The Book Of Galatians – Chapter 4:12-20 - Message 15 – Paul’s Heart Was Outpoured For The Galatians Series

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 4:12-20 - MESSAGE 15 – PAUL’S HEART WAS OUTPOURED FOR THE GALATIANS

PART [A] - HUMBLED TO BECOME AS THE GALATIANS WERE

{{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”}}

Paul tells them this is not personal – they have not injured him. It is not loyalty to Paul which was in question, but loyalty to the Lord! They had disappointed Paul, hurt him, but they had spurned the sacrifice of the Lord. They had wronged the Lord.

Paul appeals to these Christian friends in terms that are endearing, appealing to them from his own position. “Become as I am” means Paul became as the Galatians when among them, not as any great trained Pharisee (which he was) or some great teacher (which he was) but lived with them on the same level. He became as a Gentile and as such, the entrapments of Judaism were not to be considered. In humility he became as one of them. It reminds us of what Paul wrote elsewhere – {{1Corinthians 9:19-23 “Though I am free from all men, I HAVE MADE MYSELF A SLAVE TO ALL, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews. To those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law. To those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”}}

“Become as I am” means the Galatians should be as Paul, not governed by Jewish traditions and Sabbath days and rituals that Paul had moved away from, and all the rest these false teachers were trying to force onto the Galatian Christians.

[[ “Follow my example in laying aside your opinion of the necessity of the law, for I am - Or rather, I was; as ye are - That is, I was once as zealous of the law as you are, but by the grace of God I am now of another mind: be you so too. {{Philippians 3:7-8 but whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,}}. Or, as some understand the verse, I beseech you to maintain the same affectionate regard for me as I bear toward you, and candidly to receive those sentiments which I, to whose authority in the church ye can be no strangers, have been inculcating upon you.” ]] (Benson)

PART [B] – RETURNING TO THE FIRST CONTACT

{{Galatians 4:13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time,

Galatians 4:14 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.

Galatians 4:15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had for I bear you witness, that if possible, you would have plucked (dug) out your eyes and given them to me?”}}

VERSE 13

Paul had some illness that caused him to stay in Galatia and therefore preach to the people. The Galatians were converted and gave Paul the warmest of welcomes and they accepted him as an angel, even Christ. Their love and devotion was overwhelming. Paul’s illness most probably was related to his eyes and these Galatians would gladly have dug out their eyes to give them to Paul. This was in spite of the fact that it was a trial for the Galatians to look at Paul. It may have been his thorn in the flesh.

“Because of a bodily illness” - it is clear, that on Paul’s first journey through Galatia he was compelled by reason of bodily weakness to stay there in that region. It did not form a part of his plan, but because of his love for the unsaved, during this sojourn that was forced on him by necessity, he preached the gospel to the Galatians. Let us not blame the illness. It was all in God’s plan. Though it meant discomfort to Paul, it meant salvation to the Galatians. We complain when things don’t go according to our plans but God always has a much higher purpose in mind we may not even recognise, even at the time.