Galatians/Chapter 4/Commentary

Galatians Chapter 4

Outline: I. II. III. IV.

True Son-ship Only in Christ: 4:1-7 Paul's Concern for the Galatians: 4:8-12 How they had once received him and the Gospel: 4:13-20 An Argument from Abraham's Two Sons: 4:21-31

“We have seen how in Galatians chapter 3 the apostle Paul surveyed 2,000 years of Old Testament history. He explained how God gave Abraham a promise to bless all the families of the earth through his posterity; how He gave Moses a law which, far from annulling the promise, actually made it more necessary and urgent; and how the promise was fulfilled in Christ. Now in Galatians 4:1-11 Paul rehearses the same history again, contrasting man's condition under the law (1-3) with his condition when he is in Christ (4-7)” (Stott p. 101). “There (3:24), law, or the tutor, was prominent; here, the son, or pupil, is the chief object of consideration. The point now illustrated is the reason why the bondage of the law preceded the liberty of the gospel. It was for the purposes of development, similar to those by which youth is trained to manhood” (McGarvey pp. 271-272).

Galatians 4:1 “But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all” “But I say”: “Is continuative rather than adversative; the argument made in chapter 3 is continued and expanded in this chapter” (Willis p. 175). “Heir”: Keying off of 3:29 “heirs according to promise”. “Is a child”: “Covers the immaturity of youth as well as the incapacity of childhood and thus denotes ‘a minor’ in any stage of his minority” (Fung p. 179). “He differeth nothing”: “Has no more liberty than one of the servants” (Knox). “No better off than a slave as far as freedom of action is concerned” (Fung p. 179). “Though he is lord of all”: “Is owner of everything” 1

(NASV). “Legally, by right of birth, though not actually” (Vincent p. 132). “Though the will provides that the son shall eventually be heir of all things, yet for the present (while he is a minor) is governed and restricted by the inflexible terms of the will that his condition differs, so far as comfort and freedom are concerned, in no respect from that of a bondservant, or slave” (McGarvey p. 272). Here we see the terrible mistake that many of the Jewish people made. God desired that they would inherit the promise given to Abraham, along with everyone else. Yet they refused to fulfill the conditions of God's "will", that is, many of them refused to believe in God's Son and thus they forfeited their inheritance (Acts 13:46), and this truth broke Paul's heart (Romans 9:1-3).

Galatians 4:2 “but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father” “But is under”: “By Roman law until the heir came of age at fourteen, he was under a tutor. Then until the heir became twenty-five, he was under a curator appointed by the leader of the city. While these Latin terms do no correspond exactly with ‘guardian’ and ‘trustees’ (stewards), they typify the situation of the underage heir in that society” (Boles p. 102). “Guardians and stewards”: “Who act as the controllers of his person and property. They order him about, direct and discipline him” (Stott p. 104). “Until the day appointed of the father”: That is, the day appointed to take actual possession of his inheritance. “While Roman law set the age at fourteen, the father had the right to adjust the age at which the heir would receive full legal rights” (Boles p. 102).

The Application Galatians 4:3 “So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world” “So we also”: Primarily Christians of a Jewish background. The past of Gentile Christians will be the focus of 4:8-9. “When we were children”: “Before Christ came, we were nothing but minor heirs. God intended (desired) the inheritance for all Jews (and Gentiles), treated all of them as minor heirs before Christ came” (Lenski p.

194). The Judaizers were claiming that the Law of Moses and circumcision were needed to make Christians "perfect and complete" (3:3). Actually, the opposite is true. Without Christ, even those under the Law were still lacking (Hebrews 9:15; 2

11:39-40). “Were held in bondage”: A continual state of bondage. “Under the rudiments of the world”: “Elemental things of the world” (NASV). “Under our childhood's lessons” (Con). “We were under the ABC instruction, in the primer department” (Lenski p. 195). “It means ‘elements (of learning), fundamental principles’ (Hebrews 5:12)” (Willis p. 178).

It seems clear from the context that the above phrase is intended to describe the Law of Moses, because the Law of Moses is the "custodian” or “steward" of the context (3:24), and it is also viewed as a form of bondage (3:23). Therefore some applications need to be made: Even though the Law of Moses taught some tremendous spiritual principles (Matthew 22:36-40) and contained a very high moral standard (Exodus 20:12-17), God still viewed it as a law containing basic fundamental principles. Therefore anyone who cannot even bring themselves to accept the level of morality that God demanded of His people in the Old Testament is a person who has not even understood the fundamentals as yet. Therefore, any professed Christian who advocates the legitimacy of homosexuality or fornication, finds themselves guilty of not even grasping the most basic spiritual concepts.

“Of the world”: How can the Law of Moses be described as "of the world"? I like what the following writer said: “This preliminary education was given to the Hebrews (included such things as the moral principles in the Ten Commandments, as well in the rest of the law), it was imparted to a wider world (other nations, societies and civilizations as they saw the wisdom in such laws, Deuteronomy 4:6-8) and was incorporated in Greek civilization, Roman law and government, and in other forms of national and social life” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 176). See Romans 2:14-15. Others take "of the world" to refer to the fact that the Law of Moses contained many ordinances and regulations dealing with the material or physical realm (Hebrews 9:10).

