Week 10
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 But at that time when you didn’t know God, you were slaves to those who by nature were not gods. 9 But now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how is it that you are still returning again to the weak and the poor basic elements to which you wish to be a slave to all over again? 10 You are observing traditional days, months, seasons, and years! 11 I am afraid for you that perhaps I have labored for you in vain.
12 I beg of you brothers and sisters, become like I am, because I am even like you are. You have done nothing wrong to me. 13 Now you know that because of a sickness in my body, I preached to you the Good News the first time, 14 even though it was a trail for you because of my flesh. You didn’t despise me nor reject me, but you received me as a messenger of God, even as the Anointed Jesus himself. 15 Therefore, where is your blessing? For I bear witness to you that if it was possible, you would have dug out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Then have I become your enemy while speaking the truth to you? 17 They are zealous for you, but it is not in a good way. They are wanting to shut you out so that you may be zealous for them. 18 Now it is good to be zealous as long as it is in a good way. Always be zealous and not only in my presence with you. 19 My children, whom I am again suffering labor pains until the Anointed may be formed in you; 20 now I was wanting to be present with you now and to change the tone of my voice, because I am at a loss about you. My Translation
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! NIV11
Comment
8 But at that time when you didn’t know God, you were slaves to those who by nature were not gods. My Translation
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. NIV11
Paul now brings to the attention of the Galatians when they were in Paganism by stressing that they were enslaved by the very lifeless idols that were by nature, not gods. Idols by nature are man-made images from clay, wood, or some kind of metal. In other words, in a former life, the Galatians were slaves at the hands of the very things that they themselves had to create. They worshipped and sacrificed to gods that they created, thus being slaves to that religious system. Back in 1:10, Paul called himself “a slave of Christ/Anointed”. The difference is that Jesus offers life and idols offer nothing.
9 But now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how is it that you are still returning again to the weak and the poor basic elements to which you wish to be a slave to all over again? My Translation
9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? NIV11
But now, the Galatians both know God and are known by God. Paul now drops a bomb-shell. He wants to know why the Galatians are turning back to the τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα (those weak and miserable forces) or (the weak and poor basic elements) that they used to be under. This is not the first time that Paul has used τὰ στοιχεῖα in this letter. He used it back in 4:3. There, Paul was referring to Judaism in which he says the Jews ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἤμεθα δεδουλωμένοι (were enslaved under the elementary forces of the world). Here, he is speaking of the past Paganism of the Galatians and how they should not want to be in slavery under such a thing again. More than likely, τὰ στοιχεῖα probably represent the basic teachings in religions whether they are correct or not. This will especially be seen as the bomb-shell explodes.
The bomb-shell is this: The Galatians were trying to perform the Jewish law in order to be justified before God. They got this idea from the agitators from Jerusalem. Paul is saying to them that Judaism is the same thing as Paganism! Paul puts them in different sides of the same boat. For the Galatians to move towards Judaism, would be the same as going back to Paganism. Therefore, they would be enslaved under the elementary forces all over again! It is an astonishing thing for a former Pharisee to say! But yet, he says it.
The "basic elements" are both weak and poor. Weak because they have no power to justify and poor because they don't have the ability of offer the Holy Spirit which enriches a person.
10 You are observing traditional days, months, seasons, and years! 11 I am afraid for you that perhaps I have labored for you in vain. My Translation
10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. NIV11
Paul points out what he has heard about the Galatians. They are now observing the Jewish calendar. In the past, they served the special days of Paganism, now, they serve the special days of Judaism. Both are τὰ στοιχεῖα.
The calendar language is from Genesis 1:14 LXX where the “lights” that God creates are “for signs, for seasons, for days, and for years”. Note the comparison below.
Gen 1:14 εἰς σημεῖα καὶ εἰς καιροὺς καὶ εἰς ἡμέρας καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυτοὺς
4:10 ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς
Only the lunar part of the calendar (months) is not in Genesis, but God does make the moon for the night.
Paul’s distress is over the fact that all of his efforts have been in vain because the Galatians have abandoned the basis elements from one side of the boat to returned to the other side of the boat for the same basis elements!
12 I beg of you brothers and sisters, become like I am, because I am even like you are. You have done nothing wrong to me. My Translation
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. NIV11
Paul doesn’t hold anything against the Galatians. He wants to get their relationship back on track. Paul had regarded himself as one of the Galatians. This episode has strained that relationship. Now that they are trying to observe the Jewish law, they are not like Paul. He pleads for them to return to the place where they used to be. He wants them to know that in his heart, the Galatians have done no wrong to him personally. Even if they had, this is Paul’s way of saying they he regards all of that forgiven.
13 Now you know that because of a sickness in my body, I preached to you the Good News the first time, 14 even though it was a trail for you because of my flesh. You didn’t despise me nor reject me, but you received me as the messenger of God, even as the Anointed Jesus himself. My Translation
13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. NIV11
Paul reminds the Galatians of when he first came to them preaching the Gospel. He was sick in some way that would have been repulsive to most people. Whatever that illness was, Paul calls it τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου (your trial in my flesh/body). The Galatians didn’t despise him or reject him. The Greek verb for our English translation for “reject” or “scorn” is ἐκπτύω. It literally means “to spit out” as in “spit out saliva as an expression of contempt”.
