Gálatas 4
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 4
MacArthur adds that "They not only had done him no wrong but had openly and lovingly received him while he was in extremely adverse personal circumstances. “How then,” he was wondering, “could you reject me now, after being so accepting of me then?”" Kistemaker- When he now says, "No wrong did you do me," he is reflecting on the manner in which he had been received by the Galatians when he had met them for the first time and worked among them, as is clear from verses 13-15. (Baker New Testament Commentary – Exposition of Galatians) Done wrong (91)(adikeo from adikos = unjust) means to act unjustly.
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - Several years ago, I visited a very large Buddhist shrine. Scores of men and women, and even some children, were bowing down to a giant stone image of Buddha, reciting prescribed prayers, going through various incantations, and making offerings of incense and food. My heart broke because of their spiritual darkness and hopelessness. I wanted to shout, “Why are you doing all this? Don’t you know that image is only a piece of stone carved by men? There is no god here. Buddha can’t help you. He himself is long dead—physically and spiritually—and will eternally remain dead. If you continue to trust in him, you too will die and forever remain dead.” There are many false gods men put their trust in, but none can save. While those people were pitiable because of their ignorance of God, they were also condemned because of their rebelliousness against God. (See Ro 1:19-21, Ro 1:25). John Stott comments that "By the grace of God we must determine to remember what once we were and never to return to it; to remember what God has made us and to conform our lives to it. A good example of this is John Newton. He was an only child and lost his mother when he was seven years old. He went to sea at the tender age of eleven and later became involved, ‘in the words of one of his biographers, ‘in the unspeakable atrocities of the African slave trade’. He plumbed the depths of human sin and degradation. When he was twenty-three, on 10 March 1748, when his ship was in imminent peril of foundering in a terrific storm, he cried to God for mercy, and he found it. He was truly converted, and he never forgot how God had had mercy upon him, a former blasphemer. He sought diligently to remember what he had previously been, and what God had done for him. In order to imprint it on his memory, he had written in bold letters and fastened across the wall over the mantelpiece of his study the words of Deuteronomy 15:15: ‘Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman (a slave) in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.’ If only we remembered these things, what we once were and what we now are, we would have an increasing desire within us to live accordingly, to be what we are, namely sons of God set free by Christ. (See context The Message of Galatians) The believers in Galatia were not like John Newton and thus failed to remember what great things God had done in their lives!
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - Churches were established in a number of cities in Galatia. The churches were flourishing. The people had been forgiven of their transgressions. They had received eternal life. They were possessors of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had done His transforming work, or begun to do it in their hearts. They were enjoying the fruit of the Spirit. They were enjoying life in the Spirit. They were flourishing as believers, until some Jews came from Jerusalem, and they said they believed also in Jesus. They also believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They trusted in Him as their Savior. However, they said to these Gentiles, “It is not enough for you that you have been saved by faith. That is not valid. In order to be truly saved, you must keep the law of Moses.” And by that, they were not talking about moral law, they were talking about ceremonial, civil, social kinds of ordinances, namely circumcision and the festivals and the feasts. Galatians 4:10: days, and months, and seasons, and years. They were telling these Gentiles, “You need to go back and you need to get your lives in line with all the orders that are in the Mosaic restrictions.” God had given Moses the law for Israel, and it was to identify them as His special people. And as His special people there were certain ways they had to live and act and eat, and even certain things that were forbidden like going into a Gentile home. There were many prescriptions; you know them from back in the book of Exodus. It wasn’t the moral law. The moral law is simply a reflection of God’s character, and that is everlasting and eternal. They’re talking about the laws that were prescribing unique life for Israel in the world. So they were saying to these converted Gentiles, “You’ve got to go back and do all those things that are in the Mosaic law.” The truth of the matter was they did not need to do that, they lacked nothing. When Christ came the law was done, the law was done, its role was over. Now there was neither Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in Christ. So God is not identifying a certain nation or nationality of people by external behaviors and ordinances and events.That was the shadow. That was the ABCs. That was elementary school. Now Christ has come, and we go from shadow to substance. From elementary school we graduate into the school of discipleship with Christ. They lacked nothing. They did not need to go back into the bondage of those old Mosaic prescriptions. Now they said they believed in Christ, which gave them access. They also said that they had come from the Jerusalem church, which would be the mother church, and that they had authority from the apostles, perhaps from James who was the leader of that church. They said, “We represent the truth. We represent the true gospel that you need to hear. You have not received salvation until you follow Mosaic law.” (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith) Observe (watch closely) (3906)(paratereo from para = beside + tereo = watch) means to stand beside and watch carefully, sometimes with evil intent as in Luke 6:7, but often with scrupulous care as here. To observe carefully with great personal interest which scrupulously seeks final "success." In classic Greek paratereo meant “to carefully observe laws or commandments.” In this case paratereo refers to the readers doing so "religiously" or scrupulously, the idea being in a way that is characterized by careful observation of what is thought to be morally right. This scrupulous observation is one of the hallmarks of legalism -- "I need to observe ______, in order to merit favor or curry favor with God. If I miss the day or month, then I will receive "demerits" from God." It is man's works based salvation (sanctification), and is not based on God's grace (free, unmerited favor). Paul addressed a similar problem in the church at Colossae warning the saints explaining that "days, etc" that had been prescribed in the Old Testament were like "divine fingers" pointing to the Messiah, the goal in fact to which the entire OT had always pointed... Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon (What was the significance of the new moon?) or a Sabbath day–things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Col 2:16,17+) If (FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL = ASSUMED FULFILLED AND CAN BE TRANSLATED "SINCE") you have died with Christ (PAST TENSE - YOU WERE "CO-CRUCIFIED" WITH CHRIST) to the elementary principles (stoicheion) of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)–in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (Col 2:20-23+) Related Resources: What is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in Leviticus 23:27-28? What are the different Jewish festivals in the Bible? - There are seven Jewish festivals or feasts outlined in the Bible. While they are mentioned throughout Scripture, we find instructions for all seven laid out in Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23:2+ refers to the seven Jewish festivals, literally “appointed times,” also called “holy convocations.” These were days appointed and ordained by God to be kept to the honor of His name. These times of celebration are important not only to Israel, but also to the overall message of the Bible, because each one foreshadows or symbolizes an aspect of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Read more...) What is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the Old Testament? Law vs. grace-why is there so much conflict among Christians on the issue? What does it mean that Christians are not under the law? What should Christians learn from the Mosaic Law? Galatians 4:11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. KJV Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. NKJV Galatians 4:11 “I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain” NRSV Galatians 4:11 “I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted” TEV Galatians 4:11 “I am afraid for you! Can it be that all my work for you has been for nothing” JB Galatians 4:11 “You make me feel I have wasted my time with you” I fear for you Gal 4:20; 2 Cor 11:2,3; 12:20,21 that perhaps I have labored over you in vain Gal 2:2; 5:2-4; Isa 49:4; Acts 16:6; 1 Cor 15:58; Phil 2:16; 1 Th 3:5; 2 Jn 1:8 Galatians 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Galatians 4:1-11 - Don Anderson Galatians Study 7; More Notes on Galatians Study 7 Warren Wiersbe's sermon Born Free - Galatians 4 - one of the simplest and most profound expositions you will ever hear on Galatians 4! PAUL SHUDDERS AT THE THOUGHT! Fear in English is an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger, and in this case the danger was spiritual. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain - Paul had brought the Gospel of grace to these people and taught them that freedom was living by the same grace that saved them. And the Spirit that wrought regeneration in their hearts is the same Spirit Who empowers daily living under grace not law. And so he is grieving over these saints. MacArthur writes "How sad for such a faithful servant of the Lord to believe that all the life-threatening, sacrificial service he had given in behalf of the people of Galatia was worthless. All the travel, illness, loneliness, struggles, even the stoning he received in Lystra that left him for dead, was for nothing if they reverted to their old slavery. No wonder this is such an impassioned epistle. The thought of all that effort being void compelled Paul to write as he did." (See Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary).
