2. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came,
in order that we might be justified by faith. But now
that faith has come, we are no longer under a
guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God,
through faith. For as many of you as were baptized
into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no
male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s
offspring, heirs according to promise.
Quick Review
2
5. Our Text
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a
child, is no different from a slave, though
he is the owner of everything, but he is
under guardians and managers until the
Galatians 4:1–7 5
6. Our Text
date set by his father. In the same way we
also, when we were children, were
enslaved to the elementary principles of
the world. But when the fullness of time
Galatians 4:1–7 6
7. Our Text
had come, God sent forth his Son, born of
woman, born under the law, to redeem
those who were under the law, so that we
might receive adoption as sons. And
Galatians 4:1–7 7
8. Our Text
because you are sons, God has sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
“Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a
Galatians 4:1–7 8
9. Our Text
slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir
through God.
Galatians 4:1–7 9
10. Exodus Story
God called Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt into
freedom, to inherit the promised land. After a long period of
waiting, already predicted in Genesis 15, the time of fulfilment
came: God sent Moses to redeem his people, that is, to
purchase their freedom from slavery. This was also to
demonstrate that, as Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Israel is my son,
my firstborn.’ Freedom was secured through Passover, with the
sacrifice of the lambs and the slaying of Egypt’s firstborn. Then,
when the people had left Egypt, they came to Sinai, 40 days
after Passover; and they were given the law as their guide
through the wilderness to their inheritance.
10
21. Legalism not Paganism
how can you turn back again to the weak and
worthless elementary principles of the world,
whose slaves you want to be once more?
Galatians 4:9b 21
22. Sliding into legalism
You observe days and months and
seasons and years! I am afraid I may
have labored over you in vain.
Galatians 4:10–11 22
23. What he is saying
Observance was baptism and Lord’s Table
Jewish feast was part of the Law
Pagan cults do the same
Caesar cult did it should have no attractions for
you. You are at the cutting edge of the new
creation. Why turn back to the old?
23
24. Paul’s heart felt plea
Galatians 4:12–15 (ESV)
12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have
become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it
was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel
to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to
you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as
an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become
of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible,
you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to
me.
24
25. Heart Ache
Have I then become your enemy
by telling you the truth?
Galatians 4:16 25
26. The Judizers
They make much of you, but for no good
purpose. They want to shut you out, that
you may make much of them.
Galatians 4:17 26
27. Kinda like mean girls
Make you observe the Torah
The observance is not needed
Excluded from their worship
Hold them as super holy
27
28. Correct in love
It is always good to be made much of for a
good purpose, and not only when I am
present with you, my little children, for
whom I am again in the anguish of
Galatians 4:18–20 28
29. Correct in love
childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I
wish I could be present with you now and
change my tone, for I am perplexed about
you.
Galatians 4:18–20 29
30. A father’s heart
I don’t want to be
harsh
I want you to identify
with the Messiah
30
31. Our Take-Away
1. Don’t go back to the old.
2. One table for everyone.
3. Show you know and are known.
4. Put aside anything that drags you backwards.
31
Galatians 4:1-20
Slasher movies, ever scare yourself? Not a fan of scaring except for my wife
Galatians 3:24–29 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
The Old Testament Law our guardian to bring us and Israel to a Faith based relationship with God
Faith in Jesus Christ justifies us. We don’t need the guardian of the Law
The Spirit baptizes we put on Christ
No difference- Jews Greeks etc
Full heirs of the Abrahamic promise
Galatians 4:1-20
Galatians 4:1-7 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the
date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time
had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And
because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a
slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
God called Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt into freedom, to inherit the promised land. After a long period of waiting, already predicted in Genesis 15, the time of fulfilment came: God sent Moses to redeem his people, that is, to purchase their freedom from slavery. This was also to demonstrate that, as Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Israel is my son, my firstborn.’ Freedom was secured through Passover, with the sacrifice of the lambs and the slaying of Egypt’s firstborn. Then, when the people had left Egypt, they came to Sinai, 40 days after Passover; and they were given the law as their guide through the wilderness to their inheritance.
We were children
Enslaved
Fullness of time
God sent
Law abiding
Redeemed
Galatians 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Redeem= buy back
Adopted as sons
Appointed time to receive full inheritance
Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit
Crying- LXX an intense and earnest prayer to God
Crying- Koine- legal proclamation
Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Not in bondage- to the Law, not in bondage to sin either
Son of God- declared by the Spirit
Heir of Abraham- We are the spiritual promised seed of Abraham. Faith filled children
Galatians 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
Ignorant
Idolaters or legalism or both
Not gods? Demons behind the idols. Grammatically refer to the Jewish law of legalism and rituals replacing loving YHWH
Galatians 4:9a But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God,
Known God- by the Spirit, This is one of the most momentous statements anywhere in Paul. Knowing God is central to the aspirations and longings of many peoples in many cultures. Paul claims that the Galatians have been brought to this very position, neither by engaging in mystical practices, nor by lengthy ascetic disciplines, nor yet by studying complex sacred texts, but because the One God had “known” them.
1 Corinthians 8:2–3 (ESV)
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Known by God- God initiates that initiative consists precisely of the gospel of Jesus, operating through the power of the Spirit. To speak of God’s active “knowing” is to speak of a combination of wise, sovereign ordering of all things and intimate, personal awareness—which might result either in a rich mutual relationship or in a sense of unrequited obligations.35 One way or another, what Paul now affirms about the Galatian Jesus-followers is that, in believing the messianic gospel and in knowing the presence and power of the Spirit, they can now truly say that God has “known” them, in this active, searching-out way, and that they now “know” God himself, directly and truly. Such is Paul’s dramatic claim about the meaning of the gospel itself: that in the new-Exodus events concerning Jesus and the Spirit, the one true God has, to quote Isaiah, bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations
how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
The answer seems to be that the apostle here regards the higher elements in heathen religions as corresponding, however imperfectly, to the lower element in the Mosaic law. For we may consider both the one and the other as made up of two component parts, the spiritual and the ritualistic.
The result is immediate. Either you have the God who sends the Son and then the Spirit of the Son—or you have the nongods of the gentile world. Either the Trinity or paganism. There is no middle way. So—here comes the challenge—“how can you turn back again?” Do you really want to go back into slavery in Egypt? How can you go back to worshiping idols? This is where the subtlety of Paul’s earlier mention of the “elements” comes into its own (assuming our own earlier argument): to embrace Torah would mean putting yourself back into Deuteronomy 27–29, into the time of the curse, of being enslaved to the “gods of wood and stone.” Torah is not itself one of those gods, but if you appeal to Torah by getting circumcised, then you declare that the great renewal has not happened and that you are still in the “present evil age,” still under the curse of Torah according to which the pagan “forces” will rule over you.
Galatians 4:10–11 You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
Observance was baptism and Lord’s Table
Jewish feast was part of the Law
Pagan cults do the same
Caesar cult did it should have no attractions for you. You are at the cutting edge of the new creation. Why turn back to the old?
Galatians 4:12–15 (ESV)
12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
Galatians 4:16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Galatians 4:17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
Make you observe the Torah
The observance is not needed
Excluded from their worship
Hold them as super holy
It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of
childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
I don’t want to be harsh
I want you to identify with the Messiah
Don’t go back to the old.
One table for everyone.
Show you know and are known.
Put aside anything that drags you backwards.
