Weak and Beggarly Elements

Galatians 4 and the Need for Hard Words in Love

You'll turn in the scriptures with me to Paul's epistle to the Galatians. Galatians chapter 4. Paul's epistle to the Galatians. Galatians chapter 4. Recognizing that the Word of God is given to us by the Spirit of God the necessity of his spirit to know.

Understand and obey let us ask one more time for his blessing upon our time together. Indeed our Heavenly Father we do open your word now, and we would ask that you would speak to us. We ask that your spirit would gather with us Lord that you would remove those things that would be distractions to our minds.

Things we may have coming up. Pressures upon us Lord. We ask that by your spirit. You would help us to hear. You would minister to us by your word. And Lord you would be honored and glorified and everything that takes place during this time.

We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Sometimes you have to say some hard things. To people that you love. I'll confess that's not an easy thing for me. I will confess. There are a lot of people who assume that well you're an apologist.

You're you're jetting off Tuesday evening of this week. You're gonna be going down to South Africa you're gonna be debating in a mosque in South Africa and and Debating in London and and doing radio programs with debates there, and all you you just love to argue no.

Actually, I do not and in fact there could be really a I Think an appropriate criticism of me that that I might avoid some type of controversies that actually I don't like and. But I should engage him.

I think all of us probably at times that take the easier road rather than the harder road and When we think about Paul's epistle to the Galatians. We think about what caused the writing of this epistle.

Certainly if Paul had been one of those who wanted to take the easy way out. He would not have written this letter. We know that there was a real problem in the churches in Galatia. We know that there was a movement amongst the people toward a what we would call the Judaizers a movement away from the gospel itself and Paul was faced with a difficulty.

We we know from what he wrote that he recognized that the very truth of the gospel itself was at stake. The very truth of the gospel and we know that in the very first few sentences of the epistle He launches into an attack upon his enemies there in the churches in Galatia, and he Anathematizes them he places them under the curse of God.

This is not a man that you'd want as your poster child for ecumenical movements where we all just get together and sing kumbaya. No within a first the first few verses He has said if anyone preaches the gospel of the unto you other than the one that we've preached unto you.

Let him be under the very curse of God. Well, I couldn't have been easy to do and in fact we Get the indication in reading the letter that that rather than using a scribe. Which I guess would have been his normal way of doing things.

Paul probably wrote this letter himself. He didn't want someone else to be involved in Having to write down these incredibly difficult words and and when he wrote these things he knew that this epistle was going to be brought into the church and Of course they didn't have a church building in those days.

They were meeting in someone's home and There would be smaller gatherings member. This is written to actually churches in an entire area. So more than once this was going to happen where that gathering was going to take place and And one of the elders was going to say we have received a an epistle from the Apostle an epistle from the Apostle and and so He's gonna read it out now.

Probably I don't know but probably they would have read the epistle before they read it in the fellowship and they would know just how Incredibly difficult this was going to be. That this was literally going to be a bombshell right in the midst of the congregation and So were they nervous as they began?

Was there a possibility in their mind that they might want to you know sort of back off? Maybe maybe edit some of the things that the Apostle had said. But certainly Paul knew That when his words were read out If there had been any planned Pot luck or fellowship meal or as we say pot Providence After the service probably gonna get canceled.

Either that or everybody's gonna end up with indigestion because there wasn't going to be any any sweet fellowship there was going to be such a a Spirit of amazement grieving because you see these people had come into the church and They they didn't wear a sign around their neck and said I'm a heretic.

They had worked their way in and they're they're gonna have their own supporters. They're gonna have people who's gonna say that that that Paul what he said that was that was unloving. That was offensive.

That would be the language that would be used today in many churches people would be scrambling for their safe space. After the reading of the book of Galatians and Sometimes though as the Apostle recognized you have to address difficult issues.

And that's what he had done. He had laid out the case. He has now been for a couple of chapters arguing the case and and Demonstrating from from the scriptures, which would be the Old Testament scriptures to us.

