Galatians

Chapter 4
{Position of Grace - Verses 1-7}
1~~ Now I keep on repeating this,
"That the heir,
as long as he keeps on being a minor child,
he differs nothing from a slave,
though he be lord {future head of the estate} of all."

2~~ But, in contrast, {the minor child/heir}
keeps on being under the control of tutors
  {a valet slave and bodyguard in one}
and governors {another slave that managed his finances}
until the time appointed by the father.

3~~Even so we {Paul and the Galatians}
when we were minor children
were in bondage
under the restrainers of the world.

{Note: In Paul's analogy, as unbelievers, we were under the restraining influences of the things like the Mosaic Law . . . just as the minor children are controlled by 'slave overseers'.}

{Doctrine of the Hypostatic Union -100% Human AND 100% Deity in one Unique Person}
4~~But when the fullness of the time was come
God sent forth His Son {refers to the 'Deity of Christ'}
came of a woman {reference to His humanity}
made under the existence of the {Mosaic} law.

{Note: This verse refers to the Hypostatic Union. 100% Deity - the Son of God. 100% humanity as born of a human mother. And, as a Jew from the ruling tribe of Juda and the line of David, Christ was born a Jew and under the time of the Mosaic Law - which Law He fulfilled.}

{Note: Colonel Thieme says that God the Father picked the perfect time for Christ to come. When all the religions of the world had proved themselves bankrupt in providing salvation - the last to do so was Judaism - since then all 'new religions' were no more than recreations of an old theme.}

{SideNote: 'Fullness' is the Greek word 'Pleroma' which is another name for our current dispensation - the Church Age - 'Pleroma tu Theo' -'All the fullness from God'.}

5~~ To, once and for all,
redeem them under the law {all the human race}
that we {human race}
might once and for all
receive the 'adoption' of adult sons.

6~~ And because you are habitually and absolutely adult sons
God has once and for all sent forth on a mission
the 'Spirit of His Son'
into your hearts
crying, "Father, Father"/"Abba Pater".

{Note: RBT says 'Spirit of his Son' is a functional title for God the Holy Spirit. He was sent to glorify Christ in this dispensation. And, in the original manuscripts the verse ended with "Abba Pater". Abba is Aramaic for Father, Paul's first language, and pater is Greek for father, the Galatians were Greek . . . so here is 'Father, Father' in two languages - Aramaic and Greek}

{Result of Union with Christ - Share His Adult Son Heirship Status}
7~~ Therefore,
you are no more a slave, but an adult son.
And if an adult son - and you are an adult son -
then {you are} an heir of God
through the instrumentality of Christ.

{Note: This is the Doctrine of Heir-ship. When saved, we are in union with Christ. And one of the 39 irrevocable things that we receive at the point of salvation is to share in His Heir-ship.}

{Verses 8-20: Permanence of Grace}
{Verses 8-11: Region hinders Grace}
8~~ How be it then
when you did not know God {as unbelievers}
you were in bondage unto them {false Greek gods}
which in essence are no gods?

{Note: The Galatians were Greeks. The non-Christians and non-Jews in the area were worshiping the Greek heathen false gods . . . their first false trap of religion.}

9~~ But, now in contrast,
after that {worshiping false gods then being saved},
you have known God by experience
and are known by God.
How can you be in the process
of turning again to the weak and beggarly elements
whereunto you keep on lusting again to be in bondage?

{Note: The new 'slave-owner' for these Greeks is the ritualism/legalism of the Mosaic Law.}

{Moving from Bondage of One Religion to the Bondage of Another Religion - Here the Sabboths are in View}
10~~ You are turning to the process
of starting to observe days {observing the Sabbath}
and months {4 fasts of the 70 year captivity of the Jews}
and times {the feasts - bone fide in the Jewish age - not any more}
and years {a year off every 7th year, and every 50th
  you get back anything you sold in the last 50 year}.

