I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Paul's words express a longing to be present with the Galatians now and to change his tone toward them, because he is perplexed and uncertain about their spiritual condition and departure from the faith. It is a personal plea for them to return to the faith, born of deep concern for their loss as they turn away from God and Christ, and not of any injury to himself. The plea belongs to a correction of difficulties caused by Judaizing teachers who made salvation depend on human works, against which the letter sets salvation through faith in Jesus Christ with the emphasis on Christ. The doubt rebukes their desire to be under the law and return to weak and beggarly elements, meaning not the holy law spoken by God and engraved on stone by which sin is known, including the seventh-day Sabbath, but the body of law written by Moses and placed beside the ark which was taken out of the way at the cross and whose keeping brings bondage where Christ profits nothing. That same doubt may rightly be felt over those whose outwardly respectable life shows no clear growth or decisive commitment to Christ, which is removed only by close fellowship with Christ in living faith through love with the Spirit's witness that they are God's children.
Paul's Longing and Doubt
Paul longed to be present with the Galatians at that very moment and to change his voice, the way and tone of his speaking to them. That desire was for personal, face-to-face presence rather than writing at a distance, so that he could address them differently and more directly. The reason stated is that he stood in doubt of them, perplexed and uncertain about their spiritual condition. That perplexity was troubled concern over their departure from the faith, their turning away from Christ.
The verse is a personal plea for them to return to the faith he himself held. It expresses deep concern because they were turning away from God and toward idolatry. His anxiety was for their loss in turning from Christ, not for any injury done to himself.
The verse belongs to a letter written to correct difficulties in the church caused by Judaizing teachers. Those teachers taught that salvation depended on human works. Against that error the central teaching of the epistle is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, with the emphasis on Christ.
Covenant Law and Bondage
Galatians 4:20 stands in a rebuke against desiring to be under the law and turning again to weak and beggarly elements. The law in view is not the law spoken by God and engraven on tables of stone and placed in the ark, which is holy and by which sin is known and which includes the seventh-day Sabbath, but the body of law written by Moses and placed by the side of the ark, the law of commandments contained in ordinances which was contrary and was taken out of the way at the cross. Keeping any precept of God's law, including the seventh-day Sabbath, is not coming under a curse and is not returning to weak and beggarly elements, while keeping that ceremonial law is returning to weak and beggarly elements and brings bondage where the atonement of Christ profits nothing.
The passage beginning here refers to the covenant the Lord made with Israel in Horeb, recorded in Exodus 19:3-8 and 24:3-8, resting on the mutual promises of God and Israel with the Ten Commandments as its basis. As a means of salvation it genders to bondage because it was a national covenant resting on human effort and promise through fear, with Israel vowing to do all the Lord said and then failing by trying to keep the law from without. It left Israel under the law, condemned by the law as sinners, serving a purpose God designed for another end, yet the law itself was not that covenant. Israel's blindness had perverted the teaching of the covenant of grace, making the sacrificial system a fleshly religion and a yoke of bondage that led to persecution.
The verse shows the Galatians were in a doubtful position, for they wanted salvation but were choosing destruction by putting themselves under the law and its condemnation, through ignorance of the law. Being born of the free woman is still future, when those now only begotten through the truth and holding the spirit of adoption as first-fruits and pledge are born free in the resurrection morning. Then, with the redemption of the body, they are born into the kingdom unto eternal life in the freedom the Son gives.
Discerning Others' Spiritual Standing
Doubt may rightly be felt about people whose outwardly respectable religious life gives no clear evidence of spiritual growth or decisive commitment to Christ. Such uncertainty concerns whether they belong to Christ, without claiming that their hearts can be known with certainty. A person's conduct can leave others uncertain about their spiritual standing. Close fellowship with Christ makes the life consistent and removes that doubt. Living faith expressed through love, together with the Spirit's witness that believers are God's children, likewise makes the life consistent and removes that doubt.
