Lesson for October 27, 2021
The Book of Galatians
Become As I Am
Galatians 4:12-16
“I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, nor express contempt, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
When Paul became a believer in Christ, he immediately gave up practicing Judaism. In Philippians 3:7 Paul says that he counted the things he had gained in Judaism (prestige, promotion, privilege, etc.) as loss (nothing) for the sake for Christ. So, by saying “I also have become as you are” meant he placed himself on the level as they were as Gentiles who did not have the Law of Moses. Now some of them had been duped into keeping the Mosaic Law for their spiritual lives by the Judaizers. Paul started in grace according to I Timothy 1:12-16 and he continued in grace according to I Corinthians 15:7-10.
You have done me no wrong means their rejection of grace for the legalism of the Law of Moses was not a personal attack on Paul, but a rejection of accurate Bible doctrine and the plan of God for the Church Age, which he had taught them. However, the Judaizers verbally attacked Paul. Become as I am was Paul’s way of saying get back to the principle of grace that you have abandoned.
But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time. This seems to be a reference to Paul’s chronic eye trouble mentioned in Galatians 6:11. We know that there were times when Paul had assistance in writing because of his eyesight. (Romans 16:22) This handicap made Paul realize that he was dependent on the grace of God rather than his human ability. II Corinthians 12:7-10 is where Paul states that he was given a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming arrogant. Perhaps his chronic eye problem was his “thorn in the flesh.” Whatever Paul was referring to as his bodily illness, it caused him to stay in Galatia and preach the Gospel.
And you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, nor express contempt. Paul was not a particularly good speaker, and his physical appearance was less than handsome. Coupled with his poor eyesight this made him a poor speaker. This was one of the reasons God chose Paul; so that He could show His divine power despite Paul’s weaknesses. Human viewpoint would say to choose a man who was handsome and a great speaker (like the Judaizers seemed to be), but divine viewpoint said the message, not the man, is the issue. So, the trial for these believers was whether they would accept the message of Paul and ignore his physical appearance and illness, or express contempt. Contempt means to loathe or spit out, as in rejecting the message of Paul. But you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself means that at the first preaching of the Gospel many of the Galatians accepted the message of salvation and accepted Paul as they would a messenger from God (an angel) or even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And they were then taught the accurate mystery doctrine of grace by Paul.
Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.When these Galatians heard the Gospel of grace for the first time and believed in Christ, they were extremely happy. And they did not hesitate to publicly proclaim their happiness. As a matter of fact, they were so happy, Paul said that they would have given him their own eyes to replace his own.
So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? The truth that Paul was referring to was that the Judaizers were lying to them by telling them they had to keep the Mosaic Law. Christ had abolished the Law as means of spirituality. Furthermore, Gentiles were never under the Mosaic Law. Paul had taught them the truth regarding grace and the purpose of the Law of Moses. So, it’s easy to see why he was so upset when he learned that some of the believers in Galatia were believing the lies of the false teachers. Paul never deviated from the message of grace for salvation and the Christian life.
Galatians 4:17-20
“They eagerly seek you, not in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you. 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 of voice, for I am at a loss about you!”
They eagerly seek you not in a commendable way refers to the legalistic Judaizers who sought to take the place of Paul and replace grace with their message of legalism. Eagerly seek you means the false teachers were continually and aggressively pressuring these believers to accept their false message. Commendable means honorable, praiseworthy, or meritorious; none of which applied to the Judaizers’ methods. They had done everything they could to discredit Paul by accusing him falsely of greediness and self-promotion. But they want to shut you out so that you will seek them means the Judaizers wanted to shut these believers out from Paul and his message of grace. If the Judaizers could have gotten the believers in Galatia to turn away from Paul, and toward them, they would have achieved their goal.
But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you.In contrast, Paul said that it’ s a good thing if a person is sought after in an honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious way, as he did when he was with them in person. And he said this should continue when he was absent from them. But these false teachers were not honorable, praiseworthy, or meritorious. They were just the opposite. They were spreading lies about Paul and his ministry and more importantly about the truth of the Gospel and the Christian life.
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 of voice, for I am at a loss about you! Ever since Paul left them and found out that they had succumbed to legalism, he wanted to return and be with them. However, Paul knew that it was God’s will for him to be elsewhere and doing other things. Nevertheless, emotionally he wanted to be with the Galatians to straighten out this matter of legalism. His tone in the letter was rough and tough, but if he were there in person, he could have made it softer and more pleasant and still straightened out the falsehood of the Judaizers. Since he was unable to be with them, he had to keep “shouting” the truth in his letter. Paul had every right as God’s apostle to the Gentiles to aggressively go on the offensive against these Judaizers and their false teachings. Paul had heard nothing to convince him that there had been a change in these believers, which perplexed him. There is nothing that has happened yet to change his doubt about them. When we get to the sixth chapter, we will see that he anticipates that things will be changed. It is to his benefit to be suspicious and doubting of them because this meant it would motivate him to clarify and straighten out the situation.
Galatians 4:21-31
“Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written, ‘Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.’ 28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.’ 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. Paul used an Old Testament story to illustrate the fact that believers in Christ are no longer bound by law. Notice that the article “the” before “law” is left out, as it is in Greek. In this passage law is a reference to religious legalism in general (not merely the Mosaic Law). These believers apparently had forgotten, or never knew, that the principle of grace had always been God’s way of providing salvation in every age. Paul therefore pointed them to the story of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael, and Isaac to demonstrate the point. (Genesis 16:1-16, 21:2)
But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. Ishmael was Abraham’s illegitimate son by his wife’s maid Hagar, but Isaac was Abraham’s legitimate son by his wife Sarah. Ishmael was conceived outside of God’s will, since Abraham and Sarah were given a promise by God that they would have a son, but they chose not to believe it. Isaac was the promised son and was miraculously conceived within God’s will as the fulfillment of God’s promise. Paul said that Ishmael represented law (legalism) and Isaac represented grace (freedom).
This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai (where the Law was given to Moses) bearing children who are to be slaves (under the Law); she is Hagar. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.There were two covenants – one represented by Hagar, and one represented by Sarah. Hagar represented law and Sarah represented grace. Hagar corresponded to earthly Jerusalem as it existed when Paul wrote this letter, which was the center of apostate Judaism and represented the bondage of the Law. On the other hand, Sarah corresponded to the heavenly Jerusalem representing grace and a place of freedom.
For it is written, ‘Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.’ Galatians 4:27 is speaking of Sarah not being able to bear children until God in His grace performed a miracle so she could conceive.
And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. Galatians 4:28 reinforces the truth that as children of the spiritual promise made to Abraham, believers in Galatia were related to God on the basis on their faith in Christ and not because they were related by birth to Abraham.
But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh (Ishmael) persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit (Isaac), so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, Forthe son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.’ Galatians 4:29-30 tells us that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. This also includes Ishmael’s descendants even to this day. For this reason, Hagar and Ishmael were cast out from Abraham, and Ishmael lost his inheritance. Paul was illustrating the point that grace is greater than the Law of Moses.
So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. Therefore, Paul said in Galatians 4:31 that believers are not children of Hagar which makes them slaves to the Law, but they are children of the promise which makes them free from the Law’s bondage.