Galatians 3:25-4:31 – Heirs of God
HE POSITION OF THOSE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH 3:25-4:7
We Are Heirs with Abraham 3:25-29
We Are No Longer Under a Tutor 3:25
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
We are no longer in the age of the Law; we are in the age of grace. The relationship that Israel sustained to the Law is no longer in effect.
We Are Now Under Grace 3:26-29
WE HAVE BECOME SONS OF GOD 3:26
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Under the Law, man is under the curse of a righteous judge (Galatians 3:10). Under grace, however, we are under the paternal love of our heavenly Father. Notice that the passage at this point takes on a very personal flavor using the pronoun we. The word for sons refers to a child of full age, one who no longer needed a child-conductor.
WE HAVE BEEN PLACED IN UNION WITH CHRIST 3:27
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
The two statements of this verse explain one another. Being clothed with Christ explains being baptized into Christ. I Corinthians 12:13 addresses the same subject (See Commentary and Outline of I Corinthians).
WE HAVE ONENESS WITH ALL FELLOW BELIEVERS 3:28-29
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
Paul is not referring to loss of one’s identity—a male is still a male, and a female is still a female. He means that the distinctions that formerly divided us no longer exist. This applies to racial, social, and sexual status. It is all but impossible to find any ancient docu-ments that speak of sexual equality except the New Testament. A common prayer of the Jew was, “I thank God that thou hast not made me a woman.”
We Are Heirs of God 4:1-7
The Illustration 4:1-2
“Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.”
Galatians 4:1-7 must be viewed historically to be understood. In antiquity the moment of growing up was a climactic event. It carried both religious and legal significance. In Judaism, a boy entered manhood after his twelfth birthday, becoming a “son of the law.’’ In the Greek world, this occurred at age eighteen. The same emphasis was upon the assumption of full responsibility as an adult. Under Roman law there was also a time for coming of age. There is evidence that this was not as fixed as the others, with the age of maturity left to the judgment of the father. It is probable that Paul is using this Roman custom as his illustration.
A Roman child became an adult at a sacred family festival called Liberalia, which occurred annually on March 17. In the ceremony he was given the toga virilis to replace his toga praetexta. The emo-tional flavor of this event can be felt by reading of the coming of age of Marcellus in The Robe by Lloyd Douglas. The word translat-ed child in verse 1 was used to designate anyone who was a minor in the eyes of the law. In this state, he could make no decisions because he had no freedom. The condition of a minor is analogous to those under the Law. Those who are sons are those who have been justified by faith in Christ.
The Application 4:3
“So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.”
The words so also we introduce the application of the illustration Paul has used. The term elemental things of the world most likely refers to the totality of man’s religious experience. It points to all of man’s struggle to have a proper relationship to God.
The Incarnation 4:4-5
“But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
JESUS CHRIST WAS SENT AT A PRECISE TIME
The word’s fulness of the time may be viewed from two perspec-tives. First, from the divine standpoint , they show that God’s plan is never haphazard or arbitrary. There was a “right time” in God’s
plan for the coming of Christ. God is not only wise in what He does, but is equally wise in when He does it. Second, from the historical standpoint, the time was appropriate. The Greek lan-guage made worldwide communication of a message possible.
Alexander had taken Greek around the world so effectively that we call it Koine or common Greek. The existence of the Roman govern-ment made the time appropriate. Under the Caesars, there was one single world government along with miles of Roman highway, making travel possible in a unique way. These roads determined the course of Christianity. Finally, the Hebrew Bible stood complete, with the Septuagint translation putting Scripture in a form that could be read around the world.
JESUS CHRIST WAS SENT UNDER PRECISE CONDITIONS
The verb sent forth in verse 4 is never used of a voluntarily con-ceived mission. God the Father was the initiator of the plan of salvation, which was executed by God the Son. It is a verb that implies credentials and a specific mission. The words born of a woman need explanation because this is how all of us are born.
What, then, do they mean? The answer lies in understanding who God’s Son is. It is God the Son who was born of a woman. Jesus is the God-man; He is true humanity and absolute deity. The words born under the Law are significant in that they relate Jesus to the Jewish nation. It also means that He was under its obligations and was liable to its penalties.