The reality of the necessity of justification by faith there can't be a Jewish Christian Church a Gentile Christian Church and and You you can't put yourself under the old law to then be able to to by faith believe in Jesus Christ.

And he's been laying out his case. He's been arguing his point. But you'll notice In all of our experiences, we've we've had to have these difficult conversations these difficult times. You get to a point and you you remember the love you have for the person you're talking to or the people you're talking to and.

You want to reaffirm that even in midst of the difficulty and you want to say? Don't you remember how close we've been. I I want you to hear my words. I know I've had to say some strong things to you but.

But I I hope you can hear my heart that I care for you. And I'm I'm concerned about you and and and even though we know there's still some more. We're gonna have to say and and and we might have to sort of close with some very strong words.

We want to sort of in the middle of that. Reaffirm our concern and our care for the people we're talking to. You may be thinking about some family conversations. Conversations at work some conversations in your extended family.

Where this type of thing has taken place well in Galatians chapter 4. We encounter a situation like that. We encounter the Apostle and and he's he's talking to the churches in Galatia. And then he he sort of takes a timeout and says remember how I came to you remember.

Remember how you received me. Think about those things as you hear my words. I know I'm giving you harsh counsel, but I have to the truth of the gospel is at stake and Chapter 4 comes right before chapter 5 that's sort of how that normally works, and and I honestly can't think of almost any text of scripture.

That contains stronger language in Galatians chapter 5 does and so maybe Paul knew he was gonna have to say some of the things he was going to say there and. So he wants to sort of get the people ready.

He wants to remind them. I've not been your enemy. You you know that I care for you. So let's take a look at Galatians chapter 4 beginning at verse 8. Galatians chapter 4 verse 8. And Sean we've got an echo going on here.

It's gonna sort of drive me crazy. It's it's feeding back on us, so we need to back that off just a little bit. Galatians chapter 4 verse 8. However at that time. When you did not know God you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

But now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God. How is it that you turn back again to the weak and work of the worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved? All over again.

You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you that perhaps I have labored labored over you in vain. I Beg of you brethren. 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 That which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe.

But you received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They eagerly seek you not commendably, but they wish to shut you out since you will seek them. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner 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 for I am perplexed about you. What do we have in this text well very briefly?

Paul reminds them of that time in the past when they were slaves to those which are by nature not gods. Whatever their religious background had been he he did not have to Enumerate the various religious perspectives that had been theirs.

He said there was a time when you did not know God and you were slaves those which by nature are no gods. It's interesting we can we can say that in any context today because though the world finds it offensive.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is exclusivistic. There is one God. There is one name given amongst men whereby we must be saved the name of Christ Jesus. We do not blush to say these things though the world finds that attitude to be reprehensible.

Paganism has always said you can believe what you want to believe. As long as you don't tell people that what you believe is true for them. That's what the Roman the Roman state was all about there are all sorts of different gods.

It was okay if you believed in your God as long as you didn't tell anybody else that they need to believe in your God as well. Well, that's what we're going back to in our world today at a incredibly rapid pace the paganization of Western society is continuing on every single day.

But then he says but now that you have come to know God, and then I love this. There's everything right and saying to a believer in Jesus Christ you've come to know God. That's completely true. But you see be prepared for a major anachronism here, but you see Paul was a good Calvinist.

And he didn't want anybody to get the wrong idea. And he says but now that you have come to know God and all of us have. But to be perfectly accurate or rather To be known by God in other words. He wants to make sure that we see that the emphasis is Upon the fact that it was God's doing.

It's God's doing. It's not something that you didn't search out God and find God because you're smarter than somebody else as Paul had said of the Corinthians God and his wisdom has made sure that man by his wisdom is not going to come to know him.

Instead of the preaching of the cross is how we come to know the God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. But now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God. How is it? That you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again.

And there's all sorts of discussion about the elemental things here. But the point is that man's religion is focused upon the accomplishment of man himself all of man's religions oh and the variety of them and all the different kinds of rituals and beliefs and images that are involved but Fundamentally when you think about those religions.

