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David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Guzik explains that "Many cults use a technique informally known as “love bombing.” They overwhelm a prospective member with attention, support, and affection. Yet it isn’t really a sincere love for the prospect; it is really just a technique to gain another member. Christians can use the same technique in some way or another. (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Eagerly seek (present tense) (2206)(zeloo from zelos = zeal in turn from zeo = to be hot, to boil, to be fervent; English zeal) means to be fervent or zealous in either a positive or as in the present passage a negative sense.
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Guzik - The zeal cultivated by legalism is often more a zeal for the group itself than for Jesus Christ. Though they name the name of Jesus, in practice the group itself is exalted as the main focus, and usually exalted as the last refuge of the true “super-Christians.” (Shut...out) literally means to “lock you up.” For now, the legalists are courting the Galatians, but once they have alienated them from Jesus and from Paul, the legalists will demand that the Galatians serve them. Legalism is almost always associated with some kind of religious bondage. (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Shut...out (1576)(ekkleio from ek = out + kleío = to shut) means literally to shut out. For example in secular Greek we find the following uses -- "be excluded from one’s home city" or "be shut outside the door of the tower". Ekkleio means to eliminate, to not allow, to exclude from a thing.
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Guzik explains that "Paul wanted the Galatians to be zealous for what is good when he was absent, not only when he was present among them." (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Paul alludes to laboring for these Galatians in Gal 2:5+ "But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that (PURPOSE) the truth of the gospel would remain with you." W E Vine has a good explanation of not only when I am present with you - the apostle, having an understanding in the ways of God, that one sows and another reaps, that one plants and another waters, that one lays a foundation and another builds thereon, and having also the spiritual welfare of the converts truly at heart, was glad that others as well as he should labor among them. His opposition to the Judaizers was not a merely unworthy jealousy lest any other servant of Christ should gain a place in the esteem and affection of those to whom he had brought the knowledge of Christ. From such pettiness his mind was happily free; cp. his language in 1 Corinthians 3:5 and in Philippians 1:15–18. True ministry of the true gospel he could only encourage, but those who would lead the converts away therefrom must be vigilantly and unrelentingly opposed. That the apostle’s own interest in them had not ceased with his labors among them the present letter was sufficient evidence. (Collected Writings of W E Vine) Guzik explains that "The Galatian Christians were no doubt impressed by the zeal of the legalists. The legalists were so sincere, so passionate about their beliefs (ED: SEE Ro 10:2). Paul agreed that it is good to be zealous – but only in a good thing always. Zeal in the service of a lie is a dangerous thing. Paul knew this well, because before he became a Christian, he had plenty of zeal; even persecuting the church (Acts 7:58-60+, Acts 8:1-2+, see his zeal especially in Acts 8:3+, cf Acts 22:3+, Phil 3:6+). Later, Paul looked back at that time of great zeal in the service of a lie and deeply regretted it (1 Cor 15:9+, 1 Ti 1:15). (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) J
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Guzik comments that "Paul knew that his work of forming Christ in them was not complete until they stayed in a place of trusting Jesus." (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Until Christ is formed in you - This descriptions speaks of progressive sanctification or growth in Christ-likeness. Paul's desire is to see the believers grow in Christ as well as be delivered from the false teachers. Paul shows us that evangelism is only part of a pastor's work, for once they are born again into the Kingdom of God, the pastor is then to feed the flock to grow them in grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is hard work as Paul explained in Col 1:29+ "For this purpose (THEY THEY WOULD BE COMPLETE IN CHRIST - Col 1:28) also I labor (kopiao - present tense), striving (agonizomai) (HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE- NATURAL WORK DONE IN SUPERNATURAL POWER) according to His power (dunamis), which mightily works (energeo - present tense) within me." Paul had a similar desire for the saints in Ephesus - "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men (COMPARE THE JUDAIZERS IN GALATIA!), by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ," (Eph 4:13-15+) Another word to describe Christ being formed in a believer is discipleship. Make Disciples 1 Make Disciples 2 - Begins study of Five Most Important Passages for Believers Make Disciples 3 - Chart comparing Filled with the Spirit and the Word Make Disciples 4 Make Disciples 5 Make Disciples 6 Make Disciples 7 Make Disciples 8 John
