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the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established
November 2008 Published Weekly on Friday
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Galatians (4:-12-20)
(Lesson 14)
Welcome to HBS.
I thank God for His
Amazing Grace.
Florida is in
recovery mode and making remarkable progress thanks to all the neighbors
helping neighbors, the out-of-state volunteers, the first-line responders who are
assisting people with their urgent needs, and all those who have shown an interest
in helping the people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, respectively, through
their generous prayers and charitable contributions. Florida and Texas appear in the news most
often, but please remember these hurricanes also inflicted severe damage to the
islands of Dominica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands, Montserrat,
Guadeloupe, St Kitts & Nevis, St Thomas, the Dominican Republic and others. So please remember these folks are in dire
straits too, so pray for them and give what you can so they can rebuild their
lives too.
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill
the law of Christ… Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time
we will reap if we do not grow weary. So
then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and
especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Galatians 6:2, 9-10).
********
Please
open your Bible at Galatians 4:12.
Galatians 4
12: I beg of
you, brethren, become as I am, for I
also have become as you are. You
have done me no wrong;
I beg of you,
brethren - Paul
ends his rebuke of the Galatians with these words and the tone of this letter
changes noticeably. He suddenly shifts from
reprimanding them to pleading with
them. The Koine Greek word for beg is Deomai (deh’-om-ahee), Verb, Strong’s Greek #1189, meaning: to ask,
to desire or long for with urgency.
You’ll
find other examples of this phrase in your Bible. Luke 9:38 is one. Let’s all turn there now. Here we have Jesus coming down from the
mountain to find a man waiting patiently for Him. The man’s son is possessed by a demon that is
torturing his son. The father was beside
himself with anguish and desperate, so he sought the Lord’s help. And
behold, a man from the multitude shouted out, saying, “Teacher, I beg You
to look at my son, for he is my only boy…
The
urgency in this man’s request
literally leaps off the page! No matter
where you encounter this phrase in the N.T. the same sense of urgency is present. So, Paul’s plea to the Galatians “I beg of you, brethren,”
contained the same sense of urgency as
this passage from Luke 9:38. The only
difference between these two passages is the reason for Paul’s urgent request. He said, “brethren, become as I am.”
Bible
commentators have assigned multiple interpretations to the phrase “become as I am,” however, Paul
only had one meaning in mind. If we keep
Paul’s statement within the context of the previous verses, the sense of this
phrase isn’t all that difficult to determine.
Our Apostle Paul is obviously referencing the Jewish rites and religious
customs, under the Law, and the
question all along has been whether or not they were relevant to Gentile
Believers. Paul is trying to convince
the Gentiles in Galatia they need to “walk
away from” these religious customs (traditions), as He has done. In essence, he’s saying follow my example; for I also have become as you are. Even
though I am a Jew, I became like a Gentile; free from the Law thanks to Christ Jesus (Colossians 2:16).
We
know we’re on the right track, that Believer’s should be like him, because Paul
wrote a similar message in Philippians 4:9:
The things you have learned and
received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of
peace shall be with you.
Y’all
should be aware, when Paul says, “imitate
me,” he’s not being egotistic. He is
truthfully saying: Be imitators of me, just
as I am of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Permit me to illustrate by using a game from childhood. When my siblings and I played “follow the
leader” with other children from the neighborhood, we imitated the physical antics
and speech of our chosen leader in a
continuous line that moved along with them.
If you failed to imitate the leader correctly, you were out of the
game. Now there were usually 7 or more
children playing this game at one time, all of us in a line. Not everyone could see the leader and that was especially true for
the child in back of the line. Most of
the children had to imitate the child right in front of them, hoping that kid got it right. With that mental picture in mind, our
apostle Paul is saying Christ is the Head of the Church; he imitates Him, and we Believers are to follow
Paul. Does that help?
You have done me no
wrong – with
this statement Paul assures the Galatians this is not a personal matter;
therefore, there is no sense of ill will between them.
Verse
13:
Galatians 4
13: but you know
that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to
you the first time – Paul doesn’t give us any details about his bodily illness, so as usual I’m not
going to speculate as to what this might have been. It’s my duty to inform you Bible
commentators suggest it was Paul’s “thorn
in the flesh” but this book doesn’t tell us what that was. These same commentators also think it might
have been an “eye condition,” i.e. Ophthalmia, which he may have acquired on
the Damascus Rd (Acts 9) or at his stoning in Lystra (Acts 14:19-28). Both of these illnesses are viable arguments so they can’t be completely discounted. But since Paul doesn’t tell us what the bodily illness was we’re just going to
move on because the bottom line is it doesn’t matter. What matters is this illness kept Paul off of the missionary
road and in Galatia for quite some time.
He took advantage of this bodily
illness to preach the gospel to the Galatians who were steeped in paganism.
Verse
14:
Galatians 4
14: and that (bodily illness) which was a trial to you in my bodily
condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me
as a angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.