They are focused upon what man does now God may God may make available a system a System whereby you come to gain knowledge or grace or a mixture of these things. You know set out a system where you you go through this ritual and that ritual.

And there's a certain amount of time and you you sort of build up points and and you know. Eventually you get to this level the next level, but it's it's all based upon man's accomplishments the idea of of God.

Condescending. Joining men to himself and and when you think about the condescension of what we're talking about entering into his own Creation in the incarnation. So as to join Rebel sinners to himself change their hearts and their minds.

This is a radically strange way from the world's perspective of expressing religious belief. These are the elemental things and and once you have a system you become enslaved to those things you become enslaved to the repetitious nature of Whether it's sacraments in the Roman system or whatever else it might be you have this Slavery, so Paul says you observe days and months and seasons and years I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

And so so they were being brought back not just as we know the Judaizers saying you need to be circumcised but You can't just you can't just drop a little bit of legalism into the cup of grace it takes the whole thing over and so once you have just a little bit just a little bit of synergism just a little bit of Cooperation.

God does most of it, but you know he can't do it without our help. The tendency in man's religion is That man's part gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger grace is driven out. That's what that's why Paul said in Romans chapter 11 if it's by grace Can't be of works.

These things are contradictory Concepts they can't. The hand of works and merit cannot fit into the hand of grace. They just don't work and so Paul says You observe days and months and seasons and years and I've got to admit I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

I Mean if they could go all the way if they could if the entire church could be convinced the Judaizers were right then how else could Paul view it, but as a a complete failure a Complete failure a laboring in vain and so having said that those are strong words I mean can you imagine if if The elders stood up here and looked out at the congregation and said we've just gone.

We just don't know what to do with you folks. We're starting to wonder if we've just wasted our time. You know if pastor Frye got got really into into a text of scripture, and he's just Preaching away on it, and he looks at all all of us says I don't know that anybody here gets as I may have just wasted my time you think you're gonna I'll be listening pretty carefully to what he's saying Strong words Strong words, and so it's right then.

That Paul says I beg of you brethren become as I am for I also become as you are. You have done me no wrong, but you know that was because of a bodily illness. I preached the gospel the first time now.

There's all sorts of discussion About whether we can look at this text and determine things about When Paul went to Galatia and and the relationship of missionary journeys and dating and and How this relates to Acts chapter 15 the Jerusalem Council?

And if you've ever done an in-depth study of the book of Galatians. You know there's all sorts of I mean commentaries on Galatians would be much shorter if We didn't have the necessity of constantly arguing About the North Galatian theory versus the South Galatian theory and and all the chronological stuff and the timing that's involved because it is fascinating to try to Understand how this fits in with what was going on in Acts?

Especially Acts chapter 15, and then what happens with Paul later, and and so on and so forth. It's it is important to do. I'm not saying that this is not important stuff, but. But a lot of the time is spent Asking those kinds of questions when what Paul's really doing here is he's he's basically saying to them look brethren You've done me no wrong.

I am being open with you. I Want you to be open with me? I want I'm sharing my heart with you. I Am focused upon the grace of God remember that time when I first came to you. It was because of a bodily illness.

I preached the gospel you the first time. Now again The commentaries are filled with all sorts of discussion of what this bodily illness was and. And You know if you want to get published you want to get a dissertation approved or something you've got to come up with something new and I think there would probably be a few that there'd be fewer possibilities if it wasn't for the fact that people down to the centuries have just come up with a million different theories.

For example well Paul had malaria. He contracted malaria down toward the sea and and so he had to go up into inland to higher altitude to recover and and and they the thinking in that day was you need to get out of the area where you contracted the the malaria and so he had sort of been distracted from where he wanted to go and he had to go inland more and that's why he came to them and you know malaria is not exactly the type of thing that Makes you attractive to other people and and makes you a great speaker and things like that.

