Galatians 4:14 Commentary and Bible Study

Although what he calls his temptation in his flesh was unsightly and distasteful, the Galatians were able to overcome their natural feelings, so strong was their love for the man who brought them the gospel. Even before they knew their need, he had left his home and faced danger and discomfort on their behalf. Paul calls the sickness a trial or temptation for it was evidently a deeply unpleasant condition, and one which he could not originally see as consistent with his calling as an apostle. Not until he besought the Lord three times in prayer did the Lord show him that it was sent to teach him and to make him better prepared to serve his God in such a noble task (2 Corinthians 12:8). It served to keep him humble and not to be exalted above measure which might otherwise have been a danger because of the exalted revelations he had been given. It seemed to work against him in bringing an outward dishonour on the gospel, for those who heard him would naturally ask why the God of heaven allowed his choice servants to labour under such a great disadvantage. And yet it did not stop God working through him, for just as the Spirit helped Paul to accept this burden, so he did not allow his elect to be put off from believing the message brought by a sickly and unattractive apostle. It was a form of temptation because he had to bear the discomfort patiently, and overcome the temptation to question why God treated him in this way. He might have doubted that God should treat the chief communicator of the gospel to the Gentile world in this way, but God knew better. Having understood God’s purpose he stopped asking the Lord to take away his sickness and learned instead to be content under this burden.How greatly the love and concern of the Galatians at that time contrasted with their feelings towards him now. What could account for the change? Had they been carried away in their strong love to him before? Sometimes our behaviour changes for the worse; we do not always advance. Paul uses a most gentle way of helping them to see this by reminding them of what they had felt for him before. Why had they changed? Was it for any good reason? They had received him as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ, as if Christ had come to visit them in person. Was this going too far? No, for the Lord also says, ‘in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’ (Matthew 25:40), and ‘He who receives you receives me’ (Matthew 10:40). All of this love for Paul came about because of the message which he carried with him. It is wholly right that we love those who work for our spiritual good, for even though they are only men like us they see our need more clearly than we do.