“Being Made Much of” Galatians 4:12-20

Grace Abounds

A Sermon Series Through the Book of Galatians

“Being Made Much Of”

Galatians 4:12-20

 Introduction

John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The false teachers in Galatia were saying that they needed to add the law to grace through faith in Jesus. There is a good chance that when they sat down in fellowship at meals, the Gentile Galatians were forced to sit at a different table until they were circumcised and were following the law. But freedom comes from resisting any claim (apart from the true gospel) that promises God’s displeasure unless we submit to said claim.

There will come a time in your lifetime when well-meaning Christians will recommend various systems of “godly” “child-rearing, financial management, Scripture memory, prayer, missions involvement, coping with health problems, etc. – we should evaluate if whether they conform to Scripture and common sense, and use them if they are beneficial. They should not become activities that in our imagination cause God to love us more. If we find ourselves taking pride in such activities and internally condemn those who do not participate with us in them, we are on a dangerous path not unlike the Galatians were traveling and that caused Paul such distress.”[1]

The Appeal of Affection (vv. 12-16)

12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

In Paul’s attempt to persuade the churches in Galatia to his argument (salvation is by grace and not works) he appeals to their previous common experiences. He first calls them “Brothers,” We are in the same family of God, and he says, “become as I am, for I also have become as you are.” He is telling them that “there was a time in his own life, as a devout Jew, be observed all of those Mosaic rites to which the Galatians were turning now.”[2]

He had kept the feast days and observed the Passover and looked upon certain foods as clean. But when he came to them, he had been set free from the Law of Moses. But now, he pleads with them, “become as I am,” free from trying to earn salvation by keeping the law and free from having to live by outward symbols, ceremonies, rituals, and restrictions.”[3]

(v. 13) “though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus,” When Paul first came to them there was something about his physical condition that would have made his acceptance harder than normal. He doesn’t say exactly what happened, but it was because of this condition that caused him to originally preach to them.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Galatians 6:11 “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”

2 Corinthians 11:24-28 “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for pall the churches.”

Paul’s physical condition would have been a man whose body was scarred and wrecked. Think about it from the Galatian perspective, “you want me to believe in Jesus as the Savior, the Son of Man, God in the flesh – and this is what he allows his followers to go through? For Paul, getting the gospel to other people was all worth it. Paul could see eternity even if he couldn’t see across the room.

But whatever it was they accepted him, warmly received the truth of the gospel, he even says that, “if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.” He loved them, and they loved him. They received the truth of the gospel, in spite of Paul’s physical condition. There was something about Paul’s condition that was revulsive, unsightly, but they accepted him anyway, “you did not scorn or despise me.” Literally “they did not spit at him.”

“During the first trip to Galatia, persecution had been severe, and Paul had even been stoned and left for dead by those hostile to the gospel (Acts 14:19). But as he later returned to Antioch with Barnabas, one can imagine how he must have marveled over the vastly contrasting love and kindness be had received from believers.”[4] So in spite of Paul’s difficulty, health problems, etc. God used all of it to get him to the Galatian churches to preach the gospel. God uses our problems to achieve His purposes.

(v. 15) “What then has become of your blessedness?” – There was an excitement and an openness to receive the gospel of grace, salvation by faith. But now, there is a strong resistance to the truth. What happened? The gospel of legalism had become more attractive to them than the gospel of grace, and the man who had been their beloved friend had become to them like an enemy. (v. 16) “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Their blessedness was being replaced with Self-righteous law following.

 Joy is replaced with hard-heartedness.

Our ability to receive the truth of God’s Word is directly related to our sense of needing it in our lives. If we become self-righteous we become hardened to the truth and even those who seek to tell us the truth.

The Warning of Too Much Appeal (vv. 17-20)

17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

The Galatian churches were people who were sought after – for Paul, he sought after them for the purpose of sharing the gospel to them, and he has said several times of his love for them, and calls them “my little children.” Paul went there originally because of his desire to share the gospel with them (even if it was because his others plans were changed).

He is explaining that there is another group of leaders who is pursuing them also. They will also, “make much of them,” But their ultimate goal is to get them to give over to legalism and once they have done so, they will then look to these leaders for “the rules,” “that you may make much of them.” Paul was self-giving, these false teachers were self-serving.

Jesus put it this way in reference to the Jewish leadership of his day, Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” These religious leaders don’t really care about them, they only want their praise; these Judaizers have no love or concern for them as individuals, only that they be counted among their numbers and agree to their doctrine.

There are some spiritual leaders that only care about your wallet

and your head counted in the room.  

Genuine spiritual leadership is concerned about your spiritual growth. 

John 11:45 “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” These leaders were only concerned about how people’s beliefs would affect them.

(v. 19) “until Christ is formed in you,” – Paul’s opponents wanted to change people, and Paul wanted to change people. Paul’s message was salvation by grace through faith in the work of Jesus on the cross. The false teachers way of change was to get them away from grace, and to add the law and works to Jesus (Jesus plus the law). Which of these approaches transforms a person to be more of what God desires?

Conclusion

Paul has given multiple arguments to the Galatians for the sake of their receiving the true gospel: in spite of illness he went there and preached the gospel, 1) his authority as an apostle 2) the gospel is from God, (a revelation) not from men (or angels) and those that preach another version are accursed 3) the other apostles and church leadership agree with Paul, 4) an example from church history (Paul confronting Peter), 5) their own personal experience, “did they receive the Spirit by work?” 6) Biblical history, theological study (Abraham received righteousness by faith before the law was ever given) 7) Theological arguments (Christ became the curse for us), 8) law arguments (God’s covenant with Abraham), 9) cultural examples of how the law was a guardian and its purpose as a prison, 10) How a person becomes a child of God (we are adopted) 11) and here today, yet another allegorical argument of how we have one of two mothers, another point from the Old Testament, and we still have two chapters to go.

Paul does not just give one argument – he gives example after example, argument upon argument. Why go to such trouble, why not just make an effort and when they (in their stubbornness won’t listen), just move on? Look at Paul’s physical condition (he is wrecked) If anyone deserved a retirement party, it was Paul – look at his zealousness, bulldog push to not let go of these churches – why?

The world enslaves people, we have been entrusted with the truth of how Jesus through faith gives freedom. Also, when their relationship was damaged because of doctrinal differences, He does not back down from the truth, but he does pursue the relationship (argument upon argument). He doesn’t give up the truth for the sake of the relationship, be does both at the same time.

People need to hear the truth about Jesus.

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[1] Frank Thielman, Expository Commentary, Volume X, Romans – Galatians (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2020) 632.

[2] Lehman Strauss, Devotional Studies in Galatians and Ephesians (Neptune, New Jersey; Loizeaux Brothers Publsihing, 1974) 61.

[3] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Galatians (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Bible Institute, 1987) 114.

[4] MacArthur, 116.