Gálatas 4

Gálatas 4

Vincent comments that… an inheritance is originally a portion which one receives by lot in a general distribution. In the New Testament the idea of chance attaching to the lot is eliminated. It is the portion or heritage which one receives by virtue of birth or by special gift. So of the vineyard seized by the wicked husbandmen: “Let us seize on his inheritance” (Matt. 21:38); of Abraham in Canaan: “God gave him none inheritance” (Acts 7:5); “an eternal inheritance” (see note Hebrews 9:15). The figure (of an heir and the inheritance) is based upon Roman, not upon Jewish, law. According to Roman law, all the children, sons and daughters, inherited alike. According to Jewish law, the inheritance of the sons was unequal, and the daughters were excluded, except where there were no male heirs. Thus the Roman law furnished a more truthful illustration of the privileges of Christians. (Commenting on Jesus as heir in Heb 1:2 [note]) God eternally predestined the Son to be the possessor and sovereign of all things. Compare Psalm 89:28 [Spurgeon's note]. Heirship goes with sonship. See Ro 8:17 [note]; Gal. 4:7. Christ attained the Messianic Lordship through incarnation. Something was acquired as the result of His incarnation which He did not possess before it, and could not have possessed without it. Equality with God was His birthright; but out of His human life, death, and resurrection came a type of sovereignty which could pertain to Him only through His triumph over human sin in the flesh (He 1:3-note), through His identification with men as their brother. Messianic Lordship could not pertain to His preincarnate state: it is a matter of function, not of inherent power and majesty. He was essentially Son of God; He must become Son of man.) Gary Hill on heir - A believer becomes an heir (klēronómos) to the Father's kingdom when (spiritually) adopted, which happens at conversion (being born-again). With sonship (adoption) each receives "right of possession," i.e. to inherit their Father's provisions as they live in faith. (Note the close relationship of faith and klēronómos in Heb 11:6,7.) Our eternal inheritance (heirship) is established now as we lay hold of our earthly inheritance – i.e. to the level we receive (obey) faith from God. The full enjoyment of our eternal inheritance then in the afterlife correlates directly to the extent of our sanctification in this life. In Greco-Roman culture, only a son could inherit the possessions of the father (be a legitimate heir). In Scripture, inheritance is equally given (applied) to female believers (see Gal 3:28). [Heirs can also be disinherited by their disobedience, i.e. their failure to act as faithful sons. In antiquity, wills were not written out and were changed simply by the father orally amending his will before witnesses (2PeB, 3, 278).] Reflection: Every true believer, by redemption, is a son – and engrafted into the mystical body of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son. Salvation makes each believer an heir (2818/klēronómos) to heaven's riches. The Father only shares His riches with family members! God's "will-testament" (1242/diathēkē brings riches beyond description, to all those walking in faith (cf. 1 Cor 2:9 with Heb 11:6). Obedience is the instrument of inheritance, but only the work of the Lord is the cause of it. This means we do not live for victory – but rather from victory! He does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything - “being legally owner of all” Everything is the Greek adjective pas (panton in this passage) and without a Greek definite article as in this verse it means "all" indefinitely as "each (every) part that applies." The meaning includes the total picture but still "one element at a time." Slave (1401)(doulos from deo = to bind; more on doulos) was an individual bound to another (thus "bond slave" or "bond servant") in servitude. It describes someone who belongs to another without any ownership rights of their own. The doulos had no life of his own, no will of his own, no purpose of his own and no plan of his own. All was subject to his master. Doulos conveys the idea of the slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him, obligated to and desiring to do his will and in a permanent relation of servitude. The slave's every thought, breath, and effort was subject to the will of his master. In sum, the will of the doulos is consumed in the will of the master. In sum, the picture of a bondservant is one who is absolutely surrendered and totally devoted to his master. In the Greek culture doulos usually referred to the involuntary, permanent service of a slave. In the epistles of Paul and Peter elevates the meaning of doulos to the Hebrew sense which describes