“Galatians 4:12-15”

Friday, July 20, 2018

“I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul wanted his Galatian brethren to become as he was. He was literally “begging” them to take the same stance toward the Law of Moses that he had taken. When working among the Galatians, Paul had laid aside all his Jewish practices, traditions and privileges, and lived according to the norms and customs of the Gentiles in order to win them over to the Lord and help them grow in the faith.

It discouraged him greatly that they were now following the poor example of people who did not have their best interests at heart. False teachers were leading them down a path of sinfulness and error by helping them revert to the defunct and inferior Law of Moses. Paul wanted his brethren to “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

“You have done me no wrong” (verse 12). The brethren had treated Paul kindly and had accepted him with open arms when he worked among them in the past. As a matter of fact, they had received him “as an angel of God,” and even “as Christ Jesus Himself” (verse 14). But now they were treating him as an “enemy” (verse 16).

When he preached the gospel to them the “first time” (verse 13), he did so with some sort of “bodily illness”. Even though others may have been repulsed by the sight of Paul and unaffected by his teaching, the brethren in Galatia embraced him and his doctrine. They thought so highly of him that they would have given him their eyes if that had been a possibility (verse 15). This figure of speech has led many to believe that Paul’s malady had something to do with his eyes.

We can’t be certain what Paul’s physical infirmity actually was, but the main point is that they gladly received the truth of the Gospel in spite of the affliction of the preacher. Now they were allowing purely human influence to lead them down the path of destruction! Paul only wanted to win their affection back to himself so that he could direct their devotion back to the truth and to the Lord. Please don’t allow your affection to any person keep you from dedicating your life to serving the Lord in obedience to the truth!

Please read Galatians 4:16-20 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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