Established Relationship with Christ
They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. 18 But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. 19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. 20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you. (Galatians 4:17-20)
Continuing through Paul’s many proofs and arguments against the Judaizers’ claims of a false gospel, Paul now appeals to the believers in Galatia by showing how the Judaizers are enticing them away from the truth. Instead, the believers should remember their relationship with Paul and how he helped them lead them to Christ and the joy they had in their hearts during that time. Starting with verse 17, the Judaizers are intentionally trying to damage Paul’s reputation so that it is easier for them to deceive the believers in Galatia. By tempting them away from Christ, the Judaizers are damaging the spiritual well-being of the believers, “They court you eagerly, but not for good.” In verse 18, Paul commends the zeal of the Judaizers, but, as Max Anders summarizes, Paul “regrets that this passion is so erroneously misplaced.”
On the other hand, in verse 19, unlike the Judaizers' motivations, Paul’s was always for their good. He suffered for “my children,” comparing his pains to that of being in labor for them to grow in their faith. Just an example of the hardships Paul had to endure throughout his ministry to get the word to people, in Lystra in Acts 14, a group of Jews decided to stone him and leave him for dead. Paul would go through many trials such as that, all for the sake of helping believers throughout the world. And Paul does this work not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of the believers, that they would continue to mature in their faith and be more like Christ, “until Christ is formed in you.” In verse 20, we see that Paul urgently wants to be in their presence and speak to them firmly but gently, “change my tone of voice.”
May we establish these deep relationships like Paul, that are centered on helping one another grow in Christ, correcting with gentleness and without ill intentions, that we may all grow in our knowledge and character of Christ to be more like Him every day.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
تعليقات