Galatians Chapter 4 - Nathan George Associate Pastor

Galatians 4:1-11 Handout

Galatians 4:1-11 — From Slaves to Sons[1]

 

Background

Over 30 years or so Paul traveled and throughout the Roman Empire. He went to Galatia, Asia, Macedonia (northern Greece), and Achaia (Southern Greece). His travels were followed by letters and this letter to those at Galatia was one of his earliest, perhaps around AD 48 or 49. The “travel log” is found in Acts 13 and 14. At the very foundation of these churches, they were attacked.

 

Review

In chapter 3 we saw that Paul contrasted living under the law with living by faith in Christ. In doing this he surveyed 2000 years of history and highlighted the relationship between Abraham, who received the promise, Moses, who received the law, and Jesus Christ, who fulfilled both. The law did not annul the promise, rather, it made the promise that much more desirable, and urgent. Though the law condemns us, it is also a blessing. For, it drives us to Christ that we may receive the promise made to Abraham. Plus, we found that inheritance comes by promise, and not by law (3:18) Chapter four continues as an expansion of the theme begun in chapter three. (3:23-24)

 

Guardian and Heir — Verses 1-3

The law is called or compared to: guardian, custodian, governor, etc…

 

Man’s condition under the law. We were like a minor under the direction of an overseer, waiting to receive an inheritance. Calvin then asks, “Since we are all equally the children of God, how comes it that we at this day are exempt from a yoke which they were forced to bear? On these points the controversy turned (circumcision, among other things), and not on the manner in which the law reigns over each of us before we are freed by faith from its slavery. Let this point be first of all settled, that Paul here compares the Israelitish church, which existed under the Old Testament, with the Christian church, that thus we may perceive in what points we agree and in what we differ.”[2] — John Calvin

 

So, while there is an individual application, as Luther teaches, the intent is not to directly compare a NT Christian to an OT Christian. It’s not as if faith was absent in the OT. Abraham was also of faith (Gal. 3:11, Rom. 4, Heb. 11, Hab. 2:4) and receives the promise as much as we do. Rather, we are speaking in terms of the big-picture purpose and picture of the Gospel. Otherwise, we could get bogged down in some version of soteriological dispensationalism (teaches that one is saved differently before Christ came). Paul is pointing to the different purposes of the Old and New. The “guardian” made us slaves and showed us our need for the inheritance of sons/freedom.

 

Law/Guardianship

The Cross

Faith/Adoption

 

Elementary Principles: Is this the ABCs of biblical training? This fits the childhood analogy of the passage, but perhaps not the idea of bondage that Paul seems to emphasize. Plus, it says the elementary principles are “of the world.” It does not seem that “of the world” is the way we should describe the law of God, given to Moses by angels (3:19). Just a little further ahead (vs.8) we learn that we were enslaved to those (the elementary principles) that are by nature something other than God. Worse yet, these principles are weak and worthless (vs. 9). But, the law itself is not weak or worthless; it stands forever (Ps. 33:11, Is. 40:8). Instead, our natural bent is to use it in a way not intended, which, of course is Satan’s aim as well. It is the way we use the law that is weak and worthless.

 

“God intended the law to reveal sin and to drive men to Christ; Satan uses it to reveal sin a...