The Galatian’s splendid start in the race (“you were running well,” v. 7) of the Christian life had not continued. Their detour into legalism was certainly not God’s will. This evil attack was a hinderance from “obeying the truth,” and did not come from “Him who calls you.” This is a reminder to all of us that in our daily Christian walk/race/journey, we will face many temptations and distractions. From the beginning of our day when we have our quiet time, Satan will attack us with distractions and try to take our eyes off God. And throughout the day, we will be faced with obstacles and challenges that will lead us to seek those things or depend on our own abilities. And even when we are about to end our day at night, the attacks continue and distractions come. So, remember to seek God and ask for His help to depend on Him, to have freedom from spiritual attacks, and to run the race well.
Paul was fond of athletic illustrations and used them often in his letters. His readers were familiar with the Olympic games as well as other Greek athletic contests that always included foot races. It is important to note that Paul never uses the image of the race to tell people how to be saved. He is always talking to Christians about how to live the Christian life. A contestant in the Greek games had to be a citizen before he could compete.[1] We become citizens of heaven through faith in Christ; then the Lord puts us on our course, and we run to win the prize (cf. Phil. 3:12–21). We do not run to be saved; we run because we are already saved and want to fulfill God’s will in our lives (Acts 20:24).
In the previous section (verses 1-6), we discussed the first three negative consequences of returning to the law. In this section, we will see the remaining three negative consequences.
In this section, we see how turning to the law does two things: (1) it hinders the progress of believers (vv. 7-10), and (2) it removes the offense or stumbling block of the Cross.
7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear the punishment, whoever he is. 11 But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even emasculate themselves.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Returning to the bondage of law hinders spiritual growth and development. It deters us from running the race well and obeying the truth.
- Be aware of those who try to make you change direction and cause you to detour your course. Run the race that God has faithfully called you to run.
- Just like baking with yeast and proving takes time, sin left alone can grow and permeate the whole person. Reflect on areas of your life where sin may be affecting you.
- The Cross is a “stumbling block” or gives “offense” because it proclaims God’s unmerited grace (2:21), leaving no place for people’s good works.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 7: The fourth negative consequence of returning to the law is that it hinders spiritual growth and development.Employing a metaphor he was fond of and used several times, Paul described the Galatians’ Christian experience as a race (i.e. “running well,” cf. 1 Cor. 9:24–26; 2 Tim. 4:7). They had begun their race well, but someone had “hindered” or cut in on them, causing them to break stride and stumble. Though many false teachers were disturbing the Galatians, the singular pronoun (who) indicates the leader of the Judaizers was in view here.[2] The result was that the believers were no longer “obeying the truth,” but were attempting to complete the race by legalistic self-effort rather than by faith.
In the races, each runner was to stay in their assigned lane, but some runners would cut in on their competitors to try to get them off course. This is what the Judaizers had done to the Galatian believers: they cut in on them and forced them to change direction and go on a “spiritual detour.” It was not God who did this, because He had called them to run faithfully in the lane marked “Grace.”[3]
Verses 8–10: Such false teaching as the Galatians were beginning to embrace did not originate in the God who called them (cf. 1:6). He called them by and into grace. They were now being corrupted by other voices into following a false gospel. And in case someone would feel that the apostle was making too much of the problem, he quoted a proverb (5:9) to the effect that false teaching, like yeast, spreads and permeates.[4] Its converts may have been few but the believers must be on guard to prevent the error from affecting the entire church. “Leaven” symbolizes the intruders, with their false doctrine and evil influence. They were taking the gospel of free forgiveness away from the Galatians. The one who causes such harm will experience God’s judgment (2 Cor 5:10). Paul’s point may also have been that one apparently small deviation from the truth could destroy the entire system. If circumcision, for example, were made necessary for salvation, the whole grace system would fall. But Paul was optimistic about the outcome. He was confident the Galatians would share his views and that the leading false teacher, whose identity was unknown to Paul, would suffer his due judgment.
Paul’s explanation changes illustration from athletics to cooking, because Paul introduces the idea of yeast (leaven). In the Old Testament, leaven is generally pictured as a symbol of evil. For example, during Passover no yeast was allowed in the house (Ex. 12:15–19; 13:7). Worshipers were not permitted to mingle leaven with sacrifices (Ex. 34:25), though there were some exceptions to this rule. Jesus used leaven as a picture of sin when He warned against the “leaven of the Pharisees” (Matt. 16:6–12); and Paul used leaven as a symbol of sin in the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 5).
Yeast is really a good illustration of sin: it is small, but if left alone it grows and permeates the whole. The false doctrine of the Judaizers was introduced to the Galatian churches in a small way, but, before long, the “yeast” grew and eventually took over.
Verse 11: In the phrase, “But I, brethren,” Paul contrasts himself with the legalists. The legalists charged Paul with inconsistency and duplicity. Apparently Paul was charged with still preaching circumcision. They had misconstrued Paul’s act of having Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). Certainly, before his conversion he zealously proclaimed circumcision and the Law, and it is easy to see how the apostle’s attitude could be interpreted as being in favor of circumcision. Paul could not be preaching both circumcision and the Cross, because they are contradictory. Paul countered with a simple question: How is it that he was still being persecuted by Judaizers if he preached the same message they did? If Paul were preaching circumcision, the “stumbling block” or “offense” (skandalon, “stumbling block”; cf. 1 Cor. 1:23) of the Cross would have ceased to exist in his ministry. The Cross is a “stumbling block” or gives “offense” because it proclaims God’s unmerited grace (2:21), leaving no place for people’s good works. But it had not because people still found the gospel message, which proclaims humanities total inability to contribute anything to their salvation, offensive. Thus the Cross marked the end of the Law system and rendered circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic Law unnecessary.[5] Therefore, a fifth consequence when one retreats to legalism is the removal of the offense of the cross.
Verse 12: The sixth and final consequence of returning to the law is being cut off from God’s grace. Speaking out of deep concern for the gospel of the grace of God, Paul uttered a strong expression. He wished that the Judaizers, who were so enthusiastic about circumcision, would go the whole way and “emasculate” or “mutilate” (or castrate or cut off) themselves, as did the pagan priests of the cult of Cybele in Asia Minor. Perhaps the resulting physical ineffectiveness pictured Paul’s desire that they also be unable to produce new converts. While circumcision had once been the sign of the covenant in Israel, it now had no more religious meaning than any other ritual of cutting and marking practiced by ancient pagans. The spiritual damage cause by legalistic teaching regarding circumcision and the law was so serious that Paul used strong, sarcastic words to emphasize his point. The false teachers should go beyond mere circumcision and castrate themselves. This exaggerated statement reveals Paul’s frustration with those who muddied the clear gospel message of God’s grace.
[1] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989), n.p.
[2] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 606.
[3] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989), n.p.
[4] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 606.
[5] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 606.