Galatians 4:16-20 Presented by Bob DeWaay December 17, 2013 Paul Makes a Strong, Personal Appeal

Truth Telling Sadly Creates Hostility Galatians 4:16 (NKJV) Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?  This is an exclamation of the incredible irony of the situation  They ought to love the truth of the gospel  The Judaizers have turned them against the truth  Paul tells them the truth anyhow 2

False Teachers Withdraw or Forbid Fellowship Galatians 4:17 (NKJV) They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.  False teachers demand submission to themselves as necessary for fellowship  They exclude those who fail to adopt their doctrine  It is either Paul or the Judaizers, they are incompatible 3

Zeal must be Rightly Directed Galatians 4:18 (NKJV) But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.  In Verses 17 & 18, ze_loo_ appears 3 times  Paul would rejoice in rightly directed zeal for the gospel’ not the zeal of the false teachers for law- works and ungodly domination 4

Paul’s Labor Pains for Misled Saints Galatians 4:19 (NKJV) My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,  It is as if the Galatians need to be converted again  This is like the warning against “reverse conversion” in Galatians 4:9  They would put themselves back under the curse, stoicheia, paidago_gos, and general slavery 5

Paul’s Wish to be with Them in Person with a Different Tone Galatians 4:20 (NKJV) I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.  He hopes the Galatians will be won back  He hopes to save them from shipwreck on the spiritual rocks of deception 6

 False teachers demand submission to themselves  It is a good and beneficial thing to correct error  Beware of misplaced zeal Implications and Applications 7

False Teachers Demand Submission to Themselves Matthew 11:16-17 (NASB) But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” 8

It is Loving to Correct Error James 5:19-20 (NASB) My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 9

Beware of Misplaced Zeal Romans 10:2-4 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 10