Life Project Blog

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 forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!  I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Galatians 4:8-11

The section we’ll be looking at here is a section or transition that reflects Paul’s concern for the Galatian churches.  Paul is writing this letter to correct an error encouraged in Galatia by those who sought to require them to first come under Jewish law before they could become followers of Jesus Christ, and so after having demonstrated that Jewish law is no longer in force and effect, Paul comes down to the root of the problem− Do you, after having been set free, desire to return to bondage?  I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life where that was the central question for me.

You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! Note Paul’s tone… and that’s all I’m going to say about this for now…

I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and 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. Where, then, is your blessing of me now? 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?

Galatians 4:12-16

In recounting their earlier relationship, Paul is reminding them of their experiences together, and of all that they had in common.  You might also notice that he mentioned that he became like them and shared the Gospel with them.  Isn’t it ironic that they have now become like Paul used to be; Jewish in their outlook.  It would seem that this irony wasn’t lost on Paul who is writing to bring them back to where they were before he left them.

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 have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, 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!

Galatians 4:17-20

So far in this letter, Paul has spoken sharply to its recipients; he wasn’t pleased to hear what they’ve been up to. In these verses, however you see that he is really speaking to them like a father who is correcting a naughty child.  The message is clear, but the motivation for the correction is pure love. Paul isn’t upset because they have listened to another teacher, Paul is upset because the other teacher has led the people to a place where they will be harmed, and Paul is having a tough time with that thought. It isn’t difficult to feel his emotions at being separated from those who need his guidance now.

That brings something to mind.  Have you ever been chided by someone for not agreeing with them on some point?  Did they have Pail’s motivation, or were they just insisting that everybody do things their way?  If you answered that question, I’m willing to bet that you’ve been “corrected” in both ways, right?  There’s a big difference between the two, isn’t there?

There is a time and place to correct a fellow Christian who has taken the wrong turn.  The question is, why do we seek to correct them, and how do we go about doing it?

Yes, there is a lesson for us in this text, isn’t there? Oh, and it really isn’t in speculating about what Paul’s illness was, is it?

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his 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 God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Galatians 4:1-7

Sonship! I’m not really sure that is a proper English word, spell check doesn’t like it, that’s for sure, but I must admit that it works for Paul’s message to the Galatians.  These seven verses sum up his argument in a way that is so simple and so uncomplicated that anyone who gets lost in discussions of covenants and laws and patriarchs can’t miss. For once, I really like the “new” NIV rendering; they nailed it.

Check out Paul’s use of metaphors here; a son who is destined to inherit the entire estate of his fathers. An heir not only to a great estate and great wealth, but heir to a great title, yet the son is not of age.  His life is privileged, yes, but he must follow the orders of everyone from his parents, to the “upper servants.” In a way, he is like a slave, for even though he holds within himself the potential of command and power, he is still subject to those around him, and his father isn’t putting up with any nonsense. Before Jesus came, “we” lived according to the “elemental spiritual forces of this world,” sin, death, form, ritual, lusts and law that produce condemnation: Them Jesus came. By the time He had completed His work on this earth, everything had changed. We had been redeemed from “slavery” to those elemental forces and were set free, as though an earthly heir had reached the age of majority. Now, we have achieved “sonship” as God’s children, co-heirs with the Son to everything. We are the children of God, and as such we have inherited eternal life and co-dominion with Christ, and all of this is made possible by the fact that the old ways are now gone for good.  Yes, we are used to thinking about this in terms of our sins and guilt, but there is another dimension to it that Paul has been addressing for three chapters now that we, like some of the Galatians, often forget or overlook.  The very Law is also gone, for it has been made obsolete and useless, its time has passed.

Now, as you think about these things, it would be very easy to think of them in Jewish terms, for they were God’s chosen ones under the Law, but if you are thinking in Jewish terms, you’ve missed something profoundly important.  Paul isn’t writing to Jews in this letter, he is writing to the Galatians, and they were never Jewish, they were Gentiles. Think about that for a while; consider the theological ramifications of that fact…  There is no Jew, there is no Gentile…

That can only be true if the Law was buried with Christ in death’s tomb.

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Galatians 3:22-25

Having stated his case, Paul is now moving to the climax of his letter in this section that begins with 3:22 and continues through 4:7. You’ll see his tone change from frustration to concern as we go, but first, you’ll see the grandeur of what it means to be in Christ.

In these three verses, note that Paul is giving an explanation of the role that the Law played as a “guardian.”  That’s an interesting way to explain it, don’t you think? A “guardian” isn’t a permanent arrangement, for when the ‘child’ is grown, he or she moves into a new time in their lives.  When the time came, God sent Jesus to His people, and Jesus changed everything; their older “arrangement” was ended and a new one began in the form of a new covenant.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:26-29

Look at the result of this New Covenant−  Wow, how many old traditionalist teachings can you slay in one little passage?

Oh, sorry about that last bit…

Everything is new in Christ!  All of us are now children of God, not just the physical relations of Abraham.  Now that we have been baptized into Christ, we have been clothed with Christ.  We have been baptized into Christ, haven’t we…?  There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for the former “arrangements” that created the separation is gone. There is neither slave nor free, for that was also a huge divider of people; we are now one no matter what our station in earthly life might be.  Ready for this next one?  Are you sure about that…?

There is now no male and female, and don’t waste a moment of your time listening to the old-fashioned culture taught as though it was from the Bible, for it is not from the Bible. In God’s eyes, there is no particular distinction between the sexes, because we are one in Christ. “If you belong to Christ” comes next and is a conditional statement.  That is where the new dividing line is; some are “in Christ” and some are not.  That’s why we are called to reach out to those who are not, so that they can receive these awesome blessings… thus reaching out is an act of amazing love.  If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed for the purpose of His Covenant promises.

Funny isn’t it, that some who belong to Christ still want to run back to the Law?

Let’s see where Paul takes it from here next time…