Galatians 4:4 “but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” “The fullness of time came”: Compare with the statement, “until the date set by the father” (3:2). Or we might say, “when the time was right”, or “when everything was put in place”. “The meaning of the word--that which is completed, full complement” (Vincent p. 135).

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“This phrase implies God's control over and direction of history so that the sending of Jesus was done at a time selected and appointed by the Father” (Willis p. 180).

“God knew when the proper time had arrived” (Lenski p. 197). Various writers cite the following facts which might have composed this "fullness": “It was the time when Rome had conquered and subdued the known inhabited earth, when Roman roads had been built to facilitate travel and Roman legions had been stationed to guard them” (Stott pp. 105-106). “Never before had travel been so easy and safe (i.e. to aid in the spread of the gospel); not again for another 1500 years would it be so” (Boles p. 103).

“It was also a time when the Greek language and culture had given a certain cohesion to society” (Stott p. 106). Hence an ease of communication existed. “The Jews had made this moment in time ripe by establishing synagogues throughout the known world, and by translating the Septuagint, the Old Testament Scriptures in Greek” (Boles p. 103). Therefore, a ready audience already existed in most towns for Paul and others to teach. “At the same time, the old mythological gods of Greece and Rome were losing their hold on the common people, so that the hearts and minds of men everywhere were hungry for a religion that was real and satisfying” (Stott p. 106).

This phrase equally contradicts the doctrine of Premillennialism which states that Jesus came to establish an earthly kingdom, and yet such plans were changed because the Jews rejected Him. The expression “fullness of time” should tell all readers that whatever Christ did and accomplished was the exact plan determined

by God without any changes or alterations (John 17:4). “Paul is saying God could not have chosen a better time for the accomplishment of His purposes. How ridiculous for some to imply that God miscalculated and will establish His kingdom at a more acceptable time! If God could not do it when He said He was going to do it, how would we know He could ever do it? Such an idea is not only false, but blasphemous”. 1 See also the following Scriptures, Mark 1:15-16 “The time is fulfilled”. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 “at the proper time”. Titus 1:2-3 “but at the proper time”.

“God sent forth His Son”: The one who had been "with God" (John 1:1), was now "sent" to this world, and while Jesus was upon this earth, He realized and understood His "sent" status and mission. Contrary to the opinion of some, the Jewish people did not encounter a "confused" Jesus (Luke 2:49; 19:10; John 12:44).

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“His Son”: The Jewish religious leaders clearly understood that when Jesus called Himself the "Son of God", He was claiming equal status with Jehovah (John 5:17-23; Matthew 26:63-65). To be in reality the "Son of God" while upon the earth, Jesus did not give up His divine nature (deity) when He took upon a body of flesh (John 1:14).

“He did not cease to be the Son of God when he became man. He did not drop his deity, which is an impossible thought” (Lenski p. 199). In the following verses Paul is pointing out the initiative that God took to enable us to receive the promised blessing. Note: The Law of Moses could not deliver the inheritance, neither could any other religious system! “Born of a woman”: This phrase does not demand the absence of a physical father, compare with Matthew 11:11, yet Jesus is the promised "seed" of the woman (Genesis 3:15) that would crush the power of the serpent.

“Born under the Law”: Born during the time that the Law of Moses was still in effect. Various religious groups argue that we must keep the Sabbath Day, because Jesus did (Luke 4:16), such an argument is very short-sighted. Jesus lived and died while the Law of Moses was still operational. At His death the law was removed (Colossians 2:14-16), but not until then. Those who make the above argument, fail to realize that Jesus also worshipped in a Jewish synagogue and not in a church or with Christians (for none existed prior to His death). He observed the Jewish feast days and all other regulations found in the Old Testament.

Galatians 4:5 “that He might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” “That”: “The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. The birth at Bethlehem looked forward to the cross of Calvary” (Erdman p. 90). “Redeem”: To buy up, ransom, to rescue from loss. “Them that were under the Law”: The Jews. “That we might”: The death of Jesus did not automatically redeem anyone, He died that people might have redemption. Being redeemed by the blood of Christ is conditional (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10). “The adoption of sons”: This teaches that all those who reject Jesus Christ and do not obey Him are not "sons of God". Only Christians are "sons" of God (Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1). “What is emphasized in these verses is that the one whom God sent to accomplish our redemption was perfectly qualified to do so. He was God's Son. He was also born of a human mother, so that He was human as well as divine. And He was born ‘under the law’, that is, of a Jewish mother, into a Jewish nation, subject to the Jewish law.

Throughout His life He submitted to all the requirements of the law. He succeeded 5

where all others before and since have failed: He perfectly fulfilled the righteousness of the law” (Stott p. 106). The sacrifice of Christ removed the Law of Moses, for it was to which the Law had pointed (Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 24:44).

Once fulfilled, it had served its purpose and was taken out of the way (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 10:9). Therefore, the Judaizers and all those who teach that Christians must observe various aspects of the Law of Moses, are found guilty of being at cross purposes with Jesus Christ, because Jesus came into this world to redeem us from the Law of Moses, and not to bind it upon us.