Paul's words express a longing to be present with the Galatians now and to change his tone toward them, because he is perplexed and uncertain about their spiritual condition and departure from the faith. It is a personal plea for them to return to the faith, born of deep concern for their loss as they turn away from God and Christ, and not of any injury to himself. The plea belongs to a correction of difficulties caused by Judaizing teachers who made salvation depend on human works, against which the letter sets salvation through faith in Jesus Christ with the emphasis on Christ. The doubt rebukes their desire to be under the law and return to weak and beggarly elements, meaning not the holy law spoken by God and engraved on stone by which sin is known, including the seventh-day Sabbath, but the body of law written by Moses and placed beside the ark which was taken out of the way at the cross and whose keeping brings bondage where Christ profits nothing. That same doubt may rightly be felt over those whose outwardly respectable life shows no clear growth or decisive commitment to Christ, which is removed only by close fellowship with Christ in living faith through love with the Spirit's witness that they are God's children.
Paul's Longing and Doubt
Paul longed to be present with the Galatians at that very moment and to change his voice, the way and tone of his speaking to them. That desire was for personal, face-to-face presence rather than writing at a distance, so that he could address them differently and more directly. The reason stated is that he stood in doubt of them, perplexed and uncertain about their spiritual condition. That perplexity was troubled concern over their departure from the faith, their turning away from Christ.
The verse is a personal plea for them to return to the faith he himself held. It expresses deep concern because they were turning away from God and toward idolatry. His anxiety was for their loss in turning from Christ, not for any injury done to himself.
The verse belongs to a letter written to correct difficulties in the church caused by Judaizing teachers. Those teachers taught that salvation depended on human works. Against that error the central teaching of the epistle is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, with the emphasis on Christ.
Covenant Law and Bondage
Galatians 4:20 stands in a rebuke against desiring to be under the law and turning again to weak and beggarly elements. The law in view is not the law spoken by God and engraven on tables of stone and placed in the ark, which is holy and by which sin is known and which includes the seventh-day Sabbath, but the body of law written by Moses and placed by the side of the ark, the law of commandments contained in ordinances which was contrary and was taken out of the way at the cross. Keeping any precept of God's law, including the seventh-day Sabbath, is not coming under a curse and is not returning to weak and beggarly elements, while keeping that ceremonial law is returning to weak and beggarly elements and brings bondage where the atonement of Christ profits nothing.
The passage beginning here refers to the covenant the Lord made with Israel in Horeb, recorded in Exodus 19:3-8 and 24:3-8, resting on the mutual promises of God and Israel with the Ten Commandments as its basis. As a means of salvation it genders to bondage because it was a national covenant resting on human effort and promise through fear, with Israel vowing to do all the Lord said and then failing by trying to keep the law from without. It left Israel under the law, condemned by the law as sinners, serving a purpose God designed for another end, yet the law itself was not that covenant. Israel's blindness had perverted the teaching of the covenant of grace, making the sacrificial system a fleshly religion and a yoke of bondage that led to persecution.
The verse shows the Galatians were in a doubtful position, for they wanted salvation but were choosing destruction by putting themselves under the law and its condemnation, through ignorance of the law. Being born of the free woman is still future, when those now only begotten through the truth and holding the spirit of adoption as first-fruits and pledge are born free in the resurrection morning. Then, with the redemption of the body, they are born into the kingdom unto eternal life in the freedom the Son gives.
Discerning Others' Spiritual Standing
Doubt may rightly be felt about people whose outwardly respectable religious life gives no clear evidence of spiritual growth or decisive commitment to Christ. Such uncertainty concerns whether they belong to Christ, without claiming that their hearts can be known with certainty. A person's conduct can leave others uncertain about their spiritual standing. Close fellowship with Christ makes the life consistent and removes that doubt. Living faith expressed through love, together with the Spirit's witness that believers are God's children, likewise makes the life consistent and removes that doubt.