Galatians: The Life I Now LiveSample

The main argument of Galatians has been presented. Having summarised it, now in these verses, Paul warns the Galatians once more before he shifts onto the important question: why does all this matter? This warning is very strong: balancing truth with error never improves the truth! 

In verses 7–8 he uses a running analogy to ask who has cut in on them to keep them from obeying the truth of the gospel. He knows the answer but wants them to realise the impact the false teachers have had on their faith. They were following Christ, but now they have been persuaded in a different direction. Just like in 1:6, Paul wants them to know that they have turned away from God in their pursuit of a supposedly greater godliness. 

In verse 9 he quotes a proverb about a little yeast being so pervasive. Why? Because he knows human nature. He knows that they have reacted to the false teachers and will soon react to his letter as well. They will probably pursue some sort of balance between the two extremes: a bit of grace and a bit of legalism; a bit of God at work and a bit of me at work. Balance is always good, isn’t it? Not always. Balance can be exactly the wrong thing to pursue. A little bit of yeast affects the whole batch of dough. A little bit of error will destroy the truth. After all, it makes no sense to add a bit of poison to healthy vegetables in pursuit of a balanced diet. 

In verse 10 Paul’s confidence speaks through. He is miles away and they have manipulative and persuasive false teachers with them, but Paul does not panic. Here Paul practises exactly what he preaches – confidence in the Lord. God changes hearts, softens hearts, and brings people around to the truth. God can lead the hardest person to repentance. Paul knew this because he had been that person! He knew God could convince them of the truth of the gospel, and he knew God would bring consequences to those who were twisting the gospel. Paul’s confidence in God offers a powerful example to us when we cannot control situations we care about. 

Reflection

In what areas might we be tempted to balance biblical truth with opposing ideas in pursuit of balance? Do we pray as if we believe God can truly change hearts?