JESUS CHRIST WAS SENT FOR A PRECISE PURPOSE
He was sent to redeem (see “Observations on Redemption” at the end of these notes) and to bring us the adoption as sons. The noun for adoption means to place as an adult son. We are sons, which is where our privileges start (4:5); we have the Spirit, which is where our power lies (4:6); and we have a father-son relationship, which is where prayer starts (4:6).
The Indwelling 4:6
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ”
The word crying has nothing to do with tears. It was used of a loud, definite, and often public proclamation. The Holy Spirit makes a definite proclamation inside the believer. The word Abba tells what that message is. The key idea in the word is intimacy. The Gemara says a slave may not address the head of the house this way because it would indicate a closeness that would not be appropri-ate. As believers we are linked to the Father through the Son and by the Spirit.
The Conclusion 4:7
The old position of slavery is over. We are now sons and heirs, and our mode of living should reflect this fact.
GOD’S SONS IN SLAVERY 4:8-31
Their Past in Religion 4:8
“However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.”
In Religion They Had No Knowledge
One who does not know God is a non-Christian. This has moral repercussions, as stated in I Thessalonians 4:5; it has eternal reper-cussions, as in II Thessalonians 1:8. This condition of ignorance stands in contrast to the believer who knows God in a paternal sense (Galatians 4:6).
In Religion They Had No Freedom
In the service of religion, there was no freedom from anxiety and fear. The fear existed because the gods of ancient religion were never placated. Some new sacrifice or rite or performance was always required.
In Religion They Had No Reality
The gods of Greek religion were no gods. This is futility in the fullest sense of the word—a life of devotion to the unreal. A believ-er can return to this life of futility only in the sense of his loss of freedom, as Paul is going to show.
Their Present in Legalism 4:9-20
The Life of Legalism Described 4:9-11
“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemen-tal things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”
Paul is addressing believers; therefore, he is talking about a legalis-tic approach to the Christian life. The human side of their salvation is expressed by the words you have come to know God, and the divine aspect is expressed in the words telling them that they have come to be known by God. Paul makes this double statement because legalistic mentality sees man as able to find and know the favor of God. Paul is saying, “You found God, but don’t forget that the heart of the matter is God found you.’’
LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANITY IS RETROGRESSIVE
They are pictured as turning back once more to weak things. Turning back is retrogression, and the Christian life is meant to be one of continuous progression.
They were operating on a “saved by grace, sanctified by works” system. The verb turn back is used four ways in the New Testament. It is used of the physical act of turning. It is used to describe the act of becoming a Christian (Acts 11:21). It is used of a believer return-ing to fellowship with the Lord (Luke 22:32). Finally, as here in Galatians 4:9, it refers to a believer who embraces legalistic prac-tices.
LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANITY IS UNRELAXED
The words you observe translate a verb that refers to the careful and meticulous following of something.
LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANITY IS RITUALISTIC
The reference to days points to the keeping of Jewish Sabbaths; months and seasons refer to rituals lasting more than one day; and years refers to the sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee. All of this is contrary to the Christian way of life that treats every day as holy and every moment as one in which the Lord is to be honored.
LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANITY IS LADEN WITH DEFICIENCIES
It has no power, for it is weak; it has no wealth, for it is worthless; and it offers no freedom, but rather renders man enslaved.
The Life of Legalism Discouraged 4:12-20
THE PERSONAL APPEAL 4:12A
“I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are.”
In what sense are the Galatian believers to become as Paul? They are to become like Paul in the abandoning of their legalistic perfor-mance. Galatians 4:10 describes the activities of the Galatians, not of Paul. The Galatian churches need to embrace the normal Christian life. Paul describes that life in Galatians 2:20 as a life that operates on a faith basis—a daily believing of the word of God in all of life’s experiences.
The reason for their becoming as Paul is because Paul had become as they. Paul, a Jew, did not insist that they engage in Jewish prac-tices. Paul did not approach them as a Jew; he approached them as the Gentiles they were. Without compromise of conduct or belief, one should seek to become as much like those one seeks to win as possible.
THE PERSONAL EXAMPLE 4:12B-14
“…You have done me no wrong; 13but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; 14and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.”