Gálatas 4
MacArthur explains it this way - When he came to Christ he had torn away every shred of legalism, in which he had been enmeshed more tightly than perhaps few other Jews of his day (see Phil. 3:4–6). Although he now willingly became like a Jew when among Jews and like a Gentile when among Gentiles, becoming “all things to all men, that [he might] by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:20–22), Paul never represented himself nor thought of himself as anything but a sinner redeemed by Jesus Christ, in whom “there is neither Jew nor Greek, … slave nor free man, … male nor female” (Gal. 3:28). Upon the advice of the elders in the Jerusalem church, Paul agreed on one occasion to sponsor four men in taking a certain Jewish vow in the Temple, in order to keep from needlessly offending unbelieving Jews (Acts 21:23–26). But he did so as an act of his liberty as a Christian, not under the compulsion of the law. (See context in Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) James Montgomery
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - During the first trip to Galatia, persecution had been severe, and Paul had even been stoned and left for dead by those hostile to the gospel (Acts 14:19). But as he later returned to Antioch with Barnabas, one can imagine how he must have marveled over the vastly contrasting love and kindness he had received from believers. (See context in Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Received (1209)(dechomai = middle voice of a primary verb) means to to receive something offered or transmitted by another (Luke 2:28). To take something into one's hand and so to grasp (Luke 2:28, 22:17). To be receptive to someone (Mt 10:14, 40). To take a favorable attitude toward something (Mt 11:14). Angel (32)(aggelos/angelos) literally means a messenger (one who bears a message - Lk 1:11, 2:9, etc or does an errand). Most of the NT uses refer to heavenly angels (messengers) who are supernatural, transcendent beings with power to carry out various tasks. So Paul said they accepted him as they would an angelic messenger from God, the implication being that they would have a high estimate of a divine angel. As Christ Jesus Himself - When Paul spoke it was as if the Lord Himself were speaking. Paul spoke the words, but the Galatians accepted them as the very Words of God. Writing to the Thessalonian believers Paul said "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe." (1 Th 2:13+) As Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:20+). Jesus Himself had prophesied that His messengers would be received as if He Himself had come "“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” (John 13:20, cf Mt 10:40, Lk 10:16+). THOUGHT - Is this maxim not still in effect today? If we go with His message, then the reception or rejection of His Gospel is tantamount to acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ. So do not be surprised, frustrated or put off when you act as His messenger and His Word is rejected! Galatians 4:15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. KJV Galatians 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Gálatas 4
MacArthur comments "Paul may simply have been using a common figure of speech, suggesting that the Galatians would have given up their very eyesight, the most precious and irreplaceable of the physical senses, if doing that could have helped him. If, as some interpreters speculate, Paul’s bodily affliction was a form of eye disease, he may here have been referring to the Galatians’ willingness to have literally exchanged their eyes for his, had such a transplant been possible in those days. Eye disease was common in ancient times, as it still is in most underdeveloped countries today. If Paul had an eye affliction it could have been a condition of long standing, perhaps the “thorn in the flesh” that was “a messenger of Satan” the Lord allowed him to endure as a humbling reminder of His sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:7–9). Because malaria sometimes attacks the optic nerve, causing loss of color recognition, atrophy, and even blindness, his affliction while in Galatia may have affected the way he saw as well as the way he looked. The possibility of poor eyesight is substantiated by the closing section of the Galatian epistle itself, which begins: “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand” (6:11). Paul usually dictated his letters to an amanuensis, a type of stenographer (see Rom. 16:22), but often added a postscript or personal greeting in his own hand (1 Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18; 2 Thess. 3:17). If he had limited vision, he would likely have used larger than normal letters in order to see what he was writing. Whatever the specific nature of Paul’s illness, his primary point here is clear: the Galatians had loved him with a love that would have compelled them to make any sacrifice on his behalf. (See context in Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) I bear...witness (present tense - continually)(3140)(martureo from mártus = witness = one who has information or knowledge of something and can bring to light or confirm something. English = martyr) in its most basic sense refers to a legal witness. Thus the verb martureo means to be a witness, to testify, to give evidence, to give testimony, to bear record, to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something. If possible - The "if" expresses a second class condition which is contrary to fact. The word possible (dunatos) means one who possesses power and in context speaks of possibility. These Galatian believers esteemed Paul so highly they would have given their eyes to him if they could have done so, but they could not. So Paul is only speaking hypothetically.
