Galatians 3:23-4:7

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

*September 15, 2009
<http://www.2rbetter.org/>*



   *F. GALATIANS 3:23-4:7*

*CONTRAST OF LAW AND BLESSING OF FAITH IN CHRIST*

*1. 3:23-25 TEMPORARY SERVICE AND NATURE OF LAW*

*a. 3:23 LAW RULED TILL FAITH CAME*

Pro tou de elTHEIN t*e*n PIstin [4102], huPO NOmon [3551] eph-rouROUme-tha
[5432],

*But before the faith came, we were kept in ward under law,*

sun-kleiOme-noi [4788] eis t*e*n MELlou-san [3195] PIstin a-po-ka-luphTH*E*nai
[601].

*shut up unto the faith to be revealed.*


 *b. 3:24 LAW SERVES AS A GUIDE TO CHRIST*

H*O*Ste ho NOmos pai-da-g*o*GOS [3807] h*e*M*O*N GEgo-nen eis ChrisTON,

*So that the law is become our tutor unto Christ,*

HIna ek PIste-*o*s di-kai-*o*TH*O*men [1344].

*that we be justified from faith.*


 *c. 3:25 THE FAITH REPLACES LAW*

exTHOUs*e*s de t*e*s PIste-*o*s, ouKEti huPO pai-da-g*o*GON [3807] es-men.

*But the faith having come, we are no more under a tutor.*


 *2. 3:26-29 FAITH IN CHRIST GIVES US ABRAHAM'S PROMISE OF HEIRSHIP*

*a. 3:26 FAITH IN CHRIST MAKES SONS OF GOD*

PANtes gar huiOI [5207] TheOU es-te,

*For you are all sons of God,*

diA t*e*s PIste-*o*s en ChrisT*O* 'I*e*SOU.

*through the faith, in Christ Jesus.*


 *b. 3:27 CHRIST'S BAPTISM GIVES CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS AS CLOTHING*

HOsoi gar eis ChrisTON e-bapTISth*e*-te [907] ChrisTON e-neDUsas-the [1746].

*For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.*


 *c. 3:28 ALL DISTINCTIONS ARE ERASED IN CHRIST*

ouk Eni 'IouDAIos ouDE HELl*e*n, ouk Eni DOUlos [1401] ouDE eLEUthe-ros
[1658],

*There** is neither Jew nor Greek, **there is neither bond nor free.*

ouk Eni ARsen [730] kai TH*E*lu [2338];

*there **is no male and female;*

PANtes gar huMEIS HEIS es-te en ChrisT*O* 'I*e*SOU.

*for you all are one man in Christ Jesus.*


 *d. 3:29 OUR INHERITANCE FLOWS FROM ABRAHAM IN CHRIST*

ei de huMEIS ChrisTOU, Ara tou A-braAM SPERma [4690] esTE,

*And if you are Christ's, then are you :Abraham's seed,*

kat' e-pag-geLIan [1860] kl*e*-roNOmoi [2818].

*heirs according to promise.*


 *3. 4:1-5 NATURE OF SONS UNDER LAW BEFORE ADOPTION*

*a. 4:1-2 NATURE OF A BABE BEFORE ADOPTION: AS A SERVANT*

LEg*o* de eph' HOson CHROnon [5550] ho kl*e*-roNOmos [2818] N*E*piOS
[3516]es-tin,

*But I say that so long time as the heir is a babe,*

ouDEN di-aPHErei [1308] DOUlou [1401], KUri-os [2962] PANt*o*n *o*n;

*he differs nothing from a bondman, though lord of all;*

alLA huPO e-piTROpous [2012] esTI kai oi-koNOmous [3623]

*2 but is under guardians and stewards*

Achri t*e*s pro-thesMIas [4287] tou paTROS.

*until the father's appointed day.*


 *b. 4:3-5 GOD'S METHOD OF ADOPTING SONS: THROUGH CHRIST*

HOUt*o*s kai h*e*MEIS, HOte *E*men N*E*pi-oi [3516],

*So we also, when we were babes, *

huPO ta stoiCHEIa [4747] tou KOSmou [2889] *E*me-tha de-dou-l*o*MEnoi [1402]:


*were in bondage under the rudiments of the world:*

HOte de *E*Lthen to PL*E*r*o*-ma [4138] tou CHROnou,

*4 but when the fulness of the time came,*

e-xaPEStei-len [2064] ho TheOS ton huiON auTOU,

*:God sent forth his :Son,*

geNOme-non ek gu-naiKOS [1135], geNOme-non huPO NOmon,

*born of woman, born under law,*

HIna tous huPO NOmon e-xa-goRAs*e* [1805],

*5 that he might redeem those under law,*

HIna t*e*n hui-o-theSIan [5206] a-poLAb*o*-men [618].

*that he might receive the adoption of sons.*


 *4. 4:6-7 PROOF OF SONSHIP AND HEIRSHIP*

*a. 4:6 PROOF OF SONSHIP: THE WITNESSING SPIRIT OF ADOPTION*

HOti de es-te huiOI,

*And because you are sons,*

e-xaPEStei-len [1821] ho TheOS to PNEUma [4151] tou huiOU [5207] auTOU eis
tas karDIas [2588] h*e*M*O*N,

*:God sent forth the Spirit of his :Son into our :hearts,*

KRAzon, AbBA, ho paT*E*R.

