Paul continues to flip through the pages of the Galatians' spiritual scrapbook. He hopes that remembering his amazing first couple of visits with them will make them realize what a huge mistake they've made in following the teaching of the Judaizers.
The apostle has warned them that they are in danger of returning "to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world" (Gal 4:9).
He's afraid that all God did through him among these people will all go down the toilet (Gal 4:11). They have gone back to the slavery of legalism by celebrating Jewish holy days (Gal 4:10).
And now he recalls how he stopped in Galatia in the first place. He was sick (Gal 4:13). God used his illness as an open door for the Gospel while the local people cared for the ailing apostle (Gal 4:14).
Once again, Paul walks the Galatians down memory lane. "What then has become of the blessing you felt?" (v15). He wants them to remember those incredible visits when he told them about Jesus for the very first time.
It was during the apostle's first missionary expedition that he and Barnabas toured the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in what is now Turkey.
Paul wants them to remember how the Gospel absolutely turned these towns upside down. Dr. Luke allows us to sneak a peek on that amazing time in Acts 13 and 14.
The apostle told them about how Jesus has not only fulfilled everything in Scripture as Messiah but has also swung open the door of salvation to the entire world.
First of all, "many Jews and devout converts" in Pisidian Antioch placed their faith in the radical Rabbi/Carpenter (Acts 13:43). Then non-Jews heard it and "began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord" (Acts 13:48).
That's when things got crazy. "And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region" (Acts 13:49). The tsunami of grace swept into Iconium, "and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52). Once again, "a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" (Acts 14:1).
God used Paul & Barney to do miraculous things among the Galatians (Acts 14:3, 9). More people placed their trust in Jesus in Derbe (Acts 14:20).
The Gospel of Jesus had rocked Galatia. That's what Paul wants his friends to remember.
So what's become of that joy, that excitement and that buzz they felt? Whenever we doubt our faith or feel far from Jesus, we should think back on that first moment when God rocked our world. Go back to the beginning. Go back to the start.
Remember how Christ reached out to you and pulled you from the miry pit to sing a song of total life change (Ps 40:1-3).
Throughout his letters, Paul continually encourages us to think back to the beginning of our walk with Jesus. "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col 2:6).
When in doubt, pull out the spiritual scrapbook.
The apostle reminds the Galatians of just how sick he was during his first visit and just much compassion they showed him. "If possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me" (v15).
This sure seems to indicate that his "bodily ailment" was some sort of eye infection or illness (Gal 4:14).
If it had been medically possible at the time, his Galatian caregivers were willing to donate their own eyes for transplant. Why else would Paul say this if he wasn't suffering from an optical issue.
His statement about his use of "large letters" at the end of this letter would seem to support this idea (Gal 6:11). Don't forget that Jesus originally blinded Paul to get his attention outside of Damascus (Acts 9:8-9).
The point here isn't so much what was wrong with Paul but what was right with the Galatians. They had such Christ-like compassion on the man from Tarsus that they were willing pop out their own eyeballs so that he could be made well.
And for those who are grossed out by such talk, that's EXACTLY what the original language tells us. He uses the Greek verb εξορυσσω/exorusso. It literally means to dig out. The word was used to describe how you would toss the dirt out of a trench you were digging. Yeah, gross, right?
This wasn't the mom in "A Christmas Story" warning Ralphie about the dangers of the Red Rider BB Gun. Paul wanted the Galatians to remember the lengths of their love, care and compassion for him when he was with them.
They would've put their eyes out for him! Maybe that will trigger the memory of what God had done right before their eyes.
The apostle wants them to remember just how much they cared for him because apparently someone has thrown him under the Galatian bus. "Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (v15).
Somehow, someway, the false teachers who've infiltrated the Galatian churches have convinced them that Paul is their spiritual nemesis.
Most likely they've told them that this so-called apostle had gone rogue and was spreading a counterfeit gospel. The Judaizers accused him of not telling folks the full truth.
According the, Jesus may have gotten us into God's kingdom but it's up to each of us to stay there. And they said we do that through obedient rule-keeping.
It was this spiritual snake oil that led the Galatians to fall prey to legalism and self-salvation, which is NO salvation at all!
The Galatians have clearly come to see Paul as their enemy thanks to the false teachers. The apostle wants to know how telling them the truth about Jesus makes him their spiritual adversary. The Greek word here is εχθρος/echthros.
It means more than just an opponent playing for the other team. This is more than simply agreeing to disagree. There is hatred involved. There is hostility involved.
The Judaizers have stoked the flames of Galatian hatred toward the man they once loved so much.
Telling the truth does that. That's why the people repeatedly rejected the prophets οφ God. Who in the world wants to hear about how bad they are? Who wants to hear about their own sin? Who wants to hear about their need for a Savior?
But the truth must be told. People may not like it but how else will they ever know Jesus?
We must remember to speak hard truth dripping in love (Eph 4:15).
We must express the tough truth of our sinful situation while standing under the waterfall of God's grace (Jn 1:14).
©2012
Jay Jennings
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