What I Noticed Today (Galatians 4-6)
Galatians 4
In verses 1-7, Paul continues his point about inheritance with an illustration of a child who is an heir.
- A child who is an heir is no different than a slave even though he is the owner of the property.
Note: A minor child might be an heir but had no right to claim his inheritance until he reached the legal age (which varied depending on whether you were in Greek, Roman, or Jewish societies).
- The heir was under the control of a guardian and the property managed by a steward until the time set by the father.
Note: The point of the illustration is under the Mosaic Law, the people were heirs but were under God’s guardianship until the coming of Christ.
At the appointed time, God sent His Son to redeem those under the Law and for those who believe to receive the full rights as sons, adopted into God’s family. Additionally, God sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts.
Note: We see again the Trinity involved in salvation: God the Father sent the Son who redeemed mankind from sin (through his life, death, and resurrection) and sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts.
As a result, we are no longer a slave to sin but a son and heir.
Note: Paul switched from plural too singular in verse 7 to indicate this was specific to the individual.
In verses 8-20, Paul pleads with the Galatians not to return to the slavery of justification by works.
- Before they knew God, they were enslaved to things they thought were gods but were not (Zeus, Hermes).
- But now that you know God and are known by Him, how can you turn back to slavery again?
- Judaizers were convincing the Galatians to observe the special months, days, and seasons of the Mosaic calendar.
- The result was Paul was concerned his original work there in bringing the Galatians to Christ was lost.
- Paul exhorted the Galatians to become like him, free of the Law.
- Paul asked what happened to this sense of blessing (joy) you had when you first believed.
- The false teachers were full of zeal but not for the people’s good. They attempted to isolate the Galatians, so they would only know what the false teachers told them.
- Paul compares himself to a mother who suffers for her children; Paul suffers for the Galatians that they might become spiritually mature.
Note: Paul’s reference to the Galatians “until Christ is formed in you” in verse 19 comes from the Greek word morphothe, which means “taking on the form of” and is where we get our word metamorphosis.
In verses 21-31, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar to illustrate the doctrine of justification by faith.
- The Galatians were listening to the Judaizers who wanted them to hold to the traditions of the Law, so Paul argued from the books of the Law (the Pentateuch), which showed justification was by faith not by works.
- Abraham had two sons, one son by a slave named Hagar and one son by his wife, Sarah.
- Ishmael, the son of Hagar, was born of an impulse of the flesh. Whereas Isaac, the son of Sarah, was born out of a promise of God.
- The two women represent two covenants. Hagar’s covenant is from Mt. Sinai (where God gave Moses the Law), which bears children into slavery. Hagar corresponds to present-day Jerusalem in slavery to the Law.
- Sarah’s covenant was the Abrahamic covenant, which brought forth children of freedom through the Messianic promise.
- Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1, suggesting Israel before the Babylon captivity was like a woman with a husband, while the barren woman was like Israel during the captivity. The woman bearing children represents Israel restored to the land after the exile.
Note: According to Jewish tradition, the status of the mother impacted the status of the child. A slave bears children born into slavery; a free woman bears children into freedom.
In concluding the illustration, Paul makes three comparisons:
- Galatians are like Isaac, children of the promise.
- Ishmael persecuted Isaac just as the Judaizers persecuted the believers with their false gospel.
- When Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac, she asked Abraham to expel Hagar and Ishmael. Otherwise, Ishmael might become an heir. In the same way, the Galatians should expel the Judaizers and those who accepted their false doctrines.
- Therefore, says Paul, we are not children of the slave but the freewoman.
Galatians 5-6:10
In this section, Paul provides a practical defense of Christian liberty: a life of freedom apart from the Law, walking by the spirit versus the flesh, and the believer’s life of service.
Galatians 5
In verses 1-15, Paul describes the Christian’s life of freedom apart from the Law:
- Summarizing all of Galatians 4, Paul says Christ has liberated us to be free. Therefore, stand firm and do not submit to the slavery of the law. Using the example of circumcision, Paul says as an act of obedience to the Law, it is of no value in terms of salvation.
