"I Am Perplexed About You!"

Paul just got done making the point the law was an add-on, but the priority has always been the promise God made to Abraham that he would father many nations. How would all nations be blessed if we all had to follow this law that can't make anyone righteous? Yet he continues that the law was necessary to define what sin is. This sets the stage for God to judge sin and send Jesus to take our place. And now anyone who wants a relationship with God can put their reliance on Jesus and be a son of God.

This passage reveals how Paul feels about the church in Galatia - he gets very emotional! They are in danger of falling away from grace because of their observance of the law of Moses, that law that acted as a disciplinary over those who were under it. They are going back to slavery, a minor’s status in society, persuaded by the Judaizers who mainly care about converting people to external religion and not Christ (Galatians 4:10-11).

Whats interesting is that Paul says the law is “weak and worthless.” This means the law is lacking in power or ability to save us. Why trust in something that cannot and will not save you? God’s grace saves us, not our works. This is why Paul corrects himself when he explains salvation (Galatians 4:9).

Paul continues on into verse 12 for the next 8, begging the Galatians to listen to him on the basis of their relationship with him, not from obligation! Paul demonstrates humility as he reminds them of when he was with them in person with physical condition that was “a trial” (Galatians 4:14). Maybe he had a bad back or limped from being beat a lot. Due to the reference of his eyes, most scholars assume he was near blind. We are not really sure what Paul’s “thorn” was (2 Corinthians 12:7), and I encourage you to not miss the big point of this passage.

Paul is contrasting his care for them with the Judaizers disregard of them (Galatians 4:16-19). Paul is encouraging them to unify in the truth of the gospel, but the Judaizers to shut the church off from Paul so that they can have complete influence over them. They are acting like cult leaders and the Galatians are passively being persuaded by them. Paul’s last remark is that he is perplexed by them. One translation says, “I don’t know how else to help” (NLT).

Why does this passage matter to us? It matters because grace is the only way to be saved, and so its crucial that we understand what grace is. If you believe that you have to work to earn God’s favor, you’ve missed the point, since there is nothing you can do to make God be kind to you.

How can you turn back again? Paul asks. Back again? Back to what? Well, for the Galatians, their background isn’t religion, but paganism. In other words, Judaism is just as dangerous as paganism! Paul is really trying to shake the religion out of them, I mean, what a scandalous statement that was!

Salvation doesn’t come from license or legalism. It comes from love. This love that God has for us is grace. It saves and sanctifies us further into holiness, and this is the point of Galatians - obedience out of love, not obligation from law.