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - The Galatian believers who had succumbed to the Judaizing heresy were guilty of spiritual defection. Nothing tears the heart of a faithful pastor, teacher, youth worker, or missionary so much as seeing someone he has led to the Lord turn away from the faith. How much more does such defection grieve the Lord Himself?....The implication is that on a second trip to Galatia by Paul some of the church members there had already come under the influence of the Judaizers and had begun to doubt the truth of salvation by faith alone, which they had learned and accepted from him. The gospel of legalism had become more attractive to them than the gospel of grace, and the man who had been their beloved friend had become to them like an enemy. Many people appreciate a preacher or teacher only as long as he says what they want to hear. The confused and defecting believers in Galatia had once greatly admired Paul, but now they looked on him as their enemy, because he confronted them with the truth about the genuine gospel of God, which had saved them, and the false teaching of the Judaizers, which led them back into the bondage of legalism. (See context The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Spurgeon on become your enemy - There come times with all God’s servants when certain people proclaim something fresh and new in doctrine, and then the old messenger of God, who was blessed to them, comes to be despised. I have lived long enough to see dozens of very fine fancies started, but they have all come to nothing. I daresay I shall see a dozen more, and they will all come to nothing. But here I stand. I am not led astray either by novelties of excitement or novelties of doctrine. The things which I preached at the first, I preach still, and so I shall continue, as God shall help me. But I know, in some little measure, what the apostle meant when he said, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” Enemy (hostile) (2190)(echthros from échthos = hatred, enmity; noun = echthra = enmity, hostility) is an adjective which pertains to manifesting hostility or being at enmity with another, where enmity is a deep seated animosity or hatred which may be open or concealed or a "deep-rooted hatred." In Galatians 4:16 the word is used in the active sense which means to means to be hateful, to be hostile toward, to be at enmity with or to be an adversary of someone, in this case of the apostle Paul. And why or how did these Galatian believers become his enemy? Is this not a sad irony? The Jews had accomplished stirring up animosity against Paul by telling them lies and Paul was their enemy because he was telling them the truth! We know who these evil Jews' father was from John 8:44 where Jesus declared to those Jews (who had initially professed belief in Him [Jn 8:30] but would soon try to stone Him [Jn 8:58-59]) "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Spurgeon on by telling you the truth - There are many who have incurred enmity through speaking the gospel very plainly, for the natural tendency of man is toward ceremony, toward some form of legal righteousness: he must have something aesthetic, something that delights his sensuous nature, something that he can see and hear (ED: In contrast to 2 Cor 5:7), to mix up that with the simplicity of faith. Paul was as clear as noonday against everything of that kind, and so the Galatians got at last to be angry with him. Well, he could not help that, but it did grieve him. A T
Gálatas 4
MacArthur has a very interesting note - The term translated seek carries the idea of taking a serious interest in someone and was often used of a man courting a woman. “The Judaizers talk like they really care for you,” Paul was saying, “but they are false suitors who have no genuine love for or interest in you or your welfare.” Most cults show keen interest and even affection toward prospective members, promising them great personal fulfillment and happiness. As with the legalism of the Judaizers, the true nature of their spiritual enslavement is hidden. (See context in Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary) David
Gálatas 4
MacArthur explains that "The Judaizers had no interest in the Galatian believers beyond entrapping them in legalism. They were like the scribes and Pharisees to whom Jesus said, “You travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Mt. 23:15). Their true wish and objective was to shut … out the Galatians from God’s grace and gain recognition and acceptance for themselves (implied in the phrase that you may seek them). Their true motivation was “to make a good showing in the flesh” (Gal 6:12). (See Galatians MacArthur New Testament Commentary Donald Campbell on shut you out - They wanted to alienate (ekkleisai, literally “to lock out”) the Galatians from Paul and his teaching so that they would be shut up instead to the false teachers and their influence. In an interesting double use of the verb “be zealous” Paul said that the Judaizers were zealous to win … over the Galatians so that the latter would be zealous for the Judaizers! (See context in Bible Knowledge Commentary) David
Gálatas 4
MacArthur comments - You have already experienced the new birth, but now you are acting as if you need to be spiritually born all over again. You make me feel like a mother who has to deliver the same baby twice.” (Did Paul Question the Salvation of the Galatians?)
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - The verb (morphoō) carries the idea of essential form rather than outward shape, and therefore refers to Christlike character. Christlikeness is the goal of the believer’s life. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” he exhorted the church at Colossae (Col. 2:6; cf. Ro 13:14). God has predestined believers “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Ro 8:29). “We all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18+). The Father sent the Son to earth not only to die that men might be saved but also to live as the divine example for those who are saved. (Did Paul Question the Salvation of the Galatians? or Galatians: The Wondrous Grace of God) David Platt - This is the freedom that Paul is talking about-Christ shaping us, molding us, changing us, and forming us into His image so that we might be liberated to experience life in Him, for Him, through Him, by Him, and with Him. This is my prayer for the church I pastor, that Christ would be formed in them. (ED: THIS WOULD BE A GOOD PRAYER FOR EVERY PASTOR TO PRAY FOR HIS FLOCK). (Free to Grow) Zodhiates says Paul describes the believers in Galatia (and all of believers) "as a little child who needs to mature until the very image of Christ be impressed upon his heart." Gilbrant writes "Paul used the analogy of a woman’s travailing birth pangs to describe his intense desire and prayer that the nature and character of Christ “be formed” in the lives of the Galatian believers. In order that the morphe, or essential nature of the Christ-life, may come into being in them, Christ must not only be in each of them, but must also grow or “be formed” in them. This process of maturity into Christlikeness is not a mere outward conformity to Christ but a progressive inward transformation of one’s character. Christian growth through the Spirit’s work is a major theme in Paul’s writings. The third-century church father Hippolytus underscored this image of Christian growth in his use of morphoō: “The true Christian is being formed by the instruction of the Lord” (Behm, “morphoō,” Kittel, 4:753). (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Formed (only Biblical use)(3445)(morphoo from morphe = form, shape) describes taking on a form that embodies a particular inner essence. To become developed into a distinct entity (in this case the likeness of Christ). To form, fashion, originally used of artists who shaped their material into an image. Morphoo was used in a medical sense for fetal development. Morphoo in this context means until Christ's nature be formed in you, the idea being that their essence would be Christ-like and speaks of inner not outward shape. In short it speaks of the formation of Christ-like character. Paul wanted Christ used as a mold to shape the lives of the Galatians. Vine - With morphoō may be compared metamorphoo, which occurs in Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2, of the change in the appearance of the Lord described by Luke in the words “the fashion of His countenance was altered,” Lk 9:29+. The word morphoō, it is important to note, does not refer to what is outward and transient, but to what is inward and real. Hence on the Mount of Transfiguration that glory which was His own, essentially and eternally, shone out for a moment through the veil that concealed it during the days of His flesh. Metamorphoo occurs also in Romans 12:2 and in 2 Corinthians 3:18. The former of these passages reads, “And be not fashioned [suschēmatizo = to be made to resemble, as in 1 Pet. 1:14] according to this age: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Here an outward change in the character and conduct of the believer, to correspond with his inward spiritual condition, is intended. The second passage reads, “We all … are [being] transformed into the same image.” In a parallel passage Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth that he was "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested (made openly apparent, clearly revealed) in our body." (2 Cor 