Part XCV on Galatians Study

Galatians 4:13
"Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first."
Paul is always bringing up the fact that he passed on to them that which he had received first from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul also brings up the fact that he is at the head of that long line of sinners saved by Grace that comprises the One Body of Christ as we see in I Timothy. But here's the thing once saved he acknowledges that he is no longer that same old sinner saved by Grace but is rather an new creature posing Grace. In fact God through Christ tells him that now His Grace is all that he'll ever need or require because His strength is mad greatest by our weakness.


I Timothy 1:15-16
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (or first. Chief here is like the chief of a tribe, or a governor. It means first in line not the worse.) Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." Now back to our text in Galatians. Let's read verse 14 of Galatians 4.


Galatians 4:14
"And my temptation (the word for testing, to examine through trial is a better word here) which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus."
Again go back to II Corinthians chapter 12. What was the Apostle Paul's testing? That three times he asked the Lord to take it from him. But the Lord didn't heal him, the Lord answered him. The setting for this was in Asia Minor at Lystra when Paul was stoned and left for dead 14 years earlier, and was caught up into the third heaven right into the abode of God. He then wrote that eyes had not seen or ears heard the things that God has prepared for them that love Him. So now he comes back from that experience and says -


II Corinthians 12:6-8
"For though I would desire to glory, (or brag. We have no idea what Paul saw in glory) I shall not be a fool; (God had told him he couldn't tell about the experience) for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, (withhold telling about heaven although the pressure was beyond imagination) lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me (can you see the danger of knowing someone who had actually been to glory and could tell what he saw? My goodness the world would beat a path to his door. So that's why God had to tell him that he couldn't reveal or share what he had seen.)  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, (lest Paul should get boastful and puffed up, not for what he had seen in glory, but even for these tremendous revelations that God had given him. This was enough to give anybody the big head.) there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, (and for what purpose?) lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me."

We don't know exactly how all of this came about, but we do know that God permitted Paul to suffer an affliction, much like he did Job. God didn't inflict it, but rather He permitted Satan to do it. Paul asked the Lord three times to take this affliction away from him. Now we're sure it must have been an eye affliction, and we're sure some will disagree with us. We think his affliction was a typical middle eastern eye disease. It would matter, and flow, and it was awful to look at, so the apostle must have literally said, "Now Lord how can people stand to look at me? How can I stand up and preach to these people when I look so awful? " But God says what?



II Corinthians 12:9
"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...."
We're sure God says, "Now Paul that's when I can use you." You know we've pointed out that Moses is a good example of that. God took Moses to the back side of the desert into the wilderness and there he was a sheep herder for 40 years. Have you ever been around sheep? They don't smell very good. Also there weren't many people around him, and on top of that Joseph of Egypt made it so plain to the brethren when they came down to Goshen for them not to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds, because a shepherd in the eyes of an Egyptian was an abomination. In other words for all practical purposes Moses was an Egyptian, at least that's the culture he had been raised in for 40 years. Then to look at himself and smell himself and say, "I'm nothing but an abomination." Then God says, "OK Moses now we're ready to use you, let's go to Pharaoh." Do ya Get the picture?

So here we have the same thing in Paul. He would have liked to have been something nice to look at. Paul probably would have liked to have been a big handsome Hebrew like King Saul was, but he wasn't. Now look what God told him.