Galatians 4:16
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Original Language Analysis
ὥστε
therefore
G5620
ὥστε
therefore
Strong's:
G5620
Word #:
1 of 6
so too, i.e., thus therefore (in various relations of consecution, as follow)
ἐχθρὸς
enemy
G2190
ἐχθρὸς
enemy
Strong's:
G2190
Word #:
2 of 6
hateful (passively, odious, or actively, hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especially satan)
γέγονα
Am I
G1096
γέγονα
Am I
Strong's:
G1096
Word #:
4 of 6
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
Cross References
Amos 5:10They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.Proverbs 9:8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.John 8:45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.Galatians 5:7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?Psalms 141:5Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.Galatians 2:5To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.John 7:7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.1 Kings 21:20And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.Galatians 2:14But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Historical Context
False teachers often gain following by tickling ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4), avoiding confrontation, promising easy paths. Paul's prophetic ministry involved rebuke, warning, correction—uncomfortable but necessary (2 Timothy 4:2). The Galatians initially loved Paul (verse 15); now they potentially viewed him as enemy for opposing the Judaizers' teaching. This pattern repeats: faithful preachers who confront error often lose popularity to seductive false teachers who promise much while demanding little.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you welcome correction and rebuke from those who love you enough to tell you hard truths?
- When have you mistaken someone's loving confrontation for hostile attack, and how did you eventually recognize the difference?
- Are you willing to risk being seen as an enemy by speaking necessary truth to those you love?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Paul's painful rhetorical question. "Am I therefore become your enemy" (hōste echthros hymōn gegona, ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα)—have I turned into your enemy? The perfect tense gegona suggests a state that has come about: I have become and remain. Echthros (ἐχθρός) means personal enemy, one hated and opposed. The Judaizers apparently portrayed Paul as hostile to the Galatians' best interests.
"Because I tell you the truth" (alētheuōn hymin, ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν)—literally "truth-telling to you." The participle emphasizes Paul's honesty. His rebuke and correction, though painful, were motivated by love and commitment to truth. This verse captures pastoral ministry's heartache: speaking necessary truth can be misinterpreted as hostility. The Judaizers offered flattery and false promises; Paul offered hard truth. Galatians had to choose between comfortable lies and uncomfortable truth. This remains every believer's choice.