*crying, Abba, the Father.*


 *b. 4:7 SONSHIP RECEIVED - PRODUCES HEIRSHIP*

H*O*Ste ouKEti ei DOUlos [1401], alLA huiOS;

*So that you are no longer bondman, but son;*

ei de huiOS, kai kl*e*-roNOmos [2818] diA TheOU.

*and if son, then heir through God.*



 *G. 4:8-11 TO RETURN TO LAW-KEEPING IS TO RETURN TO BONDAGE*

*a. 4:8-9 ILLOGICAL DECISION: TO RETURN TO A BONDAGE FROM WHICH NOW FREED!*

AlLA, TOte men ouk eiDOtes [1492] TheON

*However, then indeed not knowing God*

e-douLEUsa-te [1398] tois PHUsei [5449] m*e* OUsi theOIS:

*you were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:*

nun de GNONtes TheON, MALlon de gn*o*sTHENtes [1097] huPO TheOU,

*9 but now knowing God, or rather being known by God,*

p*o*s e-piSTREphe-te [1994] PAlin ePI ta as-theN*E* [772] kai pt*o*CHA
[4434] stoiCHEIa [4747],

*how turn you back again to the weak and poor elements,*

hois PAlin An*o*-then [509] douLEUsai [1398] THEle-te?

*in which you desire to be in bondage over again?*


 *b. 4:10 SLAVERY TO OBSERVANCES OF TIMES*

h*e*MEras pa-ra-t*e*REISthe [3906] kai M*E*nas [3376] kai kaiROUS [2540] kai
e-ni-auTOUS [1763].

*You observe days and months and seasons and years.*


 *c. 4:11 RESULT: THE LABORS OF THE APOSTLE COME TO VANITY*

phoBOUmai [5399] huMAS, m*e* p*o*s eiK*E* [1500] ke-koPIa-ka [2872] I eis
huMAS.

*I am afraid of you, lest somehow I have toiled over you in vain.*



 *NOTE**: *In Galatians 2:23-25 we have a clear word, revealing the
relationship between law and faith. Just as a plant like a potato sheds the
seed potato before harvest, so we need to shed *law*, once we enter into
God's Kingdom of faith!


 3:26-29. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ, and then Christ baptizes
us into the Spirit. The preacher baptizes us into water, usually between
these two. Dr. J. Edwin Orr illustrates it this way: Plug up the sink; place
an empty glass under the tap. Keep the tap running after the glass is full,
till the sink is also full. Then the full glass is immersed in the full
sink. *This* is being baptized in the Spirit!


 4:1-5 is most important to understand. It merely enlarges on this above
thought. It centers around the understanding of “adoption” as practiced in
the Middle East, particularly in Israel. The procedure of adoption in our
Western Culture does not help us to understand the Biblical procedure.


 First of all, it does not relate to adopting someone outside the family to
take place legally as if the child adopted had not been *born* into that
family. Rather, it describes how a youth of Israel born into the family is
trained by the servants of his father to become a partner with his father,
and eventually take over the business. When the servants are satisfied that
they have trained the father's son to this point, *then* they announce to
him that “his son” is ready to be “adopted”. *Adoption* is a ceremony for
one born into the family, but passes on from under the control and training
of servants, and *now* takes his place *beside* his father, and *over* the
servants who trained him.


 The servants represent the law. *It* brought Israel to the point of
“adoption.” Now that faith has come through Christ, we in the church, the
“One New Man”, are now *over* the law. It has served its purpose. We have
moved on! Let us *not* turn back and place ourselves again under tutors!


 Jesus as a boy and young man was under his father and mother. His Bar
Mitzvah at the age of 12 did not remove Him from this position. But at the
age of 30 when He was baptized, He was “adopted”, became one with His Father
in *Ministry*, and no longer returned to His former position. When His
mother suggested He help out at a wedding when the wine failed, He said,
“Woman - what have I to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”' I have
graduated. I have been Adopted. It is now only what My Heavenly Father
commands - that I obey.


 His Heavenly Father did show Jesus that this was His will! He then
performed His first miracle by turning water into wine! *This* illustrates
the Biblical and Middle East understanding of “Adoption”. 5 times this word
is used in the NT. Each reference has rich insights in its meaning.


 4:8-11. In the light of 3:23-4:7 - the Holy Spirit through Paul then makes
a resounding conclusion. How can a son who has been *freed* from the
tutelage of the law return there again? Inconceivable. Unbelievable. But the
“Judaizers” would bring both Jew and Gentile back into law-bondage!


 Now Jewish Culture for Jews is *not* to be taken from them in this light.
But “law-bondage” is! A similar illustration can be seen in what white
missionaries have often taught our “First Nations People”, the aborigines of
America. They have often taken *all* their culture from them. This is wrong.
What is not under a curse and condemned by the Bible, can be redeemed and
lived in as their culture, just as we live in our culture. *Some* things in
*our* culture should be put out, just as we have required our Indian friends
to put aside even legitimate cultural customs. See “Dancing our Prayers” by
Richard Twiss. He makes this point abundantly clear. - *www.wiconi.com** -
Phone 360-546-1867*


 So while we take care not to fall back into law-bondage following our
“spiritual adoption”, let us not fall into the opposite ditch, and judge
legitimate cultural customs that do not fall under Biblical condemnation. -
J.A.W.



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