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however was in an entirely different category; it was so serious that if persisted in
"Christ would profit them nothing". In another epistle the Apostle was obliged to speak
strongly concerning the "elements" and concerning the observance of days:
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition
of men, after the rudiments (stoicheia) of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2: 8).
"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances" (Col. 2: 20).
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to
us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities
and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon,
or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ"
(Col. 3: 14-17).
"I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Gal. 4: 11).
It is untrue to think of the Apostle as being "afraid OF" these Galatians; no servant of
Christ was more bold in service; Ellicott renders the passage "I am apprehensive of you",
or as we might say today "I am fearful FOR you". The words that follow "lest I have
bestowed upon you labour in vain", must be regarded as the explanation of the Apostle's
"fear".
To spend himself was Paul's practice and desire, but to spend himself for nought was
a sacrifice that did not commend itself to him. Earlier in this epistle he revealed how he
blended the utmost caution with the utmost boldness "Lest by any means" he said "I
should run, or had run, in vain" (Gal. 2: 2). The same economy is expressed in the epistle
to the Philippians, when he said: "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in
the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain" (Phil. 2: 16). Yet this
extreme caution is immediately followed by exceedingly generosity, for he continues
"Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice
with you all" (Phil. 2: 17).
So again, writing to the Thessalonians, the Apostle expressed his satisfaction that his
entrance in unto them "was not in vain" (I Thess. 2: 1); and later, having heard of the
trials through which the Thessalonians were passing, he wrote "For this cause, when I
could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have
tempted you, and our labour be in vain" (I Thess. 3: 5). There is no hard and fast rule for
guidance in this matter, indeed it is a continual call for watchfulness, yet speaking for
ourselves, hardly a week passes but what we willingly spend several hours endeavouring
to help one correspondent, while at the very same time, we refuse to spend more than a
few minutes on another. If we were asked to explain the grounds of such discrimination,
we may be at a loss, but we can only say that unconsciously we have been putting into
practice the lesson which is before us; we refuse, willingly to labour "in vain", while
rejoicing to be used to the utmost where sacrifice is rightly demanded.
The Apostle now brings this long section to a close by a personal appeal:
"Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are" (Gal. 4: 12).