Galatians 4:13
13You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.
Truth to Learn
We tend to evaluate those who minister to us based on external factors. Instead, we should evaluate them on how close they stick to the truth and on how lovingly they deliver that truth to us, whether it hurts or not.
Behind the Words
“Because of” is translated from the Greek word “dia,” which is a preposition denoting the channel of an act or action. Its most basic meaning is through. Paul did not minister to the Galatians as a result of infirmity but in spite of it.
The word translated “infirmity” is “astheneia,” which is made up of “a,” meaning not or without, and a form of “sthenos,” meaning strength. Hence, it literally means without strength. This is the most comprehensive word used in Greek in reference to physical sickness of any kind. Paul makes an even stronger statement as to his physical infirmity by saying that it is “tēs sarkos,” meaning of the body.
In Greek the word “pro” means before or in front of. There are comparative (more than another) and superlative (the most of several) forms of this word of which “proteron” is the comparative. Hence, Paul is making reference to the former time in which he preached the gospel message to the Galatians. He may also be making a reference to the fact that he preached the gospel message to them before these false teachers taught their heresy to them.
Meaning Explained
In the previous verse Paul told the Galatians “you have not injured me at all.” As we mentioned in our discussion of that verse, Paul is letting them know that he doesn’t take personal their apparent rejection of his preaching. In fact, he will show in this verse and the following that he was fully aware of the kindness that the Galatians showed to him when he first began to minister among them.
He reminds them here that he labored among them in preaching the gospel in the midst of physical infirmity. We are not told specifically what this infirmity was. Some believe that it was an eye infection that plagued him repeatedly while others believe that he was beset with recurring headaches. Whatever the malady, it very well may have been the thorn in the flesh that he talked about in 2 Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 12:7 7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
And, in the next verse we will see that the Galatians were very kind to him and received him and his message in spite of the physical problems that he was facing.
Application
We are all guilty of judging people by how they look and how they make us feel. The most popular people tend to be the ones who are the most attractive and physically fit. And, the best liked preachers tend to be the ones who make us feel good.
In reality, the best ministers of the gospel are the ones who tell us the truth, in love, even when it hurts.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2007 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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