Paul sees their stumble from Grace but trust they
will turn Around
Galatians
5:7-12 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye
will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his
judgment, whosoever he be. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why
do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would
they were even cut off which trouble you. KJV
Paul quickly switches his concentration to what is
very familiar in all of his writings and that is to compare the Christian life
to running a race. The people in the region of Galatia would have also been
very familiar with the Greek games that were so popular to many Jews and
Gentiles. It is as if Paul would be picturing for us today the 10,000 meter
race in track and field which is one of the longer races. At the beginning the
runners are all jumbled up close together, but as the race proceeds each person
settles into a running rhythm that is comfortable for each person and they are
obliged to stay in their own running lane or path that they have carved out for
themselves. This is Paul’s analogy of these Galatians running along strongly
and confidently in their Christian race and suddenly someone (the Judaizers)
breaks into their lane or path and causes them to stumble or fall off course. The
goal or the finish line in sight is our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ
as we run our Christian race of faith in Him trusting in His Grace to sustain
us, strengthen us, and secure us along the course of our life of sojourning
here on the earth. However, the Galatians had been cut in front of during their
race and were being led away from the truth of the Gospel into believing that
circumcision and obedience to the Jewish Mosaic laws must be added to the
Gospel of Grace for complete salvation.
Paul tells them that they were running well from the
beginning and were obedient only to the Gospel. Paul wants them to recall the
joy in the Holy Spirit they had once experienced along with His enabling power
working in their “inner man” and “inner woman” through love directing their
focus solely and only on our Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord Jesus declared He
(the Holy Spirit) would do when He said this, “But when
He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He
will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and
He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take
of Mine and will disclose it to
you.” (John 16:13-14).
In this passage our Lord Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit is the
Spirit of truth and likewise here Paul is declaring to these Galatians that
what these Judaizers have brought to them is not the truth, but in fact a lie from
the father of lies the devil (John 8:44).
Paul declared to them that this persuasion or argument that has been brought to
them does not originate from God the Father who called them to the Grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ nor does it come from Paul who was God the Father’s human
instrument in bringing the Gospel or Good News to these Galatians. Paul warns them now that what appears to be a small departure from the truth of the Gospel will in fact work like leaven or yeast in a lump of dough by permeating the entire dough. In this case the entire congregations in all of the Churches in the region of Galatia will be infected by this leaven of the Judaizers until the truth has been erased and eradicated from the Gospel. Leaven is a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid. It is an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something. This is exactly the effect that Paul sees happening amongst the Galatian believers (by the infiltration of one or more Judaizing teachers) that they are being led softly, secretly, and subtly away from their liberty in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:1). Paul warned the Corinthian believers of allowing sexual immorality to be accepted in their fellowship using this same language when he said, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Just as Paul was confident with his writing such harsh rebuke to the members of the Corinthian Church, even though he felt a sense of sadness in what he wrote to them (2 Corinthians 7:8), Paul also tells these Galatians that he has confidence in them in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The English phrase “have confidence” Paul uses is translated by the Greek word peitho a primary verb meaning to convince by argument the truth or error of something; also by analogy to pacify that is to cause these Galatians to be more favorably inclined to adhere to only the Gospel he preached to them; also to rein in or curb their departure from the true Gospel as Paul wrote in this manner to the believers in Thessalonica, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5). Paul does not absolve the Galatians for their part in departing from the truth of the Gospel, but he places the lions share of the blame on the one individual or group of Judaizing men who have infiltrated their ranks with this blasphemous teaching being led by Satan in order to overthrow the Galatians liberty in Christ Jesus our Lord (Galatians 2:4). Paul declares that “he that troubleth” and this English phrase is translated by the Greek word tarasso which means to stir or agitate i.e. to exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person and in this case it was to win away the Galatian converts to their cause. For example today Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses spend the bulk of their time and efforts trying to convince true Christians to turn away from the truth of the Gospel of Christ and come join their cults and sadly (like these Judaizers in Galatia) they have been successful with some.
This one individual or group of Judaizers came to these Galatians declaring that Paul was a circulator of circumcision, but Paul disputes the lies told about him being a preacher of circumcision testifying of his persecution at the hands of the Jews because Christ Crucified was indeed a stumbling block to them (1 Corinthians 1:23). Paul surely had declared to them the five separate occasions when he was severely beaten by the Jews for preaching the Cross of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ as he wrote with these words to the Corinthian believers, “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.” (2 Corinthians 11:24). Is this the result or the treatment of a man, a fellow Jew from other Jews if he is still declaring that circumcision is necessary for the salvation of the Gentiles. Paul is certain that these Galatians will see through the lies of the troubler or troublers of their faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul ends with a graphic picture of what he wished these men would do to themselves and that is castrate themselves and leave the Lord Jesus’ Galatian sheep alone which goes along with the very same language Paul began his letter with referring to these men when he said, “As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a Gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9).
My own Personal Note: Paul had no warm fuzzy feelings in his heart for these type of men only “holy contempt” i.e. a complete lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike.
“The truth is not only to be believed, but to be obeyed, to be received not only in the light of it, but in the love and power of it. Those do not rightly obey the truth, who do not steadfastly adhere to it. There is the same reason for our obeying the truth that there was for our embracing it: and therefore those act very unreasonably who, when they have begun to run well in the Christian race, suffer themselves to be hindered, so as not to persevere in it.” Matthew Henry
“The believer who lives in the sphere of God’s Grace is free, rich, and running in the lane that leads to reward and fulfillment. The believer who abandons grace for law is a slave, a pauper, and a runner on a detour. In short, he is a loser. And the only way to become a winner is to ‘purge out the leaven,’ the false doctrine that mixes law and grace, and yield to the Spirit of God.” Warren Wiersbe
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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