Gálatas 4

Gálatas 4

Galatians 3 Galatians 5 Magna Carta of Spiritual Emancipation Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission See Also: Paul's First Missionary Journey Paul's Second Missionary Journey Paul's Third Missionary Journey Maps from Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover/Paperback version) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps as the maps also include helpful short descriptions of the events portrayed on the maps. SUMMARY CHART: EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS Gospel of Grace Defended Gospel of Grace Explained Gospel of Grace Applied Defense of the Gospel Gal 1:1-2:21 Freedom from Legalism Gal 3:1-4:31 Freedom to Love and to Serve Gal 5:1-6:18 Labor Liberty Life Authority Not Opinion Freedom Not Bondage Spirit Not Flesh Personal Autobiography Doctrinal Accuracy Practical Application Paul the Apostle (Gal 1:1-24) Paul's Authority (Gal 2:1-21) Justified by Faith not Works (Gal 3:1-9) Justified by Faith not the Law (Gal 3:10-4:20) Grace and Law Cannot Co-Exist (Gal 4:21-31) Position and Practice of Liberty (Gal 5:1-15) Power of Liberty (Gal 5:16-26) Performance in Liberty (Gal 6:1-18) Vindication Exposition Application Testimonial and Apologetic Doctrinal and Argumentative Practical and Hortatory Biographical Explanation Doctrinal Exposition Practical Exhortation Authentication of Liberty Argumentation for Liberty Application of Liberty Style or Tone: Vigorous, blunt, aggressive, direct, corrective, urgent, brief, righteous anger, strong words Theme: Justification by Faith and not by Works of the Law Author: Paul in large letters (Gal 6:11) Recipients: Churches in Galatia (Gal 1:2) (Most likely the Southern Region) Christ in Galatians: Jesus is the Source and Power for the believer's New Life. (Gal 2:20, 5:16) CONTRAST OF GRACE AND LAW LAW GRACE The law prohibits Grace invites and gives The law condemns the sinner Grace redeems the sinner. The law says DO Grace says IT IS DONE. The law says, Continue to be holy Grace says, It is finished. The law curses Grace blesses The law slays the sinner Grace makes the sinner alive. The law shuts every mouth before God Grace opens the mouth to praise God. The law condemns the best man Grace saves the worst man. The law says, pay what you owe Grace says, I freely forgive you all. The law says “the wages of sin is death” Grace says, “the gift of God is eternal life.” The law says, “the soul that sins shall die” Grace says, Believe and live. The law reveals sin Grace atones for sin. By the law is the knowledge of sin By grace is redemption from sin. The law was given by Moses Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law demands obedience Grace bestows and gives power to obey. The law was written on stone Grace is written on the tables of the heart. The law was done away in Christ Grace abides forever. The law puts us under bondage Grace sets us in the liberty of the sons of God. Related Resource: Purpose of the Law An Outline of Galatians - D Edmond Hiebert (See context in An Introduction to the New Testament, Volume 2) THE INTRODUCTION (Galatians 1:1-10) 1. The salutation (Galatians 1:1-5) a. The writer (Galatians 1:1-2a) i. Paul, the Apostle (Galatians 1: 1) ii. The brethren with him (Galatians 1:2a) b. The readers (Galatians 1:2b) c. The greeting (Galatians 1:3-5) i. The contents of the greeting (Galatians 1:3a) ii. The source of the grace and peace (Galatians 1:3b-4) iii. The doxology (Galatians 1:5) 2. The rebuke (Galatians 1:6-10) a. His astonishment at their fickleness (Galatians 1:6-7) i. The reason for the astonishment (Galatians 1:6) ii. The explanation of the departure (Galatians 1:7) b. His assertion about its seriousness Galatians 1:8-9) i. The seriousness asserted (Galatians 1:8) ii. The seriousness reaffirmed (Galatians 1:9) c. His attitude in the matter (Galatians 1:10) I. PERSONAL: THE VINDICATION OF HIS APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY (Galatians 1:11-2:21) 1. How he got his Gospel (Galatians 1:11-24) a. The origin of his Gospel through revelation (Galatians 1: 11-12) i. The assertion as to its nature (Galatians 1:11) ii. The manner of its reception (Galatians 1:12) b. The previous conduct of the one given the revelation (Galatians 1:13-14) i. The manner of his former life known to them Galatians 1:13a) ii. The description of his former life (Galatians 1:13b-14) a. In relation to the Church of God (Galatians 1:13b) b. In relation to Judaism (Galatians 1:14) c. The description of the revelation received (Galatians 1:15-17) i. The