Paul’s remark that they have done him no wrong refers to their initial treatment of him when he came to them with the gospel the first time. The spiritual history of the Galatians is as follows: They had spent years in pagan religion (Galatians 4:8). They had come to faith in Christ under Paul’s ministry (Galatians 1:6). For a short time they had lived successful Christian lives; they had run well (Galatians 5:7). Finally, as Paul writes, they had started slipping back into a legalistic system (Galatians 4:9).
In Galatians 4:13-14 Paul takes them all the way back to the first time they had heard the gospel. Paul had apparently not planned to preach the gospel in the Galatian territory. Paul had come to Galatia as the result of an unavoidable circumstance—a physical illness of some sort. Sickness was the means God used to substitute His plan for Paul’s. It is remarkable that they received him so well since they could easily have despised or loathed him. This may indicate that his sickness took the form of an unattractive appear-ance.
THE PERSONAL QUESTION 4:15-16
“Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness, that if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I therefore become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
Legalism had changed their attitude toward Paul. The reference to their willingness to pluck out their eyes may give a hint that Paul’s physical illness was ophthalmic in nature. In Galatians 6:11 he calls attention to the “large letters I am writing to you with my own hand,” indicating Paul might have had a problem with his vision. There is really no middle ground concerning truth; we either hate it or love it. The test of our love for truth is this: What is our response when truth exposes a wrong attitude, a wrong belief, or wrong conduct? Strange as it may seem, their hostility was directed to the man who brought them truth.
THE PERSONAL ATTACK 4:17-18
“They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out, in order that you may seek them. 18But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.”
First, Paul points to the zeal of the legalists. Zeal is a quality whose value is determined by the direction it takes. The zeal of the legal-ists spoken of here is bad for two reasons. It was for their own cause, not the cause of Christ; and it was for their own glory, not the glory of Christ (Galatians 6:13-14). Second, Paul points to the motives of the legalists. They were in bondage and they wanted others to be in the same bondage. They wanted to be courted by others—legalism is self, self, self.
THE PERSONAL PAIN 4:19-20
“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—20but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”
Paul vividly portrays his pain for them in terms of birth pains. If he were present with them, however, Paul would not grovel; and the tone of which he speaks would doubtless have taken the form of a sharp rebuke.
The Life of Legalism Illustrated 4:21-31
THE STORY 4:21-23
“Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23But the son by the bondwoman was born accord-ing to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”
The audience that Paul addresses is composed of those who are bent on justification by the Law. The formula by which they oper-ate is law plus human effort equals God’s blessing. Their deficiency lies in that they have never really heard what the Law has to say.
Paul introduces the history of Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael, whose mothers were Sarah and Hagar respectively. The contrast between the two is introduced by the strong adversative but. Ishmael’s birth according to the flesh means he was merely a natural born child, born exactly like millions of other children were born. The event is described in Genesis 16:1-4 and involves no supernat-ural element at all. Isaac, on the other hand, was born through the promise. This means Isaac’ s birth was supernatural in character. The phrase assigns potency to the word of God. God’s power always lies behind His promise, and to release God’s power one must simply believe God’s word.
THE ALLEGORY 4:24-27
“This is allegorically speaking: for these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia , and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27For it is written, ‘Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for more are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband.’ ”
The allegory Paul presents here may be understood by arranging the facts in two columns. This arrangement is based on the word corresponds, which refers to things that are placed in the same column or that are put in a row.
Hagar (slave) Sarah (free)
Ishmael (natural) Isaac (spiritual)
Old Covenant (Sinai) New Covenant (cross)
Earthly Jerusalem Heavenly Jerusalem
Judaism Christianity
THE APPLICATION 4:28-31
“And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30But what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.’ 31So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.”
Believers are emphatically associated with Isaac as supernaturally born. The persecution of Isaac by Ishmael portrays legalism as the inveterate persecutor of grace. Genesis 21:9-10 is the text from which Paul draws this conclusion. Note that the words at that time and so it is now in Galatians 4:29 are making this connection. The method of dealing with the legalists is drawn from Sarah’s request of Abraham that he drive out this maid and her son found in Genesis 21:10. True believers are to disassociate themselves from legalists. They are to reject, not only legalism itself, but also those who teach it.
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