4:16
“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Often people will be vilified for telling the truth. Sometimes the truth is not pleasant. In today’s culture telling the truth is often labelled “hate speech” and special interest groups are not interested in the truth. However, it is only the truth that will set us free, the truth that is found in Christ, indeed the truth that is Jesus Christ. Paul is getting the Galatians to look at themselves and to consider what is lying behind their own reactions. The problem in Galatia was not just a theological matter, but involved personal issues as well. This is the case in most disagreements and problems that arise in churches. We need to be aware of the multifaceted nature of problems. If we look at something from just one angle we will rarely appreciate the true nature of the issue.
4:17
Now Paul talks about those who were misleading the Galatians. They zealously courted them, making out as if the Galatians were very important to them. But they were not doing this for a good purpose. They wanted to shut them out from the grace of God so that they would instead be devoted to the Judaisers. Anyone who is a true servant of the Lord will seek to point people to Jesus, to make them disciples of Jesus, to make them people who love the Lord above all else. False teachers will seek to make people devotees of themselves. This can happen in obvious ways, but it can also be more subtle. If we are teachers or leaders we need to watch ourselves very carefully. Are we drawing people to Christ, or to ourselves?
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