Paul is reminiscing!
His mind has gone back to the “good old days” at Galatia!
When the people there (folks who had recently been saved by the Grace of God) loved him dearly!
Back when he was called “blessed” by this band of new Believers!
“Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” Galatians 4:15
In essence, Paul is wondering “What has happened?”
Then, still in “memory mode,” Paul thinks of the Galatian response to one of his physical weaknesses. Two verses ago he mentioned some “infirmity of the flesh.” One verse ago he called it a “trial,” literally a “temptation.”
And we strongly suspect this … one of Paul’s maladies concerned his “eyesight.”
Yes, God’s servants often battle physical ailments, handicaps, sicknesses!
Job’s breath stank! (See both Job 17:1 and again in Job 19:17.)
Jacob had a limp! (See Genesis 32:31.)
And Paul … what a list! (But here in our verse today “eyesight” seems to be the issue at hand.)
Maybe since that “Bright Light” … the Day Paul was saved by God’s Grace! (He was totally bind for three days, if you recall. Did he ever get over that, completely?)
Maybe since contracting some debilitating disease (that settled in his eyes) when traveling ancient germ-infested areas, preaching God’s Word!
Maybe simply from reading, studying so hard! (Poor lighting back in those tents, no doubt.)
(We think Paul seldom wrote with his own hand … after this eye disease reached its peak! His huge Epistle to the Romans, by ancient letter standards, was written by another hand, though Paul dictated the words! “I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.” Romans 16:22, in the Epistle’s very last paragraph! This Tertius must have been a “hired” scribe.)
(And even here in Galatians, when Paul “signs” this Letter at its end … he is forced to write in very large letters! Again evidence of failing sight! “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.” Galatians 6:12, the “letters of the alphabet being discussed, not the length of the Galatian “Letter,” which is relatively short by Paul’s standards.)
Wow!
Anyway … the Galatian Christians loved Paul so (considered him so “favored” of God, and so “blessed” by the brethren everywhere he went) that some of them would have gladly given him their eyes, had it been possible!
This Paul believes sincerely … and so testifies to the his people … “for I bear you record” of this love, he dictates!
“… that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” Again our Text, Galatians 4:15.
“Plucked out” translates the Greek verb “exorusso,” meaning “to dig” out, clearly meaning their very eyeballs! (“Exorusso” is only used twice in the whole New Testament, and is translated “broken up” in Mark 2:4.) A dramatic verb!
Paul’s “point” is to emphasize the love and sacrifice the Galatians were once (and a few of them might still so love the Apostle) willing to expend on his behalf!
But lately, false teaches have arrived in the Province … and were trying to turn the hearts of the Churches away from Paul and his “Gospel of Grace” … toward the Law of Moses and its stringency!
Oh, how things can change!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
If you love someone in the Lord .. be faithful to that friendship!
In Jesus … “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)
Hallelujah!