Galatians 4:12-20

Galatians 4:12-20

[12] Brethren,  I beseech  be  as  am; for  am as  are: ye have not injured  at all.  [13] Ye know  how  through  infirmity  of the flesh  I preached the gospel  at the first.  [14] And  temptation  which was in  flesh  ye despised  not,  nor  rejected;  but  received  as  an angel  of God,  even as  Christ  Jesus.  [15] then  the blessedness  spake of? for  record,  that,  if  it had been possible,  ye would have plucked out  own eyes,  [16] therefore  become  enemy,  the truth?  [17] They zealously affect  but not  well;  yea,  they would  exclude  that  ye might affect  them.  [18] But  it is good  to be zealously affected  always  in  a good  thing, and  not  only  when  am present  with  [19] of whom  I travail in birth  again  Christ  be formed  in  [20] I desire  to be present  with  now,  and  to change  voice;  for  I stand in doubt  of 

What does Galatians 4:12-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Paul appealed next to his past contacts with the Galatians and called on them to remember his visits to Galatia to move them to abandon nomism.
"If the reader is inclined to think Paul has been impersonal in dealing with the problems at Galatia, that he has been arguing as a scholar and not as a pastor, the present passage should disabuse him of this idea." [1]
"What we have in this personal aside is a poignant witness to the indissoluble linkage between theological content and pastoral concern. All true theology worthy of the name is pastoral theology." [2]
"Rhetorically, a major shift in Paul"s argument occurs at Galatians 4:12. There are, of course, still elements of forensic rhetoric to be found in what follows, particularly in Paul"s accusations against the errorists ( Galatians 4:17; Galatians 5:7-12; Galatians 6:12-13) and his statements of self-defense ( Galatians 4:13-16; Galatians 5:11; Galatians 6:14; Galatians 6:17). But the dominant tone from Galatians 4:12 onwards is that of deliberative rhetoric, not forensic rhetoric. Deliberative rhetoric, rather than taking a judicial or defensive stance, seeks to exhort or dissuade an audience regarding future actions by demonstrating that those actions are expedient or harmful ... In Galatians 4:12 ff. Paul is no longer so much concerned to accuse or defend as to persuade his Galatian converts to adopt a certain course of action." [3]