Galatians 4:1-7:
4:1But I say: on as-much time as the inheritor is an infant he differs nothing from a slave being lord of all-things .2but he is under guardians and stewards continuously-until the purposed(-day) of the father – .3thus also we: when we used-to-be infants we used-to-be having been enslaved2 under the rudiments of the world, .4but when the fullness of the time came God apostled-out His son, having come-into-being from a woman, having come-into-being under law .5in order that he may redeem the (people) under law, in order that we may receive the sonship; .6but (since it is true) that you are sons (it is true that) God apostled-out His spirit into our hearts shouting, "Abba, Father" – .7so-that you are no-longer a slave but a son, but since (you are) a son (you are) also an inheritor by means of God.
Paul lays it out before them: for as long a length of chronological time as the inheritor (heir, the one who has the inheritance, assigned-lot, allotted-portion) is an infant (a minor being under-age, immature in the physical, flesh category behaving as a baby having received life but still without the power of adult/mature speech and so being childish) within the household, he differs nothing (he carries not one thing in a different way, varies nothing) from a slave (a servant who is bound to serve his master within that household) even though this infant is presently being lord (master) of all-things in that household, but contrary to being allowed by his father to use his inherited authority while he is still only an infant, this inheritor is legally subject or in submission to guardians (people to whom the father has given permission, allowance, committed charge over his children) and stewards (house-managers or administrators of the household-matters) for the whole duration of time up until the day pre-appointed (the limited or fixed date or time set beforehand, put in advance) by the father…
…in this manner also are we holy-people:
…during the time when we were infants we became enslaved and stayed enslaved (we were caused to become servants in bondage) legally subject or in submission to the rudiments (the first little steps in a line or series, base elements, like baby-steps, basic or first principles of instruction) pertaining-to living in the world – but when the chronological time's fullness (filling, the result of the action of filling, the full-contents, fulfillment) came God apostled-out His son (He sent His son forth on a specific mission or assignment). How?
1. God's son came-into-being from a woman (he became, came to pass to be, from the center of a woman all the way out, referring to the truth that Mary gave birth to him just the same as every other baby is naturally born in the flesh category); and
2. God's son came-into-being (he became, came to pass to be) legally subject or in submission to the law of Moses because he was born when the law was still in force.
Why did God's son come into being from a woman and under law?
A. For the purpose and result that he would redeem (fully buy or purchase, as a person buys in a market-place and pays the correct price of the item, purchase-outright) the people legally subject or in submission to law; and
B. for the purpose and result that we would receive (take away from the one giving, receive in-full) the sonship. What sonship? The sonship that the Lord Jesus Christ now has, which is being a son of God in the spirit category.
Since it is true that you Galatian holy-people presently and actively are sons of God, then it is also true that God has already apostled-out His spirit (He sent His gift of holy spirit forth out-from Himself by means of the Lord Jesus Christ on a specific mission or assignment) into our hearts (from the outside into the inside of the center of our beings, all of us holy-people), and this holy spirit-life is presently and actively shouting, crying-out, "Abba, Father." The word Abba is an Aramaic word meaning "Father."
The purposed day came, and we now have the result of all that was accomplished by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. All of us have the spirit of Christ in us. We have in our holy spirit-life all the authority and able-power of the resurrected Christ himself because we are all limbs/members of his resurrected spiritual body; we have our inheritance spiritually from God.
Let us read two verses from the Book of Romans chapter 8 where Paul also wrote regarding this:
Romans 8:14 and 15:
.14for as-many-as are led by (the) spirit of God these-people are sons of God; .15for you did not receive a spirit of slavery again into fear, but you received a spirit of sonship - in which we shout, "Abba, Father."
God is our Father in the spirit-category, not the fleshy-realm. Let us re-read what Paul wrote in his letter to the churches of Galatia and then continue with our study:
Galatians 4:6 and 7:
.6but (since it is true) that you are sons (it is true that) God apostled-out His spirit into our hearts shouting, "Abba, Father" – .7so-that you are no-longer a slave but a son, but since (you are) a son (you are) also an inheritor by means of God.
The result or consequence of all of you now being sons of God having received holy spirit which shouts, "Abba, Father" towards God, is that each one of you is no-longer (not anymore) in the position of being a slave under the rudiments of the world, but on the contrary, your position is one of a son of God. Every holy-person has the same holy spirit-life within him/her, whether your background is Judean or Gentile. And, since you (each one of you individually) are a son you are also an inheritor (heir, the one who has the inheritance, assigned-lot, allotted-portion) by means of God Who is your Father spiritually. God is the One through Whom you received your inheritance.
