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Galatians
Chapter Four
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Dialectics of the Truth of the Gospel
I. Since we have received the adoption as sons, we
should not be controlled by the law any more:
A. We
were under the law in the past, just as the children who were controlled:
1. As long as he is a child, he does not differ at
all from a slave (v.1).
2. Before the appointed time, he was controlled by
the law (v.2-3).
B.
Today we who were under the law have been redeemed and received the adoption as
sons:
1. God sent forth His son to redeem men who were
under the law (v.4-5).
2. Today we have the Spirit of the Son in us and we
are heirs of God (v.6-7).
C.
Since we have known God, we should not be the slaves of the law as much as
before:
1. We were slaves in the past because we did not
know God (v.8).
2. Since we have known God now, we should not be
slaves again (v.9).
3. Observing the ceremonies and regulations are
being in the bondage of the law (v.10-11).
II. We should remember the condition of our being
saved and it is the clear proof that Christ lives in us:
A.
Becoming like Paul who did not change all the time (v.12a).
B.
When the Galatian believers were saved, they treated Paul as Christ Jesus
(v.12b-15).
C.
Today the Galatian believers even treated Paula as the enemy:
1. Because Paul told them the truth (v.16)
2. They were cheated by the exclusion of the
Judaizers (v.17-18)
D.
Paul hoped to labor in birth again for them until Christ is formed in them
(v.19-20).
III. We should be children born through promise
instead of the children born according to the flesh:
A.
Abraham had two sons:
1. It is written in the law that Abraham had two
sons (v.21-22a).
2. He who was of the bondwoman was born according
to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise (v.22b-23).
B. Two
women typified two covenants:
1. Hagar typified the covenant of the law from
2. Sara typified the covenant of promise------who
was barren and later gave birth through promise (v.26-27).
C.
Being the “right” sons:
1. Believers in the New Testament are children of
promise (v.28).
2. The Judaizers who were born according to the
flesh then persecuted those who were born according to the Spirit (v.29).
3. The bondwoman (the covenant of the law) and her
son shall be cast out (v.30).
4. We are children of the free (the covenant of
promise) (v.31).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Gal. 4:1 “Now I say that the heir,
as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is
master of all,”
YLT: “And I say, so long
time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant -- being lord
of all,”
Meaning of Words: “child”: baby, an
infant.
The
Background: according to the law
and custom at that time, though a child has the position of the son, he still
needs the care and supervision of the guardians and he cannot walk freely, just
as a slave. He will legally inherit the possession of his father until he has
grown up.
Literal Meaning: to a child, legally
he is the heir who shall inherit all the possessions of is father. However, in
the reality his position in the house does not differ from that of the
servants. Time is an essential factor to have the right of succession. Here
Paul used the custom of the world to the possessions to explain when believers
could inherit the possessions promised by God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though we have already had the life of God, if
we do not grow up into maturity, we cannot fully enjoy the abundance of God’s
life (See John. 10:10).
2) Satan utilizes various kinds of things,
including the world, money, position, the religious ceremonies and etc, to
enslave the children of God. The only way by which we could be exempted from
its enslavement is to abide in the Lord and grow up in life rapidly.
Gal. 4:2 “but is under guardians
and stewards until the time appointed by the father.”
YLT: “but is under tutors
and stewards till the time appointed of the father,”
Meaning of Words: “guardians” refer to
the custodians who generally take care of the children or orphans; “stewards”
refer to those who mange the affairs in the family, accounts and possessions;
“appointed”: set prior.
The
Background: according to the
custom at that time, the children do not have the freedom of their own and
possessions until a certain age. They are kept by “the guardians and stewards”
and their possessions are managed by them.
Literal Meaning: in this verse the
helpless state of childhood is used to state that before the coming of the
predestinated dispensation of grace (“the time appointed by the father”), His elect were guarded by the law temporarily:
for one thing they were fully looked after by the law (“under guardians”) and for another they cannot enjoy the
promised possessions (“under stewards”).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord works according to the appointed time
and our time is always ready (John. 7:6). When working, we should learn to wait
for the Lord’s time.