source of the revelation (Galatians 1:15) ii. The subject of the revelation (Galatians 1:16a) iii. The purpose of the revelation (Galatians 1:16b) iv. The response to the revelation (Galatians 1:16c-17) d. His independence of the Jerusalem apostles (Galatians 1:18-24) i. The first visit to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18-20) a. The time of the visit (Galatians 1:18a) b. The purpose of the visit (Galatians 1:18b) c. The duration of the visit (Galatians 1:18c) d. The scope of contacts during the visit (Galatians 1:19-20) ii. The subsequent absence from Jerusalem (Galatians 1:21-24) a. The place of his withdrawal (Galatians 1:21) b. The lack of acquaintance with the Judean churches (Galatians 1:22) c. The response of the churches to reports about him (Galatians 1:23-24) 2. How his Gospel was confirmed by the apostles at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-10) a. The circumstances of its presentation to them (Galatians 2:1-2) i. The journey to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-2a) ii. The presentation made at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:2b) b. The outcome of his presentation of his Gospel to them (Galatians 2:3-10) i. The maintenance of his position, as seen in Titus Galatians 2:3) ii. The conflict with the false brethren (Galatians 2:4-5) a. The presence of the false brethren (Galatians 2:4) b. The refusal to yield to their demands (Galatians 2:5) iii. The approval of his Gospel by the Jerusalem leaders (Galatians 2:6-10) a. Their failure to add anything to his Gospel (Galatians 2:6) b. Their approval of his Gospel in full (Galatians 2:7-10) 1. The basis of their approval (Galatians 2:7-9a) 2. The expression of their approval (Galatians 2:9b) 3. The one request with their approval (Galatians 2:10) 3. How he rebuked Peter's inconsistent conduct (Galatians 2:11-21) a. The circumstances when giving the rebuke (Galatians 2:11-13) i. The fact of his rebuke of Peter (Galatians 2:11) ii. The reason for his rebuke of Peter (Galatians 2:12) iii. The effect of the inconsistent conduct of Peter (Galatians 2:13) b. The justification for giving the rebuke (Galatians 2:14-21) i. His question of rebuke to Peter (Galatians 2:14) ii. His explanation of his doctrinal position (Galatians 2:15-21) a. The insufficiency of the law (Galatians 2:15-18) 1. The discovery of believing Jews about justification (Galatians 2:15-16) 2. The rejection of a conclusion from Peter's action (Galatians 2:17) 3. The significance of a return to law-works (Galatians 2:18) b. The new life in Christ (Galatians 2:19-21) 1. The effect of the law led to the new life (Galatians 2:19) 2. The nature of the new life (Galatians 2:20) 3. The grace of God nullified by law-keeping (Galatians 2:21) II. DOCTRINAL: THE EXPOSITION OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (Galatians 3:1-4:31) 1. The elaboration of the doctrine of justification (Galatians 3:1-4:7) a. The nature of justification as by faith, not law (Galatians 3:1-14) i. The inconsistency of their conduct (Galatians 3:1-5) a. The question about their turning from the crucified Christ (Galatians 3:1) b. The question about the beginning of their Christian life (Galatians 3:2) c. The question about their method of perfection (Galatians 3:3) d. The question about their sufferings as believers (Galatians 3:4) e. The question about the basis of God's work among them (Galatians 3:5) ii. The example of Abraham's justification (Galatians 3:6-9) a. The means of Abraham's justification (Galatians 3:6) b. The identity of the sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:7) c. The announcement to Abraham concerning Gentile justification by faith (Galatians 3:8) d. The sharers in the blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:9) iii. The deliverance from law-works through Christ (Galatians 3:10-14) a. The curse upon those under law-works (Galatians 3:10) b. The inability of law-works to justify (Galatians 3:11-12) c. The deliverance from the curse through Christ (Galatians 3:13-14) 1. The fact of our deliverance through Christ (Galatians 3:13a) 2. The means of our deliverance from the curse (Galatians 3:13b) 3. The purpose in our deliverance from the curse (Galatians 3:14) b. The limitations of the law and its relations to faith (Galatians 3:15-4:7) i. The covenant with Abraham unaltered by the law (Galatians 3:15-18) a. The illustration of a man's covenant as binding (Galatians 3:15) b. The fact illustrated is the divine promise to Abraham (Galatians 3:16) c. The application of the