[Reference: Genesis 3:15; Matthew 5:17, 18; Mark 14:36; Luke 1:26-35; Acts 3:26; Romans 8:3, 4, 16, 17; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians chapter 2; Colossians 1:27, and 2:20.]
Verses 8-11:
.8But then indeed not having known2 God you served-as-slaves to the gods not being (gods) by nature – .9but now having known God, but rather having been known by God: how do you turn-back again on the weak and poor rudiments to-which you intend again from-the-top to serve-as-slaves .10closely-keeping days and months and times and years? .11I am fearful (of) you lest-somehow I yieldingly labored into you!
But in contrast to now being sons of God and inheritors of all that God promised Abraham and his seed – indeed during a past time-period when you were not knowing God and you stayed not knowing (not perceiving, not seeing) God, you were slaves in service and bondage to the gods which naturally are not being gods at all! You carried-out actions directed by false gods which were not physically made (naturally generated, produced) being gods.
But at the present time you have come to know God (this is a personal knowing, a truly active and relative knowing, not only a perception of God), and even more-so you have become personally known by God (it was by the power of God that you became known by Him with that same truly active and relative knowing, God is the One Who caused you to become personally known by Him) – let me ask you a question:
Because of this kind of behavior during the everyday living of your lives even though you are spiritually sons of God and ought not walk/behave against God's will, I am fearful (afraid) pertaining-to and relative-to your walk/behavior: lest in some manner (so that in no way) I exerted wearisome effort and toil directed-to you in a relinquishing manner or without-purpose!
When Paul writes that he is ‘fearful’ in this context, he is not saying that he is 'scared to death' but there is fright within him and he is letting the Galatians know so that they are aware of the situation that is developing, which he wants to put a stop to, and for them to take precautions to avoid it and protect themselves.
[Reference: Acts 14:11-18; I Corinthians 8:4-6; Colossians 2:20-23.]
Verses 12-16:
.12You must become as I because I also as you, brothers, I supplicate you; you treated me unrighteously (in) nothing, .13but you knew2 that because-of weakness of the flesh I good-messaged to you formerly, .14and my temptation, the (temptation) in my flesh, you did not despise but you accepted me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus, .15therefore where (was) your happiness? – for I bear you witness that if able, having dug-out your eyes, you (would have) given (them) to me; .16(was this) so-that I became2 your enemy being-truthful with you?
You must presently become as I am in the walk/behavior category during the everyday living of life with and for God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the objective-cause being that I am also as you are – we are all brothers in the holy spirit category having received the same holy spirit-life within us – I supplicate you (I express my lack of something specific and my need of help from you holy-people regarding the walk/behavior category, I communicate my needful-request to you).
You treated me unrighteously in nothing (you didn't wrong me in anything, you were unjust towards me in not one thing) when I was with you formerly (the time before this, previously, on the prior occasion), but you knew at that time and you still know (perceive, see) this: that on account of the weakness (lack-of-strength, infirmity) pertaining-to the flesh (the limitations of the fleshly-human-being's realm of knowledge and apprehension in order to be able to understand and comprehend that-which God wants to communicate to people) I good-messaged (gospelized, evangelized) to you.
And, my temptation which was within my flesh (the trial, putting me to the test in the bad sense of enticing me to do wrong because of things happening to me in the fleshy realm) you did not despise (you did not think nothing of, treat with contempt, set as naught [some Greek texts include "nor spit-out" as in disgust]), but on the contrary, you accepted me (you welcomed, subjectively received, willingly took me to yourselves because I was presented to you)…
…therefore, this having been your attitude at that time let me ask you: where was your happiness (where did your happiness lie, what caused you to be happy then, was it in my flesh)?
In truth, I bear you witness (I attest with information which I personally have about you and therefore I state with authority) that: if you were able (had the able-power, the capability), after you had dug or plucked your own eyes out you would have given them to me if you had believed at that time that some extra pieces of flesh would have helped somehow! Did all of this happen between us with the consequence or result that I have become your enemy (the one who opposes and exhibits enmity and hostility towards/against you, and I am the object of your enmity) even though I was being truthful with you, speaking the truth to you, behaving truthfully among you?
These holy-people used-to be so enthusiastic regarding Paul's good-messaging concerning God and all the things of God that they would have helped Paul in any way possible, but at that time they knew that the flesh category was not what made them happy nor did it make Paul happy – but their happiness was based-upon God and all the things of God – the holy spirit category, for that is what made them all brothers, sons of God.