2) Thank God because He deals with us as with sons.
And therefore we should be chastened by the hand of the Father of spirits, that
we might be partakers of his holiness (Heb. 12:7-10).
Gal. 4:3 “Even so we, when we were
children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.”
YLT: “so also we, when we
were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude,”
Meaning
of Words: “be in bondage”: in
servitude, make others obey; “elements”: characters, rudiments, principle,
rules.
Literal Meaning: “when we were children” It refers to the time before we knew the
truth of justification (Gal. 3:23) and the Son of God (Gal. 4:4). At that time
we, just like the world, are all controlled by the principles of the world, the
worldly superficial religious reasons and philosophical theories.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When we are spiritually naïve, we understand as
children (1Cor. 13:11). We are easy to be deceived by men and be carried about
with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14).
2) Believers should depart from the stage of the spiritual
babies and become full-grown men to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:12-14).
3) The best way for the growth of the spiritual
life is to desire the sincere milk of the word (1Pet. 2:2).
Gal. 4:4 “But when the fullness of
the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,”
YLT: “and when the
fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under
law,”
Meaning of Words: “the fullness of the
time”: the time fills up; “sent forth”: send away forth, dispatch.
Literal Meaning: “But when the fullness of
the time had come” It refers to the
time when God ordained to send Christ to be a man.
“Born of a woman” It refers to the incarnation that Christ became a
man (John. 1:14; Matt. 1:25; Luke. 2:6-7).
“Born under the law” It means that He became a Jew and was
controlled by the law (Luke. 2:21-24).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God takes actions at His time (John. 2:4; 7:8).
We must wait for God and look upon Him in everything and when the time has
come, we shall experience His salvation of great power subjectively.
2) The Lord Jesus is already with God before His
birth (John. 1:1). His coming makes men enjoy “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).
3) The Lord Jesus is both the true God (“His Son”)
and a true man (“born
of a woman”). He has both the
divinity and the humanity.
4) The Lord not only bears our sins but also takes
the yoke of the law for us.
Gal. 4:5 “to redeem those who were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
YLT: “that those under
law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive;”
Meaning of Words: “the adoption as
sons”: place the son in the position of a son.
Literal Meaning: only the salvation
of the Lord Jesus could set men free from the bondage of the law and make them
receive the freedom of sons. Here the main idea is that it is God’s action to
adopt sons.
Enlightenment in the Word: we believers are redeemed from the law. However, we
are not those who are “without” the law but those who “surpass” the law.
Gal. 4:6 “And because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
YLT: “and because ye are
sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, `Abba,
Father!'”
Meaning of Words: “cry out”: cry
loudly publicly; “Abba” is the intimate appellation in Aramaic (
Literal Meaning: “And because you are sons” Since the Galatian believers are
Christians, they are sons of God.
This verse shows that the position that
believers have received from the Lord is not only an objective fact but also a
subjective experience. The indwelling Holy Spirit makes us enjoy the close
relation of life with God.
Gal. 4:7 “Therefore you are no
longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
YLT: “so that thou art no
more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.”
Meaning of Words: “therefore”:
consequently, so that; “through”: by, because of, by reason of; “son”: the
grown-up son; “heir”: the one who inherits the possessions, inheritor.
Literal Meaning: “therefore” It shows
that this verse is the conclusion of the previous several verses.
The singular word “you” in this verse (“you”
are plural in the previous verses) shows more personal concern.
“No longer” It shows the conclusion of God’s works: believers
are no longer slaves but sons.
“An heir of God through Christ” Men become heirs according to God’s
promise instead of themselves (Gal. 3:29). All that men can do is to believe in
God (Gal. 3:9).
Gal. 4:8 “But then, indeed, when
you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.”
YLT: “But then, indeed,
not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,”
Meaning of Words: “know”: see, it is
not merely the rational cognition and it also includes the relation based on
experiences; “by nature”: nature.
Literal Meaning: “which are not gods” refer to the false gods and idols (1Cor.
8:4).
