Galatians 8 - Fairhaven Baptist Church

Galatians

Lesson 8

Galatians 4:1-5

Intro:This week, we move into ch. 4 and look at Children, servants, heirs, and children. Paul is going to move into this section, keeping in mind the main problem he is addressing. And He makes another analogy, of the difference between when we are under the law, and when we are under grace.

When The Fullness,
1. Heir & the Servant, Vs.1-7
  1. Servant,
    1. Servants, Vs.1&7
      - In Roman society, there were in the same house, masters, children, and servants.
        
        This is an analogy that most if not all could relate to.
    2. Here we are looking at the household of a well off family.
      - One that would have servants, and children.
      - So Paul is going to use this as an illustration for the Galatians.
    3. There are generally two main words used for servants in the bible,
      - Doo-loos and Mis-thos. (there are a few more, such as “Rhode” A rose, or servant girl, such as the girl that answered the door in Acts 13, to find Peter there)
      - the main difference here is the difference between a hourly employee (mis-thos) and someone who have given themselves to the service of another.
    4. However, for the point of Paul’s illustration, he uses the idea as a servant as one in the house that was subject to the authority of all that are over them.
    5. The words in vs. 2 is tutors and governors, these are both a form of servant as well, however they are over the lower servant.
      - The tutor is a “manager” and the governor here is an “house overseer”.
  2. The heir,
    1. Let’s look at the Greek,
      - klay-ron-om-eh’-o ( to be an heir, or to inherit)
      - klay-ron-om’-os (to be an heir by appointment)
    2. the word here in Galatians is the second, to be an heir by appointment,
    3. but the point Paul is making is:
      - wither they are a servant or a heir, they are under who the “Master” has appointed”
        
        but for how long?
  3. The Child,
    1. a lot of ministers and people will focus on this word, and try to determine the implications of salvation by using the meaning of it.
    2. However, this is not the point of using this word,
      - it is not as much a reference of the person, but to the age of the person.
      - In this case, it refers to the maturity of the person.
        
        As long as they are not mature, and more to the point they do not have a understanding.
    3. Let’s look at a couple of examples of the same word used:
      - Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. ”
      - I Corinthians 3:1 “ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ”
    4. So the point that is being made is:
      - the person/ people appointed to be an heir remains under the authority of the appointed, while they have not come to a full understanding
        
        So the next question is, when will they pass from immature to mature?
    5. Vs.3, this is the way we use to be, Paul said “when we were children”
      - We “were” in bondage, under the elements of the world.
        
        Let’s talk about the elements of the world for a moment.
        
        vs.8 calls them “which by nature are no gods”
        
        vs.9 the weak and beggarly elements,
        
        vs.10, links these things to days months times and years.
        
        So it appears, this is referring to the religious practices of pagan rituals. Where they look to the days, moons, and other natural events to worship.
        
        This is another type of bondage to the people, but they are no longer under them.
      - what had changed?
  4. The Fullness of time,
    1. the word fullness here is akin to filling up, or when it comes to a head.
      - What would Paul be referring to, about the fullness of time.
        
        The second half of this verse makes it clear, the coming of Messiah.
    2. This is what put an end to all that bondage of the law, and the fullness of time ushered it in.
      - there are at least 365 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Messiah.
        
        I say at least, because, there may very well be many more, we just haven’t noticed them, or put them together.
      - However, of the 365, some of them are simple, and have their root in things such as linage.
        
        Such as Genesis 12, Messiah would be of the seed of Abraham,
        
        so in order to fulfill this, He simply had to come after Abraham.
        
        Some were simply about how He would live, or things He would do, that could have been done at most anytime.
        
        So some of them it was not crucial that it be in the fullness of time.
      - But there were others that were very specific, that required for a particular government, a type of execution, even modes of torture.
        
        And in these, it took the time to be full.
        
        Every single prophecy was fulfilled, to the letter.
2. The Fullness of Time,
  1. God Sent Forth His Son,
    1. as we move into this section, we need to keep in mind the purpose of the writing of the letter tot he Galatians “ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another;…” Gal. 1:6&7
      - Paul is writing in order to lay out the difference between works and Grace.
        
        In Vs.4&5, he is going to make a simple statement about where the plan comes form, how it came, what it’s benefit is.
    2. He begins by stating, that when all the things happened that needed to happen, the fullness of time. Remember, the fullness of time marks the time when the child is no longer under the tutelage of the teacher, or the head servants in the house. It is the time when the heir becomes free.
    3. But, when this time come, “God Sent Forth His Son…”
      - this is the who,
        
        God, theh-os in the Greek. It means God, but look a the distinction made between God the creator, and the small g god’s of the world in vs.8
        
        before you know big G God, you did service to the small g god’s
      - He is establishing the authority of the gospel as coming by the Lord God, creator and originator of the universe.
    4. The Son,
      - His Hwee-os, His “Only Begotten”
      - lots of versions of the bible will omit this simple yet important information.
        
        Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
        
        not one of many, but the only,
      - So in this first simple statement, we have the originator of the Plan and the Person of the Plan,
        
        but then Paul brings it down a little further,
  2. Made of Woman,
    1. this is the very first promise about Messiah given in the bible to man,
      - Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
      - Messiah would be of the seed of woman,
        
        He was born to Mary, with His Father being the Holy spirit.
  3. Made Under the Law,
    1. Jesus was born under the Law, and fulfilled every aspect of the law.
      - His parents did their due diligence in order to preform the 8^th day circumcision as well as the sacrifice upon His birth.
      - In His own life, He never transgressed the Law
      - Hebrews 4:15 “ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
  4. To Redeem Them that were Under the Law,
    1. once again, what was the purpose of Paul’s letter to Galatians?
      - Do you remember how you were redeemed?
      - All that was said before lead to this.
        
        They were saved because God, Sent His Son, in fulfillment of the Prophecies, According to the Law, for the purpose of Redemption.
        
        Don’t cheapen it by adding to it.

Points for home:

Before a Child comes to age, they are still under the authority of ones appointed over them.
But after they come to age, they are no longer under the authority of their teachers.
Paul uses this illustration to make the point that, before Jesus, people were under bondage to the law, but when the “fullness” of time came, we were redeemed from that Law, through the blood of Jesus Christ.