[Reference: Matthew 10:40; Romans 6:19; I Corinthians 1:17-31, 10:13, 9:19-23; II Corinthians 12:7-10; I Thessalonians 2:13.]
Verses 17 and 18:
.17They are zealous-towards you, not beautifully, but they intend to shut you out in order that you are zealous-towards them! .18But (it is) beautiful always to be zealous in a beautiful-thing, and not only in my being-present with you.
Those who teach you things contrary to the truth of the good-message (e.g. needing to carry-out the law, to be circumcised, etc, even though you are now sons of God having the spirit of Christ in you), they are zealous towards you (they have a boiling or vehement passion for you) but they are not doing this beautifully (not with a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness towards or for you) – but on the contrary, their intention (will) is to shut you out (exclude you, close you out) from myself and those with me who teach you the truth of the good-message, and thus from God's truth and from walking/behaving in accordance with God's will. Why do they want to do that? For the purpose and resulting fact that you have a boiling or vehement passion for them!
So that you don't misunderstand and think that it is always wrong to be zealous towards or for something, let me tell you: it is beautiful (it has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness) to constantly be zealous (to have a boiling or vehement passion) within the sphere of action of that-which is truly beautiful from God's viewpoint. There is nothing wrong with being zealous in a beautiful thing, which means that it lines up with the truth of God's Word, and to behave this way not only during those times when I am physically present right-there with you in Galatia and can physically see what you are and are-not doing! Whether I am beside you or not (or some other person or group of people): it is beautiful always to be zealous in a beautiful-thing – anything that emanates from God.
[Reference: Romans 10:2; II Corinthians 11:2.]
Verses 19 and 20:
.19My children, with-whom again I am in-the-pangs-of-birth up-until where Christ may be formed in you, .20but I used-to-intend to be present with you now and to change my sound, because I despair in you.
Paul addresses these holy-people/Christians as his children thereby showing them his tenderness towards all of them (both male and female together) as having given birth to them. He had done everything available to him having taught them the good-message regarding God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and they believed it, and so they received the gift of holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had previously begotten them by means of the good-message. They had become sons of God in the spirit category, and this truth had not changed – they still had the spirit of Christ in them. And, Paul did not just leave them there as new babies without parental care and guidance, but he was doing his best to make sure that they also had what was necessary for them to grow-up healthily.
Explaining to them regarding their walk/behavior, Paul continues: again presently I travail with you (I labor as a woman labors giving birth to a child) for the limited time-period that this action takes and ending when Christ would be formed within you (become fashioned throughout your whole being) – you already have the spirit of Christ in you, but now you need to live accordingly during the everyday living of your lives, learn to listen to the holy spirit within you and obey it, and in this way you will be obeying your Lord/Master, Christ Jesus.
I was intending (willing for some time) to be beside (alongside of) you at the moment, and to alter the sound of my voice. Why had I intended this? The objective-cause being that I presently despair in you (I am without resources or any means of help from the physical realm as to what to do to find the solution within your sphere of action, the way that you are behaving yourselves for a while now) – I didn't want to have to speak to you like this, the way I am having to write to you in this letter.
It is interesting to note that even though Paul had intended to visit Galatia, he did not, and he told them so in this letter. He continued to do what God and the Lord Jesus Christ wanted him to do and to go where he was supposed to go in accordance with the assignment he was given, no matter what he himself or the Galatians may have previously wanted.
[Reference: Romans 12:1, 2; I Corinthians 4:14, 15.]
Verses 21-23:
.21You, the (people) intending to be under law, must say to me (the answer to): don't you hear the law? .22For it was written2 that Abraham had two sons: one (son) from the servant-girl and one (son) from the free-woman, .23but the (son) from the servant-girl was born2 according to flesh but the (son) from the free-woman by means of promise,
Paul continues: you people who are intending (willing, with active volition and desire) to be legally subject or in submission to the law of Moses, you must tell me the answer to this question: don't you hear the law which you want to be under (do you not listen-to the words spoken by the law, don't you hear what the law actually says so you can become informed and learned)? In truth it was written and it is still written that Abraham had two sons:
1. one of Abraham's sons physically came out from the young maiden in his household named Hagar; and
2. one of Abraham's sons physically came out from the woman who was at liberty within his household, Abraham's wife named Sarah.
