled into the region immediately after Paul left town and used that same OT to deceive them into buying a self-salvation program of works.

Paul shows us the "before" picture of our spiritual status.  Before we had any idea of who Jesus was, we worshiped things that weren't gods.  

We were slaves to things that actually had no power over us.  Why would we ever go back?!?  

We need to keep that "before" picture in our wallet or purse.  We need to constantly remind ourselves of just how wretched, idiotic and disgusting we were before Christ got ahold of us.

At this point, the apostle holds up the "after" picture.  "But now that you have come to know God, or rather be known by God..." (v9).  

He uses a different word for "know" than in the previous verse.  Here the original text has γινωσκω/ginosko.  

This verb speaks of a deep and intimate relationship that comes through experience.  It is MUCH more personal than simply knowing ABOUT Jesus.  Once we place our trust in the One who lived, died and rose for us, everything changes.  

There is a relationship with God that was completely unavailable before.  In his letter to Philippi, Paul says that everything else pales in comparison to this rich relationship with Jesus (Phil 3:8-10).  

But the apostle asks us to take a closer look at the "after" picture.  We might think that we're the ones who have come to know God, but it's really the other way around.  

It might look like we initiated the deeper relationship with God, but that's not quite the way it went down.  Instead, He came to us.  

It was only when Jesus opens our hearts that we are "known by God" (v9).  As slaves to sin we are complete knuckleheads when it comes to seeking the one true God.  He has to reveal Himself to us.  

Jesus said just that.  "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (Jn 6:44).  Oh, we come into a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus alright.  But that ONLY happens because made the first move.  Or as John puts it, "We love because He first loved us" (1Jn 4:19).

Paul gives us the reason that he wants us to see these "before and after" pictures.  Once we see how we were BC (before Christ) and after, how in the wide world of sports would we ever "turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more" (v9).  

He asks us to look more time at the "before" image.  We were enslaved.  We made things that weren't gods into gods.  

Once we came to know Jesus, we understood that these things were "weak and worthless."  The Greek can also be translated as "sick and pitiful."  They weren't God!  They weren't Jesus!  Stop!!  Don't go back!!!

That's what we see when Paul shows us our "before and after" pictures.

©2012

Jay Jennings