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Jewish law before they could become followers of Jesus Christ, and so after having demonstrated that Jewish law is no longer in force and effect, Paul comes down to the root of the problem− Do you, after having been set free, desire to return to bondage?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…

Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.  What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Galatians 3:15-18

Paul continues his discussion of covenants; I’m sure that you will recall that misunderstanding covenants was at the heart of the issue Paul is writing this letter to correct.

Paul’s “everyday” example is that of a covenant.  When two or more parties enter into a covenant, you can’t just ignore it or make unilateral changes, once it is in effect.  Now, he zeros in on the Abrahamic Covenant, pointing out that the parties are God and Abraham and Abraham’s “seed.”  What was the promise?  There were two actually, the land promise and the promise of descendants, through whom the entire world would be blessed, and that was fulfilled in Christ.  It is not to be fulfilled by Israel, and it is not affected by the Law…

Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

Galatians 3:19-20

So, the Law was given because of the transgressions of the people; easy enough.  Now Paul throws us a curve… this mediator business.  The Law came through angels, OK, that isn’t hard to follow, angels are the messengers of God. A mediator is a go-between; who was the go-between in the Law?  A priest is a mediator between Man and God, and the Law established a priesthood, the Levites.  The Levitical priesthood, with its system of sacrifices and atonement served as the mediators of the Old Covenant (Law).

SIDEBAR: OK dear reader, this is a little bit tricky; hang with me and you’ll see in a minute.

OK, A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. That’s the curve!  Paul isn’t referring to the Law, he’s referring to God’s Covenant with Abraham; the Abrahamic Covenant and the Law of Moses are two different covenants. The context for this passage is set in 3:15-16, and it’s Abraham, not Moses under discussion.  Thus, in verse 20 just repeated, Paul is making reference to Abraham’s covenant, and pointing out there aren’t multiple parties because God is one.  This refers back to Jesus being the promise, and Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, having brought a better sacrifice, His own blood as opposed to the blood of animals, and is thus the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant and the Law of Moses. (see Hebrews 4-8) Now, if you see that, then you can also see that this is simple!  Jesus is the fulfillment of both covenants by having established the New Covenant, thus we go back to Paul’s original purpose for this letter: No, you cannot force someone to be circumcised a Jew before they can have faith in Christ.  The old ways are over and done with!

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Galatians 3:21-22

Now, a little ‘housecleaning’: Keep in mind that when he says “promises of God” Paul is talking about the promises God gave to Abraham.   Look at what Paul says about this: The Law is not in opposition to God’s earlier promises because the Law cannot bring about either life or righteousness. Those things, promised through Abraham’s “seed” came only through Christ, and God’s promise was kept by Christ, and since the Father and the Son are one, the promise was kept by God.

Some people might be confused at this point and asking “What about the promises God gave to Moses?”  God’s promises to Moses were fairly simple: If you keep the Law, you will have long life, many children, good crops and you’ll live in the Land God gave to Abraham.  If you break the Law, you will lose all of that and be cursed.  Obviously, God kept His end of the deal. Israel on the other hand, struggled, but even though their compliance record wasn’t the best, they are blessed in Christ also, for they can have faith in Him just as the Gentiles can.

We’ve reached the end of this passage. If you’ve followed it, pat yourself on the back; this is graduate level theology. If you haven’t quite gotten it, don’t worry!  Paul isn’t done just yet, and I’m quite certain that you will have it completely before we are finished; this stuff is much easier to grasp than most people think it is.

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Galatians 3:1-6

This is the beginning of Paul’s explanation of the story he related in chapter 2.  Notice his tone; he still isn’t happy with the Galatians.  I must admit that I feel his frustration; no, I’m not quite old enough to have met those first century Galatians, but I have met hundreds of Christians who make the same kinds of mistakes today, in fact, a great many do because they adhere to theological systems that make a very similar error, which involves the mixing of the two covenants.  To go slightly academic on you, Paul is teaching what is referred to as the “Apostolic Doctrine of Two Covenants”. It means that the Old Covenant law of Moses is over; it will never again come back… that is why Jesus, in His only prophetic passage (prophetic in form and structure) told of how Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed.  It was, and there hasn’t been Old Covenant worship since then. Yes, dear reader, this is a big deal.

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.  Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:7-9

In 3:1-6, Paul demonstrated that the Law of Moses was over. Now, he is taking on the Abrahamic Covenant.  When God made His covenant with Abraham, He established a people. These were His chosen people, the Hebrews, later known as the Israelites.  When God made His covenant with Moses, He established Israel as a Nation and gave it Law.  Not only is the Law gone, but now, in Christ, God has a new people. The Hebrews were the physical descendants of Abraham.  This is how you became one of God’s chosen; it was by birth. Simple, right?  The Gentiles had different parentage; they would never be Hebrews, they would never be God’s chosen, except by a process that took four generations to complete− Jesus changed all that. Now, anybody could become God’s chosen by faith in Jesus Christ… see it in the text?  Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.  The old way was over, for just as God promised to Abraham, now all Nations would be blessed.

 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:10-14

As you can see, Paul is still making the point that the Old Covenant is over.  We live by grace, and we will continue to live by grace right up to the day that Jesus returns.  You see, dear reader, this is only complicated when someone tries to force it into a theology that doesn’t work.  If we simply go with Paul’s clear teaching, there is little to be confused about.  Again, remember why he is writing to the Galatian churches; they had listened to false teaching… If we also listen to false teaching, this stuff will confuse us too.