Paul’s Concern for the Galatians.

A Personal Appeal

Galatians 4:12-20 NLT
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians. A Personal Appeal
¹² Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.
You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. ¹³ Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. ¹⁴ But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵ Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. ¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?
¹⁷ Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. ¹⁸ If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.
¹⁹ Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. ²⁰ I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 4:12-20 NLT
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians – A Personal Appeal 

¹² Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you

Notice the intensity of Paul’s appeal.

Brothers and sisters.

“Believers”

Fellow Christians

• Paul is making an intense appeal to the Galatians in an attempt to restore a broken relationship.

(A relationship between Paul and the Galatians.)

(A relationship between the Galatians and God.) 

to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

Philippians 3:5-6 NLT
⁵ I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶ I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

When Paul came to Christ, he abandoned all efforts to save himself, trusting wholly in God’s grace.

Philippians 3:7-9 NLT
⁷ I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸ Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Become free from the law as I am, for after my conversion I became like the Gentiles, no longer living under the law.

• Paul is no longer living under the law, as he once did.

John 8:31-32 NLT
³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

On the other hand, the Gentiles were putting themselves under the law after their conversion.

The Galatians were being negatively influenced by the legalism being taught by the Judaizers.

• The Gentiles are putting themselves under the law after their conversion.

• Paul is exhorting the Galatians to live “free from those laws”. 

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. ¹³ Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 

Bible scholars do not know the details of Paul’s sickness.

¹⁴ But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 

• Initially, the Gentiles treated Paul as if he were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.  

¹⁵ Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then?

• The legalism of the law took away the Joyful and grateful spirit the Galatians had initially felt after experiencing Paul’s teaching.

Paul wonder why the Galatians have turned against him.

I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 

This may simply be a bold figure of speech to convey the high esteem the Galatians had for Paul.  They would have given him their most precious possession. 

¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

Initially, the Galatians had taken Paul in and cared for him as though he was an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.

But all that changed.  The Galatians are now acting as if Paul had become their enemy simple because he had spoken truthfully with them.

Sometimes the truth hurts!

The Galatians were turning against the Lord, the gospel of grace, and the messenger who brought them the good news of justification by faith.

• The Galatians are now acting as if Paul had become their enemy simple because he had spoken truthfully with them. 

¹⁷ Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. 

The false teachers appeared to have a genuine interest in the Galatians.

False teachers:

Matthew 24:11 NLT
And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. 

Romans 16:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. ¹⁸ Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT
³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

• • False teachers:

Deceive people.

Teach destructive heresies.

Cause divisions.

Upset people’s faith.

Cause people to reject the truth and chase after myths. 

They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 

The Judaizers were trying to alienate the Gentiles from Paul and his teaching.

The Judaizers wanted the Galatians to look to them as they had initially looked to Paul.

¹⁸ If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you. 

¹⁹ Oh, my dear children!

• The Galatians are Paul’s spiritual children.

I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again,

The process of bringing them to Christ had been like going through labor pains.

A hard labor with a definite and joyful conclusion.

First for their salvation, now for their deliverance from the false teachers.

• Paul’s ministry is hard work.

and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.  

• Paul will continue to experience “labor pains” until Christ is fully developed in the lives of the Galatians.

A transformed life.

Colossians 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT
²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Galatians 2:20 NLT
²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
^12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

• Several descriptions of a transformed life: Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 2:20, and Romans 12:1-2

 ²⁰ I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. 

Paul wasn’t sure that he could minister effectively to the present needs of the Galatians from a “distance”.