… how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Summary: Paul takes a break from explaining the true gospel to the Galatians and for a moment, shares how he is feeling.
Paul lives in a world that is primitive by modern standards. In his day, travel was primarily by foot. If you wanted to get somewhere, you walked. Communication over long distances was by letter. If you couldn’t go yourself, you wrote your message on parchment, sealed it with wax, and sent it to someone you trusted. You might never know if the message actually arrived at its destination.
Now, of course, we have instant communication. We can talk by phone from almost anywhere. People send pictures to each other, and we can even communicate face-to-face with video technology. Thank God Paul didn’t have any of this! If he had, we would not have his words in the Bible. He probably would have just picked up the phone and asked, “What is going on over there?!”
The question is, “Would that have been as effective as a letter?”
Even in these modern times, just because we can communicate immediately doesn’t guarantee that we communicate effectively.
Someone once told me that they enjoy reading books because the author has taken the time to organize their thoughts. Instead of rambling on and on over the phone or over coffee, writing a letter forces us to think about what we want to say. Paul had a lot to say, and what he said were things he had thought a lot about.
This passage is about two-thirds of the way through Paul’s letter. He has been working hard to make his point. It is almost as if he were taking a break from the hard work of explaining things logically to express his heart emotionally before diving back into the hard work of explaining.
Application: Consider the work that went into crafting Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
Food for Thought: How would you describe Paul’s “tone” in this letter and how would you describe the tone Paul would have preferred to use?
I have little doubt that the Galatian audience was perceiving this letter as written with a harsh, urgent tone. The situation was urgent as they seemed to be noncommittal when it came to the truth of the gospel. While I think the tone was exactly what Paul wanted it to be and what it needed to be, I am also sure he would have preferred a different tone because of better circumstances.
But we deal in reality with the situation before us. The tone was exactly what was needed. Telling the truth is not always easy, but it is always necessary. Loving another as God intended is not always easy, but it is what is commanded.
Rich,
You make a great point: Love and tone go together. It is not always an easy combination, either. Thank you!
I would describe Paul’s tone in Galatians with all the urgency and determination as a person stopping out a fire. He is very thorough to address any arguments that would cast doubt on the Gospel of Christ.
I think as Paul says himself “I wish I could be with you now.” I believe he cared for the people at the churches in Galatia. I think he would have preferred to talk face to face with them, to sort put his arm around someone and say “buddy, you are straying from the right path.” Although he did not name anyone specifically, just human nature tells me he must have had images of people in his mind that he was addressing. He does a good job of keeping his personal feelings out of the letter, and gets them to question what their their faith is based on: works or Christ? The letter is addressed to all people, not specific people. He does pause though in 4:20 to express his personal feelings. I think the words “I am perplexed about you” express a lot of different emotions of a personal nature.
Thanks Chris!
I like the imagery of someone “stomping out a fire.” 🙂
I think you make an important point about Paul’s delivery, too. He does work hard to avoid personalities. He sticks with the facts and sticks to the gospel.
Thank you!