Galatians 4:1-31
1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elementsa of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye againb to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Wherec is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you,d that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants;e the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
1 The place of an infant heir differs from that of a slave in right but not in fact. Though entitled to all, he is treated as though master of nothing. He is watched by guardians, and supervised by stewards. This was the position of Israel under the law. Theirs was the sonship and the glory and the covenants, but these are all reserved for future display. Dignities are suited to capacity; privileges to age. Infancy is debarred from their use, not merely by the formal legal prohibition, but by intrinsic disqualification. The responsibilities of property are beyond the strength and understanding of a child.
3 Israel, during the period of minority, was in bondage under the "elements" of the world. These "rudiments" or elementary religious observances, while "infirm and poor" (9) and put in contrast with Christ (Col_2:8), were necessary to their education and served an essential purpose in the progress of revelation. But no one who knows the liberty of sonship would tolerate their shackles for an instant.
4 In Israel the assumption of the responsibilities and dignities of manhood was a notable event in a man's life. In the life of the nation this was signalized by the advent of God's Son, Who reclaimed them from the bondage of the law.
6 The people in our Lord's day were bi-lingual. They used an Aramaic dialect in the familiar talk of the household, but all understood Greek, which was almost a universal language at that time, "Abba" is Aramaic, corresponding to our familiar "Papa".
9 It is most remarkable that the apostle puts the Mosaic ceremonial on a par with heathen rites. They were not turning back to their previous idolatry but to the observances under the law, which they had not practised before. But he insists it is all the same in God's sight as if they really had returned to the rites of heathenism.
10 Do any of us observe these things? Paul would be afraid of us!
12 If Paul had given up the Mosaic ritual and became as they were for their sakes, surely they ought to follow his example, for he certainly had far more reason to cling to it than they had to lapse back into it.
15 Eye diseases are very common in the East. Paul's first acquaintance with the Galatians was when, as a sick traveler, he proclaimed the evangel to them in the midst of his infirmities. From this passage we get a glimpse of the fervent love his message evoked, and are led to suppose that he had some affliction of the eyes.
17 The words zealous and jealous proboably were once the same in English, as they are so closely allied in form and meaning. They represent a single Greek word. It is not always clear which is the better rendering, but here jealousy, rather than zeal, seems to satisfy the context.
19 What affectionate mothering stirs the apostle as he broods over his erring children!
22 The controversy turns on the question "Who are the heirs of Abraham?" Is the ground of sonship circumcision and law keeping, or faith? The Juodaisers said, We are Abraham's sons! Abraham had two sons, says Paul. Which line do you belong to, Ishmael or Isaac? You are
Ishmaelites, sons of Hagar, born of the flesh, born into slavery. You are not heirs of Abraham! Isaac, the child of promise, is the true heir. These two sons of Abraham illustrate the relation between law and promise, flesh and spirit. Ishmael came into Abraham's home between the promise and the advent of the true heir. Born of unbelief, he was a continual trial and persecuted the son of promise. But finally the decree went forth: Cast out this maid and her son! It could hardly be that the Galatians are listening to any but so-called "believing" Jews who were associated with the apostles, and with James. They would not listen to the persecutors of the ecclesia in Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Jews believed but they all were zealous of the law (Act_21:20). This shows that those associated with the Pentecostal administration were virulently opposed to Paul and his doctrine of grace. When he was in Jerusalem they led the multitude against him and nearly killed him. These Jewish Christians were the most troublesome enemies of the ecclesias among the nations which had been founded by Paul.