It makes you weak of body so on and so forth and so you have the that that theory. But there is there is some indication here for you notice and that which was a Trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe that term to to despise Literally to spit at and So It would be common.

It was common in the cultures because of certain religious beliefs of the day. To think that that spitting in someone's presence Could protect you from whatever disease they had especially it was one that looked like it was particularly contagious or something like that and So some people looked at that I Personally more toward a a less literal reading to despise or loathe.

There is something About Paul's condition that did not make him Attractive to his audience and You'll notice down in verse 15. For I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me, so there's There's what seems to me to be a pretty important clue.

Whatever it was it seems and is this that is this the thorn in the flesh? From from the Corinthian literature might be. Might not be we don't know my guess is it probably was. But we can't prove it one way or the other but Paul had a bodily illness that would generally make him not be the type of person you want to hang around and be in the presence of and when he said it says you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me evidently there was some type of Was it pink eye.

Was it the ancient version of pink eye something like that? I mean, I don't like being around people with pink eye personally, and it's not just because I happen to know it's incredibly contagious. Ever had pink eye.

I I remember I don't know how old I was but sometime when I was young and I Got it bad, and let me tell you something that was gross. I mean especially in the morning I'm not could go into the details, but it It you know and and you could go to the doctor and get eyedrops stuff like that you.

They had eye salves and things like that in the ancient world there believe me. There are all sorts of Do-it-yourself remedies in those days. But taking a bunch of icky eye salve and putting that all over what you've already got from some type of eye infection.

Yeah, that's not exactly hey. Let's go look at the really disgusting looking guy and let's listen what he has to say is he preaches this message. We've never heard of before. Yeah, I can see how that would have caused an issue and certainly.

Certainly not necessarily some people I say oh, no no would ever be this low, but think about it. If you're one of the Judaizers They wanted to undercut the Apostles authority there are ways for you to mention the fact that.

Well, you know the Judaizers. Not only are they able to speak to you. But they can they can read from the scriptures that having somebody else to have to do that. And they can write letters to you and normal size print without having to do it real big.

And you know help is a blessing from God it might indicate something. You know if if someone's got this constant problem. You know maybe maybe God's not really with them. And we know that was certainly a concept that that existed during Jesus's day amongst the Jews remember John chapter 9 and so there may have been a Subtle seeking to undercut the Apostles authority by reference the fact that he really isn't all that impressive a guy.

You know you can't see real well, and he he doesn't look real good, and and he's not the greatest greatest speaker in the world. Maybe that was a part of it as well the Paul Mentions this bodily condition you did not despise or loathe me.

But and in contrast to what would be a normal or expected response the opposite of that is you received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus himself and. So Paul contrasts what they could have been like he contrasts how a natural reaction might have been to what they really were like.

They received him as an angel of God as one with a message from God. I mean if an angel is going to come from God with a message. Then you're gonna want to hear what the angel has to say. And so he says you receive me as an as an angel of God as Christ Jesus himself and so even if if Jesus had come and preached the message the kind of respect the kind of of Acceptance that you would expect to be given to an angel or even greater to to Christ Jesus himself Had been accorded the Apostle Paul, so he says where then is that sense of blessing you had?

They felt themselves to be blessed by the ministry of the Apostle amongst them. Where is that sense of blessing it seems to have disappeared? What would have caused that to disappear? Could it be that there have been those who've come amongst you and Because of their teaching and what they're teaching that the sense of blessing you once had in the proclamation of the free message of grace.

Has disappeared has gone. It's in that context he says I bear you witness you would have given me your eyes. And then he asked this question so have I become your enemy by telling you the truth. Now Galatians 416 is a verse.

That I certainly memorized many many years ago for use on the street in Mesa or Salt Lake City in Witnessing to folks when they become offended Offended that I would say no. Mormonism is not the truth of God.

Mormonism is not the restored gospel. Joseph Smith was not a prophet. But man in our day You say anything to anyone and They become offended. This might be a good verse to have ready to go. Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth I?

