GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:1 When a son is too young to receive his inheritance, he has no more status than a SLAVE. (On Roman slaves, or bondservants, see note on 1 Cor. 7:21.) This was the situation of Paul and his fellow Israelites under the old covenant. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElemen... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:3 ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES. Both here and in v. Galatians 4:9, these principles for Jews would be the Mosaic law. For Gentiles it would be the basic concepts of their pagan religions. They were, in terms of their mind-set and life situation, ENSLAVED. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = d... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:4 WHEN THE FULLNESS OF TIME HAD COME. God sent his Son at the right moment in human history. God directed world events and prepared peoples and nations for Christ, and for the proclamation of the gospel. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:5 Paul’s ADOPTION imagery probably picks up the OT concept of God calling Israel his “son.” He combines this with the Roman notion of adopting a son (who was usually already a grown man) in order to make him the heir to the family wealth (see also note on 3:26). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:6 BECAUSE YOU ARE SONS. Because Christians are now sons, they may receive the inheritance. This begins with the promised SPIRIT OF HIS SON. ABBA is the Aramaic word for “father” (compare Romans 8:14). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:8 The Galatians are in danger of forfeiting sonship and abandoning the true God. They risk returning to false gods (v. Galatians 4:8) and to worldly ways of life (vv. Galatians 4:9). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.leng... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:9 TO KNOW GOD... TO BE KNOWN BY GOD implies a personal relationship with God. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES. See note on v. 3. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:10 DAYS AND MONTHS AND SEASONS AND YEARS were all part of the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic covenant (see Leviticus 23:5, Leviticus 23:16, Leviticus 23:28; Leviticus 25:4). To require Christians to follow such OT laws is to forfeit the gospel of justification by faith a... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:12 As in Galatians 3:1, Paul reminds the Galatians of what happened when they heard the gospel. He also contrasts his own ministry with that of the false teachers. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:13 BECAUSE OF A BODILY AILMENT... I PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO YOU. The exact nature of this illness is not known. “Because” apparently means that Paul had to stay in Galatia because of this illness. He took that opportunity to preach to them. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.g... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:17 The false teachers flatter the Galatians, but only to receive flattery from them in return. TO SHUT YOU OUT. They want to form an exclusive club of people who observe Jewish ceremonial laws. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:19 The Galatians, like LITTLE CHILDREN, have not been growing. Paul’s deep concern for them is like the pain of CHILDBIRTH. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:21 Paul again emphasizes the difference between being a free child of God and being a slave to the law, sin, and false gods. Abraham’s son Ishmael—technically the firstborn—represents the slave sons of Abraham and thus the enslaving Sinai covenant. Isaac represents the... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:23 Ishmael was the son born when Abraham and Sarah tried to have a child through Hagar. The PROMISE is the absolute opposite of THE FLESH. A promise is a word _from God_ that will be fulfilled _by God_ (see Romans 4:18), just as Isaac was born by God’s miraculous work.... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:25 ARABIA. See note on 1:17. IN SLAVERY. The majority of the people in JERUSALEM are Jews who have not turned to Jesus. As a result, the city is enslaved. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:26 All those who believe in Christ belong to the heavenly JERUSALEM. They are the true Israel. As Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 54:1), God will bring about the birth of CHILDREN where there are none, even among the Gentiles. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:29 SO ALSO IT IS NOW. Ishmael persecuted Isaac (suggested by Genesis 21:9). Now the Jews who seek justification by human effort persecute Christians, who trust God’s promise of justification by faith. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 4:30 CAST OUT THE SLAVE WOMAN AND HER SON implies also the casting out of all who seek justification through their own efforts instead of through faith. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]