The word “but” draws forth the different
contrast. Though the Gentiles are different from the Jews who are slaves under
the law, they are slaves under the vanity and ignorance of idols.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Not knowing God is the greatest loss and
ignorance and it is also the greatest danger of life.
2) If we do not know God, we will treat which are
not gods as God.
Gal. 4:9 “But now after you have
known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the
weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?”
YLT: “and now, having
known God -- and rather being known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak
and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?”
Meaning of Words: “know”: know well,
approve, agree (the two “know”s in this verse are the same in the original,
however, it is different from “know” in v.8); “turn to”: turn about, revert;
“weak”: without strength, sick; “beggarly”: poor; “desire”: yearn for, intend.
Literal Meaning: the first two
sentences in this verse are the important revelation in the New Testament.
“Or rather are known by God” The Galatian believers’ knowing God is the
result of their being known by God. When they did not know God, God saved them.
Paul called the law as “the weak and beggarly
elements” because in the
positive aspect the law can neither make men overcome sin----“weak” nor set men
from sin----“beggarly” and in leading men to know God, the law is in the
primary stage----“elements”. However, in the negative aspect the law could
enslave men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is not enough that we know God and we need to
be known by God even more.
2) Only when what we do accords with the will of
God shall we be reckoned to be truly known by God.
3) Today believers always forsake the freedom in
the Spirit and would rather turn to being in the bondage of the religious
ceremonies and regulations.
Gal. 4:10 “You observe days and
months and seasons and years.”
YLT: “days ye observe,
and months, and times, and years!”
Meaning of Words: “observe”: inspect
alongside.
The
Background: according to the
custom of the Jews, they observe “days” (e.g. the Sabbath), “months” (e.g. the
new moon), “seasons” (e.g. the Passover) and “years” (e.g. the sabbath). Since
the Galatian believers were influenced by Judaizers, they probably turned to
observing such Jewish custom.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Enjoying God’s grace does not lie in observing
the external ceremonies but the inner spiritual reality.
2) Today believers who pay attention to Good
Friday, Easter, Ascension Day, Christmas and other church festivals should take
care and not recommit the same error of Judaism.
Gal. 4:11 “I am afraid for you, lest
I have labored for you in vain.”
YLT: “I am afraid of you,
lest in vain I did labour toward you.”
Meaning of Words: “in vain”: without
effect, fruitless; “labor”: work hard.
Literal Meaning: Paul was afraid that
the Galatian believers turned to the worldly elements and put themselves under
the law. If so, what he had labored in
Gal. 4:12 “Brethren, I urge you to
become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.”
YLT: “Become as I [am] --
because I also [am] as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt,”
Meaning of Words: “urge”: beseech;
“injure”: treat men wrongfully or unjust.
Literal Meaning: “you to become like me” Paul besought the Galatians to imitate him
who gave up the way of being saved by the works of the law (Gal. 2:19-20).
“For I became like you” It indicates that Paul disregarded his
Jewish status for them and learned to be a Gentile (1Cor. 9:21).
“You
have not injured me at all” It could be seen
in detail from v.13 to v.15. We could know that the Galatian believers treated
Paul hospitably in the past and did not hurt him at all.
Gal. 4:13 “You know that because of
physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.”
YLT: “and ye have known
that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the
first,”
The
Background: it is not stated in
the Bible what disease Paul had. Some people surmised that it might be the
sickness of eyes (Gal. 4:15; 6:11), the epilepsy or the injury that was left
because of persecution. Though there is not the final conclusion, it is certain
that it was the deep-rooted illness that was intolerable in the flesh (2Cor.
12:7).
Literal Meaning: “at the first” shows
that before Paul wrote this epistle, he has gone to
When a sick messenger of the gospel came
to them, he needed their help in many things certainly and he might become
their burden. It is a kind of trial to their love.
Gal. 4:14 “And my trial which was in
my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God,
even as Christ Jesus.”
YLT: “and my trial that
[is] in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye
did receive me -- as Christ Jesus;”
Meaning of Words: “despise”: reject
scornfully; “reject”: spite out, spurn, repel.