Mean some of you may have seen the story just this week. But there were a group of people putting posters up to promote a meeting on the campus of Loyola Marymount. And In Los Angeles now if you ever hear the term Loyola.

That's almost a certain indication. That's a Jesuit school. Ignatius Loyola was the founder of the Jesuits. So you have a Jesuit University and people are putting flyers up about a meeting promoting pansexuality.

It's a transgender movement. If you can't keep up with whatever the newest movement is which I don't think any human being on the planet could. Someone came along. Another student came along and in the conversation about the posters.

Can you believe the heartlessness of people today another student said I think there's only two genders. I mean at a Catholic University to have someone who would actually be so heartless as To say I think there's only two gender.

That was so terrible. That the groups on campus that are tasked with making sure that we're all thinking correctly. Had to call the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate a hate crime. Because someone on campus actually believed there are only two gender and.

Of course the point was that one of the people who was putting up the signs claims to be Transgender and therefore you're saying I don't exist and that's a hate crime. That's the world we live in folks.

That's the world. That's that's what's coming. That's what's coming and You might want to just note down Galatians 416 is for future memorization. Have I become your enemy because I've told you the truth.

Just make sure you tell them the truth. Because in God's sight no longer in man's sight in our culture. But in God's sight the truth is the ultimate defense. And as long as in your heart, you know, you have spoken the truth.

And that you've done so for the glory of God. Well, that's enough in God's sight. But I can't guarantee us to be overly relevant in our society any longer. You may lose your job. You may be financially put in a position of tremendous financial hardship or eventually you might just lose your freedom.

But that's where we are. So Paul says the Galatians have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? He knows that what he's saying these individuals is going to cause a Number of people to view him as their enemy.

If you had become particularly enamored with one of the Judaizing teachers if you had even found something pleasant in the idea of becoming Jewish prior to Becoming a Christian or or at least recognizing you need to go into the Old Covenant for going to the New Covenant type of idea.

You might find Paul to be offensive. Paul says I've told you the truth. Does that make you. Does that make me your enemy? Then he refers in third person not by naming anyone. But everybody knew who he'd be referring to they eagerly seek you not commendably.

But they wish to shut you out so they will you will seek them. He recognizes that they have a specific purpose in trying to get them to stop listening to the Apostle. They want to be sought out. They want religious authority over other individuals.

That is so often the commonality of false teachers. They want to be sought and Paul says it's good to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner. Not only when I'm present you my children with whom I am again and labor until Christ is formed in you.

But I could wish to be present with you now and change my tone for I'm perplexed about you he says Christ is not being formed amongst you as long and he's going to expand upon this in chapter 5 as I said remember in chapter 5 If you Accept circumcision if you start down that road you have to go all the way.

Christ will be of no benefit to you. It's all law or it's all Christ. It can't be both. You can't walk down two roads that go 180 degrees opposite direction from one another you got to make your choice.

And even though these people claim to be Christians Paul is going to say you have fallen away from grace you have been severed From Christ you who are seeking to be justified by law. You cannot put the two of them together a complete Dichotomy, but Paul says I could wish to be present with you now to change my tone.

For I am perplexed about you and part of the part of the reason there be this Confusion on his part easy to understand. Because obviously not everyone in the churches in Galatia had turned against Paul.

Not everyone had accepted this teaching remember the church is at a very Young point in its experience at this point in time. They didn't have the books to look to they didn't have church history to go back to.

They didn't have The kind of terminology that we can use there wasn't anyone sitting around going well. You know it does seem that there's a tinge of semi Pelagian ism in this. They didn't have that kind of stuff.

We you and I we we have an entire theological vocabulary that can allow us to identify Teachings if we've done our homework anyways and and recognize when when people are coming amongst us and are trying to Twist the gospel of grace, but this is the first generation you can imagine how difficult it was and Paul right is writing to an entire church, and there's the problem how many times we see in Hebrews.

