Gálatas 4
John Calvin · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 4
Calvin says: Having given exhortations adapted to touch the feelings, he follows up his former doctrine by an illustration of great beauty. Viewed simply as an argument, it would not be very powerful; but, as a confirmation added to a most satisfactory chain of reasoning, it is not unworthy of attention. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible (Introduction to Gal 4:21-31) - The way to heaven is not by works nor by the law. A person cannot do enough works nor keep enough laws to become perfectly good. And for a person to live in God's presence he has to be perfect. What then is the way to heaven? If a person cannot be good enough nor do enough works to make it to heaven, how can he get there? By faith in the promise of God. God has promised heaven to those who believe on His Son—to those who genuinely trust Jesus Christ to save them. However, most people in the world do not believe the promise of God. They still think they have to earn and work their way into the favor of God—that they have to build up a long list of good works that will force God to accept them. They think that they have to make themselves righteous by being good and doing religious things in order to enter heaven. Therefore, they place themselves under the rules and regulations of the law and of religion, and they do the best they can to make it to heaven. This is the appeal of this passage; the person who approaches God through the works of religion and law must listen to what the law really says. (See context Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible) Swindoll introduces this section - Like a masterful attorney, he uses the Judaizers' own methods of argument and biblical interpretation to disprove their position. He opens with a question (Gal 4:21), provides some historical background from the life of Abraham (Gal 4:22-23), then sets forth an allegory in typical Jewish form (Gal 4:24-27), ultimately applying the allegory to the Galatians' situation (Gal 4:28-31). After this fitting finale against the assailants of Christian freedom, Paul rests his case. (See Insights on Galatians, Ephesians) Paul will use the Old Testament to defend the truth of justification by faith, not by keeping the law. Paul will use Isaac and Ishmael and Sarah and Hagar to demonstrate the contrasts between Law and grace, works and faith. His argument crescendos to the point that he charges the Galatians to cast out the legalizers (see Gal 4:30). De Haan says: THE question the Apostle Paul seeks to answer in Galatians was a question of law OR grace. It was not law AND grace, but law OR grace. It cannot be both. It is either one or the other. To say that we are saved by grace, and then kept by our works is to negate grace entirely, for then our final salvation depends upon our behavior and works instead of the grace of God. The desire to be kept by the works of the law is the result of a total misunderstanding of what the law really is and does. Once we understand the true purpose of the law, we would never want to be placed under it again. And so Paul asks the question, “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, don’t you understand what the law does?” (Studies in Galatians) Jack Arnold - Many of Paul’s converts to Christ were beginning to go back under the Mosaic Law for salvation after they had been saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. They were following the false teaching of the Judaizers and were ready to set aside grace and faith for law and works. These Galatians simply did not understand all the implications and ramifications of this move into the legalism of law. The law was never designed by God to give eternal life or spirituality, but it was given for the purpose of pointing out to men their sinfulness and showing them that they are condemned before a holy God. There are many people today who live under a law system for salvation. Their religion is legalistic and they imagine that the way to God is by the observance of certain rules. There are even professing Christians who turn the gospel into law. They suppose their relationship to God depends on a strict adherence to regulations, traditions and ceremonies. These poor souls, while sincere, are in bondage to legalism. (The Incompatibility of law and Grace) Tell me - Remember the context from Gal 4:20 - Paul is perplexed about why they had been drawn into legalism. He begins with a command in the present imperative to give him an answer. In so doing he is sounding a call to responsibility. Before he had been more tender, but now he shifts rather abruptly to a penetrating, commanding tone. His question is presumably directed primarily to the Galatians who were in danger of succumbing to legalism, but could also be seen as addressed to those Jews who were promoting legalism. John
Gálatas 4