4:10) The root word morphe is used in Isa 44:13 to describe an making of an idol "like the form (Lxx = morphe) of a man." W E Vine On Morphoo When the apostle brought the gospel to the Galatian cities, his aim was not merely to induce men to change their religion, to forsake polytheism, the worship of many gods, for monotheism, the worship of one God; it was that they might receive life in Christ. So now his anxiety on their account was not merely that they should be intellectually persuaded of, and confirmed in, the true nature of the gospel and its conditions, but that the new life therein imparted might grow in them. Doctrine is not something alien from life. What a man believes affects his character and his conduct. Doctrine that exalts Christ makes for holiness; doctrine that detracts from the excellence of His person, or from the completeness and sufficiency of His sacrifice, hinders, or prevents, the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, which work is carried on by the presentation of Christ, in His essential deity, in His true manhood, in His perfect salvation; see John 16:13–15. The fatal defect of the doctrine of the Judaizers was that, by making something besides acceptance of Christ necessary to the obtaining of the promises, they presented a defective Savior. That Christ is supreme, Romans 9:5; sufficient, Colossians 1:19; “all and in all,” Col 3:11, nothing less than this is the apostle’s claim. But if on this point the Galatians were misled, how could they experience the power of truth they denied? To submit to circumcision, to seek justification by law, was to be severed from Christ and to lose all that the gospel offered, see Gal 5:2–4. To trust Christ, and to trust Him alone, was to be justified from all things indeed, see Romans 3:28; 8:31–34; but more, it was to be “a new creation,” 2 Corinthians 5:17, to live in Christ, and to have Christ living in the heart; see Gal 2:20. Growth, moreover, is the evidence of life, and this the apostle desired for his converts that they might “all attain … unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” that they might “grow up in all things into … Christ,” Ephesians 4:13–15. How this is to be accomplished may be learned from his prayer that Christ might dwell in their hearts through faith, 3:17, and from the exhortation of Philippians 2:5, “Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” For as the exercise of faith occupies the heart with Christ the mind of Christ develops in the believer, and as a direct result of these inward processes his conduct is increasingly conformed to the example of Christ. “That Christ may be formed in you” is, then, the desire of the apostle for the moral conformity of the believer to Christ here and now. The thought is similar to, or identical with, that of Philippians 3:10, “becoming conformed to His death.” But conformity to Christ, though it begins in the moral sphere, does not end there. In due time, that which is now inward and spiritual will extend also to that which is outward and physical, for “the body of our humiliation” will, at the coming of the Lord, be “conformed to the body of His glory,” Philippians 3:21. The apostle’s mind here, however, is not so much on the future, and the final outcome in them of faith in Christ, as it is that he longs for some present and satisfying evidence to confirm his confidence that God had indeed begun a good work in them; if he were only assured of that the ultimate issue would not be in doubt; see Philippians 1:6. But the ordinance of God is that the believer must enter into willing cooperation with Him for his own perfecting into the image of His Son; see Romans 8:28, 29, marg. The formation of Christ in the believer is at once the purpose of God and the ambition, inwrought by the Spirit, of all who are taught of Him. With morphoō may be compared metamorphoō, which occurs in Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2, of the change in the appearance of the Lord described by Luke in the words “the fashion of His countenance was altered,” Lk 9:29. The word morphoō, it is important to note, does not refer to what is outward and transient, but to what is inward and real. Hence on the Mount of Transfiguration that glory which was His own, essentially and eternally, shone out for a moment through the veil that concealed it during the days of His flesh. Metamorphoō occurs also in Romans 12:2 and in 2 Corinthians 3:18. The former of these passages reads, “And be not fashioned [suschēmatizo = to be made to resemble, as in 1 Pet. 1:14] according to this age: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Here an outward change in the character and conduct of the believer, to correspond with his inward spiritual condition, is intended. The second passage reads, “We all … are [being] transformed into the same image.” Warren
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - The term law frequently referred to the whole of the Old Testament (see, e.g., Rom. 3:19), but here it refers particularly to the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. The point Paul makes by drawing an analogy from Moses’ writing is that the law cannot be a means of salvation but is instead the way of spiritual and moral bondage. As an introduction to the analogy, Paul suggests that the Judaizers, and the Jewish Christians who had been misled by them, look carefully at the very law they so highly touted. Tell me, he asks, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? “Since you insist on living under law,” he was saying, “are you willing to listen to what the law really says?” (See context in The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Couch - The Judaizers emphasized their relationship as Jews to God, based on their descent from Abraham, and made obeying the law appealing by providing rules and regulations for godly living and pleasing God. As a result the Galatian believers did not know the true message of the Law, which Paul now explains with an analogy based on historical facts. But he challenges them as if they did know something of the legal requirements in this system. When he asked if they had listened to the Law, he meant by this, "Did they fully grasp the heavy burden of trying to keep it?" Why did they think they could keep it when others could not? (Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series – The Books of Galatians & Ephesians: By Grace through Faith) Don Anderson - You folks that are there, don’t you realize the Law is a total unit and you can’t pick and choose what parts of it you’re going to keep? And if you break any part of it, you’ve broken it all. James 2:10 Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he’s guilty of it all. God doesn’t grade on the curve. And so he starts right out with this: “Tell me, you who are desiring to be under law, are you not hearing the law?” Don’t you understand the Law and the consequences of breaking it? I think with the word “law”, he’s referring to all 5 books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—the Pentateuch. Sometimes he uses the word “law” to refer to all of it because it spells out all the 618 different regulations and laws that are a part of it. So he’s saying, let me give you an illustration of the consequences, of going back as a Christian to live under legalism. (Notes Study 9) Do you not listen to the law? - A touch of irony for sure. Also possibly an element of sarcasm. (NLT = "Do you know what the law actually says"; GWN = "Are you really listening to what Moses' Teachings say?") Paul personifies the "law" as a speaker, in sense even a "witness" to defend his argument for the superiority of grace over Law. He will use the familiar story from Genesis to illustrate this question. The verb for listen (akouo) in this context refers to the process of understanding something. Paul is in essence challenging the Galatians with this question asking them if they truly grasp what the Law said and what were the implications of being under the Law? Ridderbos says "the Torah contains much besides stipulated commands. And whoever reads the whole of the Torah will discover that its bearing is quite different from the one the Galatians are apparently at present inclined to believe." (The Epistle of Paul to the Churches of Galatia) And what had Paul said about the Law in Galatians 3:13? Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”– This passage in essence says that if they are attempting to live their life under the law, they are under the curse. Why? Because of Paul's quotation of Moses in chapter 3 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” (quoting the Septuagint of Dt 27:26) 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” (Gal 3:10-12) In other words, Paul says "Okay if you want to go back under the Law, help yourself! But you need to realize that you are placing yourself in an impossible situation because you cannot keep the law perfectly (cf Gal 3:10 "abide by ALL things..."). Can you see what Paul is doing by asking this question? If you go back under the law, you will have to obey it perfectly or you will be cursed. So you can understand why Paul was perplexed in Gal 4:20! And remember do not confuse this with the moral law of God which will never go away and we obey it out of love and enabled by the indwelling Spirit. We are talking about the external law which identified Israel as the unique people of God, including feast days, new moons, etc, for they were all shadows fulfilled in Christ (Read Col 2:16-17+).
