1. Galatians 4:13 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Do we know anything about Paul’s illness?

Galatians 4:13 (ESV)

13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,

The book of Acts does not testify to any sickness on the part of Paul during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1 – 14:28). It is not a complete account of all the places he visited, but selective, containing only what Luke considered to be essential.1 From Paul's words in this passage, it appears as if the decision to preach in Galatia was prompted by an illness of some kind.2 The most common theory is that he contracted malaria while in the lowlands of Perga (Pamphylia), and that he was encouraged to go up to a more mountainous area in response (Galatia).3 Whatever the sickness, it was not a liability for the spread of the gospel. Instead, the weakness of Paul became a means by which the strength of Christ was made manifest (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). There will be many occasions over the course of his life where his sufferings were used by God to spread his truth (for example, 2 Corinthians 1:3–11; 2 Corinthians 2:14–15; 2 Corinthians 4:7–12; 2 Corinthians 11:23–29; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:24–29).4