The Exegesis of the Letter.

Excerpt

The words “did run” are in the imperfect tense, referring to a continuous action going on in past time. Here, as in 4:12, Paul breaks off his argument to make an appeal to his readers on the basis of their past experience. He uses the figure of a Greek runner. “You were running well.” The word well is from kalos (καλος), suggesting the translation, “You were conducting yourselves bravely, honorably, becomingly.” The word hinder is from enkopto (ἐνκοπτο) which means “to cut in, to make an incision, to hinder.” Inasmuch as Paul is using the figure of a race, this word suggests a breaking into the race course, a cutting in on a runner by another runner, thus slowing up his progress. The Galatian Christians were running the Christian race well, but the Judaizers cut in on them and now were slowing up their progress in their growth in the Christian life. They had deprived the Galatians of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the latter had been thrown back upon self effort in an attempt to obey a set of legal restrictions, with the result that their lives had lost the fragrance of the Lord Jesus and the enabling power for service which the Spirit formerly gave them. The question Paul asks is rhetorical, not for information. The great apostle knew well enough who had slowed up the Christian growth of the Galatians. More

Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997. Print.