Galatians 4:4, NLT: But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. Verse 4 and 5 summarize the powerful, beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ. This was the good news Paul had preached, and which the Galatians had believed.
Full Answer
What does Galatians chapter 4 mean in the Bible?
What does Galatians chapter 4 mean? In Galatians 4, Paul continues teaching an important lesson to the Galatian Christians. According to Paul, it would be foolish for them to begin to follow the law of Moses in hopes of being acceptable to God. In this passage, he takes three additional approaches.
What is the meaning of Gal 4 4 5?
( Gal 4:4-5) The liberation of heirs from their bondage. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. a.
What does Paul say about the Galatians?
He reminds the Galatian Christians of how openly they honored him and the message of Jesus when they first got to know each other. Even an illness suffered by Paul, described as a trial to the Galatians, did not keep them from believing (Galatians 4:8–14).
Why is Galatians sometimes called a short Romans?
Galatians is sometimes called “a short Romans” for its similar themes of justification and sanctification through faith. A group of Christians known as “Judaizers” were preaching a gospel of legalism, rather than grace.
What is the message of Galatians 4?
Key Themes As with the preceding chapters, the primary theme of Galatians 4 is the contrast between Paul's original proclamation of salvation through faith and the new, false declarations by the Judaizers that Christians must also obey the Old Testament law in order to be saved.
What does it mean to be born of a woman?
The terminology here is identical to Jesus' description of John the Baptist as “among them that are born of women” (Mt. 11:11, italics mine). What this phrase does connote, however, is that Jesus' status is one of astonishing humility and genuine humanity.
What is the main message of Galatians?
Galatians teaches that believers are justified by Jesus alone. They are a part of a diverse family and equipped by the Spirit to love God and others. Galatians teaches that believers are justified by Jesus alone. They are a part of a diverse family and equipped by the Spirit to love God and others.
What is the fullness of time in Galatians 4 4?
Galatians 4:4 describes the Advent of Christ as occurring at "the fullness of time." "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law." The coming of the Lord Jesus was the most important event in all of history.
What does the Bible say about man born of a woman?
Bible Gateway Job 14 :: NIV. "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. Do you fix your eye on such a one?
What does God say about the creation of woman?
Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man [adam], and he brought her to the man [adam]. The man [adam] said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called »woman« [ishshah] for she was taken out of man [ish]'” (Gen 2: 18–23).
Why is Galatians so important to Christianity?
Paul wrote to the Galatians to establish the significance and importance of the young Christian doctrine. Paul argues that the Christian doctrine was not reveled to him by some mere human being; he strongly asserts that the Doctrine of Christianity was realized through God, through his son, Jesus Christ.
What was the purpose of Paul's Letter to the Galatians?
Contents. This epistle addresses the question of whether the Gentiles in Galatia were obligated to follow Mosaic Law to be part of the Christ community.
How is God described in Galatians?
In Galatians, God is thus depicted as the One who protects, provides for and gives an inheritance to his family, the One who rescues people from spiritual captivity to the present evil age (Hays 2002:125-126).
What is meant by the fullness of God?
The fullness of the Divine nature is in Christ (Col. 1:19; 2:9), thus only by being in His spiritual body, which is His church, can we “be filled with all the fullness of God.” By God's grace, after having obeyed the gospel (Gal.
What is the biblical meaning of fullness of time?
phrase. If you say that something will happen in the fullness of time, you mean that it will eventually happen after a long time or after a long series of events.
What is the fulfillment of time?
If you say something will happen in the fullness of time, you mean that it will happen if you wait long enough: Everything will become clear in the fullness of time.
Study Guide for Galatians 4 by David Guzik - Blue Letter Bible
Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law. A. No longer under bondage to the basic elements, we are God’s children. 1. An illustration and application comparing a child and slaveNow I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
Galatians 4: 1-20: What does it mean to be a Christian
Galatians 4: 1-20: Living as a Child of God: Slavery or Sonship?. The grassy square in the middle of Slubice, a Polish town on the German border, is known locally as "the Bermuda Triangle." Most mornings, but particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays when traffic across the frontier is heavy and the guards are busy, crowds of hopeful immigrants from Eastern Europe creep out of the woods and ...
Galatians 4 Commentary - Commentary Critical and ... - The Bible
15. Where, &c.--Of what value was your congratulation (so the Greek for "blessedness" expresses) of yourselves, on account of your having among you me, the messenger of the Gospel, considering how entirely you have veered about since? Once you counted yourselves blessed in being favored with my ministry. ye would have plucked out your own eyes--one of the dearest members of the body--so highly ...
Galatians 4 Commentary - Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible ...
Galatians 4. The apostle, in this chapter, is still carrying on the same general design as in the former—to recover these Christians from the impressions made upon them by the judaizing teachers, and to represent their weakness and folly in suffering themselves to be drawn away from the gospel doctrine of justification, and to be deprived of their freedom from the bondage of the law of Moses.
Galatians 4 - A Study Guide by Mark A. Copeland
Previous | Index | Next >> "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS" Chapter Four OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER 1) To appreciate the significance and blessedness of receiving the Spirit in our hearts (cf. Jn 7:37-39; Ac 2:38; 5:32; Ro 5:5; 8:11-17; 15:13; 2Co 1:22; 5:5; Ep 1:13-14; 3:16; 4:30) 2) To understand Paul's concern over the Galatians' observance of holy days (cf. Col 2:16-17; Ga 5:4) 3 ...
Why did the Galatians start out with the right understanding of the gospel?
The Galatians started out with the right understanding of the gospel, because Paul led them into the right understanding. But some of them didn’t stay there like Paul did, and in that way, they should become like Paul.