Calvin says: No man who has a choice given him will be so mad as to despise freedom, and prefer slavery. But here the apostle teaches us, that they who are under the law are slaves. Unhappy men! who willingly choose this condition, when God desires to make them free. Lange says: I must inquire: do ye not hear the Law; for if you really heard the law, you would find in it that which might convince you how unsound and dangerous it is to “desire to be under the law.” (Galatians 4 Lange Commentary) Don Anderson - Now, do you remember what happened? God made that promise to them. God alone walked between the pieces and said that you’re going to have a land and you’re going to have a seed, you’re going to be the father of many nations. When that promise was made, they handled that delay of that promise for 10 years. Then Sarah woke up one morning saying “You know, we’ve got to understand I’m not getting any younger. And I think God really means for us to help Him in this. And the way we’re going to do that, Abe, is that you’re going to go in under the handmaid Hagar. She’s an Egyptian handmaid and she’s going to give birth to the child and that’s going to be the covenant child.” And so Abraham goes along with it. They didn’t bring the Lord into it. They simply assumed that God appreciates help. And so, Ishmael was born. Do you remember what happened when Ishmael was born? God pulls the curtain. For 13 years there’s not one thing that’s recorded in the scripture. It tells you when you do something in the flesh, you’re out of fellowship. And the Spirit of God is not in control. And for those 13 years, it’s just like one place he’s 88 years old and the next place he’s 100. It’s just that there’s a gap there between those two chapters, chapters 16 and 17....Do you remember what the Lord said in Genesis 17 to Abram when Abram said, “You know, I’m so thankful that Ishmael is going to be the one.” The Lord said “No. Sarah is going to bear you a son.” What a horrible, horrible feeling to realize that for 13 years I’ve been assuming that what I did in the flesh was appreciated by the Lord and therefore I ought to be entering into the blessing. How many people...are assuming that because of their good works, their church membership, the things they have done, that in their old age they can be very comfortable that when they get to glory they’re going to roll out the red carpet and everything is going to be fine. (Notes Study 9) Galatians 4:23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. KJV Galatians 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. NIV His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way (ED: BUT NOT IN A RIGHTEOUS WAY); but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. NET But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. born Romans 9:7,8 and the son by the free woman Genesis 17:15-19; 18:10-14; 21:1,2; Romans 4:18-21; 10:8; Hebrews 11:11 Galatians 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Galatians 4:21-5:1 - Don Anderson Galatians Study 9; More Notes on Galatians Study 9 Warren Wiersbe's sermon Born Free - Galatians 4 - one of the simplest and most profound expositions you will ever hear on Galatians 4! The appeal from the two contrasted covenants (Galatians 4:21-31) i. The question to those desiring to be under law (Galatians 4:21) ii. The story of Abraham's two sons (Galatians 4:22-23) iii. The allegorical interpretation of the story (Galatians 4:24-30) THE WAY OF THE FLESH VS WAY OF THE PROMISE Ishmael was the human solution to the covenant and his birth was of works and not of grace or faith. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh - NIV says in the ordinary way, NET the natural way, and so in the course of nature and requiring no miracle, no promise of God, no dependence on God, no trust in God. According to the flesh = the product of self-reliance, not Spirit reliance. In short Abraham and Sarah colluded and ceased to rely on God's power to fulfill His promise and instead relied on their own power and human ingenuity to get a son in their futile attempt to fulfill God's promise. The flesh can never lay hold of the promises of God. Only faith can firmly grasp God's promises. As you read this, is there some "Ishmael-like" scheme in your mind or in your practice by which you are attempting to secure some of the promises of God? Anderson - “THE FLESH” is that old capacity to do it ourselves. It is that which produces SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. One of the things that we can learn about “THE FLESH” is its desire to run ahead of God and do things on its own. (Ibid) Ishmael born to Hagar illustrates the flesh motivated by purely selfish desires and fulfilled by purely human means. In other words, Ishmael's birth was "engineered" by Abraham and Sarah in a vain attempt to make God's promise come true, but it was by their own plans and efforts, rather than waiting on and trusting in God's timing. The promise had been made very clear to both of them that God would give a son, but here we see their flesh in essence rejects (or at least refuses to believe) the promise of God and tries to fulfill in its own power what only God can give. THE CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS HELPS UNDERSTAND THIS STORY - The flesh of Abraham and Hagar were not willing to wait on God's fulfillment of the promise - At age 75 God told Abraham to go to Canaan and promised him many descendants (Ge 12:1-9). At age 85 the promised son had not yet arrived and Sarah becoming impatient suggests that Abraham go into to her maid and father a child (born according to the flesh), trying to fulfill God's supernatural promise but fleshly means (Ge 16:1-3). At age 86 Abraham gets Hagar pregnant and Sarah gets jealous of the son Ishmael! (Ge 16:4-16). Years pass and at age 99 God promises Abraham (and Sarah - Ge 18:9-15) a son and tells him to name him Isaac. (Ge 17-18, Read Ge 17:16-19 verse 19 stating "God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him") At age 100 Isaac is born (Ge 21:1-7). But then at age 103 when Isaac was to be weaned, Ishmael mocked Isaac, so that Hagar and Ishmael had to be cast