GALATIANS CHAPTER FOUR

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the framework in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative rules of language, context and logic - rules which do not impose undue, unintended meanings to the text , and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by Paul's epistle to the Galatians and his other writings. In order for any passage from elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in the passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture. Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

****** EXCERPT FROM GAL 3 ******

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(Gal 3:22-29) THE PURPOSE FOR SCRIPTURE SHUTTING UP ALL THINGS UNDER SIN IS TO MAKE MAN MORE AWARE OF HIS HOPELESS SINFUL CONDITION BEFORE GOD, WHERE THERE IS NO ESCAPING GOD'S CONDEMNATION BY ANYTHING MAN CAN DO SO THAT THE PROMISE OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND HIS SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE MIGHT BE GIVEN TO, I.E., FULFILLED IN THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN HIM FOR THAT

BUT BEFORE THIS FAITH IN CHRIST WOULD HISTORICALLY COME INTO THE MINDS OF MEN - BEFORE CHRIST'S SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OCCURRED IN HISTORY, WHICH ATONEMENT IS THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND ALL MANKIND RELATIVE TO SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL WHO BELIEVE, MANKIND WAS GUARDED UNDER LAW: MANKIND WAS SHUT UP / RESTRICTED TO THE ONLY MEANS FOR JUSTIFICATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE: FAITH ALONE IN GOD'S PROMISE ALONE TO ABRAHAM AND MANKIND, WHICH FULFILLMENT IS THROUGH FAITH IN ABRAHAM'S SEED, LATER IN HISTORY TO BE REVEALED AS AND IN JESUS CHRIST.

THEREFORE LAW, ESPECIALLY THE LAW OF MOSES, HAS BECOME OUR, [ALL MANKIND'S] "GUARDIAN-TRAINOR" IN ORDER TO PROVE OUT OUR INCAPACITY TO ACHIEVE OUR OWN JUSTIFICATION SO THAT WE MIGHT BE LED TO CHRIST SO THAT WE MAY BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.

BUT NOW THAT THE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, I.E., IN HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT HAS COME UPON HISTORY, WE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN HIM ARE NO LONGER UNDER LAW, I.E., "GUARDIAN-TRAINOR;" FOR WE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN CHRIST ARE THEREBY ALL SONS OF GOD. WE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST, WE HAVE PUT ON CHRIST. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE: WE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. AND SINCE WE ARE CHRIST'S, WE ARE SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM, HEIRS ACCORDING TO GOD'S PROMISE TO HIM AND ALL MANKIND TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE BY FAITH ALONE

(Gal 3:22a) The Purpose For Scripture Shutting Up All Things Under Sin Is To Make Man More Aware Of His Hopeless Sinful Condition Before God, Where There Is No Escaping God's Condemnation By Anything Man Can Do, So That The Promise Of God's Forgiveness And His Salvation By Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone Might Be Given To, i.e., Fulfilled In Those Who Choose To Believe In Him For That

(Gal 3:22b) The Purpose For Scripture Shutting Up All Things Under Sin Is To Make Man More Aware Of His Hopeless Sinful Condition Before God, Where There Is No Escaping God's Condemnation By Anything Man Can Do So That The Promise Of God's Forgiveness And His Salvation By Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone Might Be Given To, i.e., Fulfilled In Those Who Choose To Believe In Him For That

(Gal 3:23) But Before This Faith In Christ Would Historically Come Into The Minds Of Men - Before Christ's Substitutionary Atonement Occurred In History, Which Atonement Is The Fulfillment Of God's Promise To Abraham And All Mankind Relative To Salvation Unto Eternal Life To All Who Believe, Mankind Was Guarded Under Law: Mankind Was Shut Up / Restricted To The Only Means For Justification Unto Eternal Life: Faith Alone In God's Promise Alone To Abraham And Mankind, Which Fulfillment Is Through Faith In Abraham's Seed, Later In History To Be Revealed As And In Jesus Christ