{Note: Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law and we are no longer under 'bondage' to it. We are under a higher law now to live EVERY DAY as unto the Lord, not just special set aside days.}

11~~ I am afraid for you all {and you aren't afraid!}
lest I have bestowed upon you labor until exhaustion - in vain.

{Note: This is a communicator of doctrine who labors to the point of exhaustion in the study and teaching of the Word . . . and fearing all his teaching was useless/vain/void of effect.}

12~~ Brethren, I keep on begging you
- for my benefit so I do not teach in vain -
become - for your benefit -
as I {am - a grace believer and student of the faith/doctrine}!
{and if they do so, then} I AS YOU!
You have not injured me at all.

{Note: Paul is saying . . . for his benefit as a communicator of doctrine . . . they should become what they are NOT now . . . serious about the intake of the Word. And if they do become serious students, then they will be like HIM . . . and HE will be like them! The last part is an idiom in the Greek. Paul is saying he is not the issue at all. The legalistic Jews were attacking Paul personally and since Paul is in SuperGrace, the attacks only brought him blessings not injury.}

13~~You know {from previous study}
because of the infirmity of the flesh {Paul's medical problems}
I preached the gospel unto you at the first contact.

{Note: RBT says that at the time Paul first met the Galatians he had chronic eye troubles - see verse 15. It made it difficult for him to see and also ugly to look at. This was quite a handicap when doing public speaking.}

{Human viewpoint hinders grace}
14~~ And your temptation
which was in my flesh
  {tempted to not listen to Paul because he looked so bad}
you despised not {Paul as the communicator}
nor rejected {Paul's teaching of doctrine/faith in Christ}.
But received me as a messenger of God
even as Christ Jesus.

{Note: RBT says they originally thought Paul was Hermes/ Mercury the messenger god and one of the least good looking of the heathen gods. 'Angel' actually translates into 'messenger'.}

15~~ Where therefore is your blessing?
For I stand as a witness,
that, if possible - but it was not possible -
you would have plucked out your own eyes
and have given them to me.

{Note: Under grace they would have done anything for Paul and now they despise Paul.}

16~~ Have I therefore now become your enemy?
Because I keep on telling you the truth?

{Note: Paul is getting tough with them. Paul is sarcastically leveling with them!}

{Verses 17-18 Flattery Hinders Grace}
17~~ They {the legalistic Jews}
keep on zealously courting you {tell you HOW GOOD YOU are doing}.
But not honestly!
Yes, they would separate you {from Paul and his teaching of Grace}
that they might affect you.

18~~ But, good to be properly courted
when I am present
  {they treated Paul well while he was face to face with them}.
And, not only when I am present with you!
  {and should continue to respect him
  and the doctrine Paul taught after he left.}

{Note: When Paul is away, they should recognize and appreciate the truth . . . and therefore, be 'properly courted' . . . by the Truth of Grace.}

19~~ My little children {little born again ones - babies in Christ}
I am sweating you out {literally means in birth pangs}
until The Christ {altar of the soul - edification complex of the soul}
be formed in you.

{Note: It is God's purpose for Christ to be formed in every believer. Paul is using a birthing analogy. They are his spiritual children. He is still 'hurting from the birth' because the baby is not growing! When they take in doctrine and grow spiritually, then they will build a set of norms and standards in the soul that create an altar of the soul/edifidation complex of the soul. With doctrine resident in your soul, you LEARN to be 'Occupied with Christ' and Christ will be 'formed in them'. Then you imitate Christ by allowing His divine good production to be produced through you. Bible doctrine is His divine viewpoint. He receives the glory/honor from His thoughts being exercised on earth. For the glory you bring to Him, there are rewards in time and in eternity future.}

{Contrast of desires - Paul's desires are in verse 20. Galatians' desire in verse 21}
20~~ I keep on desiring to be present with you now
and to transform my voice
  {from parental harshness to parental kindness}.
For I continuously stand in doubt
in the sphere of you.