But there is a contrast between these two sons – besides having different mothers who were in different positions within Abraham's household:
1. the son from the servant-girl (the young female whose occupation was a servant) was brought-forth in accordance with flesh (in conformity to the will or volition of flesh), and this fact has not changed with the passing of time; but
2. the son from the free-woman was brought-forth by means of promise (through God's promise to Abraham; the promise God made to Abraham was interposed between the action that initiated the progress and the resulting accomplishment of the birth of this son), and this fact has not changed with the passing of time.
Let us read some verses where these births are recorded in the Book of Genesis.
Genesis 16:15 and 16:
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 21:1-5:
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
It was written and continues written that Abraham had two sons: one son from the servant-girl (Hagar) and one son from the free-woman (Sarah), but the son (Ishmael) from the servant-girl (Hagar) was born and continues born according to flesh but the son (Isaac) from the free-woman (Sarah) by means of promise.
[Reference: Genesis chapters 15-17; Acts 3:25, and 7:8; Romans 9:7-9.]
Galatians 4:24 and 25:
.24which-things are being-an-allegory for these (women) are two covenants: one (covenant) indeed from Mount Sinai giving-birth into slavery, she-who is Hagar, .25but the Sinai mountain is in Arabia but it walks-in-line-together with the Jerusalem (which is) now for it serves-as-a-slave with her children;
The things that Paul has just written in verses 22 and 23 are allegorized. This allegory is a figure of speech whereby what is spoken regarding what actually happened, being historical facts, is a comparison by representation of something else that is to be learned from what happened. He teaches that in truth these women (the young female servant and the free woman) are representative of two covenants.
One covenant (the covenant of the law of Moses which incorporated the sign of physical circumcision) indeed from Mount Sinai is actively giving-birth (bringing forth, bearing children) into slavery – this is the allegory of Hagar (in Arabic, the name Hagar means a stone and this word is the name given to Mount Sinai). The actual mountain called Sinai is physically situated within Arabia (during Paul's lifetime, the area today known as the Sinai Peninsula) but it walks in-line (advances in an orderly manner, step-by-step) allegory-wise in conjunction with Jerusalem at the present time, for today's Jerusalem serves as a slave in company and association with her children (mother and children serve in bondage, just as Hagar was in bondage and her child, Ishmael)!
The Jerusalem which is still physically in existence today in Israel belongs to the covenant of law and circumcision – it does not belong to the covenant of spirit.
[Reference: Exodus chapters 19-34.]
Verses 26-28:
.26but the Jerusalem (which is) above is free, she-who is our mother – .27for it was written2, "You must be made glad-minded, barren-woman, the (woman) not bringing-forth; you must tear and you must cry-aloud, the (woman) not being in-the-pangs-of-birth; because many (are) the children of the deserted-woman rather than of the (woman) having the husband" – .28but you brothers, you are children of promise according to Isaac;
Paul now teaches regarding the second covenant (the covenant of spirit) in this allegory: the Jerusalem which is above (over, upwards, meaning that it is heavenly, from God, the new heavenly Jerusalem which will come into full manifestation at a still-future time) is free, at liberty, which is represented by Sarah, the free-woman, who is our mother – verse 28 – but you brothers (you Galatian holy-people who are all my brothers because we have the same holy spirit-life within us, the same spirit of Christ in us), you presently and actively are children of promise (both male and female children born proceeding-from the promise which God promised Abraham) in accordance with Isaac who was Abraham's promised son which his wife, Sarah, gave birth to, and it was via his line of descent that the promised seed, the Christ, was born and who is now the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ whose spirit is within each and every holy-person/Christian since the day of Pentecost (refer to Acts chapter 2).
Paul explains how the Jerusalem which is above is the mother of all holy-people (not the present-day Jerusalem) by referring to prophecies recorded in the old covenant writings: for it was written and is still written, you barren-woman, the woman who is not giving birth to any child, must be glad-minded (caused to have a cheerful-mind, well-thoughts); you the woman who is not presently travailing or laboring giving birth to a child must actively tear (as rending clothes, breaking-rank, bursting out-from a line of soldiers) and you must shout out-loud. Why do these-things? Because there are a lot of children born to the deserted-woman (the woman who is lonely, solitary, desolate as an uninhabited and uncultivated place) more-so than the amount of children born to the woman who has a husband (her own adult-male who is physically able to give sperm to his wife).