“Adoption”: Possibly this term is used because in reality Jesus is the only true "Son of God", that is, the only one who is inherently and eternally so, the Son of God, based on who He is. All others are sons of God, through the process of adoption, sons because of their faith in Christ and what Christ did for them.

Galatians 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father” “And because ye are sons”: Christians are actual sons of God (1 John 3:1 “and such we are”). “God sent forth”: Notice the close parallel with “God sent forth His Son” (4:4). “The Spirit of His Son”: The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the "Spirit of His Son", because He was sent in the name of Christ (John 14:26), or sent by Christ Himself (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit would simply reveal the will of Jesus and glorify Jesus in the process (John 16:13-14). The purpose of this verse is to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit had a role in creating this relationship of Sonship and also confirms in some way that we are indeed children of God in Jesus Christ.

“Into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba Father’”: “Most denominationalists take the personal indwelling position because they accept the doctrine of inherited depravity. Calvinists believe that man not only inherited the guilt of Adam's transgression but also a depraved nature. This depraved nature is not destroyed in salvation; therefore, a personal indwelling Holy Spirit is necessary to help the Christian overcome the effects of inherited depravity. How does this Spirit enter into our hearts and cry ‘Abba Father?’ I suggest to you that it is not done through personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in one's heart through which he takes control of the tongue and cries ‘Abba Father’. Rather, it is through his work in revelation.

The Holy Spirit revealed that mankind can enter a relationship of sonship with the Father. As a person believes this revelation from God and acts upon it, he cries to 6

God as his Father. Therefore, the Spirit produces the cry in his heart through his work of revelation” (pp. 187-188). Compare with Romans 8:15-16. “Abba Father”: “It (Abba) was the usual informal word applied by a child to its father within the home” (Cole p. 117). Jesus used this expresion in His prayer to the Father (Mark 14:36 “Father, dear Father”). “The Jews sometimes prayed in the synagogue to ‘our Father’, using a more formal expression. But never did they use Abba, a child's word for father used only in the affectionate intimacy of the family circle” (Boles pp. 104105). This was an "objective" experience that all the Galatians had experienced.

Notice the statement "our hearts". Each one of them had been convicted of their sins by the Spirit's message and convinced that Jesus was the Son of God, the answer for their sin. The acceptance of such facts had moved them to cry out for deliverance and express gratitude and affection towards the Father who had made all this possible.

Galatians 4:7 “So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God” “So that”: This verse concludes this section. “No longer a bondservant”: The preChristian state of both Jews and Gentiles (John 8:31-34; Galatians 4:1ff). “But a son”: Only in Christ are we truly sons of God. “Then an heir through God”: “One is an heir through what God has done for us in Christ, not through physical birth or through man's own meritorious works” (Willis p. 189). Since Christians have all of this in Christ, why then would anyone ever want to return to the Law of Moses?

Why would one choose to be a slave when one was already a son and heir?

Their Former Condition of Bondage It appears that the following section is an exhortation to the Galatians who were from a formerly Gentile or pagan background.

Galatians 4:8 “Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods” “Howbeit at that time”: “However at that time” (NASV). While the Jews were "minor children" under the Law, this was the condition of the Gentiles. “Not knowing God”: That is, ignorant of the true God (Acts 17:22-23; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Acts 17:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Ephesians 2:12). The First 7

Century was like the 21st Century in the sense that both contained cultures that seemed hungry for information (Acts 17:21). We need to remind people, that without the knowledge of the one true God, the pursuit of all other knowledge is really a waste of time (Jeremiah 9:23-24). “Ye were in bondage”: “You were slaves” (NASV). “To them that by nature are no gods”: “To gods that have no real being” (Con). “To gods who are really no gods at all” (Mof). “To so-called gods that did not even exist” (Tay). There is only one true God and all other "gods" are merely the product of human imagination. Paul was not afraid to teach the truth, even though it offended people (1 Corinthians 8:6). God never took the position that people who worship other "gods" are in reality worshipping Him. Idolatry was nothing but the worship of demons (1 Corinthians 10:20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16). The Old Testament is very unsparing with the "gods" of human invention (Isaiah 44:9-19; 46:5-11; 46:13). When one corrupts the concept of God, it cannot help but contribute to a lower worth or value being placed upon mankind. Hence, hand in hand with ancient and even modern idolatry, comes immorality (Romans 1:21-32). Thus, false religion always enslaves.

Galatians 4:9 “but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?”

“But now”: Since becoming a Christian. “Ye have come to know God: Which includes much more than just mere intellectual knowledge (3:26-27). “Or rather to be known by God”: “To know with affect and effect, a knowing with approval and love, with full acceptance, Matthew 7:23; 2 Timothy 2:19” (Lenksi p. 211). While God knows everybody (mentally), God only knows (approves of, accepts) those in Christ, that is, Christians. “To state that God knows them is to state more than to say that one knows God even as to say, ‘The president knows me’ says more than ‘I know the president’” (Willis p. 192).

“How turn ye back again”: “Used, in this context, to express surprise: ‘How it is possible?’” (Willis p. 192). “Turn”: “The continuous present, are ye turning, as of a change still in progress” (Vincent p. 139). These Gentile Christians are not in danger of turning back to idolatry, rather they are being pressured to turn back to Judaism.

