Galatians 4

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Paul explains that just as a child inherits what his father wants to give him, but only after he comes of age, in the same way, we were under the Law until we were ready to believe in Christ. But once we believed in Christ we become children of God, and inherit what He promised to give us.

6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "‘Abba! Father!’"

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

How does this happen? When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He causes us to see God as our Father, and we become heirs of God, receiving what He promised us – our salvation.

Having finished with the theology lesson Paul now puts the ‘concerned parent’ hat back on.

9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

Paul is concerned that the Galatians are a lost cause because they are once again trying to be saved by keeping the Law. This is even after they were saved.

We also see here that when a person is saved they are known by God. What does this mean?

Now, in the traditional sense, from 1 Jn 3:20, we know that God knows all things. In Mt 10:29-30 we read that God keeps tabs on sparrows and numbers all the hair on your head. So clearly, when verse 3 says that those who love God are known by Him, there is more than the obvious meaning to that statement.

1 Jn 3:20 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

Mt 10:29-30 29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mt 7:23 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

The word used for ‘known’ in verse 3 is a rather interesting word, and its translation in the New Testament sheds light on its true meaning. So let’s explore it a bit more…

For example, when the angel appeared to Mary to announce that she would bear the Messiah, and she wanted to communicate to the angel that she was a virgin, she used this word (which is translated as ‘virgin’ in Lk 1:34).

Lk 1:34 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

In Mt 7:23, when Jesus says that He never knew them, the Greek word He used for ‘knew’ is the same one that is also used in Lk 1:34 by Mary to indicate that she was a virgin (not known to man).

Similarly, Matthew also uses it in Mt 1:25 to indicate that Joseph kept Mary a virgin until she gave birth to Jesus.

Mt 1:25 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

We also see a similar usage in the Old Testament, in Jud 21:12.

Jud 21:12 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

How is the traditional understanding of ‘knowing’ related to the usage just described above? If you think of knowing something as knowledge and understanding of that something entering your mind then you can see the relationship. The key metaphor is that knowing is about something entering the person that knows. When a man knows a woman, he imparts his genetic material into her.

In the usage in 2 Cor 5:21 we see that Jesus knew no sin in the sense that sin was never able to enter into Him.

2 Cor 5:21 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This word for ‘know’ is the same one that Paul used in 1 Cor 8:3 and Gal 4:9.

1 Cor 8:3 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

Gal 4:9 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

Similarly, in 1 Cor 8:3 and Gal 4:9, when Paul uses the word in saying that those who love God are known by Him, he means that those who love God are born again and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, resulting in a new creation, just as when a man knows a woman, she receives his sperm and the result is a new creation. If you love God, you are known by Him in the sense that His Spirit is in you, transforming you to become more like Him. Thus, those of whom Jesus says that He never knew, those are the ones who don’t love Him, and therefore don’t have His indwelling Spirit, and are not being transformed to become like by Him.

Keeping all this in mind, we can understand that when Jesus says, in Mt 7:23, that He never knew these people, He means that they never loved Him, and didn’t do all those things they mentioned out of love for Him, but for selfish reasons. The ones who love God have His Spirit in them, and He transforms them so that they live a life of continual repentance, always seeking to obey His commandments – which is the opposite of practicing lawlessness.

Mt 7:23 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

It is possible for people who don’t have the indwelling Holy Spirit to do miracles in the name of the true God. We see this in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit came upon people like Samson and David and Elijah and Elisha, and the other prophets, and they did miracles and amazing feats of strength, but they were never indwelt by the Holy Spirit. That only became possible after Jesus paid the price for our sins.

12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;

14 and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Paul was passing through Galatia on a missionary journey and fell sick. These people were kind and nursed him back to health. And while they were nursing him he preached the gospel to them and they believed. They were extremely grateful to him. But then later, some Jews came to them and convinced them that they need to keep the Law as well to be saved. And Paul was not around. And they were gullible enough to believe those Jews. They were not like the Bereans how carefully examined the Scriptures and questioned those who tried to teach them.

So what can we learn from this? One, that we should not be so eager to believe anyone who comes to us in the name of God. Two, that we should not neglect those we have converted to Christ lest they slide back into things that are not of Christ.

17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.

These Jews were trying to get the Gentiles from Galatia enslaved to the Law so that they would then be needed by the Jews to explain the Law to them.

We should be careful to not make others dependent on us. Rather, we should get them attached to God rather than to us.

19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you

20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Paul cannot understand why the Galatians don’t understand that salvation is not via keeping the Law but by faith in Christ. To him, it is plain. He says that these Galatians are no longer saved if they have such an attitude. So he puts the theology professor hat back on and gives the Galatians another lesson in Christian theology.

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.

23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.

25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

27 For it is written, "‘REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.’"

28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

30 But what does the Scripture say? "" CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.'‘

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

Next, Paul uses the Law (the first five books of the Bible) to show that the Law is not to be used as a means of salvation! His argument is as follows:

Abraham’s two wives/sons, Hagar/Ishmael and Sarah/Isaac are pictures of the two ways that one can try to be saved. Hagar/Ishmael represents trying to be saved by the Law, and Sarah/Isaac represents trying to be saved by faith.

The Old Covenant, represented by Hagar, results in slaves – children who can never get freedom from sin.

The New Covenant, represented by Sarah, results in free people – children who do get freedom from sin.

Just like Hagar persecuting Sarah, so also the Jews persecuted the Christians.

Just like how God told Abraham to cast Hagar our so also God now tells us to cast out the Law and receive salvation by faith.

In other words, the Law is telling us, symbolically (or allegorically, if you wish) through Hagar/Ishmael and Sarah/Isaac that salvation is not via keeping the Law but by faith in Christ.

With the lessons in theology done for now Paul resumes as a ‘concerned parent’.


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