The
Background: at that time men
regarded sickness as the punishment from the false gods (Acts. 28:4). However,
the Galatians did not reject Paul and they even considered Paul and Barnabas
Mercurius and Jupiter at first (Acts. 14:12) and later knew that they were
God’s messengers.
Literal Meaning: Paul’s sickness is a
trial. On one hand it shows whether they love men and on the other it manifests
whether they know the Lord. When a servant of the Lord is sick, the common
believers might think that he is rejected by God.
“But you received me as an angel of God,
even as Christ Jesus” This sentence
means that: 1) they regarded the reception of Paul as the reception of the Lord
in order to love the Lord; 2) they received Paul with the attitude of receiving
the Lord Himself and respecting God’s messenger.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today God always uses brothers who are
physically or spiritually weak to test how we give up ourselves for the Lord
and our real state of love.
2) The true love does not have respect to persons
but loves men with the motive for loving the Lord.
3) The bad state of the Lord’s servants cannot be
our excuse for coveting the world.
Gal. 4:15 “What then was the
blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have
plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.”
YLT: “what then was your
happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked
out, ye would have given to me;”
Meaning of Words: “blessing”: happiness,
wish, blessedness, prosperity.
The
Background: “have plucked out your own
eyes and given them to me” It was a common
saying at that time. It was used to show love: one was even willing to give his
most precious and irreplaceable thing to others.
Literal Meaning: on that day the
Galatian believers received the gospel that Paul preached earnestly and
regarded it their satisfaction and blessing. On account of the Lord, they
respected Paul who preached the gospel to them.
“Have plucked out your own eyes and
given them to me” Some people held
that the words showed that Paul had the eye trouble.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is the blessed state to love men (especially
in dealing with the Lord’s servants).
2) The love of the flesh is always not lasting. And
one’s love today may turn into hate tomorrow.
Gal. 4:16 “Have I therefore become
your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
YLT: “so that your enemy
have I become, being true to you?”
Meaning of Words: “tell you the
truth”: speak the truth and do not lie.
Literal Meaning: “the truth” has two
meanings: 1) the truth of the gospel; 2) the true words of pointing out the
real situation. Paul thought that it was the reason why they changed their
attitude towards him and were hostile to him today.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If believers treat the one who tells them the
truth as their “enemy”, it proves that they do not have the heart of desiring
the truth in them and they only mind the flesh.
2) A faithful servant of the Lord won’t be silent
in telling the truth. He would rather suffer others’ persecution himself than
let others distort the truth. He would rather sacrifice himself than sacrifice
the truth.
Gal. 4:17 “They zealously court you,
but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for
them.”
YLT: “they are zealous
for you -- [yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may
be zealous;”
Meaning of Words: “zealously”: have
warmth of feeling, be jealous over; “exclude”: shut out, keep out.
Literal Meaning: “they” refer to
Judaizers who preached the wrong doctrines.
“Exclude” means to separate the
Galatians from Paul and all believers.
Judaizers hid their snares in love and
therefore they harbored malicious intentions.
Enlightenment in the Word: Christians should take heed and beware of men’s
praise and the false love. We should learn to discern whether others love with
the motive of loving the Lord.
Gal. 4:18 “But it is good to be
zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.”
YLT: “and [it is] good to
be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being
present with you;”
Literal Meaning: zealousness out of
good motive is good itself, however, it should last. One should be zealous
before men and be still behind men.
Gal. 4:19 “My little children, for
whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,”
YLT: “my little children,
of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you,”
Meaning of Words: “labor in birth”:
travail in birth; “form”: the inner true change.
Literal Meaning: “my little children”
is an intimate appellation. Paul likened himself a mother who labored in birth.
The word “again” shows that a servant of
the Lord suffers two kinds of labors:
1) He labors in leading men to turn to
and believe in the Lord Jesus regardless of others’ indifference and
opposition.