“From the Christian perspective, there is little difference between the pagan and the Jew. Both are on the same level” (Boles p. 107). “To the weak and beggarly rudiments”: “Weak and worthless elemental things” (NASV). “Weak because they 8

have no power to save or justify their devotees and beggarly (literally poor), because they have no spiritual riches to bestow upon the Galatians--in short, they ‘have nothing at all to offer--but enslavement’” (Fung p. 192). The Law of Moses is called "weak and beggarly" because it was and still is powerless to grant salvation.

“The impotency of the Law to save mankind is seen in Romans 7” (Willis p. 193).

Compared to what Christ has brought, which is often referred to as "riches" (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7; 3:8; Colossians 1:27), the Law was poor. “Ye desire to be in bondage over again?” Trading paganism for Judaism, is merely trading one form of bondage for another, because neither system can save.

Galatians 4:10 “Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years” “Ye observe”: “As evidence to demonstrate that the Galatians were reverting to a state of bondage. Paul cited their observance of the special holy days of Judaism.

This passage demonstrates just how far the Galatians had already been led astray” (Willis p. 194). “Observe”: “The word denotes careful, scrupulous observance, an intent watching lest any of the prescribed seasons should be overlooked” (Vincent p.

140). Some commentators see this verse as referring to a relapse into paganism and the observance of heathen rites, yet that does not fit the context. These Christian were not being lured back into idolatry, rather they were being lured into Judaism (3:1; 4:21). “Days”: The Sabbath Day. “Months”: The festival of the new moon.

“Seasons”: Such as Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. “Years”: Sabbatical years, the year of Jubilee. Compare with Colossians 2:16 Galatians 4:11 “I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain” “I am afraid of you”: “I fear for you” (NASV). “Lest”: The outcome depends upon them, the future is not written in stone. There is no predestination or "fate" in this passage. “Bestowed labor”: “Means work hard, toil, strive, struggle” (Willis p. 197).

“If those to whom he writes are the inhabitants of the cities of South Galatia, then we know from Acts 13 and 14 something of the ‘toil’ involved” (Cole p. 119). “In vain”: “Been wasted” (TCNT). “Luther says: ‘These words of Paul breathe tears’” (Vincent p. 142). How much clearer could Paul state it, returning to the Law of Moses, returning to Judaism, even if it is only in the observance of Jewish religious days, cuts one off from grace and the benefits of Christ's death (4:11; 5:4).The "days, months, seasons and years" in this section, are the religious celebrations of 9

the Jewish calendar. This verse is not condemning the observance of birthdays, anniversaries or national holidays. All of those can be kept from non-religious motives, rather Paul is here condemning the observance of days and times, with the express intent of trying to gain favor with God, by such observance. Of course, this verse does not apply to the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), or to days that an individual Christian may set aside personally for study, visiting or personal work (Romans 14:5-6).

This verse has also come up in the "Christmas” and “Easter" discussions. That is, can a Christian still observe these holidays, even if such observance is for non-religious purposes? From 1 Corinthians 8:8, we learn the principle that morally neutral material things are not inherently contaminated by what people claim they represent, that is, meat sacrificed to idols is not contaminated. Therefore a Christmas tree, lights, holly, wreaths, etc remain morally neutral material items, even though some culture at one time may have attached some religious significance to them.

Personal Exhortations Based on a Former Friendship Galatians 4:12 “I beseech you, brethren, become as I am, for I also am become as ye are. Ye did me no wrong” “I beseech you”: “The tone of the apostle becomes more tender. He appeals to the affection and sympathy of his Galatian converts and to the sacred memories of the past” (Erdman p. 96). “Beg, ask, plead”. “Become as I am”: “Present middle imperative, ‘Keep on becoming as I am’” (Robertson p. 304). That is, realize that you are free from the bondage of the Law of Moses, as Paul realized. “All Christians should be able to say something like this especially to unbelievers, namely that we are so satisfied with Jesus Christ, with His freedom, joy, and salvation, that we want other people to become like us” (Stott p. 112). See Acts 26:28-29; 1 Corinthians 11:1. “For I also am become as ye are”: “The opening clause is the first puzzle.

Literally it reads ‘Be like me, as I too (have become) like you’. ‘Put yourselves in my place for I have put myself in yours’” (Cole pp. 120-121). “In order to reach the Galatian people, Paul crossed cultural and religious barriers that were virtually unthinkable for a person who had grown up as a Jew. But now, ironically, his converts had cut themselves off from Paul by re-erecting those same barriers” (Boles p. 109). When Paul had come to the Galatians, he came simply as a Christian, 10

even though he had come from a proud Jewish background (Philippians 3:4-7). “He made no claim of superior sanctity, though he was a Jew (of Jewish background), he had been glad to enter into fellowship with his Gentile converts. He now entreats them to assume no superiority to him on the ground that they are observing rites (of the Law of Moses)” (Erdman p. 97) “When Paul came to them in Galatia, he did not keep his distance or stand on his dignity. Although he was a Jew (of Jewish heritage), he became like the Gentiles they were 1 Corinthians 9:20-22” (Stott p. 112).