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Guzik addresses the question of why would anyone want to be under the law? - There are many "advantages" to being under the law as your principle of relating to God. First, YOU always have the outward certainty of a list of rules to keep. Second, YOU can compliment yourself because you keep the rules better than others do. Finally, YOU can take the credit for your own salvation, because you earned it by keeping the list of rules. Under the law it is what you do for God that makes you right before Him (ED: WHICH OF COURSE IT NEVER WILL!). Under the grace of God, it is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ that makes us right before Him. Under the law the focus is on my performance. Under the grace of God, the focus is on Who Jesus is and what He has done. Under the law we find fig leaves to cover our nakedness. Under the grace of God we receive the covering won through sacrifice that God provides. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Galatians) ED: Notice in Guzik's explanation above the repetition of the pronoun "YOU"! This is nothing but our old flesh nature rising up to take control. In fact, if you want to stimulate your old flesh nature, just put yourself under a set of rules! E.g., Paul says "the sinful passions...were aroused by the Law" [Ro 7:5+, cf Ro 7:7-9]
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Guzik - Essentially, Paul said “Let’s have a Bible study. Open your Bibles to Genesis chapter 16.” Paul took it for granted that his readers knew the Bible. He explains his point from the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah in Genesis 16 without a lot of detail from the story. He assumes that they knew the story. It is important that Paul refer back to the Scriptures again and again. The legalists among the Galatians presented themselves as the “back to the Bible” bunch. Yet Paul will show that they were not handling the Old Testament Scriptures correctly, and he will show that a true understanding of the Law of Moses will support the true gospel he preaches. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Galatians) Swindoll - Paul asks, "Okay, you Judaizers and all you Galatians who are listening to them, pay attention! You think that living by the Law is the way to go? Great! Then listen to what the Law itself says!" For the sake of argument, Paul grants his opponents' premise—that we are obligated to follow everything the Law says. Then he turns this premise against them. To put it bluntly, Paul is preparing to rub their noses in it....So, here in Galatians 4:21-31, Paul engages in a method of argument rarely seen in the New Testament, but which would have been quite familiar to his audience: allegorical interpretation of Scripture. (See context Insights on Galatians, Ephesians) C S Lewis defined allegorical interpretation as "searching for a hidden or a secret meaning underlying but remote from and unrelated in reality to the more obvious meaning of a text." Bickel & Jantz say: Before he gives a quick summary of the story, Paul asks the Galatians (who want to live under the law) a sarcastic question: “Do you know what the law actually says?” (4:21). It would be like someone telling you, “I want to live under a dictatorship,” to which you would reply, “Do you know what a dictatorship really is?” (p. 106) H A
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Guzik - The quotation from Isaiah 54:1 also suggests that there will soon be more Christians than Jews – a promise that was fulfilled. The fourth contrast Paul draws between Christianity and legalism is the contrast between many more and many. The abundance and glory of the New Covenant is shown by the fact that it would soon have many more followers than the Old Covenant. (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) It is written (See notes above on grapho) - This is the second time in this section (Gal 4:21-31) that Paul appeals to the authority of the written Word, the Scriptures. Most of the NT passages of it is written refer to quotes from the Old Testament. Paul will now extol the blessing of Sarah and he does so by quoting from the book of Isaiah “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 54:1) Comment - "In her exile and dispersion, Israel has been destitute, disgraced as a woman who had borne no children (Isa 49:21)." (MacArthur) Isaiah's words comforted the Jewish exiles in Babylon, giving them the prophetic hope that they as a nation would not only be restored (they did return from exile but this was only a partial fulfillment of God's promise), but that their future blessings would be greater than any in the past (Read Isaiah 54:1-9. Notice Isaiah calls for Israel to sing because of the certainty of fulfillment of future fruitfulness for the nation, the fulfillment of which awaits the Millennium, since only at that time could God say He would never be angry with Israel again - Isa 54:9). Expositor's Bible Commentary says "The verse is a prophecy of Jerusalem's restoration following the years of Babylonian captivity and involves the thought that the blessing of