Galatians 4:1-31 (NASB)
In this chapter, in an attempt to convince the Galatians to change their minds, Paul tries two different tactics. The first tactic he takes is a personal one. He appeals to them from an emotional angle. But before he does that, he explains more about what it means to be a child of God.
Let’s read what he says in verses 1-7: “1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba! Father!’ 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Paul is explaining that before Jesus came to earth as a man, “born of a woman, born under the Law,” all of humanity was like a slave, in that we were held under bondage to the Law. He says we “were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world.” According to Strong’s Concordance, that phrase, “elementary principles” is the word stoicheion, and it means, “one of a row, hence a letter (of the alphabet), by ext. the elements (of knowledge).”
This phrase is mentioned again in Colossians 2:8. It states, “See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.” Also, it is mentioned in verse 20. Putting it in context, Colossians 2:20-23 says, “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man? These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
These “elementary principles of the world,” are the ordinary and basic rules and concepts of the world. These principles are not spiritual truth, they are the philosophies and ideas of “human tradition.” In Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, he says: “These are called ‘the elements of the world’ because they were mundane and material; they included no clear recognition of spiritual things. The earlier forms of Gentile and even of Jewish religion were much bound up with the senses; the most important element in them was that of ritual.”
Paul is saying that before Christ came, all were held in bondage to the world’s basic ways of thinking: they were unspiritual in their thinking. Because, even though the Law gave Israel guidance and discipline, it was unable to free anybody from the bonds of sin. That wouldn’t occur until the time appointed by God the Father for the arrival of Christ who would free us from sin. That appointed time, Paul is saying, is similar to how a father determines the proper time to declare his son a man. Especially at that time and place in history, a father would announce that his son was now a man and as such would come into his inheritance as a man. Then, no longer living as a slave, the son would be set free from that guardianship and rule over him. So, too, God the Father determined the proper time to send His Son to be born of a woman, born under the law. And when that happened, believers in Christ were set free and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can call God ‘Abba.’
Abba is an Aramaic word that Jewish children called their fathers. It is the same word we see Jesus use in Mark 14:36, which says, “And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.’”
Many commentators state that “Abba” is the equivalent of the English word “Daddy.” That means that we can experience that same closeness with God the Father as Jesus, the Son has. We, too, can address the Father as “Daddy.” For we are no longer a slave, but a child and heir.
Then Paul launches into an emotional appeal. He says, in verses 8-20, “8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. 12 I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; 14 and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, nor express contempt, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for I am at a loss about you!”
Paul is exasperated. He doesn’t understand the Galatians, and he admits he doesn’t know what to do with them. They have known God and yet placed themselves under bondage to a system that Christ came to free them from. He is shaking his head, frustrated and grieved.
When verse 9 says, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God,” that makes me think of the terrible words of judgment that Jesus spoke when He said, “I never knew you.” He said this in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
These Galatian believers are known by God. They had believed in Jesus and had come to be known by Him, and yet now they are throwing that relationship away to put their faith in following the Law. They were putting their faith back into the elementary principles of the world.
Instead of doing this, Paul tells them to “become like me,” but that’s not because he thinks he’s perfect. He knows they are being influenced by outsiders. They are looking for someone to imitate, so he’s telling them to be like him instead of these others. I also think it’s part of being a leader. He’s saying, be like me. See how I’m following the Lord, imitate me. We should all be living our lives in such a way that if people imitated us it would not lead people away from the Lord but closer to him.
He tells them that even though they’ve pivoted away from what he taught them, they haven’t “injured him,” but obviously Paul is grieved. He is baffled and clearly frustrated by their change of heart. When he had spoken to them before, he was suffering from a physical aliment, which seems to involve his eyesight. He says that they cared and loved him so much at that previous time that they would have given him their eyes if they could have. But now, there is only animosity toward him. That is why he asks them, “have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
Sometimes it seems like one of the quickest way to make enemies with someone is to tell them the truth, doesn’t it? It was true for Paul, and it is true today. But like Paul, we must continue to tell people the truth, even when it offends others or hurts our relationship with them.
Paul continues in verse 17 and says, “They eagerly seek you, not in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them.” That is oddly stated, in my opinion, so I looked it up in the Greek. The phrase “They eagerly seek you” is more accurately translated as “They are zealous after you.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the phrase as “covet earnestly. From zelos; to have warmth of feeling for or against -- affect, covet (earnestly), (have) desire, (move with) envy, be jealous over, (be) zealous(-ly affect).”
They are zealous after you, so that you will be zealous after them. They aren’t interested in these Galatians being zealous for Christ or the message of the Gospel. Paul is saying these influencers want the Galatians to be zealous for them. And back to what Paul means when he says follow him- he doesn’t want the Galatians to be zealous for him, no. He wants them to stop imitating these outside influencers and to be zealous for Christ. These influencers aren’t telling them the truth, as Paul is doing so. They are working hard to make the Galatians come over to their side.
Verse 18 continues that same thought and says, “But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you.” Again, I think it’s more accurately translated as, “now, it is good to be zealous at all times in a right thing.” Paul is saying it’s actually good to be zealous. Paul knew what it was to have zeal. Paul was zealous in his carrying out his convictions before his conversion. This is why he is so passionate about the Galatians’ misplaced zeal. He does not want to see them erroneously pursue the wrong things.
Now he’s going to try another tactic. Using allegory, he makes an argument based on logic. He begins with another question for them. He asks, “21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
‘Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth;Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;For the children of the desolate one are more numerousThan those of the one who has a husband.’
28 And you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time the son who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is even now. 30 But what does the Scripture say?
‘Drive out the slave woman and her son,For the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.’
31 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.”
He started that by saying to them, and I paraphrase: Ok, you guys want to follow the Law? Let’s look at what the Law says. The Law says that the slave woman and her son are not heirs. But you, Galatian believers, you are like Isaac, you are children of the promise not the law.
Paul is saying those two births represent the two covenants. The covenant given at Mount Sinai gives birth to a bondage under law. The covenant from Jerusalem gives birth to freedom. Ishmael represents the covenant of law, birthed under legalism. Isaac represents the promise that was birthed by faith. As Christians, we should not identify with Ishmael, but with Isaac. We are children of the promise that was received through faith.
These Galatian believers, they’ve been redeemed from the law, and adopted as children, they are no longer slaves, but heirs. So why would they want to be slaves when they can be heirs? By choosing to emphasize the Law, they are making themselves slaves to it. And even more importantly, they are trying to enslave other believers as well. By doing this, they were placing themselves and others under the bondage of law. Just as Ishmael mistreated Isaac, the Christians who were choosing to live by the law and not by faith were mistreating the Christians who wanted to walk in faith and freedom.
There are Christians today who do this. These legalistic Christians are prideful, too. They feel they are better than the Christians who do not live as they do. They place a high importance on following a set of rules that their leaders have established for them. Some of these laws are that women must wear long skirts and must not wear make-up. To be a part of their church, all members must only read Christian literature, and never watch television, never listen to contemporary music, nor play cards or drink alcohol or dance. Even when I went to Bible College in the 90s, my school did not allow TVs in the dorms, dancing, or gambling. It had a rigid dress code and prohibited all alcohol. I’m not saying whether those rules were good or bad, that is not the point. The point is, the same way that some churches place extraneous rules on their members or my college imposed rules on students, some group of Christians seek to place people under legalism.
But remember what I mentioned about what Jesus stated in the passage in Matthew? I think it’s profoundly important that we notice the ending. He says, “I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.” As we read through Galatians, or any book of the Bible, it is vital that we always seek to understand it in relation to the entirety of Scripture. As we know, in Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” So it makes sense why some Jewish believers wanted to keep following the Law. But we know, in Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law, because we can see the bigger picture, some things were abolished when fulfilled: namely the sacrificial system, but that is only because Jesus FULLFILLED that requirement when He died on the cross. It wasn’t that a sacrifice wasn’t necessary anymore. It was that Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled that requirement. So, when Paul is telling these Galatians that they are no longer bound by the Law but are free, we must not think that means they are free to sin. They are not free to “practice lawlessness” as Jesus warns.
So, we should not think that Paul is advocating for something different from what Jesus preached. Lawlessness is not the solution to legalism. It might seem like something of a paradox to some of us. How can we no longer be slaves to the Law and yet not practice lawlessness? We will look more closely at this seemingly paradoxical problem in the next chapter when Paul addresses it.
The thing we should remember in this chapter is that the problem with the Galatian Christians is that some of them wanted to maintain the divisions between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. Earlier in the letter, Paul clearly states that there are to be no divisions within the family of God; we are all the same in Christ Jesus. In this chapter, he wants them to take it further and see the implications of being in God’s family: we are heirs, not slaves. There are no distinctions among us believers: we all are heirs of the promise of God.
Before the Galatians and before us, Paul is presenting a choice. Based on what Jesus accomplished for us and who we are in Him, we can enjoy a free and dynamic relationship with God, our loving Father. Or, we can focus our efforts on obeying the law and live as slaves rather than as heirs, in order to try to earn our salvation. But living in such a way renders the Gospel meaningless.
Let us instead have zeal for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us not become entrapped in the elementary ways of thinking like the world thinks. Let us think with spiritual minds and not be misled by the persuasiveness of others. Let us live as children of God, and grab hold of the rich inheritance He gives us through our faith in Jesus. Let us not become slaves to sin or the world.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we rejoice that we, too, may call you Abba. We are Your children and You are our good, good Father. Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we can rightly discern Your Word and the words of others. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to us at just the right time, allowing us to become part of Your family. In the name of our Savior Jesus, we love You and pray. Amen.
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