You have to address the whole congregation, but the congregation is made up of different types of individuals. And so it says I am I am perplexed about you. I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, but he's not going to change his tone and He'd already explained.

Why it was when he said in Galatians chapter 2. We did not put up with those Who had pulled this off someplace else for even a moment? So that the truth the gospel would remain or abide with you now. We've walked through the text.

We see how it's functioning in the letter. We see the how it's sort of a transitionary period. It's a you know he's given most of his arguments before this and now he's he's not softening the blow that's coming.

He's just reminding them that when he when he gives them the strong words, especially of the beginning of chapter 5. That he's doing so as one who has had sweet communion with them and Recognizes that that they had been such a blessing in his life they had accepted him even in his bodily weakness and so we have a Relationship a relationship that was forged in Christ Jesus by the Spirit of God Before this time and so it it lays a foundation for them to hopefully hear Even the strong words that are yet to come in this epistle.

Bart Ehrman and the Misreading of Galatians 4:14

So why look at this this morning? Well I want you to look back at verse 14, and I want to Warn you about something for many of you This will just be sort of an educational thing sort of a oh I guess we always need to be looking very carefully at scripture for some of you especially if you ever take university classes if you take philosophy of religion classes anything like that where you're going to be encountering the Common way of presenting religion in the Academy today.

Which would also mean if you watch television and watch documentaries and things like that. What you're going to encounter are people who have been deeply influenced by one particular skeptic one particular enemy of the Christian faith in the world today.

He is a man by the name of Bart Ehrman. Bart Ehrman teaches religion and New Testament University of North Carolina and He puts out books all the time and his books are always on the New York Times bestseller list and Basically what he's been doing over the past 15 -20 years is is putting out books that that will Excuse skepticism and unbelief because as you probably know he himself is an apostate.

That is he made a profession of faith. He went to Moody Bible Institute Wheaton College Princeton Theological Seminary and Sometime during that time period Lost his faith. He claims it was because the issue of evil.

I I don't know he calls himself a happy agnostic today. And as I said, I think he's probably the leading English-speaking skeptic and critic of New Testament Christianity and so his books are widely read and and He has a legion of followers who basically unquestionably Unquestioningly follow his perspective now.

Why would I bring Bart Ehrman up right now? Well, he put a book out a couple years ago About how Jesus became God because obviously from his perspective Jesus was never truly God and that this was a evolution over time in the decades after his Earthly ministry he does believe Jesus existed.

He's actually written a book defending the existence of Jesus, but he was just a Galilean Preacher he was just a Jew of his day. Nothing more than that. There was he was crucified, but there was no resurrection etc. Etc.

And in this book Ehrman admitted it was shocking to me that even after years and years of teaching That he had learned much in his preparation for this book much that I would consider to be absolutely basic in Regards to an understanding of the New Testament teaching concerning the person of Jesus Christ.

And in fact his studies have led him to believe that all the gospel writers Did believe in the divinity of Jesus just different kinds of divinity even Mark and Paul certainly did. But not in the full-blown sense of later orthodoxy like you and I would believe.

But in his studies Ehrman decided that the text that you and I have just read is The key Christological passage in the entire New Testament. Now some of you are sitting here going. I Missed that I mean John 1 Colossians 1 Philippians chapter 2 Hebrews chapter 1 I mean these are all about Jesus and they contain deep teachings about his pre-existence and he's the creator and and all things made by him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things hold together and every knee will bow every tongue will confess and you've got all these other texts and Galatians 4 is the key to unlocking what the Apostle Paul believed about Jesus.

Yeah, but you got to remember Urban only believes Paul wrote seven letters. So Colossians, he doesn't think Paul wrote so you can sort of get rid of that and Philippians he decides that really is the hymn and he comes up some weird ways trying to get around that.

But you probably hopefully well, it's pretty easy to find what I'm referring to because there's only one reference to Christ Jesus in this text. Here it is verse 14 but you received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus himself and you go I Don't get it.