out (Ge 21:8-14). As a historical aside, the two sons had not only spiritual significance as explained by Paul but would end up producing political significance as the family animosity between Abraham's two sons gave rise to the Arab-Israeli conflict which has gone on for 4000 years and will continue to be a major hotspot until Jesus returns! Wiersbe on the two sons - Paul begins with the two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Gal. 4:22–23), and explains that they illustrate our two births: the physical birth that makes us sinners and the spiritual birth that makes us the children of God. (See context in Be Free Galatians: Exchange Legalism for True Spirituality or borrow Be Free: An Expository Study of Galatians) Bruce Barton - By using this illustration (OF TWO SONS), Paul was setting up the distinction between ordinary, man-made religion and supernatural, miraculous, God-made religion. (AND IN SO DOING HE ALSO) directly challenged the assumptions of the Judaizers that they were representatives of the Abrahamic promise. Paul would explain that what happened to Sarah and Hagar pictures the relationship between God and mankind. Though perhaps difficult for us to follow, this was a common type of argument in Paul's day; the same type of argument had probably been used against him by his opponents. As he so often did so well, Paul returned fire on his opponents with their own weapons. (see context in Galatians Life Application Bible Commentary)(Bold added) ALL GOD'S DOING THOUGH THE PROMISE Anderson - Because the birth of Isaac was based on the UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE, nothing could change that, not even a premature act of the flesh 15 years earlier in the birth of Ishmael by the way of the Egyptian maid, Hagar. (A Practical Study of GALATIANS: You Were Running Well ) And the son by the free woman through the promise - The free woman is Sarah and the son is Isaac, the one God had promised He would give. But Sarah is 90 and Abraham is 100 so she is beyond child bearing age. And so God gives her the promised child supernaturally (miraculously) (see Heb 11:11). Isaac was born son of Sarah under impossible circumstances, while Ishmael was the naturally born son. So Paul uses these two births to illustrate the spiritual truth that Ishmael was born not only in the natural way, but actually in a sinful way (God had always intended Abraham to have only one wife). Thus Ishmael is a picture of men trying to fulfill the will of God in their sinful, fleshly power. Ishmael represents all those who try to do it in their own natural (fleshly) power. Ishmael is an illustration of all those who seek to be saved by their own works. Not only that but Ishmael was born to a slave worman and was himself a slave who gave rise to an entire line of slaves. In sum, Ishmael symbolizes all those who attempt to accomplish God's will by the power of their flesh and who end up in bondage. Isaac is the son who was born as a result of Abraham's faith and was born a free man. Free (unbound, unshackled)(1658) see 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). The following table summarizes the contrasts in Paul's argument in Galatians 4:21-27 HAGAR SARAH Slave Free Ishmael Son of bondwoman Born into slavery Isaac Son of free woman Born as a free man The way of the flesh Born because of work, effort The way of promise Born by promise of God The natural, fleshly way The miraculous way Way of religious self-effort Way of faith Works righteousness Imputed righteousness Way of legalism Way of grace Symbolic of only natural birth Trust in their own works Symbolic of spiritual birth Trust in work of Jesus Representative of the Covenant of the Law (Mosaic Covenant) Representative of the Covenant of Grace (Abraham > New Covenant) Present Jerusalem Represents Legalism Jerusalem Above Represents Life in the Spirit Leads to Slavery Eternal Death Leads to Freedom Eternal Life God miraculously enabled both Abraham and Sarah to conceive (a "miracle baby"!). God did so to fulfill His promise to Abraham “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing." (Ge 18:10-11) The writer of Hebrews has a parallel passage.... By faith even Sarah herself received ability (dunamis - often translated miracle - this is in essence a miracle!) to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised; therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. (Hebrews 11:11-12) And so Isaac was born as a result of Abraham’s faith in God, for God miraculously enabled Abraham who was "as good as dead" in terms of childbearing capacity to father a child with his wife Sarah, who "was beyond the proper time of life" to conceive. In short, Isaac's conception and birth was supernatural. Because they believed the promise of God, they saw the power of God. And just as Ishmael's birth is a picture of works based salvation, Isaac's birth is a picture of salvation by faith alone. Abraham believed God and God supernaturally fulfilled His will in Abraham. John MacArthur sums it up - Ishmael pictures all those who try to please God and accomplish God’s will by the flesh. It’s sinful, it’s useless, it creates bondage. Isaac symbolizes all those who do the will of God by faith in His promise. He does the work; He brings it to pass; He receives the glory. “Why would you,” – Paul is saying – “why would you who are the children of promise, why would you think to accomplish the purposes of God through the flesh?” (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith, Part 1) John