The scripture that Paul refers to is taken from the Book of Isaiah:
Isaiah 54:1, 4-7, and 13:
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
The present Jerusalem serves as a slave with her children because it is part of the old covenant (allegorized by Hagar, according to flesh) and it cannot give-birth to a holy-person (a sanctified-person, Christian, saint, a child of God). We holy-people are children of the new heavenly Jerusalem (the covenant allegorized by Sarah, by means of promise), the Jerusalem from above which will come into full manifestation at a future time replacing the present Jerusalem.
Even though the present city and the temple of Jerusalem were very "big" in the minds of the people who endeavored to adhere to the law given to Moses, the truth is that from the day that holy spirit-life was first able to be permanently given (Acts 2:1-4) to those who believe what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, holy-people may worship in any place, and the only way to truly worship from God's point of view is in spirit and truth – within holy spirit-life. In the future God will provide His people (all having received holy spirit-life from Him) with the new Jerusalem on the new earth, and this we can all look forward to, for we will all be present with our God and Father, and with our brother and Lord Jesus Christ.
"…You brothers, you are children of promise according to Isaac."
[Reference: Deuteronomy 12:5; I Kings 9:1-9, 15:4, 5; II Chronicles 6:3-11; John 4:21-24; Acts chapter 2; Romans 4:16-25; II Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 11:8-19, 12:22; Revelation 3:11, 12, chapters 21 and 22.]
Galatians 4:29:
.29but wholly-as then the (son) having been born according to flesh used-to-persecute the (son having been born) according to Spirit, thus also now;
Wholly as at that time the son (Ishmael) who had been brought-forth in accordance with flesh was habitually persecuting (pursuing with hostility as an enemy) the son (Isaac) who had been brought-forth in accordance with Spirit (God), it is in this same manner also at the present time.
Abraham's son by Hagar was Ishmael and he was born in conformity and proportion to flesh, man's way of doing things without God. But in contrast, Abraham's son by Sarah was Isaac and he was born in conformity and proportion to Spirit, God's way of doing things.
God promised Abraham that he would have a son, but Abraham decided to 'help' God and so by his own freedom of will (his own volition) in the realm of flesh he caused Hagar to become pregnant in order to have a son – according to flesh. God had to specify to Abraham that he would have a son by his wife, Sarah, and that this son was his promised son because he would be born through God's help to both Abraham and Sarah (by God's freedom of will, His own volition within His spiritual realm to do what He did causing Sarah to conceive with Abraham's sperm) – according to Spirit. Because Abraham tried to cause it to happen the flesh's way, this delayed the birth of the promised son Isaac. Ishmael constantly persecuted Isaac as much as he could because he refused to believe what God had said about Isaac and therefore also about the Christ.
Today also, the people who are born according to flesh (not having believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and so have not received the gift of holy spirit, the people who are not holy-people, the non-Christians) are constantly persecuting the people who are born according to Spirit (having believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and so have received the gift of holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, the people who are holy-people, Christians).
[Reference: Genesis 21:1-5, 9.]
Verse 30:
.30but what does the writing say? "You must throw-out the servant-girl and her son, for the son of the servant-girl will never inherit with the son" of the free-woman;
What does the writing (written-thing, the words that God previously revealed and were written-down) lay before us? It is written that you must cast-out the young maiden (Hagar) and her son (Ishmael); in truth the son of the young female servant will never (emphatic negative) inherit (become an inheritor, an heir of any allotted-portion) in company and association with the son (Isaac) of the free-woman (Sarah).
Let us read the record:
Genesis 21:8-13:
And the child [Isaac] grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Wherefore she [Sarah] said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Even though Ishmael was naturally the first-born son of Abraham, he was not the son in whom seed is called to Abraham (Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18), but God did tell Abraham that Ishmael would become a nation. Isaac was the son promised to Abraham by God to be born by his wife, Sarah, and it is in Isaac that seed is called to Abraham, and this seed is heir to all that God promised Abraham and his seed. The complete-issue of Abraham's seed is the Christ as we have learned previously.
Galatians 4:31:
.31consequently, brothers, we are not children of (the) servant-girl but of the free-woman.
In correspondence to what I have just written, brothers – again Paul addresses these holy-people as "brothers" thus again reminding them that they all had received the same holy spirit-life making them brothers in the holy spirit category, and that God is their Father – we (all of us holy-people) are not children born from Hagar (born into slavery, fleshy), but on the contrary, we brothers are children born from the free-woman, Sarah (born into sonship, sons of God having received God's gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, freedom, children of promise, seed of Abraham, inheritors according to promise).
[Reference: Romans 9:6-9; Galatians 3:26-29. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
And Paul continues – but it has been put into the next chapter….