2) He labors in cultivating men to grow
up in life until “Christ is formed in them” regardless of others’ ignorance and
naivety, i.e. letting Christ form and organize in us so that we shall be
informed into the image of Christ.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Christ in many Christians seems to be likened
the egg which has not been fully hatched: there is the life of chicken,
however, the form of chicken cannot be seen in it
2) When the cross works in a believer and makes his
old man decrease and the new man (Christ) be put on in his behavior, he is more
and more like the Lord. It is the way that the life of Christ is formed in us.
Gal. 4:20 “I would like to be
present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.”
YLT: “and I was wishing
to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about
you.”
Meaning of Words: “tone”: voice,
sound; “have doubts”: have no way out, be at a loss.
Literal Meaning: the moment Paul
remembered them, he had doubts and he was only too anxious to come there and
lead them to the right way himself, so that he would no longer use such tone of
rebuke.
Enlightenment in the Word: the true rebuke of love is forced to be done
instead of the random severe reproach.
Gal. 4:21 “Tell me, you who desire
to be under the law, do you not hear the law?”
YLT: “Tell me, ye who are
willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear?”
Literal Meaning: “desire” indicates
that the Galatian believers seemed to have decided to go towards that
direction.
This verse means that those who desire
to be under the law actually do not tally with the examples that are written in
the law.
The first “the law” in this verse refers
to the commandments that were declared by Moses and the second refers to the
Pentateuch in which these commandments were recorded. Judaizers respected the
law of the commandments and paid no attention to receive the history and
covenant of the commandments. They respected the law of commandments and could
not see the broad thoughtfulness of the law----God’s way to show mercy to His
people.
Gal. 4:22 “For it is written that
Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.”
YLT: “for it hath been
written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the
free-woman,”
The
Background: The case that
Abraham had sons was recorded in Gen. 16, 17. The Jews regarded Pentateuch as
the law and therefore it is “it is written”.
“A bondwoman” is the maidservant and it
refers to the Egyptian maidservant Hagar and her son was named Ishmael.
“A freewoman” refers to Sara the wife of
Abraham and her son was named Isaac.
Literal Meaning: in this verse the
different positions of the two mothers are used to state that the positions of
their sons are different: one gives birth to bondage and the other free.
Spiritual Meaning: “a bondwoman”
typifies the covenant of the law; “the one by a bondwoman” typifies men under the law.
“A freewoman” typifies the covenant of
promise; “the
other by a freewoman” typifies believers
of the New Testament.
Paul used this example to give the
comparison of “being in bondage under the law” and “being free under grace”.
Gal. 4:23 “But he who was of the
bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through
promise,”
YLT: “but he who [is] of
the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who [is] of the
free-woman, through the promise;”
Literal Meaning: “was born according to the
flesh” It indicates that
a man was born according to the physiologically natural phenomenon.
“Through promise” It indicates that a man was born by the wonderful
works that are manifested by God.
In this verse the different states of
two mothers’ childbirth are used to state that the nature of their sons is
different (Gen. 17:15-21; 18:9-15; 21:1-8). Those who are under the law observe
the law according to the flesh, however, believers of the New Testament enjoy
grace through God’s promise.
Gal. 4:24 “which things are
symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from
YLT: “which things are
allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to
servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar;”
Meaning of Words: “symbolic”: be an
allegory.
Literal Meaning: “the two covenants” refer to the covenant of the law and the
covenant of promise (grace).
“From Mount Sinai” The law was made at the foot of
“Hagar” represents the covenant of the
law.
“Gives birth to bondage” All those who are of the works of the law
are indeed slaves of the law willingly and lose the freedom.
Gal. 4:25 “for this Hagar is Mount
Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to
YLT: “for this Hagar is
mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the
Meaning of Words: “corresponds to”:
file together, equal.
Spiritual Meaning: “
“
“Her children” refer to the Judaists and
Christians who believed in Judaism at that time.
“And is in bondage with…” It means that
Judaists and Judaizers are all in bondage of the law.
Enlightenment in the Word: today many nominal churches of Christ and
Christians only pay attention to appearance and forms or want to observe ceremonies
and regulations according to the flesh. They also correspond to Hagar and are
in bondage.
Gal. 4:26 “but the
YLT: “and the
Spiritual Meaning: “the
Gal. 4:27 “For it is written: ‘Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and
shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than
she who has a husband.’”
