Galatians 4:12-20
Danger in Isolation

I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

New International Version

Paul confronts a powerful movement away from the Truth in his letter to the church at Galatia. In the first three chapters of Galatians, Paul explains why following the regulations of the Jewish religion were not a prerequisite for being a Christian, and why the Judaizing teachers insisting on enforcing those regulations were working against the grace God sent in the person of Jesus.

In this passage, Paul mourns the relationship that had been damaged by the heretical teachers, who had encouraged Paul's dear friends to reject him and his teachings. It is painful to read the hurt in Paul's words as he appeals to them to remember what God had done in and through them together when he was with them.

The crux of this passage for me is the one word that describes best what the Judaizers did to this church: "alienate." Other translations translate the word as "isolate," and the original Greek word can also be translated more vividly as "to shut out." Those contradicting the teachings of Paul sought to separate the Galatian church from Paul, to figuratively shut the door in Paul's face, so that church would shift their allegiance to them.

This is a more sinister tactic than merely political manipulation. We are all more vulnerable to falling into sin when we are cut off from other believers, so one of the first tactics the Tempter will use is isolating us. Think back to the Garden of Eden story, when Eve apparently was alone discussing the forbidden fruit with the snake. Think of the story of King David and Bathsheba, where all the other Israelite leaders were out on the battlefield and David was home alone. Think of Satan appearing to Jesus, alone in the wilderness, and tempting Him to throw away His calling for an easier way.

Don't be fooled into thinking Christianity is only about you and God. God made us to be social creatures, and our Christianity can only be lived out fully in a social context. How do we know that we have the Love of God in us, except that we show that Love to other people? If we do not love other people, made in the image of God and loved by God, how can we say we love God? We have to have both loves, or we have neither. By luring us into spiritual separation from other people, Satan damages both our love for others and our love for God.

Fortunately, we have an early warning system to let us know when we are falling away into spiritual isolation and sinfulness. Paul here poses one of the most critical questions for every Christian: "What has happened to all your joy?" This isn't "happiness", but a Greek word meaning the Heaven-sent sense of peace and blessing, which will overcome any earthly circumstances. This joy is like harmonic vibrations on musical instruments, where a strong note on one instrument will cause the strings of other instruments to vibrate with it. When we are close to God, our souls vibrate to the music of Heaven and we call it "joy;" when we are drawn away from God, our souls will lose much of that vibration, and if we are sensitive enough to notice, we will realize something is wrong--before we fall into something terribly wrong.

On the surface, earthly social interactions look pretty much the same as spiritual social interactions. Even within a given group, there can be some people interacting at an earthly level, and others at a spiritual level. It all depends on what drives what. A human-centered social group will be drawn to human leaders, interacting together to achieve happiness and self-satisfaction. A God-centered social group will be drawn to God, draw joy and peace from God, and share that joy and peace with each other. Our churches should be fertile places for such relationships to grow, and it is tragic when churches instead isolate from each other and constrict what God can do in them.

At the same time, God intends for every social interaction in our lives to be a God-centered interaction, with our service to God lived out in how we connect with others and share the peace and joy from God with them. To isolate, to alienate, to shut the door on others, is to deny the Love that God wants to give to us.