To Tell You The Truth
Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). This was a serious question that revealed much about their wavering devotion to the gospel. It seems hearing the truth had become unpalatable to them and they were wanting something else. Paul was not demanding unwavering loyalty to himself, but to Jesus Christ, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). In verse 19, he expressed, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” What a powerful statement! Paul did not seek supreme authority, but his desire was for the image of Christ to be formed in every believer's heart.
He had consistently labored to disciple and lead the Christians in Galatia into a deeper relationship with Christ and a clearer understanding of God's will. Yet, they were quickly being drawn away by false and self-aggrandizing teachers who distorted the truth. What shocked Paul most was how readily these Christians surrendered to the authority of such deceivers without asking questions or exercising spiritual discernment.
Similarly, the believers in Corinth had, for a time, disregarded Paul’s teachings and turned to individuals who sought only power within the church (2 Corinthians 11:3–4, 20). Both churches seemed to develop a kind of Stockholm syndrome—mistaking prideful, and at times, abusive authority for bold, charismatic leadership.
These congregations may have even grown numerically under the shouting demands and flashy lifestyles of false teachers, rather than through Paul’s humble preaching of the gospel. To them, Paul was no longer relevant. His message was not appealing, and his physical presence seemed unimpressive (2 Corinthians 10:10). Paul had to remind the believers in Corinth, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
A true godly leader is not driven by popularity among the crowd, but by a desire for purity within the church. He will not compromise the message of the gospel to imitate the success of religious personalities who are motivated only by financial gain. After all, “it is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).