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - Throughout the analogy, all distinctions between the two sons are based on the fact that they had two different mothers, not on the fact that they had a common father, Abraham. The heritage of the line through one mother is lostness and bondage, and the heritage of the line through the other mother is salvation and freedom. (See context The MacArthur New Testament Commentary )
Gálatas 4
MacArthur says allegoreuo is "literally “to speak other than one seems to speak.” It was used of a story that conveyed meaning other than what was apparent in the literal sense of the words. It has the idea of one thing being represented under the image of another. In this case, the spiritual truth is illustrated by the historical story, and translating “analogically” is consistent with the basic meaning of the Greek." Gilbrant - The Greek word sometimes translated "allegory" (allēgoroumena) is here better translated "illustration." Allēgoreō was especially employed in antiquity to denote a particular type of interpretation. Its basic sense is “to speak figuratively,” although allēgoreō should not necessarily be understood as the Greek equivalent to the English term allegory. Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is properly called an allegory, but it is extreme allegory and far-removed from what Scripture speaks of. Philo, a contemporary of Paul, is one well-known Jewish allegorist of the ancient world. Throughout church history leaders like Origen have sought to establish allegorical systems of interpretation which have as their goal to discover “hidden meanings” in Scripture. Such attempts violate the nature and intent of Scripture and are ultimately contrived. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Note: Paul says that these things are an allegory, that is, an illustration of truth can be seen and drawn from the event. (See context in Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible) Donald Campbell points out that "this 'allegorizing' is a far cry from the practice of 'allegorical interpretation'—followed by Origen, Augustine, and many others down through the ages into the present day—in which the historical facts are relegated to a lower, less significant level and fanciful, hidden meanings unrelated to the text, are considered vastly more important." (Bible Knowledge Commentary) Related Resources: Interpretation of Symbols - Rise of Allegorical Method - If you are not familiar with the Allegorical Method, you need to read this link to educate yourself. This is more than just a pedantic exercise, for how one interprets the Bible has far reaching ramifications! And if you are a teacher or a preacher remember there will be a day of accountability so we ALL (yours truly included) need to "Be diligent (command - aorist imperative) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15+) Excerpt - "Literal is not opposed to spiritual but to figurative; spiritual is an antithesis on the one hand to material, and on the other to carnal (in a bad sense). The Literalist is not one who denies that figurative language, that symbols are used in prophecy, nor does he deny that great spiritual truths are set forth therein; his position is simply, that the prophecies are to be normally interpreted (i.e., according to the received laws of language) as any other utterances are interpreted-that which is manifestly literal being regarded as literal, and that which is manifestly figuratively being so regarded. The position of the Spiritualist is not that which is properly indicated by the term. He is one who holds that certain portions are to be normally interpreted, other portions are to be regarded as having a mystical sense. The terms properly expressive of the schools are normal and mystical.” (John Peter Lange, A Commentary on the Holy Scripture: Revelation, p. 98) Related Resources: What is wrong with the allegorical interpretation method? What is biblical literalism? Can/should we interpret the Bible as literal? Does the Bible contain allegory? How can I recognize and understand biblical symbolism? IS GALATIANS 4:24ff AN ALLEGORY OR AN ILLUSTRATION? John MacArthur has an interesting approach to the word allegory - Simple explanation of an allegory would run like this: an allegory is a story, fictional or true, the meaning of which is not found in the story. Did you get that? That’s the simplest way to explain an allegory. It is a story, fictional or true, the meaning of which is not found in the story. Another way to say it would be on the negative: on its face, the story by itself is meaningless, unless somebody tells you the secret meaning. Allegories always hide a secret meaning. And for an allegory to communicate anything intentionally we have to know the secret meaning. There is no allegory anywhere in the Bible. That is to say, there is no story, fictional or true, that on its surface is meaningless and there is some hidden midden that is the real meaning. There are none in the Bible. This is the only place in the Bible where the verb allegoreo is used. And instead of translating allegoreo, they transliterated it into “allegory.” They just took the Greek word and gave it an English sound. They should have translated it. What does allegoreo mean? (ED: allegoreo from allos + agoreu) Agoreu means “to speak in public.” Allos means “another.” “To speak in public,” and “another.” Putting those two together, this is what allegoreo means “to speak of one thing by referring to another,”to speak of one thing by referring to another.” That is not on its face an allegory, that is an illustration. You could say, “He runs like the wind.” That’s not an allegory. You’re talking about somebody’s speed and you’re using a figure of speech to communicate it. In other words, you’re explaining his running by something else – figures of speech, analogies, illustrations, even parables that our Lord gave. He’s the only one who gave parables. And parables could be viewed as allegorical, except for the fact that He always explained them and their illustrations. There is nothing in the Bible with secret meaning, nothing that’s hidden so that no one can really know the meaning. This is not true among the ancient rabbis. They’re typically – the ancient rabbis in Judaism – were literally up to their eyeballs in allegories. If you read ancient Jewish literature you run into it all the time. For example, when you read in the Bible about the Euphrates River, the rabbis said that’s not a river. The Euphrates River that goes from Ur of the Chaldees in the north down to the land of Canaan in the south is not a river; that’s an allegory of the journey of a stoic philosopher from sensual understanding to spiritual enlightenment. It’s crazy, no one would know that. First of all, it’s not true. The Euphrates is a river, and water goes from Ur to Canaan. This is not the journey of a stoic philosopher from sensual to spiritual understanding. There were interpreters, rabbinical interpreters in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, so that allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament is associated with Alexandrian interpretation. Caught on in the Roman Catholic system, as you probably know, to the point that Roman Catholic scholars said the two coins that the good Samaritan gave to the innkeeper, those aren’t really coins. That’s an allegory for baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Here’s another one. Job’s seven sons weren’t actually his seven sons, they were the twelve apostles. That’s ridiculous, and bad math. And Job’s friends were the heretics, and his seven thousand sheep were God’s people,and the three thousand camels were the depraved Gentiles. That’s what an allegory looks like.(Sermon) Galatians 4:25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. KJV Galatians 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai Deuteronomy 33:2; Judges 5:5; Psalms 68:8,17; Hebrews 12:18 Arabia Galatians 1:17; Acts 1:11 corresponds to the present Jerusalem. Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; 19:44 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 allegorical interpretation of the story (Galatians 4:24-30) a. The two mothers representing two covenants (Galatians 4:24a) b. The description of the two covenants (Galatians 4:24b-28) 1. The one representing a covenant of bondage (Galatians 4:24b-25) 2. The other representing a covenant of freedom (Galatians 4:26-28) c. The expulsion of the slave woman and her son (Galatians 4:29-30) The conclusion from the story (Galatians 4:31) NEXT IN LINE AFTER MT SINAI IS JERUSALEM Not only do the two women and their two children represent two covenants, but Paul now explains that they also represent two Jerusalems. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. - Note that Mount Sinai is in Arabia (See Arabian Peninsula and Sinai Peninsula - map) which is a desert land and is not the Promised Land. Hagar's literal son Ishmael in fact eventually moved to the desert areas east and south of the Promised Land. What Paul is saying is that "Hagar, the law, represents the very center of a religion of law and works which was Jerusalem of that day. Note that Paul makes two connections to stress the point: (1) Hagar stands for Mount Sinai, the Mount in Arabia where the law was given. (2) Hagar and Mount Sinai both picture the very center of a religion of law and works, the (present) Jerusalem of that day. Of course, Hagar also pictures ANY religion, church, people, or person who seeks to be righteous and acceptable to God and heaven through works and law. (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.) MacArthur - This is the next part of the illustration in line (ED: THE MEANING OF GREEK WORD TRANSLATED "CORRESPONDS"). Hagar equals Ishmael; Ishmael equals Sinai. Hagar is a slave, Ishmael is a slave, and the Law given at Sinai was bondage with a death sentence....It is obvious that the holy city was also the location for the consummation of the New Covenant in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, but because the people rejected that New Testament in blood, the present Jerusalem, like Mount Sinai in Arabia, is where Hagar still figuratively lives in slavery with her unbelieving children—self-righteous, Christ-rejecting, grace-ignoring Jews. Except for a relatively few believers, the Jewish inhabitants of geographical Jerusalem in Paul’s day were truly in deep bondage to damning legalism. And the Judaizers in Galatia were trying to subvert believing Jews back into that bondage—to the ritual, ceremony, self-effort, and all other works of the flesh that constitute the hopeless slavery of the spiritual children of Hagar. (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith, Part 2) The present Jerusalem - Paul is speaking of the Jerusalem of his day, the Jerusalem of the first century. What is he implying? This ancient Jerusalem is the city from which the Judaizers had come with their legalistic (Pharisaic) system connected to Mount Sinai which in turn is connected to Ishmael who in turn is connected to Hagar. This is not what the Judaizers would want to hear because as discussed above, they took great pride in being in the line of Abraham. Paul is saying with this illustration that they might be genetically physically related to Abraham, from a spiritual standpoint they were the the children of Hagar; the children of Ishmael, the present Jerusalem is that is connected to Mount Sinai. MacArthur succinctly summarizes Paul's illustrations (some repetition of previous comment) - "It goes like this: Hagar equal Ishmael equals Sinai equals Jerusalem equals the flesh equals the law equals bondage equals condemnation, trying to do God’s will in the flesh. That’s what the Judaizers were doing. That’s what all false religion does. Hagar, Sinai, Ishmael, the present Jerusalem just produces more slaves, more slaves, more slaves in bondage to sin, in bondage to the judgment.... So, Hagar, Ishmael, Sinai, present Jerusalem are all in the same line. They all produce slavery and bondage. A sinner who seeks to be saved by the law is in that line, and he’s on a legalistic treadmill. He can be on that treadmill his whole life, and he will get off exactly where he got on. Ishmael is the child of the flesh, nothing more. And the present Jerusalem is fleshly, connected to Ishmael/Hagar. I can’t imagine the fury of the Judaizers to hear that, because they all proudly despised Hagar and Ishmael. (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith, Part 2 ) Corresponds (4960)(sustoicheo from sun = together + stoicheo = to proceed in order) means to advance in order together. It was used in classic Greek of soldiers standing in the same line or row (Liddell-Scott). The related noun sustoichia denotes a series of things or ideas. It is especially important to Pythagorean philosophy which speaks of series of coordinate pairs. Paul uses the term in Galatians 4:25 where he used Sarah and Hagar in a series of comparisons and contrasts to show the Galatians they were children of freedom and not slaves to the yoke of Judaism. Gilbrant notes that Paul "used sustoicheō to tell his readers that Hagar “corresponds” (or represents for the purpose of this story) to the earthly Jerusalem because, like Hagar who was bound to Sarah as her servant, Jerusalem (i.e., the Jews) is also in bondage to the Law." (Ibid) A T
Gálatas 4
MacArthur - The Jerusalem that is present (Gal 4:25) is the earthly Jerusalem, and it is still (in our modern day) the same way it was during Jesus’ time. Listen, contemporary, modern Judaism is slavery, bondage to the law, bondage to sin and judgment and death and hell. It is Hagar, Ishmael, Sinai, flesh, works, slavery, bondage, death. (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith, Part 2) NLT Galatians 4:26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Sarah was a type of the new covenant between God and man, the covenant of grace or of promise. Two things are said about the grace and promise of God to man. Sarah, that is, grace, is seen in the Jerusalem which is above, the heavenly Jerusalem. Heavenly Jerusalem is the spiritual and eternal city which God has promised to those who approach Him through faith. Sarah and grace and the promise of a heavenly city are all free. Any person who accepts God's promise of a heavenly city which is eternal—who accepts His promise enough to believe it with all his heart, basing all he is and has upon that promise—is acceptable to God. God takes the man's sheer faith—the faith that has cast itself totally upon the promise of God—and counts it as the man's righteousness. Therefore, the man becomes acceptable to God: he is given the promise of God freely—without price—without having to work for it by keeping rules and laws. (See context in Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible) The Jerusalem above is (estin - present tense = continually) free - One might be confused at first thinking Paul is describing our future residence in the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22, but that is not the case. He is using Jerusalem above to speak of a present possession of all believers, not so much a place to live, but a new way to live, by the Spirit of grace, not by the flesh and works. This makes all the difference in this world and the world to come! This spiritual freedom in the Jerusalem above is in stark contrast to the enslavement of the earthly (present) Jerusalem, the legalistic system that can never make one free. This heavenly city is free from law, works and spiritual slavery. Not only that but as free "citizens" of this city we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects. And so we can live today with a foretaste of God's future promise John describes in Rev 21:2+ "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." This picture of Jerusalem above also recalls Paul's "heavenly" description of believers in his letter to the Philippians For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Phil 