Galatians
Chapter 4
Vs. 1 Paul continues to explain.
A child will receive (inherit) his father’s riches after the father is gone.
But while the child is still young he is more like a servant or a slave because he has to do what he is told.
He may be the “lord” and “master” but while he is still a child, he has to obey those over him—-until he is old enough. When a child grows to be a man he is no more under the laws of the “house”. He makes his own decisions.
Vs. 3 It is the same for us. We (as Jewish people) were as a child. We were under the rules and laws that were over us.
In God’s time He sent His son, Jesus. Jesus was “lord” and “master” but he came and was born of a woman. He put himself under the rules and laws that were in the family, and in the Jewish church.
He did this so when he grew up he could make us all free from these rules and laws—-especially, the laws of the Old Testament.
Vs.5 He redeemed us or saved us from under the old law and he made us his children. He adopted us into his family.
Vs.6 Now we are the sons of God. God put His Spirit in us. We can call God, “Abba, or Father”.
Vs. 7 Now we are no more a “servant” but we are a “son”. All God has promised is for you as his son. We “inherit” the blessings and riches of God through Jesus.
Vs. 8 You (Gentiles) did not know God before. You worshipped gods that really were not true.
Vs.9 But now you know God. Or I should say God has brought you in to Him.
So now that you know God why would you go back to the ways of being a “servant” or a “child” that has to obey the “masters” over them?
Vs. 10 You are following old rules of doing things or not doings things on certain days, on certain months, or years, etc.
Vs. 11 Paul said, I am afraid that all that I told you in teaching is going to be lost.
Vs. 12 Paul said, I want you to become like I am with freedom from those old laws.
Paul said, I have freedom from those laws—–like you were free from those laws because you did not even know about them or believe in them.
Vs. 13 You know that when I first came to preach to you——I was having problems with my eyes. I was sick. I did not look good. And yet you were patient with me. You were kind. You were kind to me like I was an angel from God.
I think some of you felt so bad for me that you would have given me your eyes if you could have.
Where is that feeling of blessings and joy we first felt together? Am I your enemy now?
Vs. 17 These teachers have tried hard to influence you. They are trying to turn you against me and what I taught you.
Vs. 18 It is a good thing to want to be eager serve God well. And to do all you can to please God.
Yet in this thing I feel like I am giving birth to you again. I will continue to labor for you until Christ is fully formed in you.
Vs. 20 I wish I could be there with you. Then my voice and words would sound more gentle. In written words you can not hear my voice.
But I can not be with you now.
Vs.21 Paul goes on trying to show them the error (mistake) of trying to live under the old law.
Really, do you want to live under the old laws? Do you really understand what the laws say?
Vs. 22 Abraham had two sons. One son was by Hagar, the servant/slave woman of Sarah, and he had one son by his wife Sarah.
Vs. 23 The son born to the “bond woman” the servant/slave was born to her bondage and being a servant.
The son born to the wife, Sarah, was born free. He was the “son of promise” that God had promised Abraham he would have.
(God never intended for Abraham to have sex with Hagar and have a son with her. That was Sarah’s idea. She wanted to “help God” because God was taking so long in answering the promise. Even Abraham did not want to do it.)
Vs. 23 Paul says all of this is an “allegory” or an “example”.
(In truth, if Abraham had wanted to make Hagar’s son to inherit all he had even if the son was born of a servant/slave Abraham could have given everything to him.
God came to Abraham and told him that Hagar’s son was not to inherit. That God was going to keep his promise. That the son to inherit would be from Abraham’s wife, Sarah.)
Paul is using this as an example. Usually, a son born of a servant/slave is also a servant/slave—–even if the father was the “master”. We know this from our own history of slavery in our own country.
Paul goes on with this example.
Vs. 24 These two sons are like two “covenants” “promises” “laws” “wills”.
One of these “covenants” was at Mt. Sinai. In Arabia. It was like “bondage” — like Hagar.
The other “covenant” was at Jerusalem (Mt. Moriah, Calvary). Sarah the free woman with her child of promise.
Isaac was the promised son. Jesus was the promised son, too.
