Strained Relationship

12 I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have not wronged me; 13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself.15 Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? (Galatians 4:12-16)

Continuing from last week, Paul addresses his friends, the church at Galatia, showing that their focus on legalism, following the false teaching of the Judaizers, has now caused their relationship with the apostle to be damaged. In verse 12, Paul reminds them of how their relationship of friendship began, in that, Paul himself became like the Gentiles, rejecting the Jewish law as means to gain favor with the Lord and instead, accepting the gift of grace through Jesus Christ to be declared righteous before the Father. They welcomed Paul with open arms, with Paul stating “You have not wronged me.”

In fact, in verses 13 and 14, Paul appeals to their proven kindness, reminding them of how they cared for him while he was sick during his first missionary journey, allowing him to preach among them (see Acts 13-14). They even welcomed him like “an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.”

Yet, in verse 15, that kind spirit is gone, “Where, then, is your blessing?” Paul goes to the extent that they “would have torn out your eyes and given them to me,” which is hyperbole, but to reinforce the point of their sudden and drastic change in demeanor towards him.

And the source of the issue is in verse 16, in which they have made Paul an enemy “because I told you the truth,” the message of grace rather than works. As commentator Max Anders states, “The Judaizers had convinced the Galatians that Paul was not a legitimate apostle and that his gospel, by excluding the law, was deficient.”

Paul and his friends at Galatia had a wonderful relationship, being united by the gospel truth, the message of grace through Jesus Christ. Yet, because the church at Galatia gave into the false teaching of the Judaizers, what once was a relationship of joy and blessing became strained and divided. The gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to unite people of different backgrounds, giving them the ability to help one another grow in a joyous relationship and community. Yet, to stray away from the truth of the gospel leads to strained and difficult relationships.

Blessings,

Isaac De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com

https://www.facebook.com/WestsideBaptistChurchSBC