3:20-21+) We also see a parallel passage by the writer of Hebrews who describes believers For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind (MT SINAI - cf Gal 4:24) 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, (Heb 12:18-22+) Robertson on the Jerusalem above - Paul uses the rabbinical idea that the heavenly Jerusalem corresponds to the one here to illustrate his point without endorsing their ideas. He uses the city of Jerusalem to represent the whole Jewish race (Vincent). (Galatians 4 - Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) She is (estin - present tense = continually) our mother - The closest antecedent is the Jerusalem above and the holy city is often referred to in the feminine gender. That could be the case but in context Paul has just associated Hagar with the present Jerusalem, so that the she in this passage could also be an allusion to Sarah. Note the personal possessive pronoun "our." Paul includes himself in this "family" (so to speak) with the Galatian believers. And the verb "is" in the present tense signifies she is continually our mother! Once (genuninely) saved, always saved, beloved. One she is your mother, she will forever be your "mother!" Your salvation is eternally secure in Christ! THOUGHT - Dear reader, is Jerusalem above your mother? Are you free in Christ by grace through faith in His once for all fully atoning, substitutionary sacrifice, burial and resurrection? Or are you like the Galatian believers, being enticed/seduced by other "legalists" in your fellowship (who may "look good" because legalism always seeks to "look good" before men, majoring on the "externals" but being woefully deficient on the "internals!")? Then leave Hagar, Mt Sinai and the present Jerusalem and come into the freedom of Sarah and the Jerusalem above. You will be free indeed! Paul is saying to the Galatian believers that (positionally) they have no connection with the present Jerusalem but with the Jerusalem above. Unfortunately, in practice it is possible to go back and "visit" the present Jerusalem (especially when seduced by Judaizers, whether in the first century or today - they are still alive and well!), but that is not now our "home" so to speak. We are to come out of the present Jerusalem and walk in the Jerusalem which is above! Paul may also be making an allusion here to Jesus' declaration in Jn 3:3 where He said "unless one is born again (Greek = anothen derived from ano = above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The phrase "born again" can also be translated "born from above." The word for above here in Gal 4:26 is ano the adverb of place which is the root of anothen in Jn 3:3. When ano is preceded by the definite article it means what is above, the world above or heaven (cf Jesus' declaration in Jn 8.23). Barton - While Hagar represents the "present city of Jerusalem" in its state of slavery (Gal 4:25), Sarah represents "the Jerusalem that is above." Jewish thought contained the idea that there was a heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem was just a copy (see Ps 87:1-3; Isa 54:10-14; Ezek 40-48). Paul used the concept she is our mother to show that faith, not adherence to the law, is the source of our salvation. Paul was stacking the major persons (Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Hagar), events (covenants), and sites (Mount Sinai, Jerusalem) of Old Testament history to portray the two tracks of humanity: one under legal slavery, the other under freedom established through faith. By including himself and the Galatians in the our, Paul was offering the Galatians the opportunity to claim that they were descendants of Abraham through faith, and that they possessed citizenship in the spiritual Jerusalem. For Gentiles to be included in this way would be as miraculous as the birth of Isaac. (See context in Life Application New Testament Commentary) MacArthur - Hagar, the slave, symbolizes the old covenant; the earthly, legalistic, Judaistic Jerusalem; the Ishmael mentality of law and bondage. Sarah, the free woman, symbolizes the new covenant, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the wonderful, wonderful blessing of faith and grace. (AS BELIEVERS) We belong to the Jerusalem that is above. (A Perfect Portrait of Saving Faith, Part 2 ) Free (unbound, unshackled)(1658)(eleutheros See also eleutheroo) is an adjective which means freedom to go wherever one likes, at liberty, possessing the capability of movement, exempt from restraint, obligation or liability, unconstrained, unfettered. In short the eleutheros man or woman is free to realize their destiny in Christ! Eleutheros literally of becoming a Roman citizen and metaphorically as in this passage of becoming free in Christ, free to live in the power of the Spirit of Christ (regardless of/independent of circumstances). Note that in Scripture, being free is not merely being able to do what we want, but experiencing God's power by His Spirit to do what we ought (what He desires us to do, living in a manner that pleases Him). The opposite of eleutheros is the state of enslavement in Ishmael, Hagar, the Old Covenant, Mt Sinai, the present Jerusalem, all of which Paul uses to depict the bondage produced by trying to live under the law. (cf Gal 4:21 = "Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?") Eleutheros is the very same word Jesus used in His great (prophetic) promise “So if the Son makes you free (eleutheroo), you will be free (eleutheros) indeed. (John 8:36) All 23 uses of eleutheros - exempt(1), free(12), free man(2), free men(3), free woman(4), freeman(1). Matt. 17:26; Jn. 8:33; Jn. 8:36; Rom. 6:20; Rom. 7:3; 1 Co. 7:21; 1 Co. 7:22; 1 Co. 7:39; 1 Co. 9:1; 1 Co. 9:19; 1 Co. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Gal. 4:22; Gal. 4:23; Gal. 4:26; Gal. 4:30; Gal. 4:31; Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:16; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 13:16; Rev. 19:18 Barton - Application - CITIZENSHIP Usually citizenship is based on a person's nation of birth. It does not change when the person travels abroad. Someone may spend almost his or her entire life in other countries and still maintain citizenship at home. Our citizenship in the "heavenly Jerusalem" as children in God's family will not be fully realized until the end of time (see Hebrews 11:10, 14-16; 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 3:12; 21:2). Though we may not yet be at home, as believers we carry a passport called the Holy Spirit. We should live each day as true citizens loyal to God. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Galatians) Galatians 4:27 For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." KJV Galatians 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. barren 1 Sa 2:5; Ps 113:9 desolate Ru 1:11-13; 4:14-16; 2 Sa 13:20; Isa 49:21; 1 Ti 5:5 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 allegorical interpretation of the story (Galatians 4:24-30) a. The two mothers representing two covenants (Galatians 4:24a) b. The description of the two covenants (Galatians 4:24b-28) 1. The one representing a covenant of bondage (Galatians 4:24b-25) 2. The other representing a covenant of freedom (Galatians 4:26-28) c. The expulsion of the slave woman and her son (Galatians 4:29-30) The conclusion from the story (Galatians 4:31) THE BLESSING OF THE JERUSALEM ABOVE AND SARAH For - (gar) - Term of explanation. Paul is going to expand on the blessing of the heavenly Jerusalem who he has just associated with Sarah. So here he seems to focus primarily on the blessing to Sarah who was at one time a barren woman. What the Bible Teaches explains that "To link it with the previous verses Sarah was the barren and desolate who cried for children and Hagar the woman who had a husband. But in due time the position was reversed. Thus, although the Law had been prominent in the past, grace had now come into prominence and the vast multitude saved through the gospel would far exceed those under the Law."