principle of an unalterable covenant (Galatians 3:17-18) 1. The law did not alter the promise (Galatians 3:17) 2. The inheritance is not through law but promise (Galatians 3:18) ii. The true place and purpose of the law (Galatians 3:19-29) a. The temporary nature of the law (Galatians 3:19-20) 1. The reason for the adding of the law (Galatians 3:19a) 2. The time limit for the law (Galatians 3:19b) 3. The manner of the establishment of the law (Galatians 3:19c-20) b. The inability of the law to produce life (Galatians 3:21-22) 1. The law not contrary to the promise (Galatians 3:21a) 2. The law unable to produce life (Galatians 3:21b) 3. The Scripture shut up all to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:22) c. The law as a child-leader to Christ with His blessings (Galatians 3:23-29) 1. The old position under law (Galatians 3:23-24) a. The position of confinement under law (Galatians 3:23) b. The function of the law as child-leader to Christ (Galatians 3:24) 2. The new position in Christ (Galatians 3:25-29) a. The nature of the new position (Galatians 3:25-26) b. The entry into the new life (Galatians 3:27) c. The effect of the new life (Galatians 3:28) d. The fulfillment of the promise to Abraham (Galatians 3:29) iii. The contrasted position under law and faith (Galatians 4:1-7) a. The illustration of the position of the heir as a minor (Galatians 4:1-2) b. The application of the illustration to believers (Galatians 4:3-6) 1. The condition of bondage as minors (Galatians 4:3) 2. The position as free sons through God's Son (Galatians 4:4-6) a. The sending of the Son of God (Galatians 4:4-5) b. The sending of the Spirit of God (Galatians 4:6) 3. The conclusion for the believer (Galatians 4:7) 2. The appeal for them to drop their legalism (Galatians 4:8-31) a. The acceptance of Jewish legalism is a return to bondage (Galatians 4:8-11) i. Their past condition of bondage (Galatians 4:8) ii. Their present deliverance from bondage (Galatians 4:9a) iii. Their legalism as a return to bondage (Galatians 4:9b-10) iv. Their action a cause of concern to him (Galatians 4:11) b. The appeal from his relations to them (Galatians 4:12-20) i. The appeal for them to adopt his position (Galatians 4:12a) ii. The reminder of his past relations to them (Galatians 4:12b-14) iii. The change in their relation to him (Galatians 4:15-18) iv. The travail he is undergoing for them (Galatians 4:19-20) c. The appeal from the two contrasted covenants (Galatians 4:21-31) i. The question to those desiring to be under law (Galatians 4:21) ii. The story of Abraham's two sons (Galatians 4:22-23) iii. The allegorical interpretation of the story (Galatians 4:24-30) a. The two mothers representing two covenants (Galatians 4:24a) b. The description of the two covenants (Galatians 4:24b-28) 1. The one representing a covenant of bondage (Galatians 4:24b-25) 2. The other representing a covenant of freedom (Galatians 4:26-28) c. The expulsion of the slave woman and her son (Galatians 4:29-30) iv. The conclusion from the story (Galatians 4:31) III. PRACTICAL: THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY (Galatians 5:1-6:10) 1. The call to maintain their Christian liberty (Galatians 5:1) 2. The peril to Christian liberty (Galatians 5:2-12) a. The peril to them in circumcision (Galatians 5:2-6) i. The consequences of accepting circumcision (Galatians 5:2-4) a. It renders Christ useless to them (Galatians 5:2) b. It makes a man debtor to do the whole law (Galatians 5:3) c. It severs them from Christ (Galatians 5:4a) d. It constitutes a fall from grace (Galatians 5:4b) ii. The attitude of the true believer (Galatians 5:5-6) b. The condemnation of the false teacher (Galatians 5:7-12) i. The explanation for their defection (Galatians 5:7) ii. The characterization of the teaching (Galatians 5:8-9) iii. The condemnation of the one troubling them (Galatians 5:10-12) a. The confidence he has in them (Galatians 5:10a) b. The troubler will bear his judgment (Galatians 5:10b) c. The refutation of charges that he preaches circumcision (Galatians 5:11) d. The wish that these teachers would go to the consistent end (Galatians 5:12) 3. The life of Christian liberty (Galatians 5:13-6:10) a. It is directed by love (Galatians 5:13-15) i. The believer called to liberty (Galatians 5:13a) ii. The use of Christian liberty (Galatians 5:13b) iii. The fulfillment of the law through love (Galatians 5:14) iv. The results of the lack of love (Galatians 5:15) b. It is a walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh (Galatians 5:16-25) i. The command to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) ii. The conflict between the Spirit and the flesh (Galatians 5:17-18) iii. The contrasted products of the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-23) a. The works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) b. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) iv. The persons living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25) c. It is a life of mutual burden-bearing (Galatians 5:26-6:10) i. The burden of moral faults (Galatians 5:26-6:5) a. The warning against wrong attitudes towards others (Galatians 5:26) b. The attitude of humility in restoring the fallen (Galatians 6:1) c. The duty of mutual burden-bearing (Galatians 6:2) d. The proper attitude toward self (Galatians 6:3-5) ii. The burden of temporal needs (Galatians 6:6-10) a. The exhortation to communicate with their teachers (Galatians 6:6) b. The law of the spiritual harvest (Galatians 6:7-8) c. The encouragement to welldoing (Galatians 6:9-10) THE CONCLUSION (Galatians 6:11-17) 1. His reference to his large letters (Galatians 6:11) 2. His rebuke of his adversaries (Galatians 6:12-13) 3. His confidence in the cross (Galatians 6:14-16) a. His glorying only in the cross (Galatians 6:14a) b. His crucifixion through the cross (Galatians 6:14b) c. His evaluation of things through the cross (Galatians 6:15) d. His benediction upon those accepting this principle (Galatians 6:16) 4. His marks of apostleship (Galatians 6:17) THE BENEDICTION (Galatians 6:18) Galatians 4:1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, KJV Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; as long as the heir Galatians 4:23,29; Genesis 24:2,3; 2 Kings 10:1,2; 11:12; 12:2 Galatians 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Galatians 4:1-11 - Don Anderson Galatians Study 7; More Notes on Galatians Study 7 Warren Wiersbe's sermon Born Free - Galatians 4 - one of the simplest and most profound expositions you will ever hear on Galatians 4! https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=17314 Hiebert's Outline - The contrasted position under law and faith (Galatians 4:1-7) (See context in An Introduction to the New Testament, Volume 2) A. The illustration of the position of the heir as a minor (Galatians 4:1-2) B. The application of the illustration to believers (Galatians 4:3-6) 1. The condition of bondage as minors (Galatians 4:3) 2. The position as free sons through God's Son (Galatians 4:4-6) a. The sending of the Son of God (Galatians 4:4-5) b. The sending of the Spirit of God (Galatians 4:6) 3. The conclusion for the believer (Galatians 4:7) In his introduction to this chapter Warren Wiersbe makes the point that "One of the tragedies of legalism is that it gives the appearance of spiritual maturity when, in reality, it leads the believer back into a “second childhood” of Christian experience. The Galatian Christians, like most believers, wanted to grow and go forward for Christ; but they were going about it in the wrong way. Their experience is not too different from that of Christians today who get involved in various legalistic movements, hoping to become better Christians. Their motives may be right, but their methods are wrong. This is the truth Paul is trying to get across to his beloved converts in Galatia. The Judaizers had bewitched them into thinking that the Law would make them better Christians. Their old nature felt an attraction for the Law because the Law enabled them to do things and measure external results. As they measured themselves and their achievements, they felt a sense of accomplishment, and, no doubt, a little bit of pride. They thought they were going forward when actually they were regressing. Such people are in a situation similar to the airplane passengers who heard their pilot announce: “Our navigator has lost our position, folks, and we have been flying rather aimlessly for over an hour. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that we are making very good time.” (See context in Be Free (Galatians): Exchange Legalism for True Spirituality or borrow Be Free: An Expository Study of Galatians)) Now I say, as long as the heir is a child - Paul expands on the analogy of a child’s coming of age (3:24-26), contrasting believers’ lives before salvation (as children and servants), with their lives after salvation (as adults and sons). Both Paul’s Jewish and Gentile readers readily understood this imagery, since the Jews, Greeks, and Romans all had a ceremony to mark a child’s coming of age.