What was Paul's original plan for his missionary visit to Galatians?
“The emphatic position of the phrase suggests that Paul’s original plan had been to go elsewhere (perhaps westward toward Ephesus) and that his missionary visit to the Galatians was due solely to his illness and his need for recuperation.” (Fung)
What does Paul mean by the weak and beggarly elements?
The weak and beggarly elements: Paul used the same word for elements used in Galatians 4:3. As Christians, we can place ourselves under the bondage of a works based, “cause and effect” relationship with God – but this is moving backward, not forward.
What did Paul's opponents want to exclude?
They actually wanted to exclude the Galatians from other Christians and to bring them into the “super-spiritual” group of the legalists.
Is it wrong for Paul to seek to form himself in the Galatians?
ii. It would be wrong for Paul to seek to form himself in the Galatians. That is never to be the job of the pastor. He was right to seek to form Christ in them.
What is the theme of Galatians 4?
As with the preceding chapters, the primary theme of Galatians 4 is the contrast between Paul's original proclamation of salvation through faith and the new, false declarations by the Judaizers that Christians must also obey the Old Testament law in order to be saved.
What is the book of Galatians?
Updated August 26, 2018. We've seen that the Book of Galatians was one of Paul's most intense epistles to the early church —probably in part because it was the first one he wrote. As we move into chapter 4, however, we begin to see the apostle's care and concern for the Galatian believers to break through. Let's dig in.
What was Paul's argument against the Judaizers?
One of the main arguments of the Judaizers was that Jewish believers had a superior connection with God.
Why did Paul spurn the Judaizers?
He also spurned the Judaizers once again for attempting to derail the spiritual maturity of the Galatians simply to further their own agenda against him and his work.
What does Paul say at the end of chapter 4?
At the end of chapter 4, Paul used another illustration from the Old Testament to again reveal that we become connected with God through faith, not through obedience to the law or our own good works. Specifically, Paul compared the lives of two women— Sarah and Hagar from way back in Genesis—in order to make a point:
What is the secondary theme of the Bible?
A secondary theme (connected to the primary theme) is the dynamic between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Paul makes it clear in this chapter that ethnicity does not play a factor in terms of our relationship with God. He has adopted Jews and Gentiles into His family on equal terms.
Why was Paul concerned about the Galatians?
Paul was deeply concerned that the Galatians avoid being pulled into a false expression of Christianity that would damage them spiritually. He compared his fear, anticipation, and desire to help the Galatians to a woman about to give birth.
What does Galatians 4:4 mean?
Galatians 4:4 Parallel Verses. Galatians 4:4, NLT: "But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.". Galatians 4:1–7 paints the picture of the heir of a wealthy son, who remains without freedom himself until he actually receives his inheritance.
What does Paul show in Galatians?
Next, Paul makes a more personal appeal, asking what has changed to cause the Galatians to turn on Paul's teaching of the gospel.
What does Paul say about the importance of trusting in Christ?
Paul insists that the crucial day has already come for all who trust in Christ. We are no longer under the supervision of the law of Moses. Christ has bought us out of slavery and into God's family.
Why did God send his son into the world?
God GAVE His Son, so that all men and women of faith, past present and future could be forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life - and God SENT his Son into the world at the appointed time... in the fullness of time, so that He could save us from our sins.
What were the men and women of faith likened to?
All men and women of faith, that were born prior to Christ, were likened to underage children, who were still under the tutorage of a schoolmaster - having a future inheritance but not yet able to access it.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son?
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. a. But when the fullness of time had come: The idea behind the phrase the fullness of time is “when the time was right.”.
Who is under strict care of guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father?
i. In fact, the heir is under the strict care of guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father .
What does Paul use to describe the elements of the world?
d. Elements of the world: Paul uses an interesting phrase here. “To describe it Paul uses the word stoicheia. A stocheion was originally a line of things; for instance, it can mean a file of soldiers. But it came to mean the ABC, and then any elementary knowledge.” (Barclay)
What does the Roman custom say about the son becoming a man?
ii. In the Roman custom, there was no specific age when the son became a man. It happened when the father thought the boy was ready. When Paul used the phrase until the time appointed by the father, he shows that he had the Roman “coming of age” custom more in mind than the Jewish custom.
Is a son a slave?
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son: Sons are never slaves and slaves are never sons in their father’s house. Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the prodigal son, where the son was determined to return to his father as a slave – but the father refused, and would only receive him as a son. f.
What did Paul appeal to Galatians?
Paul appealed to the Galatian Christians not to become ensnared in legalistic practices. At salvation they had all received the free gift of God's grace... but they were trying to replace that free unmerited gift of grace, which they had received by faith in Christ.. with their own meritorious works of the law.
What did Paul teach about righteousness?
But Paul had taught them that all their own acts of righteousness are filthy rags in the eyes of God... and that the only acts of righteousness that God will ever receive from His born again children are those that are carried out by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith in Christ - as He lives in us.
What is sad about spiritual development?
It is sad when spiritual development is halted, reversed or twisted through legalistic practices.. as demonstrated by these Galatian Christians, or by using God's free gift of grace as a license to sin.. as exhibited by the Corinthian Christians.
What did Paul refer to as his children?
Paul referred to these men and women as his children. The yearning love he had for each one and his desire that they become mature believers in Christ, was comparable with a mother's birth pangs as she prepares to give birth to her baby.
Why did Paul use the simile of a woman in labour?
Paul used the simile of a woman in labour to describe the pain that he was going through in order to bring these Christians into spiritual maturity.