Galatians 7
Galatians • Sermon • Submitted
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Chapter 3 concludes with Paul’s summery that on the basis of faith and faith alone in Christ and Christ alone — ALL (Jew and Gentile) can become Children of God
Paul wants to plant the seed of this reality deep in the heart of his readers with a picture of the difference between someone who is an heir and someone who has come into the inheritance.
1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Before the child receives the large inheritance, they aren’t much different than the slaves that run the large estate.
Everyone knows the child does and will own it… but until the will has been executed, they are under guardians and managers.
They have been given a promise of much to come — but they don’t have it yet.
The people of God — the Israelites — were like that in the OT period — God had made great promises to them, but they were slaves to other things.
Inheritance comes through Christ — fullness of time had come —
born of a woman
born under the law
to redeem those born of a woman
to redeem those under the law
“TO RECEIVE ADOPTION AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD!”
In 4.3, Paul is speaking to and of the Israelites and he describes them before their faith in Christ as being enslaved to:
In 4.3, Paul is speaking to and of the Israelites and he describes them before their faith in Christ as being enslaved to:
The “elementary principles of the world”
The NIV uses the phrase “elemental spiritual forces”
It’s noteworthy because after all he has said and done to this point, you would expect him to say they were enslaved to the law; but that is NOT what he says.
It’s noteworthy because after all he has said and done to this point, you would expect him to say they were enslaved to the law; but that is NOT what he says.
The word here is one of the tougher words in the NT to figure out exactly what it means.
The word here is one of the tougher words in the NT to figure out exactly what it means.
Paul uses the word only three times in his writings:
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
Some think the word relates to Spiritual beings — the ancient world believed spiritual beings had great power over human beings.
Some think the word relates to Spiritual beings — the ancient world believed spiritual beings had great power over human beings.
But the word isn’t really used to describe spirit beings until after the NT was written.
When the term is used in the NT the word is talking about the MATERIAL ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD
When the term is used in the NT the word is talking about the MATERIAL ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD
AIR
FIRE
WATER
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
In the ancient world, there was a tendency to worship the material elements of the world.
In the ancient world, there was a tendency to worship the material elements of the world.
Thus the warning from the OT:
19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
There is a warning here of viewing the material elements of the world with a spiritual significance that would lead to and include idolatry.
There is a warning here of viewing the material elements of the world with a spiritual significance that would lead to and include idolatry.
Paul also uses the term in 4.9 where he says this:
9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
This is a fascinating second use of the term for how Paul seems to be using it to suggest:
This is a fascinating second use of the term for how Paul seems to be using it to suggest:
Israel was under/enslaved to these material elements (4.3)
Galatian gentiles were also under the same elements (4.9)
He seems to be suggesting that the situation of both the Jews and Gentiles before Christ is similar --
He seems to be suggesting that the situation of both the Jews and Gentiles before Christ is similar --
Not in every way — the law of God given to the Jews is very different from these material things people tended to worship!
In light of Christ — for the Galatians to come back and put themselves under the Jewish law is likened to them putting themselves back to the situation they were in as Gentiles worshiping material elements in their pagan religions.
In light of Christ — for the Galatians to come back and put themselves under the Jewish law is likened to them putting themselves back to the situation they were in as Gentiles worshiping material elements in their pagan religions.
Jews under law
Gentiles under the material elements
Both are returning from children who have received their inheritance to having had the will of God fully executed… the inheritance fully theirs… and they continue to live as slaves rather than as heirs.
What is the inheritance we receive?
What is the inheritance we receive?
The Spirit.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Peter the denier
Many believe John to be the quiet, faithful, loving friend of Jesus.
Acts 2
Peter and John in Acts 3 - 4
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
He speaks as an heir — not as a child behaving as a slave.
And that same Spirit lives in us