After making several well-posed arguments in the first half of his letter to the Galatians, Paul's appeal to them now gains intensity in a very personal way. There is a marked turn in Paul's demeanor and tone in this portion of the letter.
Vv. 12-20 contain the strongest words of personal affection in any of Paul's letters. This is more an outpouring of his heart than a lesson in theology.
Of the previous verse 11, where Paul is intimating, “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain,” Martin Luther said, “These words of Paul's breathe tears.”
He has gone from impersonal, scholarly theologian to spiritual father, brother and close friend; his tone changing from stern debater to loving parent speaking to his children.
This passage is intensely personal. This is clearly one of the most gripping paragraphs in all of Paul's letters.
He implores them and agonizes over them, unable to bear the thought that those who he addressed at one time and received him with sympathy and embraced his teaching with such enthusiasm would wander farther and farther away from home.
It is critical to the receptivity and acceptability of any teaching that the audience approve of and have respect for the teacher. If respect, approval and affection are lost, so is the message.
If a preacher/teacher has not the heart of his hearers, he has lost them as his disciple in the faith.
Paul, sensing that he has lost the affection of the Galatian believers to the influence of the Judaizers, now sets out to win back the hearts of the Galatian believers who once held him in the highest regard.
Paul's personal appeal of the heart breaks down into 5 facets.
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