Galatians 4

==Galatians 4:1-5==
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 elements 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.
Paul transitions to this idea of Christians being heirs of God because they are adopted children. To begin with, he describes them as very young children growing up. Paul gives us some insight into the culture of the day concerning slavery and childhood by saying that children were no different than slaves, despite being future owners of the estate (including those slaves). This is a marked difference in the slavery in the world leading up to and through the United States Civil War and the slavery of Paul's day. These bond servants were treated on equal level with the children of owners. It is no difficult thing, understanding this, to address the comparison of ourselves and slaves to Christ such as is found in Romans 6:15-16.
Children then are under the command of their parents, given education and rules to follow, as apparently were the servants. Even Joseph was given such under Potipher. The analogy here is that the church was still in its infancy and needed that strong hand of guidance. Paul makes this comparison in 1 Cor. 13:8-13 when talking about the duration of miracles. While the church was young, the Holy Spirit was there to tutor through the inspiration of the NT writers and the miracles. Then, when the time appointed by the father, the church would be considered an adult, muture, and ready to stand on its own without further direct commands from the Father, only the things taught during its youth.
What does this say about those who teach ongoing revelation? It's the same as those who teach that miracles still take place today. They are essentially saying that their church never grew up. They are implying that they live at home with their parents even though age wise they should have moved out a long time ago, taking what was taught and applying it in a mature fashion. That immaturity is one of the major reasons the denominations are in such error and why there is so much division today.
One last point concerning "the time appointed". This is an explicit reference to the end of Judaism such as was prophesied through the Old Testament. When all the prophecies concerning Israel and those under Moses would be completed, fulfilled, when the last book of the Bible was "once and for all delivered to the saints", the church would be a grown up and able to stand without that constant parental scaffolding. It is what the Bible calls "the last days", which started with John the Immerser and ended when Jerusalem fell, Judaism ended, and the last books of the NT were penned (John, 1-3 John, Jude).
==Galatians 4:6-7==
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.
Remember that Paul is writing to Genitiles, those who were never under Moses. These are adopted children. Paul argues that since they are sons, they have the spirit of Christ in them. This mind of Christ that is achieved through understanding of and obedience to the gospel. We see Paul's words echoed in John 14:23 "And Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
In becoming sons, they gained access to the inheritance. In becoming adults, that inheritance was granted to them. That inheritance was the kingdom, the church, without Jewish persecution and the weight of Moses attempting to drag them down (no more school teacher - Gal. 3:24-25), and no more children's educational toys (miracles). I'll say this again, the inheritance is the kingdom, the church. We see this in Matthew 21 in the parable of the husbandmen. We see this in Acts 20:32 where Paul is talking about the inhertiance that would come after the church was built up, which Paul talks about in Eph. 1:11-18 as already received to an extent (an earnest payment), but that would be fully received when the fullness of redemption from the law took place (the end of the burden of the Law of Moses through the practical authority vested in the Jewish state).
==Galatians 4:8-9==
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 again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
When the Gentiles of the Galatian churches did not know who Jehovah was they worshipped rocks and sticks and animals, which aren't gods but created things, even rudimentary things of the world. Paul asks them how they can go back to those silly things after they have come to know who God is, to become known as Christians. Why would they voluntarily enslave themselves to that which is far beneath them. Mankind is the highest creation. All other things were made to serve mankind. How utterly ridiculous is it for us to worship that which is less than ourselves?
==Galatians 4:10-11==
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.
The Gentiles had returned to their pagan observations and holy days, whether out of convenience or fear of their pagan neighbors or the Jews. Paul worries that his work in teaching them the truth would have been for nothing.
==Galatians 4:12-14==
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.
This is a very interesting and key passage for a number of reasons. First of all, Paul argues that the Christians at the various churches of the province of Galatia be like him in some way, arguing that he is like them in some way and that they have not done injury to him to any extent. What is Paul talking about here? He explains further.
Through Paul's "infirmity [weakness] of the flesh" he preached the gospel to them early on. Some will argue that this infirmity is a weakness of his physical body, the "thorn in the flesh" of 2 Cor. 12:7. The argument has been made that this is Paul's bad eyesight, the reason he had friends like Timothy record his letters for him and he only signed them at the end (e.g. 1 Cor. 16:21).