“Ye did me no wrong”: “You have done me no wrong” (NASV). “Ye did not injure me then, do not do so now” (Vincent p. 142). “Paul has no complaint to make concerning the treatment he had received during his past relation with the Galatians” (Lenski p. 217). “The things that I'm writing to you are not the results of vengeance because of unkindness shown to me. Just the opposite is true”. 2 Galatians 4:13 “but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time” “But ye know”: They knew the facts surrounding his first visit. “Because of an infirmity of the flesh”: “It was because of an illness” (Gspd). “You know how handicapped I was by illness when I first preached the gospel to you” (Phi). “Which may mean ‘amid bodily weakness’ or ‘because of bodily weakness’” (Cole p. 121).

“The exact nature of Paul's illness has excited a good deal of speculation. Sir William Ramsay believed the ailment as malaria. Paul could have contracted the disease in the lowlands of Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), causing John Mark to flee back to Jerusalem, and Paul himself to seek relief and recovery in the higher altitude of Pisidian Antioch” (Boles pp. 109-110). Some see in verse 14, a physical handicap such a epilepsy that might have tempted some to view Paul with contempt. Others see in verse 15 a possible suggestion that Paul suffered from some type of eye disease. In the end, no one really knows. “The point to remember in the context of Galatians is that Paul came to them a sick man, one they could have treated with disdain, but they welcomed him into their hearts” (Boles p. 110). “This fact made their kindly reception the more commendable” (Vincent p. 143). “The first time”: “Either generally, at an earlier time than the present, or the first time” (Vincent p.

143).

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Galatians 4:14 “and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus” “That which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not”: “Was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe” (NASV). “And you resisted any temptation to show scorn or disgust at the state of my poor body” (NEB).

“Temptation”: “Paul's bodily condition was a trial to the Galatians: apparently his illness had given his appearance a certain repulsiveness and the temptation would have been for them to ‘show scorn or disgust’ at the state of his body” (Fung pp.

197-198).

“And though my sickness was so revolting a nature that ye might well have yielded to the temptation to ridicule or despise me, and reject me because of it, ye did not” (McGarvey p. 274). People are not destined to fail. We can overcome the temptations that face us each day, and we can even overcome strong temptations.

Lenksi has some additional good comments concerning how the Galatians might have been tempted to reject Paul and his message: “A sick man is never impressive and assuring. A sick man who claims miraculous powers and heals others while he himself remains sick would certainly raise serious doubts regarding any message he might bring” (p. 220). In addition, the Galatians could have succumbed to the view advocated by the friends of Job, that physical suffering is proof that one is a sinner.

See also Acts 28:4.

“Despised”: To view with contempt. “Rejected”: “It was used in pagan literature to refer to that gesture of spitting out as a defense against sickness and other demonic threats” (Willis p. 200). “The Galatians had not yielded to any temptations to judge the messenger, or the message that he bore, by outward appearances” (Cole p.

123). “But ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus”: “But you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God--or even Christ Jesus Himself!”

(TCNT). This means that the Galatians had realized that Paul was God's messenger, and that spurning God's messenger, even if it is a human being, is spurning God. Jesus taught the same principle (Matthew 10:40; John 13:20). Note carefully that this is one more verse that makes a distinction between Jesus and angels (Hebrews 1:4-13) Galatians 4:15 “Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? For I bear you 12

witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me” “Where then is that gratulation of yourselves”: “Where then is that sense of blessing you had?” (NASV) “Now the situation has changed. They had been so pleased, so proud, to have Paul among them in those days” (Stott p. 115). “Have you forgotten how happy you thought yourselves in having me with you” (NEB). “It refers to their frame of mind; they considered themselves blessed, because of Paul's labors among them in bringing them the gospel” (Willis p. 202). “For I bear you witness”: Paul was there, he had personally experienced their generosity and hospitality, they might try to deny it, or forget it, but he cannot.

Paul uses the honest truth about the past. In attempting to restore unfaithful Christians, we need to do the same thing. Often we also can "bear them witness", that is, we heard them confess Christ, we saw them baptized, we personally heard them speak words of zealous commitment to Christ. "Bear them witness" of the good deeds they performed, of the people they tried to convert or did convert, but do not let them re-write the past. Often, the unfaithful will claim, “Well, I never really believed it in the first place”.

“That, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me”: “Some have found here evidence that Paul was afflicted with disease of the eyes.

Accordingly they explain these words, ‘You would have given me your own eyes to replace mine’” (Vincent p. 145). Then they connect this verse with the one which mentions Paul's thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). Yet what Paul probably more likely means is, “The expression about digging out the eyes and giving them to another is surely proverbial for making a sacrifice of something that is really priceless. So greatly blessed the Galatians counted themselves that nothing that they had could be too great a price to offer in return” (Lenski p. 221).

Galatians 4:16 “So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?”