the latter years will be greater than that enjoyed formerly." I would disagree for Israel's time after return from Babylon was not a time of far greater blessing than formerly, for one can hardly describe the subjection of the Jews to the Persians described in the book of Esther as greater blessing. The same would go for the subjection to the horrible Antiochus Epiphanes! No, the blessing awaits a future fulfillment, one that Paul would later describe in Romans 11:26+ writing "and so all Israel will be saved (ED: ALL JEWS THAT BELIEVE WHEN MESSIAH RETURNS = ONLY 1/3 OF THE NATION - SEE Zech 13:8-9+); just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION (Second Coming), HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB (See another related prophetic description of this event in Zechariah 12:10-14+, Zech 13:1+ and Zech 13:8-9+).” Donald Campbell comments that "Paul applied this (QUOTE FROM Isaiah 54:1) passage (he did not claim it was fulfilled) in this context to Sarah, who though previously barren, was later blessed with a child, and who would ultimately enjoy a greater progeny than Hagar. (BKC) REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR - Rejoice is the first of three staccato-like commands all in the aorist imperative signifying "Just do it!" (See need for reliance on the Holy Spirit). The barren woman in the previous illustration was Sarah who for years did not bear the heir of the promise. But believers are related to her in the sense that she eventually did believe God's promise and bore Isaac the son of promise and the result is her barrenness has been miraculously turned into great fruitfulness! And thus there is great reason for great rejoicing!
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Guzik applies the idea of cast out to our practical Christian life - The point is that God told Abraham to send Hagar away. So also every Christian must send away the idea of relating to God on the principle of law, the principle of what we do for Him instead of what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. Significantly, Sarah could live with Hagar and Ishmael until the son of promise was born. Once Isaac was born, then Hagar and Ishmael had to go. In the same way, a person could relate to the law one way before the promise of the gospel was made clear in Jesus Christ. But now that it has been made clear, there is nothing to do but to cast out the bondwoman and her son. (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Barton - So what happens to Ishmael (the Jews) and Isaac (Christians) today? Paul answered forcefully. Judaism and Christianity could not coexist as paths to the same goal any more than Ishmael and Isaac could share Abraham's inheritance. Perhaps most ironic was Paul's bold clarification of this old story. The Jews had long held that this verse described God's rejection of the Gentiles. But Paul turned the tables: "You had it wrong. Jews and Gentiles are included together in God's inheritance when they become believers, or 'Isaacs.' Those who reject grace lose their share in the inheritance, whether unbelieving Jews or unrepentant Gentiles. (See context Galatians) Paul's warning in this passage might apply to the modern movement referred to as Hebrews Roots Movement - "Broadly speaking, followers of the HRM believe that all believers in Christ are obligated to follow Jewish laws and practices from the books of Moses. (ED: SOUNDS A BIT LIKE WHAT PAUL IS ARGUING AGAINST IN GALATIANS!) In some groups, extra-biblical rabbinic teachings and traditions are elevated (if not in official doctrinal beliefs then in practice) to the same level as Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Although they often speak of keeping the “law,” they are usually inconsistent in how this is understood and defined. Read more..." Dangers of the Hebrew Roots Movement What is the Hebrew Roots movement? Bewitching Believers Through the Hebrew Roots Movement Hebrew Roots Movement - Watchman Fellowship FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR (kleronomeo) WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN - “Shall by no means”—absolutely, positively, in no way. It’s like trying to mix water and oil. You just can’t put it together. Ishmael and his mother Hagar were expelled because Ishmael had no standing in God’s eyes as the rightful heir of Abraham. In Genesis 15:4 God spoke to Abraham saying "Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man (Eliezer) will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” And by "his own body" the implication is from Sarah (for the two are "one flesh" Ge 2:24). Compare Paul's teaching in Galatians 3:29+ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Guzik - Ishmael was not necessarily a bad man or a cursed man. But neither was he blessed with the promise of inheriting the glorious covenant of God given to Abraham and his descendants. That was the inheritance of one heir – Isaac, the son of the freewoman. (Galatians 4 – Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law) Free (unbound, unshackled)(1658) see preceding use of eleutheros (See also eleutheroo) - Note Paul's emphasis on freedom using this word 5 times in his argument in Gal 4:21-31 (5 of 23 NT uses - Gal 4:22, 23, 26, 30, 31).