(Remember, the Messiah was the Promised One to Come. Jesus was the one promised from the Garden of Eden to come and crush the head of the serpent.)
Vs.26 Sarah is the mother of those we are free.
We are “ born again” “born of the Spirit” “our spirits made alive” at Mt. Moriah, Calvary through Sarah’s “son” “seed” many years later in Jesus.
Vs. 27 Isaiah 54:1 gave a prophecy: “The woman who had no children is now blessed with more children than all the other women.”
In a spiritual meaning—-Sarah is the “mother” of everyone who believes in Jesus. Millions of believers are her “children”.
Jesus is the Promised One. The One who came from Isaac, Jacob, David, etc. All who believe in Him receive the blessings that belong to Him.
Vs. 28 We are the same as Isaac. We the “children of promise.”
Vs. 29 When we read about Hagar’s son we read where he mocked make fun of and tormented (to bother in a hurtful way) Isaac. When Sarah saw Hagar’s son making fun of Isaac she made Abraham send Hagar’s son away.
Paul is saying—–this is what is happening now. The “bondage” servant is after the “free” person mocking him, bothering him, hurting him.
Those Jewish leaders are like Hagar’s son bothering and hurting the “free” son.
Vs. 30 In Genesis 21:10 Sarah said to Abraham, “Make this bondwoman go away for her son will not inherit with my son.”
Vs. 31 Paul said: So, we are not children of the bond woman, we are children of the free. (So, Paul is saying: make those men go away and stop bothering you.)
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This talk that Paul has in Galatians is over circumcision.
But this same idea goes for other things about the old law in the Old Testament.
The rules about praying only to God, being kind and honest with others—those are the same because we are under the love and grace of Jesus. So we love God only worship God And we are kind and honest.
The laws of sacrifices, eating certain things, doing things on certain days, etc. We do not follow those. There are examples where Jesus showed in the New Testament that we do not need to follow those laws any more.
There are some TV programs I have listened to that are Jewish people who have believed in Jesus and they try to get people to follow some of the celebration of certain days.
If you are Jewish and that is part of your home culture it is okay.
As long as you understand that you are not “required” to do it as a believer in Jesus.
If you do it because it is like a family holiday celebration, fine.
And Gentile people do not need to feel that they need to do these things on certain days.
Another thing:
There are large religious groups that call themselves Christian that have many rules and laws you must obey.
There are a few men/people who rule over the others. These leaders decide if you have obeyed the rules.
They decide if you stay in their church group.
They will say that only if you are part of their church group will you be accepted into heaven.
They have the power to decide to throw you out of their church group and then you think you will not go to heaven.
This is not true.
Going to heaven is between you and Jesus only.
You do not need any church group to go to heaven. You need only Jesus.
Church groups can be good. It is a good thing to be with people who love Jesus and want to obey Him. We can learn about the Bible and Jesus in church—–in some churches.
It is good to have Christian friends to be with to do things with to encourage us to help us when we have problems.
But churches are not “God”. Your relationship to God is you and God through Jesus.
Be careful of a group that has many rules and laws and says you must do them to be pleasing to God.
This is what Paul is talking about in this chapter. The Bible is what we should follow——not the rules and laws of men.
This is why I keep saying know the Bible. Jesus said if you know the truth the truth will make you free. John 8:32
Not free to do sin. But free from sin. And free from man’s rules.
Paul was telling the people of Galatia that they were free from the rules and laws of the Old Testament.
The Bible will tell us how to live. We need to read it and understand it.
So get a Bible that you can read well.
If a church group or person starts talking about a lot of rules
you should be doing or not doing be careful. Those people may be more worried about keeping rules than really loving Jesus and having the joy and peace of Jesus.
In many of these kinds of groups you have to do things to “earn” good standing with the church.
This is not God’s way.
We do things for Jesus because we love Him and want to please Him. Jesus did not require people to “do” something to have salvation.
He did tell the believers to teach others about Jesus.
The best way we can please Jesus is to have faith in Him and believe Him.
Jesus is much more interested in our “faith” and our relationship with Him than the “work” we do for Him.
We have a relationship with Him by prayer and talking to Him every day every moment in our minds we think of Him.