Galatians – Part 6

Series – September 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Galatians – Part 6

As we continue our Series on The Epistle To The Galatians, let us consider carefully the beginning of Galatians 4. There we read in verses 1-7 ( KJV ):

Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

In these verses the apostle portrays the Old Testament believers who lived under the law as little children. The law was to them like a teacher and a governor. A little child, although he was the heir or owner of all his father’s estate, lived as a servant. Such a one was told what to do, when and how. He was being trained for that day when the father decided the son was old enough and mature enough to manage the family business.

Even so, we are told in verse 4, “When the fullness of the time was come,” that being the time set by God for Israel’s maturity, “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” For what purpose? It was “to redeem them that were under the law,” that is the Jews, and “that we might receive the adoption of sons” (v.5).

The adoption was the time appointed of the father when he took his child, now grown up, and set him before his servants, friends and associates and declared him as his son. That declaration meant he was no more under the law of tutors and governors, but was a son administering his father’s business. He was to be respected as the father was respected, for he was the father’s heir. It was the practice then, and it is still the practice in some places I am told.

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father” (v.6). Kindly notice the change in this verse from “we” to “ye.” The Jews were in bondage to the law, hence redemption from the law applied to the Jewish believers, of whom Paul, the writer, was one. The Gentile believers were never redeemed from the law, for they were never under the law.

It is changed from “we” to “ye” because verse 6 applies to all believers, for all have received the Spirit of the Son. The presence of the Spirit of Christ in our hearts is the evidence that we are sons and heirs of God through Christ. Go back to verses 4-5 for a moment. In verse 4 we have the eternal God sending forth His eternal Son. This tells us that the Lord Jesus did not become the Son of God but that from all eternity past He ever was the Son of God dwelling in the Father’s bosom, for God must have a Son in order to send forth His Son.

Here also we have the coming of the long Promised One of God, the woman’s Seed coming to bruise the serpent’s head, as was promised to Adam and Eve and the world (Gen. 3:15). For the woman’s Seed is the hope of the world, which is Jesus Christ, made of a woman, made under the law.

Mary was a Jew, born under the law, and Christ came through her, being Himself a Jew under the law. He alone ever kept the law completely. Not even Moses was completely blameless, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Jesus Christ went to Calvary’s cross and suffered, bled and died there in order to redeem the Jews from under the law. “Redeem” means to buy back and to transfer, and this is why not even the Jews, to whom the law was given, are under the law of the Ten Commandments anymore. The one who has come to Christ is now under Him, meaning we listen to Christ and obey His commandments. Our eyes are not on the letter but on Christ. We journey not to Mount Sinai (Ex. 19), where the law was given, but from Mount Calvary our gaze is set on Mount Zion. We look from where He gave His life for us to where He will bring us with Him and reign.

Now let us look at Galatians 4:8-14:

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 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? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation [trial] which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

We see in this passage that the Galatians were converted out of idolatry and did service to those who were no gods at all. The apostle pointed out that their desire to be under the law was in no sense different from being under subjection to idols, in the blindness and darkness of idolatry. They were not free; they were slaves to these idols. The apostle marveled that “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?” One would think that having been free they would never want to be in bondage again. However, they were only too ready to be again in that condition.

The apostle then expressed his disappointment with them, because they were observing days, months, times and years. Wherever one sees the observation of these things, this is not Christianity. It is either Paganism or Judaism, but it certainly is not true Christianity. The apostle told the saints at Colosse, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17). The Galatians were guilty of these things, which are not of Christ.

Returning to the end of our present passage in Galatians 4 we see the apostle told them, “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain” (v.11). He said this because they were not behaving as Christians. Further on, in verse 20, Paul told them he was standing “in doubt” of them. Why? It was because they were leaving the Christian ground and taking a legal, Jewish position. If the apostle Paul were here today, would he have any fewer words for those who, although they profess to be Christian, are walking legally on Jewish ground? Would he not tell them that he is afraid of them, and that he stands in doubt of them?

The Lord Jesus has warned those who say they are Jews but are not. Beware then my friends, for Christianity is not an extension of Judaism, neither is Christianity a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. Instead, it is brand new – a heavenly vessel for the glory of Christ. Therefore, our worship is not patterned after the Jerusalem way of worship, but is in Spirit and in truth (see Jn. 4:20-24). In Galatians 4:12-14 the apostle urged the believers to be as he was, for Paul was as they were, that is in Christ. Paul did not take their condition personally or hold it against them; it was no personal injury to Paul. Rather, their return to the bondage of Judaism affected the whole body (His Church and Bride) and the Head (the Lord Jesus Christ) in particular.

As the apostle began this letter, he marveled that they were so soon removed not from Paul but “from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (1:6). He then recounted how in his first reception among them they did not despise nor reject him with whatever bodily infirmity he had, they received him as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What had gone wrong? They were led astray by false teachers. What a warning this is for us today!

By Milton Jamieson

Look for Part 7 of this Series next month.