YLT: “for it hath been
written, `Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who
art not travailing, because many [are] the children of the desolate -- more
than of her having the husband.'”
Literal Meaning: this verse is quoted
from Is. 54:1 and it predicted that a kind of son was born when the mother was
barren.
“O barren, You who do not bear!” refer to the women who have the
physiological defects and cannot bear.
“You who are not in labor…the desolate”
It indicates that even if the women who cannot bear have husbands, they are
desolate and poor as if they did not have husbands.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse predicts
that under the Old Testament, “the
Gal. 4:28 “Now we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are children of promise.”
YLT: “And we, brethren,
as Isaac, are children of promise,”
Literal Meaning: as Isaac was born
through promise, we Christians become God’s children fully according to God’s
promise through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26) instead of the works of the
flesh.
Gal. 4:29 “But, as he who was born
according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the
Spirit, even so it is now.”
YLT: “but as then he who was
born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also
now;”
Meaning of Words: “persecute”: press
forward, follow after.
The
Background: Ishmael once mocked
Isaac. From the words of Sara to Abraham at that time, probably Ishmael’s
attitude to Isaac was very bad and he even attempted to fight for the right of
succession (Gen. 21:9-10).
Literal Meaning: Isaac was despised
by Ishmael and in like manner, now the promised children are persecuted by
those who are born according to the flesh.
Enlightenment in the Word: the nominal Christians always sneer at and
persecute the true Christians.
Gal. 4:30 “Nevertheless what does
the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and
her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the
freewoman.’”
YLT: “but what saith the
Writing? `Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the
maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;'”
The
Background: the words in this
verse were said by Sara to Abraham (Gen. 21:10) and God fully agreed on the
words (Gen. 21:12).
Enlightenment in the Word: all those who are of the works of the law cannot
partake in the
Gal. 4:31 “So then, brethren, we are
not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”
YLT: “then, brethren, we
are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.”
Literal
Meaning: Christians are born
to be free because Christ is the Lord who gives men freedom (Gal. 5:1).
Christians are not slaves under the law but children born through promise who
live in the freedom of Christ by faith.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Children and Sons
I. Children refer to
those who are under the law:
A. they do not differ at all from
slaves, though they are masters of all (v.1).
B. they are under guardians and stewards
until the time appointed by God (v.2).
C. they are in bondage under the
elements of the world (v.3).
II. Sons refer to
those who are redeemed:
A. Christ Jesus was born under the law
to redeem us who were under the law (v.4-5).
B. We have the Spirit of His Son in our
hearts and we cry out, "Abba, Father!" (v.6).
C. We are heirs of God through Christ
(v.7).
God’s Actions When the
Fullness of the Time Had Come
II. God has sent
forth the Spirit of His Son into the hearts of those who are redeemed (v.5-6).
III. God makes those
who have been redeemed heirs (v.7).
The Blessings of Believers
I. We who are under
the law are redeemed (v.5).
II. We receive the
adoption as sons (v.5).
III. We have the
Spirit of His Son in our hearts (v.6).
IV. We could call
God “Abba, Father” (v.6).
V. We are no longer
slaves but sons (v.7).
VI. We are heirs of
God through Christ (v.7).
Slaves
II. The slaves of
idols (v.8).
III. The slaves of
the elements of the world (v.3, 9).
The Differences between Those who did not
Know God and Those who Knew God
II. Now you have
known God, or rather are known by God, you could no longer be slaves (v.9).
The Features of the True Apostles
II. He spoke bluntly
and told men the truth (v.16).
III. He was willing
to labor in birth again for others until Christ is formed in men (v.19).
Christians and Judaizers
I. Christians are
born through promise and Judaizers are born according to the flesh (v.23).
II. Christians are
free and Judaizers are in bondage (v.24-26).
III. Christians are
of heaven ad Judaizers are of the earth (v.25-26).
IV. The former is
more than the latter (v.27).
V. Christians could
inherit the possessions and Judaizers cannot inherit the possessions (v.30).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren