Galatians 4, The Law a Tutor

Paul continues his theological argument on the contribution of the Jewish Law.

Galatians 4: 1-5, Children of God
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

In this metaphor we are children in a rich estate, waiting for the privileges of adulthood. During our childhood, we are tutored by other adults and we have no standing in the family, other than the eventual inheritance.  The Tutor represents the Old Testament Law, a temporary thing replaced (here) by adulthood. Paul stresses the dramatic difference between the slave and the child; early on they are not distinguishable, but adulthood separates them dramatically.

This metaphor is clearly cultural and does not fit today. The closest we might come today would be to recall the "downstairs" servants and "upstairs" masters of Victorian English society (eg., Dowton Abbey.)

All of this was planned. Jesus arrived to fulfill the Law "when the time had fully come."

Galatians 4: 6-10, Live as God's Children!
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, <"Abba>, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Abba (verse 6) is Aramaic for "Father", closer to "Daddy," the phrase a young child might babble at his dad.  It is an intimate word.

Paul argues that when one becomes an adult, it is silly to try to return to the childhood days when others took care of you and told you what to do.  (These old safe things apparently included a legalistic calendar?  I don't understand verse 10.)

What does it mean, "by nature are not gods"? Now, through the Holy Spirit, are we "gods"?

Galatians 4: 11-16, You Lost Your Joy!
I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

One sign of living in the Holy Spirit, unshackled by legalism, is Joy.  Paul reminds the Galatians that they were once indeed joyous about the Gospel.  But they have changed, as they bow to legalism.

I have found "joy" to be a good test of whether I am living by legalism or by grace.

Paul had a serious illness when he first arrived in Galatia; some see verse 15 as indicating the illness had something to do with Paul's eyes.  Maybe he had poor eyesight?  The Galatians original love for Paul was so strong that they would have given him their own eyes if they could.

Verse 16, ("Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?") is beautiful expression of concern by Paul. But it is much abused these days. There are a lot of strangers on the internet eager to "Tell the truth", using this verse as their excuse.

Galatians 4: 17-20, Grow, dear children, Grow!
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Paul oscillates between scolding and concern.

Galatians 4: 21-27, Hagar and Sarah
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation.  When decades passed and Abraham had not had a single child, Abraham had a child by Hagar, a servant woman, in hopes that this would bring about the promise of God.  Abraham's impregnation of Hagar is a vivid Old Testament example of Abraham's lack of faith. His eventual child, later by Sarah, is on the contrary, evidence that God is trustworthy.  The metaphor is clear: we can try to work out our own salvation through the mechanism of the Law or rely on God.

The quote at the end of this passage (verse 27) is from Isaiah 54:1.  All of this passage is very Jewish; it would make little sense to the untrained Gentile.

Galatians 4: 28-31, Children of Promise
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

The quote in verse 30 is from Genesis 21:10. Paul returns to his call for freedom from legalism.

This strange metaphor continues – the people of Galatia are to toss aside Jewish legalism just as Abraham tossed aside Hagar!

For further thought: This chapter emphasizes that believers are children in a family, not followers of some religious dogma. Think on that.  In your relationship with God, you are a silly, naive, childish, vulnerable being who is loved regardless of his/her immaturity and frailty!

Next time: In the next chapter, Paul begins to provide practical applications of this freedom.