I disagree. I believe that this weakness of the flesh is the Judaizers that followed him everywhere and tried to tear down what Paul built up. The immense pressure on Paul that they brought Paul was two-fold: 1) They were a reminder and a draw to all that Paul had been as Saul of Tarsus, the power and prestige he had as a Pharisee of Pharisees persecuting the church, and 2) the constant threat of torture and death and worse, the unraveling of all the work Paul had done among the Gentiles. Paul prayed three times to have this thorn removed (2 Cor. 12:8). In this text, Paul further explains that this weakness of flesh was a temptation to him somehow. Poor eyesight cannot account for why the weakness was a temptation. It isn't sufficient or logical cause for that. However, the Judaizers are such a cause. The Gentiles were commended for not despising or rejecting Paul because of the harassment and constant temptation that the Judaizers represented to him.
Finally, it is interesting to note that Paul was received as an "angel" of God. Paul is just a human. He is not like Gabriel or the other spiritual beings we see through scripture that we normally refer to as angels. The word simply means "messenger". Paul is a messenger of God even as Jesus was a messenger of God, THE messenger of God in fact. The Galatians were commended for receiving Paul as such.
==Galatians 4:15-16==
15 Where 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?
Based on how the Gentile Christians of Galatia treated Paul, how they received him as from God Almighty, where was their blessedness now? Why had they reverted.
One of the reasons many believe that Paul's thorn in the flesh was his eyesight is because of these verse. Paul says that in the beginning they would have been willing to give Paul their own eyes if such a thing had been possible. Those who interpret this passage that way infer that this means that Paul's infirmity of the flesh is his eyesight. However, this is not a necessary conclusion and does not match up with a number of other considerations from the context which I have already covered. It is possible that this is simply a general metaphor drawing on that which is impossible to explain the level of their generosity which the Galatian congregations had since lost.
Paul then chastises them by saying "you used to treat me this way, but now that I'm correcting you, you are treating me a like an enemy. Why?" He brings the same message, has the same love for them that he has always had, moreso because he has come to know them. Yet because now that truth is corrective since they have slid back to their old habits, they treat him differently. They are the ones who changed, not Paul, and not God.
==Galatians 4:17-18==
17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, 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.
Here is more evidence that the infirmity Paul spoke of is the Judaizers. Its the stronger, more specific contextual theme. The Judaizers that afflicted Paul afflicted the Gentile churches. We see it throughout Acts and Revelation. Paul says that these zealots attempt to change the Galitians but not for their good. Their goal is not to benefit the Gentile Christians but to exclude them entirely so that the Gentiles would not have anything to do with the Judaizers in the church. This is the Jewish racism at its finest.
Paul points out that its good to be changed with great energy toward good things, and not just when Paul is there. The Galatians, though, needed to be discerners of what is good and bad and only allow zealous changes for the good.
==Galatians 4:19-20==
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.
One more we see the metaphor of travailing in birth. This is a symbol used throughout the NT and OT in talking about persecutions God's people faced at the hands of enemies. In the NT context, it is a reference to the church being persecuted by the Jews. Paul has labored so long to get the churches of Galatia established. It was a hard work because of the Judaizers, but he believe he has been successful. Now he is seeing that work struggle because those congregations are letting the Judaizers corrupt what Paul has established.
Paul says he wants to be there to counter the effect those evil people were having. He has doubts that the Galatian congregations will chose to repent and stand strong on their own.
==Galatians 4:21==
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Remember, these are Gentiles being convinced to proselytize under Moses by the Judaizers. They don't fully understand the law of Moses the way Paul does. Paul challenges them on this by deepening their understand of the law, using it against them for their foolish desire. "You want to be under the law of Moses? Don't you understand what the law of Moses actually teaches about that? Here, let me show you, from the law of Moses, how childish and ignorant you are being."
==Galatians 4:22-27==
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; 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.
Paul refers then to Abraham (found in Genesis) and the story of Ishamel and Isaac. Its a familiar story retold above so I will not belabor the story. Utlimately, though, the comparison is between two women (sounds familiar if you have read my stuff on Revelation). Hagar (Agar) and Sarah. These women represent physical Jerusalem and the Jewish state in Hagar and the new Jerusalem, the church of Christ, which is the city of God (Heb. 12:22-23; Revelation 21:2-10).
Judaism is slavery, bondage to sin and death and has no inheritance (as a system, not as individual people) in the kingdom of Christ. Christianity, the church, is freedom, heirs of the promises of God, the promise of true salvation.
==Galatians 4:28-31==
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.
Christians then are the antitype of Isaac, the child promised to Abraham and Sarah. They came second after Judaism just as Isaac came second after Ishmael and is persecuted by the Jews the way the Israelites were persecuted by the Ishmaelites down through history. God then has cast out the bondwoman and her child (Jerusalem and Judah) and retained the free (the church and Christians).
Judaism was ending and the church was being established and the Gentiles of Galatia were wanting to get on the sinking ship.
In Truth and Love.
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