“Am I become your enemy”: “The one they had received as God's angel, as God's Son, they now regarded as their enemy! Why? Simply because he had been telling them some painful home truths” (Stott p. 115). “By telling you the truth?”: Telling the truth is risky business, but Christians must be always willing to take that risk (Proverbs 23:23; 2 Timothy 4:2). “There is an important lesson here. When the 13

Galatians recognized Paul's apostolic authority, they treated him as an angel. But when they did not like his message, he became their enemy. An apostle's authority does not cease when he begins to teach unpopular truths. We cannot be selective in our reading of the apostolic doctrine of the New Testament, the apostles of Jesus Christ have authority in everything they teach, whether we happen to like it or not” (Stott p. 115). “He had not changed; the gospel is not changed. Why, then, do they treat him like an enemy?” (Erdman p. 99).

False and True Concern Galatians 4:17 “They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them” “They”: The Judaizing teachers. “Zealously seek you”: “One might say, ‘They court you’” (Lenski p. 224). “To be enthusiastic toward someone” (Boles p. 112). “Certain people are seeking your favor” (TCNT). “Oh, I know how keen these men are to win you over” (Phi). These false brethren have been zealous “personal workers” and were seeking the win the Galatians. “He seems to be accusing the false teachers of flattering the Galatians insincerely. In order to win them to their perverted gospel, the false teachers fawned on them and fussed over them” (Stott p. 115). “In no good way”: “With no honorable object” (TCNT). “But can't you see that it is for their own ends?” (Phi) This is further explained in the next phrase: “Nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them”: “No indeed, they want to isolate you, so that you will have to seek their favor” (TCNT).

“They would like to see you and me separated altogether, and have your zeal all to themselves” (Phi). “Just like a modern-day cult uses isolation from the greater Christian community as their weapon; they gushed with admiration and attention to the young Christians in Galatia, so that they would receive admiration in return” (Boles p. 113).

Galatians 4:18 “But it is good to be zealously sought in a good manner at all times, and not only when I am present with you” “It is good to be zealously sought in a good manner”: “It is a fine thing to have people interested in you, if it is for a right cause” (Nor). “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good” (NIV). Not every form of zeal or enthusiasm displayed 14

in religion is godly. For example, we need only see the events of September 11 2001 to understand that zeal when it is not united with truth is dangerous (Romans 10:12). Religious zeal must arise from pure motives and be grounded in and governed by God’s truth (2 Corinthians 11:2; 13:1-3). “And not only when I am present with you”: Paul may be saying, “I wish you would show me the same zeal, while now absent, that you demonstrated when I was present with you”, or “I am not jealous of other preachers, it is completely okay with me if other teachers work with you, provided they teach the truth and their zeal springs from honorable motives”.

Galatians 4:19 “My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you” “My little children”: “My dear children” (TCNT). “A term of endearment found not only here in Paul, but often in John (1 John 2:1,12,28)” (Vincent p. 146). This is strong note of affectionate appeal. Paul is pulling out all the stops; he is leaving nothing unsaid, which needs to be said, because the spiritual lives of these Christians are at stake. “Of whom I am again in travail”: “I am again enduring a mother's pains” (TCNT). This is what Paul meant by his statement in 2 Corinthians 11:28-29, that he was constantly concerned about Christians in other areas. He is experiencing tremendous pain, due to the unfaithfulness of these Christians, and this pain will not be relieved, until he sees them come back to Christ. “The sharp pains including those of perplexity (20), apprehension (11), indignation (2 Corinthians 11:29) and all the painful efforts required to reclaim the Galatians for the truth” (Fung p. 202). “Until Christ be formed in you”: He is not satisfied that they claim to believe in Christ; he longs to see Christ formed in them, to see them transformed into the image of Christ, "until you take the shape of Christ" (NEB).

“The verb itself is expressive, this term is always the form which expresses the essence, the inner reality; it is never a mask or an assumed form which one may lay aside” (Lenski p. 230). It is never enough to simply claim that one is a Christian.

Believing error makes it impossible to demonstrate true Christ-mindedness (Philippians 2:3-5). Salvation is much more than just "going to heaven". It involves the transformation of selfish people, into a character that glorifies and reflects the greatness of God (Ephesians 4:24).

Galatians 4:20 “but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you”

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“And to change my tone”: “If he were with them he could change his voice so as to meet their need in the most perfect way” (Lenski p. 231). “Apparently he believes that if only he could be present with them he would be able to regain their trust and allegiance, so that it would no longer be necessary to use such severe language as he has found it necessary to use in reminding them of the truth and warning them against falsehood” (Fung pp. 203-204). “I am perplexed about you”: “I am at a loss and know not what to do” (Robertson p. 306). “At his wits end” (Stott p. 117). “I am puzzled how to deal with you; how to find entrance to your hearts” (Vincent p. 147).

Many of us have felt a similar frustration when dealing with an unfaithful Christian, yet notice such perplexity did not stop Paul from offering another argument (4:2131). When in doubt, just make another argument or appeal from Scripture. Stott makes the following comments concerning the attitude members should have towards preachers: “The people's attitude to the minister should not be determined by their private theological whims. Instead, a congregation's attitude to their minister should be determined by his loyalty to the apostolic message. If ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, not to form themselves, in their hearers” (pp. 117-118).

