The Power of Influence. Galatians 5:7-10.
Dear Strangers and Aliens,
We turn with the apostle now, to the impact people can have on others. If we listen to people who have different agendas from what we have been taught, they likely will influence us. This is not to say that we should not listen to contrary opinions. What if we are the ones in the wrong? But we must not be so gullible as to take to new ideas without putting them to the test, to see if they are in harmony with the teaching of scripture.
Persuasion (vv. 7-8). The Galatians were initially doing well. They were running the race at a “Kenyan pace.” But someone “hindered” them. The picture is one of an obstacle that comes in front of a runner and blocks his way. When Paul asks who it was that “hindered” them, he is not seeking an answer, because he already knows the culprits. He wants the Galatians to put a finger on the identity of the person or persons who caused the problem and to distinguish them from the one “who calls” them. In other words, these people are not just differing with Paul – they are in opposition to Christ!
Pervasion (v. 9). The Judaizers, as the proponents of legalism are sometimes called, could have been an insignificant minority in the beginning. Paul uses yeast (leaven) as an illustration of how false teaching can spread in the whole church. On Paul’s day, one did not buy yeast in the supermarket. A little dough was kept from the last time baking was done. When the new dough was made the lump that was kept from the last mixture was introduced into the new dough and would make it rise, as it already had yeast in it, much the same way Kikuyu brewers in Kenya made their famous “Muratina”. The lump could be small and the new dough a really large amount – it did not matter. As long as a little dough with some yeast in it was added to the larger lump, it would leaven the whole lump – just give it time and some warmth. False teaching should not be ignored. With time, it will pervade the whole community.
Persistence (v10). Paul is confident that despite the attempts of the legalists, the Galatians will weather the storm and persevere in their faith. The reason he is so sure about them is that among them are true believers who cannot be lost because God has given them eternal life (1 John 5:11-13). They may waver, but they cannot fall from grace and abandon the faith. The false teachers though are not so lucky. Judgment is coming upon them. At times people go a long time teaching falsehood and misleading many. Do not worry, God has not forgotten them or ignored their wickedness. They will definitely face judgment. When is God’s prerogative? We should leave it to him and do our part, since it is his truth the false teachers are perverting, anyway. Just do not be caught following them.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.