Many
Jews and Gentiles would have said Paul’s illness
was a judgment from God, which linked it to sin (John 9:2-3). But we know Paul was in God’s will, and ill, so this should force the Bible
student to reconsider such a thought.
When the man sinned in the Garden of Eden, he condemned all of humanity
to suffer the consequences of that sinful act, one of which is sickness.
Please
turn to Romans 8:20-22: For the creation was subjected to futility,
not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation
itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the
freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and
suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
Until
that great day, God uses illnesses
and other evils, such as hurricanes, to bring about His Sovereign purpose upon
this earth, ultimately to bring glory to Himself. I’m reminded of WW II and the many major
battles fought between the Allies and the Axis armies that were turned in favor
of the “good guys” simply because the weather changed in their favor, The
Normandy Invasion, and the Battle of the Bulge would be just two examples. But when illness does come, it may not be the result of God’s direct
intervention in one’s life, but is rather the result of that individual living
in a “fallen world,” with a “fallen body,” and poor health is a direct result
of making poor choices (cigarettes, meth, heroine, Opioids, pot smoking,
drinking too much alcohol, not enough sleep, poor diet choices, poor exercise
routine, STD, etc.). God wants people to
enjoy good health (3 John 2), however, illnesses
are permitted to occur for His purposes, whether we agree with them or
understand them or not (Job; Romans 8:28).
A
great deal of speculation surrounds our Apostle Paul’s physical illness and this verse shines some
light on people’s response to it. Paul
said his illness was a trial to them (a test); they could have avoided
him, the way you would purposely avoid someone suffering a contagion. People, by nature, are attracted to beauty,
but shun that which is unappreciated or unattractive. However, they did not despise or loathe him.
Paul’s
use of the word loathe tells the
story or reveals truth. It’s a graphic
term which literally means: “to spit
out.” If you’ve ever swallowed a bug,
you have a better understanding of this word than others. In the ancient Near East, people would spit,
automatically, after coming in contact with a disease or an illness
which was repulsive, thinking there was some therapeutic value in this
act. Paul’s point isn’t lost on his
readers: visually, he was a mess; an unattractive sight. But Spiritually speaking, he was as an angel of God.
but you received me
as a angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself
– in
spite of his “unattractiveness” the Galatians received him warmly. They received him as an angel of God, even as
Christ Jesus Himself. Why would they do this? They didn’t receive him warmly because of his
physical appearance or because of his oratory skills. There can only be one reason they welcomed
him in such a fashion; it was his simple message. Paul came preaching the gospel and because of this the Galatians were saved by faith (alone). By the way, the word for “angel” in Hebrew and Greek also means messenger.
Verse
15:
Galatians 4
15: What 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.
What then is that
sense of blessing you had – in asking this rhetorical question, Paul
wants to know where the original, warm, feelings the Galatians held for him have
gone. The Phillips translation Bible
reads: “What has happened to that fine spirit of yours?”
The
Celtic People: They were descended from
the Gauls who sacked Rome in the fourth century B. C. and in the third century
B. C. invaded Asia Minor and northern Greece. A part of them remained in Galatia predominating
in the mixed population formed out of the Greek, Roman and Jewish people. They were quick-tempered, impulsive,
hospitable and fickle people. They
were quick to receive impressions and equally quick to give them up. They received Paul warmly and then suddenly turned from him (Galatians 4:13-16).
For I bear you
witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them
to me – some
people in the church say this statement from Paul supports their theory his “thorn in the flesh” was related to an
eye condition. But I’m not eager to
board that train… Paul’s statement above
is not so far removed from one of our common expressions used today; “I’d give
my right arm for the chance to ________” (marry
him/her, get that job, hit the lotto, have a healthy baby…); you fill in the blank.
In
Paul’s day the eyes were considered
important parts of a person’s anatomy, so Paul is merely conveying the thought
the Galatians would have given him anything; they would have contributed
anything to his welfare at one time because they truly loved him. Yet now, Paul has realized their fickleness regarding his apostleship,
the gospel, and the church doctrines, or the
truth, as they were abandoning these things to follow the doctrines of men
instead.
Verse
16:
Galatians 4
16: So have I
become your enemy by telling you the truth?
This
is very strong language. The Koine Greek
word for enemy is Echthros (Ech-thros’), Adjective,
Strong’s Greek #2190, meaning: hostile, hating, and opposing another. Paul has never lied to these folks; he’s
never manipulated or scammed them. He
didn’t enter Galatia with dollar signs in his eyes. He came preaching
the gospel with the intention of saving
some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
So,
his question is not only appropriate it’s relevant because Paul’s enthusiasm
hasn’t changed. His heart for the Lord
and for every Believer in Christ Jesus is reflected in this letter; there isn’t
one untruthful thing in it. But, have
the Judaizers’ been equally truthful? Hardly; they came preaching a different gospel; a legalistic gospel (1:6-7), and the fickle Galatians’ were in the process of turning away from Paul and
the truth of his gospel. They were heeding the message of the false teachers
and striving to observe the doctrines of the Judaizers’ even though doing so placed
them back under the Law (4:8-9).