- Turning to Law for salvation makes you a slave to the entire Law. If you are relying on any part of it for justification, you are obligated to all of its requirements and its curse.
- Anyone turning to the Law alienates themselves from Christ and has rejected God’s grace. True believers realize righteousness comes by faith alone, not by works of the flesh. For those in Christ, circumcision means nothing. Faith is expressed through love.
- Using the metaphor of a race, Paul describes the Galatians as runners who started off well, but the Judaizers caused them to stumble. Their false teaching was like yeast; a little yeast leavens the whole lump.
- Some may have accused Paul of still preaching circumcision (perhaps referring to Paul allowing Timothy to be circumcised, Acts 16:3). If that was the case, asks Paul, why are you still persecuting me? Paul suggests the Judaizers who were saying this should go the whole way and get themselves castrated.
- Paul exhorts the believers not to use their freedom in Christ as an excuse to serve the flesh. Rather, they should serve each other through love, for the entire law is fulfilled in the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Note: In some pagan Asian religions, the priests castrated themselves. Paul’s point is that this has no more significance in terms of salvation than circumcision or any other work of the flesh.
In verses 16-26, Paul teaches the Galatians to walk in the Spirit to defeat the urges of the flesh.
- Walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. They are opposed to each other. If the Spirit leads you, you are not under the Law.
- The works of the flesh are obvious, originating in man’s sinful nature: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and so on.
- The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these things, there is no law.
Note: The first three fruits of the Spirit (vs. 22-23): love, joy, and peace come from God. The second three: patience, kindness, and goodness, which define our relationships with others. The third group of three: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are evidence of living by the Holy Spirit.
Since we belong to Jesus Christ, we have crucified the flesh. We live by the Spirit and must follow the Spirit.
Galatians 6
In verses 1-10, Paul describes the attitude of a believer committed to living by the Spirit.
- Attitude toward sin. When a Christian is caught in a sin, those who are spiritual should restore the brother with a gentle spirit.
- Attitude toward a burdened brother. The believer should help carry another’s burden and thus fulfill the Law of Christ (love your neighbor as yourself, Galatians 5:14). Don’t think you are better than someone else. Rather, take pride in what God has done in your life. Test yourself by carrying your own load.
Note: The word used for “burden” in verse 2 means a crushing burden that no one could carry without help. The word used for “pride” in verse 4 means personal exaltation, not sinful pride. The word used for “load” refers to a backpack that a soldier would carry. There are some “loads” we must carry ourselves, but Christ has assured us that His burdens are light.
- A believer should help support the pastors and teachers in the church. The principle of reciprocity is in view here: when a teacher shares the Word, the student should reciprocate by sharing resources with the teacher.
- Do not mock God by ignoring the law of the harvest: a man reaps what he sows. If a person sows to his sinful nature, he will reap a sinful life. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap a harvest that will last forever; eternal life.
- Do not become discouraged sowing to the Spirit because the harvest will come on God’s timing.
- Therefore, we must all work for the good of all, especially for fellow believers.
In verses 10-18, Paul closes the letter to the Galatians, summarizing the key points:
- The Judaizers who insisted on adding Mosaic law as a requirement for salvation were only trying to make a good impression, they were afraid of being persecuted as believers, and they wanted to boast about how many Galatians they won to their point of view.
- Paul said he would boast only in the Cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
- Circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing. What matters is the new creation of a believer.
Paul closes, asking for peace for believers and mercy for the Israel of God.
Note: The “Israel of God” referred to in verse 16 is most likely a reference to the remnant of Jewish believers in Israel.
Paul closes with a benediction asking for the grace of the Lord Jesus upon the Galatians.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- There is no freedom in the Law, only slavery. The freedom that comes from faith in Christ cannot exist alongside legalism.
- The law rejects God’s grace: it turns the believer into a debtor to sin, it hinders other believers, and it voids Christ’s work on the cross.
- The fruit of the Spirit should be prevalent and visible in the believer’s life. If you were put on trial for being a believer, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