{Note: Paul wishes he could change from the harshness in this epistle to soft and pleasant teachings to those straightened out. The spiritual maturity of the audience depends on the tone of the message. Mature believers have accepted the authority of the teacher and absorb the message easily. Therefore the communicator can deliver the message in a much more pleasant manner . . . for communicator and student alike.}

21~~ Keep on telling me!
You who continually desire
to be under the authority of the {Mosaic} law,
do you not hear and understand the law?

{Allegory of Ishmael - representing the Mosaic Law and Isaac- Salvation by Faith in Christ}
22~~ For it stands written
- in the past with the result that it stands written forever -
that Abraham had two sons {Ishmael and Isaac}.
The one {Ishmael} -
out from the source of a bondmaid {Hagar in Hebrew, Agar in Greek}. The other {Isaac} -
out from the source of a free-woman {Sarah}.

{Note: In the Bible there are 'Parables' which are characterized by phrases such as 'there was a certain man'. Parables never use a real person's name. Next, there are also allegories in the bible. In general, allegories do not always have to refer to real events. However, in the Bible, the allegories are always 'historical analogies' that relate events that really took place - and use real names and real events.}

23~~ But he {Ishmael} of the bondwoman
was born according to the norm of the flesh.
But in contrast,
he {Isaac} of the free-woman
was by 'instrumentality of the promise'.

{Note: In the allegory Ishmael represents human viewpoint . . . following the Mosaic Law to be saved and therefore under the authority of the law and in slavery to the law . . . born only
once . . . he was never born again. Secondly, because of the supernatural birth of Isaac (both parents were past childbearing
age) . . . and only possible because of and through the Grace of
God . . . Isaac represents salvation by the Grace of God.}

24~~ Which qualitative class of things are the allegorized?
For these {Ishmael and Isaac}
are the two covenants {by analogy}.
The one {Ishmael} from the ultimate source of the mount Sinai,
which keeps on giving birth to bondage
which is Agar {Hagar represents the Law and was a slave}.

{Note: The Mosaic Law was given to Moses - outside of the promised land - in the land of cursing . . . in the land of
Ishmael . . . at Mount Sinai.}

{Two Jerusalems - 1st - the Legalistic One of the Day and the 2nd - Based on Grace}
25~~ For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
and is in rank with the Jerusalem which now is
and is in slavery
in accompaniment with her minor children.

{Note: The physical city of Jerusalem was in bondage to the Mosaic Law, in bondage to religious leaders, and in bondage to the Roman Empire.}

26~~ But, in contrast, the 'above Jerusalem' - FREE -
which keeps on being the mother of us all.

{Note: The 2nd Jerusalem refers to the Church and the New Jerusalem is the mother city of all believers.}

27~~ For it is written {Isaiah 54:1},
"Receive inner happiness {rejoice},
you barren that bears not.
Break forth and once again cry
you that 'travails not'/'can not produce children'.
For the desolate
has many more children
than she who has an husband."

{Note: Grace produces what legalism can not. Sarah at 90 can not humanly deliver, but through grace she has many more children then there are legalistic people.}

28~~ Now we - and only we - brethren {believers}
acccording to the standard of Isaac
are the born ones of promise.

29~~ But - as then -
he that was born according to the flesh {Ishmael}
kept on persecuting him {Isaac}
that was born after the Spirit
even so it is now.

{Note: Just as Ishmael persecuted and tormented Isaac, still today the legalistic Jews persecute the Grace believers}

30~~ Nevertheless
what says the scripture?
Cast out {Separate yourself}
from the bondwoman and her son.
For the son of the bondwoman
shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.

{Note: Means to get far away from legalism. Legalism and grace can not co-exist.}

31~~ Now - in conclusion - brethren {believers}
we are not children of the bondwoman - but of the free!

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This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. This page also sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. Moxxor is a highly concentrated Omega 3 product that has reduced inflammation in this writer. Please go to this website to read more about Moxxor.