An Argument from the Two Sons of Abraham Some commentators do not like the way that Paul argues in this section, they feel that he is drawing conclusions from Scriptures which are not warranted. Lenski points out that the allegory or lesson which Paul draws from this Old Testament event, is much different than the allegories taught by the Jewish rabbis: “Their allegories dissipate the original sense of Scripture. The simplest and the plainest things no longer mean what is said about them but something the allegorizer's fancy distills from them. The ordinary reader is completely disconcerted; he finds that he cannot understand a thing in Scripture until the allegorizer offers him his distillation” (p. 236). Erdman adds the following, “However, the allegorizing method of interpreting Scripture, brought into disrepute by the rabbis, and followed by many modern Christians who endeavor to spiritualize Bible history, differs essentially from the use of the illustration here introduced by the apostle. He does not use the Old Testament story as an argument to establish a doctrine but as a picture to make more plain a point already proved” (p. 102).

Boles then adds, “While the allegory as a form of argument is not as persuasive to modern minds, we should not disdain its value for other cultures. (We who climax 16

our sermons with shaggy dog stories to evoke an emotional response should not be hasty to criticize Paul's carefully reasoned use of this allegory!” (p. 116).

Galatians 4:21 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?”

“Tell me”: “He plunges into the subject without introduction, and with a direct appeal” (Vincent p. 148). “Ye that desire to be under the law”: Addressed to the Judaizing teachers and their followers. “Desire”: “Present tense verb, it confirms that the apostasy was in progress but not complete” (Willis p. 211). “Are bent on being under the law” (Vincent p. 148). “Paul views them as on the point of surrender as ‘wanting’ to do it” (Robertson p. 306). “Do ye not hear the law?”: “He meets them and refutes them on their own ground. He exposes the inconsistency, the illogicality of their position. ‘You want to be under the law?’ he asks. ‘Then just listen to the law! For the very law, whose servant you want to be, will be your judge and condemn you’” (Stott p. 122). “Hear”: “Become aware of, and give heed to” (Fung p. 205). “Do you not hear what the law really says” (Vincent p. 148). “This implies that the point which Paul was going to make was in the Law, available for them to learn through careful study” (Willis p. 212). Everything we need to know to serve God acceptably, and reach the right conclusions concerning what is truth, and successfully refute error, is already found in the Scriptures (Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). “But Paul's use of the law will surprise these Galatians, and possibly their teachers as well. For Paul will again appeal to Abraham, not to Moses. It is sometimes forgotten today that when a Jew refers to the law he means Genesis as much as Leviticus or Deuteronomy” (Cole p. 130).

Galatians 4:22 “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman” “One by the handmaid”: Ishmael, who was born to Hagar, a female maid-servant or slave (Genesis 16:1ff). “One by the freewoman”: Isaac was born to Sarah, a freeborn person (Genesis 21:1-5).

Galatians 4:23 “Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise” “After the flesh”: That is, the birth of Ishmael was according to the natural laws of 17

procreation. “Born in the ordinary way” (Boles p. 116). “According to the regular course of nature” (Vincent p. 149). “Through the promise”: Isaac was born as the result of God's promise, because the regular course of nature was against his birth or conception ever happening. Sarah, his mother was naturally beyond her ability to conceive (Genesis 18:11; Romans 4:19; Hebrews 11:11-12).

Galatians 4:24 “Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar” “Which things contain an allegory”: “No doubt is raised as to the historical truth of the story by regarding it as an allegory. It is given a higher value as it is shown to embody a spiritual reality and to typify the abiding relation between those who are under spiritual bondage and those who enjoy Christian liberty” (Erdman p. 103).

“Nor does he wish to deny the literal truth of the story as some allegorists might do.

His sole concern is to show the Galatians that, behind the plain meaning of the words, there is to be found the exemplification of a great spiritual truth” (Cole p.

131). “Are”: Stand for or represent. “Two covenants”: And how many people claiming to be Christians can read and study the Bible without realizing that the Bible is basically divided up into two covenants? How many argue that the salvation of the thief on the cross proves that baptism is unnecessary for their own salvation, without thinking that the thief was forgiven while the First Covenant was still in force?

“Bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar”: Hagar and Ishmael represent or typify the covenant given to the Jews on Mount Sinai. “Unto bondage”: “Bears children destined for slavery” (Wey). Remember, the Law given at Sinai included the Ten Commandments, which included Sabbath Day observance (Nehemiah 9:12-13).

“The law produces children, but ever only slaves for slavery, and in this sense the law ‘is Hagar’, who, as a slave woman, could do no more” (Lenski pp. 238-239). “Paul has already shown that to try to win salvation by keeping the law is to enter a hopeless and fruitless bondage. Yet this is the bondage inevitable to the Jew. That is why this covenant ‘bears sons destined to be slaves’. As long as they looked on the law as a possible means of salvation, such ‘slavery’ was inevitable. This reasoning is impeccable theologically, but it must have been a bitter pill for any Jew-all the more so because he prided himself on being Isaac's offspring, not an ‘Ishmaelite’ like the despised desert-dwellers of the Negev” (Cole pp. 132-133). See also 3:10-12 and Romans 7:7-24.