But instead of despising and spitting in contempt because of Paul’s illness, the Galatians received Paul as a “messenger of God” or “an angel of God”. But Paul goes further than that. He says ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν (as Christ/the Anointed Jesus). It is not that Paul believes that he is an angel of God or even Christ. His point is that they received the Gospel that he preached as when an angel of the Lord would come down and personally give a message to people, or if Jesus himself personally came to give the message. This is Paul’s meaning here.
Perhaps, in Paul’s statement ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν (you received me as an/the angel/messenger of God, as Christ/The Anointed Jesus), he is exposing his deep theology on how he sees Jesus. In the LXX, ἄγγελος θεοῦ and ἄγγελος κυρίου mean “the angel of God” or “the angel of the Lord”. There is no reason not to see that phrase being used in such a way here (Wallace, Greek Grammar, 252).
Often in the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord/God actually ends up being Yahweh himself (Gen. 18; Exodus 3-4; Judges 6)! If Paul is placing Jesus in apposition to “the angel of God”, then we have Christ as stepping into the role of “the angel of God” who tends to be Yahweh himself in the OT! Alas, a Yahweh = Adonai = Kurios = Jesus moment.
15 Therefore, where is your blessing? For I bear witness to you that if it was possible, you would have dug out your eyes and given them to me. My Translation
15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. NIV11
After reminding the Galatians of his first visit, he now wants to know why they are treating him so badly now. He asked them ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; (Where then is your blessing/happiness?). It is implied that the Galatians’ blessing/happiness is when Paul himself was first visiting them, but now, he is being treated in a different way. A μακαρισμός is a “pronouncement of being in receipt of special favor”.
The next part of the verse is interesting as some scholars think that it may be a clue to Paul’s illness. Did Paul have an illness in his eyes? Is this the σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί (splinter in the flesh) spoken about in 2 Corinthians 12? There is just not enough information given to know.
Of course, the natural meaning of the phrase would be around their love for Paul. The idea that the Galatians thought enough of Paul that they would have torn out their own eyes for him shows what love they had for him when he was with them at first. This is what Paul trying to remind them of.
16 Then have I become your enemy while speaking the truth to you? My Translation
16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? NIV11
The Galatians could always count on Paul “shooting them straight”. They would have known that Paul would not have supported the agitators’ message about keeping the Jewish law. This is not something that Paul preached to them. If fact, he preached the opposite to them (Acts 13:38-39).
17 They are zealous for you, but it is not in a good way. They are wanting to shut you out so that you may be zealous for them. 18 Now it is good to be zealous as long as it is in a good way. Always be zealous and not only in my presence with you. My Translation
17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. NIV11
“They” are the agitators. The agitators where trying hard to win over the Galatians. Not only did they want to win them over, but they wanted the Galatians to be “shut out” from the rest of Christian influence so that the Galatians would only have zeal for the agitators. They wanted to be the Galatians' spiritual teachers, not Paul.
This is what cult leaders do! They alienate the people from the rest of the Christian church and then teach them in such a way that the leaders become lofty before them. Therefore, the people become brain-washed and believe all sorts of doctrinal errors. The results of his sort of thing have led many to completely abandon the Christian faith all together.
If we look ahead, in 5:4 Paul says of the Galatians, “You have ceased to exist apart from the Anointed, all of you who are trying to justify yourselves in the law, you have fallen away from grace.” This is why the zeal of the agitators was no good for the Galatians. In Paul’s eyes, the intentions of the agitators were not good.
His last phrase is to remind them that it is ok for some to be zealous for them as Paul was when he was with them. The difference is that Paul's intentions were good where the agitators' were not.
19 My children, whom I am again suffering labor pains until the Anointed may be formed in you; 20 now I was wanting to be present with you now and to change the tone of my voice, because I am at a loss about you. My Translation
19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! NIV11
Paul calls the Galatians τέκνα μου (my children) and for good reason. He is the reason that the Good News came to Galatia. But now, He feels as if he has to start all over again. Before, he preached, they believed, and they received the Holy Spirit as proof. But now, they are slipping back. Paul uses the metaphor “labor pains” to describe what it took for them to believe in Jesus in the first place. He now applies that again. This time, he has to do it all over again.
Paul will not stop. He will endure the “labor pains” until Christ be truly formed in them again. Given the context of the letter, for Christ to be “unformed” in the Galatians means that the works of the law are causing this to happen. As spoken about in verse 17 and forward in 5:4, the Galatians have become inexistent in Christ as they try to justify themselves with the Jewish law.
Paul wants to be with them again so that they can really see that he cares for them and loves them. He can’t believe that they have slipped so far! He has been pretty rough with them so far, but he wishes he could be with them so that they could see the love that he has for them.
Conclusion
In verses 8-11, Paul has made the claim to the Galatians that moving towards the Jewish law to be justified is like returning to their Pagan past. Both Judaism and Paganism are in the same boat, but perhaps on different sides of the boat. Ether way, both represent the basis elements that once enslaved them.
In verses 12-20, Paul reminds the Galatians of just how happy they were the first time Paul came and preached the Gospel to them. They loved him so much that they would have given anything to him. But now, the agitators have “agitated” them to the extent that Paul is having to start all over again with them. He will not give up as they are his figurative children and he wishes to be present with them so that he can express his concern and love for them in person.
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