Gálatas 4
MacArthur comments that "Every believer, like Isaac, is supernaturally conceived, miraculously born, and the offspring of God’s promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ. Those who have begun to sink back into the trap of legalistic Judaism must remember that they are children of promise, who owe their life not to their own effort but to the miraculous power of God, just as Isaac did in the physical realm. God’s sovereign power of grace gave them life, and to fall back under law was to deny that divine work and to dishonor God." (See context in The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Robert Rapa - He encourages the Galatians to follow his teaching by giving them the benefit of the doubt, suggesting that they think of themselves as Sarah’s children, children of promise, as was Isaac. Thus there is no need to adopt a Jewish nomistic lifestyle; they are free and not to be associated with Hagar, Mount Sinai, and the law. Despite the Judaizers’ claims to the contrary, believers in Christ are children of the heavenly Jerusalem through God’s promise to Abraham. The Galatians who follow Paul’s teaching and embrace freedom in Christ and reject the Judaizers’ gospel are indeed children of promise. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) In this case promise refers to God keeping His promise to Sarah Moses recording "Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised." (Ge 21:1) Isaac was the child that God had promised. As an aside, God always keeps His promises beloved! Promise (1860)(epaggelia/epangelia from epí = intensifies verbal meaning + aggéllo = to tell, declare) literally means to "tell at or upon" and originally referred to an announcement or declaration (especially of a favorable message) (see Acts 23:21+). In other words the first sense of epaggelia is that of a . declaration to do something which came to be associated with the implication of obligation to carry out what is stated and thus the meaning of a promise, pledge or offer. In Scripture, epaggelia refers primarily to God's pronouncements that provide assurance of what He intends to do (i.e., in this context to give Sarah a child by Abraham against impossible odds). Eppagelia in Galatians -Gal. 3:14; Gal. 3:16; Gal. 3:17; Gal. 3:18; Gal. 3:21; Gal. 3:22; Gal. 3:29; Gal. 4:23; Gal. 4:28 John
Gálatas 4
MacArthur adds that "Throughout history, and still today, the physical and spiritual descendants of Hagar and Ishmael have, respectively, opposed and persecuted the physical and spiritual descendants of Sarah and Isaac. Those who hold to salvation by works, trusting in their own performance of the law hate those who proclaim salvation by grace without works. In their own minds, the Judaizers thought of themselves as the legitimate, God-honored descendants of Abraham through Isaac. But Paul was saying something that would infuriate them more than anything else, namely, that they, and all other unbelievers, are as much the spiritual descendants of Ishmael as the Arabs are his physical descendants....Whether within Judaism or Christianity, legalists have always been persecutors. Those who trust in God have always been persecuted by those who trust in themselves. True believers have always been more mistreated and oppressed by religionists than by atheists. It is the false religious system of Revelation 17:6 that is “drunk with the blood of the saints.” Galatians 4:30 But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." KJV Galatians 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. what does the Scripture say Galatians 3:8,22; Romans 4:3; 11:2; James 4:5 cast out the bondwoman - Genesis 21:10-12; Romans 11:7-11 for the son of the bondwoman - John 8:35; Romans 8:15-17 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 allegorical interpretation of the story (Galatians 4:24-30) a. The two mothers representing two covenants (Galatians 4:24a) b. The description of the two covenants (Galatians 4:24b-28) 1. The one representing a covenant of bondage (Galatians 4:24b-25) 2. The other representing a covenant of freedom (Galatians 4:26-28) c. The expulsion of the slave woman and her son (Galatians 4:29-30) The conclusion from the story (Galatians 4:31) CAST OUT LEGALISM AND LEGALISTS! This sounds harsh, but the vitality and viability of the church are at state. Legalism has a deadening effect on grace. Just as Hagar and Sarah could not live together under the same roof, law and grace never make good bedfellows. But what does the Scripture say? - In other words "What does God say?" because when Scripture speaks, God speaks! This is Paul's third appeal to Scripture (Gal 4:22, 27) in this last section (Gal 4:21-31). In Genesis we read Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out (Heb - garash - thrust out - Piel Imperative; Lxx - ekbállō in aorist imperative) this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. (Genesis 21:10-12) CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON - Cast out is a command in the aorist imperative indicating "Do this now! Don't delay! It is urgent!" The implication to the Galatian believers is clear. Cast out the legalists! Separate from the legalists. They need to imitate Sarah who saw Ishmael mocking Isaac and said "Drive out this maid and her son" lest he become a joint heir! This sounds harsh at first glance, but Paul knows full well that legalism in any form blunts grace in every form and grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace - Heb 10:29) and thus saps the power from genuine believers and from congregations. Beware of falling into the subtle trap of legalism, either of your own making or imposed by other seemingly "more spiritually mature appearing" individuals! Gangel - By applying this quote from Genesis 21:10, Paul commands the Galatians to get rid of the legalizers. Their work does not have the authority or blessing of God. It must come to an end. The Galatians must choose to be free and act on that choice by expelling the Judaizers. (See context Holman New Testament Commentary - Galatians, Ephesians) Cast out (send, drive) (1544)(ekbállō from ek = out + bállō = to cast, throw, drive) means to cast, throw out often with the idea of force (cf Acts 16:37+). Ekballo is the same verb used by the Septuagint translation of Ge 21:10. MacArthur - As Sarah had Hagar and Ishmael cast out of Abraham’s household (Gen. 21:10–14), so will their unbelieving descendants, those who live by works of the flesh, be cast out of God’s household (cf. Matt. 7:22–23+; Mt 25:41). No one outside the covenant of grace will receive anything from God (ED: EXCEPT ETERNAL PUNISHMENT!). (See context in The MacArthur New Testament Commentary)