Now in Galatians Chapter 4:1, but first let's do a bit of
review. Remember Galatians was written to that group of Churches up in
Asia Minor which were called Galatia, which was central Turkey. And this
was written for the precise purpose of correcting these gentile
Galatians being drawn into the Jewish legalism by the Hebrew converts
to Christ. For this reason we can make an assumption that
these churches were mostly in synagogues and therefore the assemblies
were composed of Hebrew believers. Why? Because of the language used or
the style of the arguments used are of the same character as found in
the Epistle to the Hebrews. And that Paul did not make use of a sectary
or ghost writer (such Luke) as he says in chapter 6 verse 11:
Galatians 6:11
"Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand."
There's
a good chance that the eye problem was the thorn in the flesh he talks
about in II Corinthians Chapter 12. And as blind people do, he no doubt
had to print with large figures, so we think that was why he was not
able to see the small print. So this whole little letter of Galatians is
written with the view that you're not under Law, but rather under
Grace. And of course it's still appropriate today. Most of Christendom
today is so saturated with legalism and religions imposed bondage's that
it is so hard for people to break away from something that has been
drilled into them.
People have asked us why we think it took the Lord about a year
to show Paul (while he was in Arabia) all the things of Grace? And we
tell them with tongue in cheek, that it probably took 30 to 60 days to
get Judaism out of him. You know it's just human nature that when we are
so brainwashed with religion and traditions of man even as Paul was in
Judaism, so also everybody today is ingrained with legalism or some form
of religion of one sort or another. So this little letter is just as
appropriate for us today as it was the day that it was first penned, "We are not under Law, but Grace." Now remember Grace means Total Freedom, and Total Liberty for the benefit of our benefactor!
But again we follow that by saying it's not license, but so far as
being confined with any legal system, any idea that "you can't do this,
you can't do that, you have to do this or that thing" is out, because
we've been set free from all of that. After we've passed through our
first estate where the Holy Spirit through it makes clear to us sins
utter sinfulness even in religion and its legalism. For the old Jewish
system of laws could do nothing but condemn all in it of sin. And now
through the power of the Holy Spirit which the Law had nothing of, we
under Grace can live and be pleasing in God's eyes without rules,
statues and regulations to tell us what we can and can't do. Such as
which holiday to do and when to do its observance. When we've passed
through as in a birth canal and we hit the point or place of crisis. And
we make the right choice by saying with Christ Jesus, "not my will but
They Will o God be done" and were then seen as in Christ on the cross of
His death. We then pass through the narrow path which the cup signifies
and receive the baptism of death and ascension, where God declares us
to be God-sons again. So this is the whole idea of this little letter.
Much like that of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Galatians 4:1
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, (or a slave) though he be lord (small "l" so this would be a slave owner a man) of all;" Now
this is not so much from the Hebrew or the Jewish background as it is
from the Romans and the Greeks. And of course Paul uses this whole
spectrum when it comes to illustration and so forth. So now he dips into
the Roman and the Greek culture that the wealthy Romans and Greeks
would hire tutors, and the sole purpose of these tutors was to prepare
that child, that legal son who was an heir. Remember, "as long as he was
a child he `differed nothing' from a slave even though he be lord of
all:" which means he was a blood heir of his father. But until he has
finished his time of tutoring he has no more authority in the family
than a slave. So this is where Paul is coming from. These Greek and
Roman children were under the responsibility of tutors, trainers and
teachers learning and preparing for the day as you see in verse 2.
Galatians 4:2
"But is under tutors, and governors until the time appointed of the father." We
don't know how long they were under tutors or governors as we're sure
the times were different. But they had to stay under them until the
child was old and matured enough to take on the family and business
responsibilities, which was all set by the father, or the family
patriarchy. The father would say to the tutor, "You take this child of
mine, and you teach, train and tutor him until such and such an age." So
these Roman and Greek kids were under these tutors and governors until
the family patriarch was satisfied that they had now reached the time of
becoming full heir with the father or family business. Now verse 3.
This shows it's only an illustration.
Galatians 4:3
"Even so we, (in like manner) when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world;"
Now of course, we think in the pronoun "we" in
verse 3, we find Paul referring to himself as a Hebrew. So he's not
including the Gentiles per se, but Hebrews who were under the Law and it
was just that a tutor or as we've shared a corral meant to fold them in
check, apart from the world. As God's own people but it did not and
they became polluted and defiled, corrupt and in utter sinfulness of
sin. Remember the Gentile world was never under the Law of Moses - only
the children of Israel were in that category. See he says in verse 3
again -
Galatians 4:3a
"Even so
(just like these Roman and Greek kids were under the rule of a tutors
and governors, and their father would pay very little attention to them,
so in like manner, was Israel) when we were children, (under the Law) were in bondage..."
Now
we know and keep hammering away at people that to live under the Law is
always a bondage, a yoke which they could not bear. It's like Peter
says in Acts chapter 15. This is when Peter finally wakes up and
realizes that Paul is right. He can now see that the Judaizers and
Hellenists were giving Paul grief and causing him trials and
tribulations by saying that Apostle Paul's Gospel was not sufficient.
For unless his converts also became keepers of the Law, and practiced
circumcision, religious rites and holidays, sacrifices...ect. the whole
nine yards if you will. But like we've said, finally Peter wakes up and
comes to the defense of Paul which had he not done so, Christianity, as
we know it, would have died right then and there. Now we know God is
Sovereign and He could have done something else, but as we understand
the unfolding here, had it not been for Peter finally coming to his
senses and defending the fact that Gentiles could indeed be saved
without coming under the yoke of the Law of Moses, Christianity would
have never survived. Now look what Peter says -
No comments:
Post a Comment