a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects (cp Ex 21:5, 6 Dt 15:12-16). By Roman times, slavery was so extensive that in the early Christian period one out of every two people was a slave! From at least 3000 BC captives in war were the primary source of slaves. Doulos in Galatians - Gal. 1:10; Gal. 3:28; Gal. 4:1; Gal. 4:7 Owner (2962)(kurios from kuros = might or power, related to kuroo = to give authority) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, one who is sovereign (used this way of Roman emperors - Act 25:26+) and possesses authority, ownership and power. Kurios is used of the one to whom a person or thing belonged, over which he has the power of deciding, the one who is the master or disposer of a thing (Mk 7:28+) Kurios in Galatians - Gal. 1:3; Gal. 1:19; Gal. 4:1; Gal. 5:10; Gal. 6:14; Gal. 6:18; Galatians 4:2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. KJV Galatians 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Galatians 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Galatians 4:1-11 - Don Anderson Galatians Study 7; More Notes on Galatians Study 7 Hiebert's Outline - The contrasted position under law and faith (Galatians 4:1-7) (See context in An Introduction to the New Testament, Volume 2) A. The illustration of the position of the heir as a minor (Galatians 4:1-2) B. The application of the illustration to believers (Galatians 4:3-6) 1. The condition of bondage as minors (Galatians 4:3) 2. The position as free sons through God's Son (Galatians 4:4-6) a. The sending of the Son of God (Galatians 4:4-5) b. The sending of the Spirit of God (Galatians 4:6) 3. The conclusion for the believer (Galatians 4:7) But - Term of contrast. He is under (hupo) guardians and managers - That is the child is subject to the authority of the guardians and managers. Under Roman law, boys from birth to 14 years of age were under the charge of legal guardians and then from age 14-25 their property was administered by managers. However Roman law did give Roman fathers some discretion in setting the time of their son’s transition from boyhood to manhood. It also sets the stage for Paul's statement in Galatians 4:4 that God the Father chose the time that His Son would bring in our maturity. In Galatians 3 Paul taught that all were under the Law described as: (1) a "guard" which kept us in protective custody (Gal 3:22–23) and (2) a "tutor" of children (Gal 3:24–25) and now he changes the metaphor to guardians and managers. Under is hupo a preposition which (in the accusative case) refers to a position below an object or below another position. Hupo in this context means we were all under guardians and managers. The preposition hupo is used several times in Galatians 3 to describes different "entities" (curse, sin, law, tutor) we were all under Galatians 3:10+ 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.” Galatians 3:22+ But the Scripture has shut up (sugkleio - ENCLOSED, "TRAPPED") everyone under sin (NLT = "prisoners of sin"), so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:23+ But before faith came, we were kept in custody (phroureo from phrouros = a guard - GUARDED, KEPT IN STRICT CONTROL, RESTRAINED) under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Galatians 3:25+ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (paidagogos - METAPHOR FOR THE LAW). Paul had earlier Gal. 3:22–25+ says we were “under the Law,” described as: (1) a jailor which kept us in protective custody (cf. Gal 3:22–23+); or (2) an adolescent custodian (cf. Gal 3:24–25+). However, in chapter 4, the metaphor changes to “guardian” and “trustee.” Hupo in Galatians - Gal. 1:11; Gal. 3:10; Gal. 3:17; Gal. 3:22; Gal. 3:23; Gal. 3:25; Gal. 4:2; Gal. 4:3; Gal. 4:4; Gal. 4:5; Gal. 4:9; Gal. 4:21; Gal. 5:15; Gal. 5:18; Guardians (2012)(epitropos from epí = to + trépo = to turn; verb epitrepo = to commit or entrust) is one put in charge or control - (other things) foreman, manager, agent and (over persons) governor. It was used frequently in the papyri as guardian of minors, the sense here in (Gal 4:2). A person entrusted to act in another’s name or to whose care anything is committed by another (Mt. 20:8 = "foreman"); a steward (Lk 8:3+) or treasurer to a prince, or a deputy governor, or a Roman procurator; a guardian to whom the care of orphans is committed, the same as paidagogos, a guardian (Gal. 4:2). Vincent -adds that "The word thus literally means, one to whom the management of affairs is turned over." Managers (3623)(oikonomos from oíkos = house + némo = manage, distribute, dispense; cf oikonomia) is literally the manager or superintendent of a household or estate. It describes the manager of a household whether freeborn or slave (Lk 12:42+ = "steward", 1 Cor 4:2) A T