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 Paul
had done some straight talking to the Galatian churches. He had
said, “I am afraid of (for) you, lest
I
have bestowed upon you labor in vain” (Gal. 4:11). Then, in
v.16, “Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the
truth?” Paul knew how people often react when they are told
something they do not want to hear. He had shared the guilt with
Jewish brethren who made Stephen an “enemy,” because he told
them the truth.
Can
there be any justification for such an attitude? Does it change
the facts? Will it answer the argument? Has it strengthened the
position of the angry one? Is it not, in fact, a childish
response, made sinful by the accountability of those we assume
to be adults? Is not the sin compounded when it is the action of
one claiming to be a Christian?
“It
is not true, it is not true,” he shouts. Then
why is he upset? Does he so react to every untruth he hears? If
this is “righteous indignation” at error, will he sit down
for a
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calm consideration of the matter? That
is one’s best opportunity to teach truth.
But
who are we fooling? Not even ourselves — for experience has
taught us that people are “cut to the heart” when their
conscience agrees with the thing taught. It is the conflict
within ourselves that stirs our anger (a defense
mechanism), and he who tells us the truth becomes our “enemy”
because he has invaded our little fort. If we did not recognize
it as the truth we would not feel insecure in our error.
And
if this analysis is valid, the number of people who knowingly
accept and practice error must be great. Do these people love
God’s truth? Can they claim to be searching for truth?
I
do not mean to imply that my conclusions are the
equivalent of God’s truth. I only plead for a “truth lover,
truth seeker” attitude, as we study God’s word together.
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