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Galatians 4:25 “Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children” “Is”: Represents. “Mount Sinai in Arabia”: “Paul may be arguing that Sinai is located in the land possessed by the descendants of Ishmael” (Willis p. 216). “The thought is then that the location of Mount Sinai outside Palestine (where the central events of salvation history took place) and in a land inhabited by a subjugated people, themselves descended from Hagar, shows the connection between Sinai and Hagar” (Fung p. 207). “This is clear, Paul adds in a parenthesis, because ‘Sinai is a mountain in Arabia’, and the Arabians were known as ‘the sons of Hagar’” (Stott p. 125).

“Answereth”: Corresponds to. “To stand or march in the same row with hence to stand over against, be parallel with” (Willis p. 216). “And corresponds to the present Jerusalem” (Wey). “Belongs in the same category” (Vincent p. 151). “The Jerusalem that now is”: That is, the present physical city of Jerusalem, including the whole Jewish nation that she represented. “Those who are still subject to the law, the existing Judaism, the advocates of which are troubling the Galatian church” (Erdman p. 103). The earthly Jerusalem has nothing to offer Christians. It represents a people still in bondage (John 8:31-34). “With her children”: “Refers to all those who are seeking salvation through perfect obedience to the Law of Moses” (Willis p. 217).

Galatians 4:26 “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother” “The Jerusalem that is above”: Hebrews 12:22-23. The Jerusalem of which Christians are citizens (Philippians 3:20). “Is free”: John 8:31-34. Free from sin and the bondage to the Law of Moses. “Which is our mother”: Linking the argument back to Sarah. As a freeborn woman, Sarah's children would share that same status, therefore all who obey Christ will be free while all others are in bondage.

Galatians 4:27 “For it is written, ‘Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband’” “For it is written”: The quotation here is from Isaiah 54:1. “At this point Paul returns to the drama of Hagar and Sarah. While the lowly handmaiden came to gloat in her fertility, the barren wife felt all the more keenly her childless plight. But when the Lord finally stepped in to fulfill His promises, the aged Sarah brought forth a son.

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Sarah's victory became a frequent theme of the Old Testament, and Isaiah had this in mind when he predicted that the restored Jerusalem would have greater joy than her pre-exile counterpart” (Boles p. 120). “For more are the children of the desolate”: While it is true that Sarah had more descendants then Hagar, and that the restored Jerusalem after the captivity eventually surpassed in some ways the size and glory of the original city, the real or main point Paul seems to be making is that the true Jerusalem, that is, the city that represents Christians, would outstrip and surpass the glory and size of any previous Jewish Kingdom. The Church would eventually grow and become more widespread that Judaism ever was, because the Church is comprised of obedient believers from all nations (Mark 16:15-16).

Galatians 4:28 “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise” So many good points are in this statement: Like Isaac, the birth of every Christian is an unnatural event (John 3:5). Unlike the Judaizers, Christians are not trying to earn their salvation, rather they are obediently trusting in the promises found in the Word of God. Christians are the true children of God, they are the only ones who have inherited God's promise to Abraham (3:26-29).

Galatians 4:29 “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now” “Persecuted”: Genesis 21:9 “Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar..mocking”. This verse informs us that such mocking was very serious. Listen to the following: “It is much more likely that Ishmael, having arrived at these years, participated in Hagar's feelings of jealousy and disappointment that this child (Isaac) should have come to supersede him in the position which, but for this, he might have held in the family.

The elder-son indulged himself in ill-natured and very possibly profane ridicule of the circumstances under which Isaac was born. That both mother and son were very greatly in the wrong is evidenced by the sanction which Heaven accorded to the punishment with which they were visited” (Willis pp. 222-223).

“So it is now”: Long before the Romans started persecuting Christians, the Jews were doing a good job of it themselves (Acts 4:1-6,18; 5:17,40; 6:9; 7:54-8:4; 1313:50; 14:2,19; 17:5,13; 21:20; 22:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:15,16). This is the "lot" of Christians. We receive God's blessings of salvation (Ephesians 1:3), but we also face persecution (Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12).

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Galatians 4:30 “Howbeit what saith the Scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman” “Cast out the handmaid and her son”: Quotation from Genesis 21:10. “Does that mean, then, that Jew and Christian are together co-heirs of God's grace? No, says Paul. The reason why all natural religious systems are bound to come into conflict with Christianity, the supernatural system, is because they cannot co-exist as parallel paths to the same goal. That is why the persecution mentioned above is inevitable (Cole p. 135). “The Apostle thus confidently sounds the death-kneel of Judaism” (Stott p. 128). “This verse of Scripture, which the Jews interpreted as God's rejection of the Gentiles, Paul boldly reverses and applies to the exclusion of the unbelieving Jews from the inheritance” (Stott pp. 127-128). There is a powerful message here to these congregations in Galatia, "cast out", that is, obey what the Scripture says, withdraw from the Judaizers and all who are in league with them. (Romans 16:1718; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15; 2 John 9-11).

Galatians 4:31 “Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman” “We inherit the promises of the Old Testament. They are fulfilled today not in the Jewish nation, as some dispensationalists hold, nor in the British or Anglo-Saxon people, as the British Israelites teach, but in Christ and in the people of Christ. We Christians are Abraham’s seed (3:29). We are citizens of the true Jerusalem. We are the Israel of God (6:16), and the true circumcision (Philippians 3:3)” (Stott p. 128).

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