Jack
Nicholson’s line from the movie, “A Few Good Men, “ just came to mind. “You can’t handle the truth!” Paul wanted these folks in Galatia to know Christ the way he knew Him, but things
don’t always work out the way you expect them to or the way you want them
to. That’s life. Jesus, who was the embodiment of Truth, walked this earth for 3 years loving people,
healing people, teaching people; He performed miracles, signs, and wonders to
prove to His people, who He was, but the majority of the Jews voted for His
execution; only a precious few actually recognized Him as their Redeemer. Considering the fact He ministered to
thousands, fed thousands, I find that remarkable! (John 21:24-25)
These
Galatians were introduced to the truth,
but look what happened to them after Paul continued on down the missionary road. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 1:14-15: Guard,
through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure (the gospel) which has been entrusted to you.
You are aware (the word had spread) of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away
from me…
What’s
Paul saying? His letter to the Galatians
had little to no effect on these Galatian churches. Another way of putting it is, “His words fell upon deaf ears and hardened
hearts” because all they which are in
Asia turned away from Paul’s gospel. Only one thing could have caused this 180
degree shift in attitude and behavior.
The Galatian churches deserted the gospel and eventually embraced
legalism (1:6). It’s doubtful these
churches survived such a disturbing shakeup. We know the cities did not each one of them
fell into the dust of history.
Was
this a judgment of God or merely a
result of cause and effect? Permit me to
respond to the question this way. I read
an article the other day re: “The Decline of the Catholic Church in Europe,”
and it gives one reason to pause and reflect.
In the article the writer comments the elder Catholics are dying and
they are not being replaced by younger Catholic converts. This trend has been ongoing for decades it’s
just now becoming more obvious. He also
stated in the article he entered many Catholic churches on Sunday morning and
found the building almost empty. Now before
people start getting upset with me prematurely, I’m not picking on the Catholic
faith. I am merely reporting on a recently written article,
by a well-known author, reporting on current events. The Catholics are not the only faith experiencing
a decline in growth or a decline in Sunday worship attendance. Every Church denomination, across the board,
is in decline to some degree with some mainline churches headed toward
extinction.
I
am saying it is human nature to reject the
truth because humans are flawed
creatures. This is evident across all
aspects of society and not just regarding one’s faith. This flaw
can be traced back to the woman’s
decision to listen and then believe the serpent’s lie in the Garden of Eden that
she
will be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). This
has been humanity’s chief problem ever since that day; they’ve copied Satan’s
mantra: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like
the most High” (Isaiah 14:14; Ezekiel 28:2).
Verse
17:
Galatians 4
17: They eagerly
seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you
will seek them.
They eagerly seek
you – They are
the Judaizers; the false teachers who have infiltrated the Galatian churches eagerly seek you. Eagerly
seek are from the Greek word Zeloo, (dzay-lo’-o),
Verb, Strong’s Greek #2206, meaning: to desire earnestly. So, Paul is saying, “They earnestly desire
you; or “They want you on their team.”
but (behold the
underlying truth): they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them - “They demonstrate a great commitment towards
you, but that’s not a good thing; their reason is to get you to fellowship only
with them.” These Judaizers were
teaching in such a way as to create dependency on themselves in the lives of
the Gentile Believers.
Verse
18:
18: But is it good
always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am
present with you.
Here
Paul admits it is not wrong to eagerly
seek to win the affection of others as long as it is for their welfare. But Paul calls us to be careful that we are not seeking the affections of others for our
own selfish advantage. Paul's focus has
been and still is on the Galatians’ benefit; the false teachers' focus was upon
the Galatians’ contribution to the teacher's benefit.
Verses
19-20:
Galatians 4
19: My children,
with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you – but
I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed
about you.
As
I pointed out to y’all back in verse 12, Paul went from rebuking the Galatian
churches to pleading with them, to appealing to their better judgment, as a
parent with a broken heart would to a
child who has gone astray. Paul
often used metaphors because of their warm and caring connotation. He called himself a spiritual father in 1
Corinthians 4:15 and 1 Thessalonians 2:11 and here it’s implied.
I am again in
labor until Christ is formed in you - the Koine Greek
word formed is Morphoo (mor-fo’-o), Verb, Strong’s Greek #3445, meaning: to form. According to the text, this refers to the Galatians’
spiritual maturity or their being
like Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:13) (Romans 8:28-29; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 7:1;
Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 1:4, 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 4:3, 7, 5:23; 1
Peter 1:15). All of you should be aware
by now that spiritual maturity is a “process
of change.” Therefore, we are encouraged
“to walk worthy of our calling,” (Ephesians 4:1); “to walk worthy of the
Sprit,” so as not to “fulfill the lusts of the flesh,” (Galatians 5:16); and to
“walk in love” (Romans 5:2). Paul
was showing the Galatians his motives in teaching and preaching the truth were
totally different from those of the self-seeking Judaizers.
(To
be continued)
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Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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