During the time period of Paul, only sons could be an heir but as we know, salvation is for any gender. Paul is making sure the Galatians see the full richness of the salvation promise: We aren't just children of God----we are joint heirs with Christ with all the rights of an heir! (Male and female!!)
However, as a child in training, we function more like a slave. But once we are mature, things change!
Verse 3 talks about how there was a time when God's epople were imprisoned, enslaved and under guard. The law was the guardian. We were caught up in the world: that we can live by our own control and ovey external rules. But then in verses 4-5 we see the rescue. this came at just the right time in God's plan. The identity of the Rescuer is God's Son Jesus. Paul talks about the miracle of the incarnation: God's Son became human to rescue us. He was fully human while being fully God.
"He entered our prison by being born under the law. He paid the full price to redeem us so we could go back to the Father (God) with Him. We are not just rescued slaves. We are rescued to be sons of the perfect Father with Jesus"
Christianity has good news for us: we can know and be known by God---He knows our name. There's an intimacy and a connection involved in really knowing God---a deep connection of meaning. Paul is reminding the Galatians that before they knew God, they were enslaved by non-gods: (see v 8) basically, idol worship. For some reason, which is pointed out in verses 9-10, they were going back to being slaves of non-gods. Their turn here is to a godless pseudo-Christianity rather than godless irreligion. The theme is the same: when we follow basic principles of the world, we're striving to please a system or some kind of expectation vs living for the pleasure of God.
The Galatians weren't rejoining pagan temples; they were pursuing a legalistic godliness. They were turning away from the life-changing privilege of being known by God. They weren't living in a relationship with God. They were turning to self-driven religiousness (kind of like people today in the USA)
"Too many followers of Jesus are drawn away from the gospel not by worldly immorality, but by worldly religiosity (legalism)
Verses 12-20 is where Paul is contrasting 2 types of Christian ministry and the 2 types have very different "fruit".
Paul had stopped in Galatia due to a sickness that left him weak but he preached the gospel to them anyway. (v13). His difficulty was a gift to them because he brought the gospel message of jesus. They responded with joy (v 15).
Love and joy are the first two fruits of the Spirit mentioned in a later chapter. The gospel of Jesus changed lives in Galatia but here in v 20 Paul is puzzled. The people traded the wonder of the Good News for the law-based system of godliness. Now they're treating Paul as an enemy! (v16). The men who were teaching a different gospel had a different "ministry profile". the Galatians would make a big deal of them. (v 17). Paul wanted to be with them again to speak in a tender tone. He wasn't driven by a need for the people to "like" him---he wanted them to become like him. His goal was for Jesus to be formed in them (v 19). The false teachers wanted to be liked, wanted control, and wanted a large following.
"When the law is used to shepherd a church, we will always see behavior police patrolling the pews"
When the law reigns, self-giving love leaves; joy evaporates and devotion to God as Abba shifts to a colder variation.
Paul finishes this section of the letter to the Galatians by giving a story...an allegory so to speak. It's a huge contrast. He's talking about what takes place in Genesis 12-22.
The innocent slave is Hagar and the disbelieving wife is Sarah. Both have been with Abraham. It's a piece of the Old Testament worth reviewing.
The false teachers associate themselves with Jerusalem. Paul is summarizing the story of Ishmael (born to Hagar) vs Isaac (born to Sarah). Ishmael was born by fleshly human effort that tries to help God work out His righteous plans, characterized by slavery. Issac is born by faith in God's promise, according to the Spirit and characterized by freedom. These 2 sons couldn't co-exist in the same family (v29).
Paul also writes that there are 2 different Jerusalems: the law-gripped earthly one and the other is the heavenly one still to come. This offers a positive encouragement that there's hope for the spiritually barren who trust in God's promises (v 27)
There's also a warning: there will be persecution. The law-obsessed folks will always persecute the grace-gripped free folks. A faith marked by trust in God's grace will always be threatening to self-reliant perversion of the real thing. Seeking to co-exist will ultimately fail.
"Paul urges the Galatians to get rid of the law-enslaved brigade lest they corrupt the true church".
That wraps up the study summary of Chapter 4. I'm a little more than half way through my study of this letter which is historically known as Paul's first letters.
What about you? Are you trying to live a grace gripped life or do you struggle with legalism/religiosity?
2 comments:
Good post, Faith. I just started "studying" Esther
Ooh Mel.....that's a good book to study!! She was one brave lady!!
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