Paul warns Christians not to believe in special rules
8 Before, when you did not know God, you served false gods. They were not gods at all, but you were their slaves. 9 But now you do know God. I should really say that God knows you. So you must not turn back to serve the powers that rule this world. They are weak and their ideas are useless. Do not choose to become their slaves again! 10 You obey rules about certain special days, or months, or seasons, or years. That is how you want to please God. 11 So I worry about you. I worked very hard to help you. I do not want my work to have no results.
12 My Christian friends, please become like me! Please do this, because when I was with you, I became like you. You did not then do anything wrong to me. 13 Remember that I first came to you because I was ill. That was when I first told God's good news to you. 14 I caused trouble for you because I was ill. But you did not insult me. You did not tell me to go away. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel from God, or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 But now you do not seem to be happy with me. I can say that you would have pulled out your own eyes to help me. You would have given them to me, if that had been possible. 16 But now I seem to have become your enemy! Is that because I am telling you God's true message?
17 Those false teachers try very much to please you. But they do not really want what is good for you. They want to keep you for themselves. Then you will only want to listen to them. 18 If someone really wants to help you, it is good for them to try to please you. But they should do it all the time, not only when I am there with you. 19 My children, I feel like a mother who is giving birth to you again. I will continue to feel that kind of pain until you have Christ's nature in your lives. 20 I would like very much to be there with you now. Then I could change the way that I speak to you. As it is, I do not know the best way to help you.