(Gal 3:24) In View Of The Fact That The Law Indicates That No One Can Justify Himself Through His Own Efforts To Be Obedient To It, The Law Has Become Our [All Mankind's] "Guardian-Trainor" In Order To Prove Out Our Incapacity To Achieve Our Own Justification So That We Might Be Led To Christ So That We May Be Justified By Faith

(Gal 3:25-26) But Now That The Faith In Jesus Christ, i.e., In His Substitutionary Atonement Has Come Upon History, We Who Have Believed In Him Are No Longer Under Law, i.e., A "Guardian-Trainor." For We Who Have Believed In Christ Are Thereby All Sons Of God

(Gal 3:25-29) But Now That The Faith In Jesus Christ, i.e., In His Substitutionary Atonement Has Come Upon History, We Who Have Believed In Him Are No Longer Under Law, i.e., A "Guardian-Trainor." For We Who Have Believed In Christ Are Thereby All Sons Of God. We Have Been Baptized Into Christ. We Have Put On Christ. There Is Neither Jew Nor Greek, Neither Slave Nor Free Man, Neither Male Nor Female: We Are All One In Christ Jesus. And Since We Are Christ's, We Are Spiritual Descendants Of Abraham, Heirs According To God's Promise To Him And All Mankind To Inherit Eternal Life By Faith Alone

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I) (Gal 4:1-31)

1) [Compare Col 2:8]:

2) [Compare Gal 4:8-10]:

3) [Compare Gal 3:22-23]:

4) [Compare Jn 1:1-4, 9-14 ]:

5) [Compare Eph 1:5, 7, 13-14]:

****** EXCERPT FROM REDEMPTION STUDY ******

DEFINITION OF REDEMPTION

A cont) (Gal 4:1-7 cont) Now Paul Declares That In Ancient, First Century Societies That As Long As An Heir Is A Child, He Does Not Differ At All From A Slave Although He Is Owner Of Everything. But He Is Under Guardians And Managers Until The Date Of His Official Sonship Set By The Father. So Also We At This Time In History - Who Have Believed In Jesus Christ - While We Were Children - Before We Believed In Him - Were Held In Bondage Under The Elemental Things, The Ungodly Things Of The World. But When The Fullness Of The Time Came As Predetermined By God - He Sent Forth His Son, Born Of A Woman, Born Under The Law Of Moses, So That He Might Redeem Those Under Law - Under Rules Of Human Doing / Conduct, That We Who Have Been Redeemed Through Faith Might Receive The Adoption As Sons. And Because We Are His Sons, God Has Sent Forth The Spirit Of His Son Into Our Hearts, Crying 'Abba! Father!' Therefore We Are No Longer A Slave, But A Son; If A Son, Then An Heir Through God, (cont)

6) [Compare Gal 4:9]:

****** EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 8 ******

[Ro 8:15]:

BELIEVERS DID NOT AGAIN RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND FEAR OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN AND DEATH CHARACTERISTIC OF UNBELIEVERS. BELIEVERS RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF GOD - THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD TO WHOM THEY CRY OUT, 'ABBA, FATHER', EXEMPLIFYING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUR FATHER

THE BELIEVER WAS PREVIOUSLY STIPULATED AS A SLAVE TO GOD AND THE SOVEREIGN RULE OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH BEING IN A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP WITH 'ABBA FATHER' GOD

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 8 ******

A cont) (Gal 4:1-7 cont) Now Paul Declares That In Ancient, First Century Societies That As Long As An Heir Is A Child, He Does Not Differ At All From A Slave Although He Is Owner Of Everything. But He Is Under Guardians And Managers Until The Date Of His Official Sonship Set By The Father. So Also We At This Time In History - Who Have Believed In Jesus Christ - While We Were Children - Before We Believed In Him - Were Held In Bondage Under The Elemental Things, The Ungodly Things Of The World. But When The Fullness Of The Time Came As Predetermined By God - He Sent Forth His Son, Born Of A Woman, Born Under The Law Of Moses, So That He Might Redeem Those Under Law - Under Rules Of Human Doing / Conduct, That We Who Have Been Redeemed Through Faith Might Receive The Adoption As Sons. And Because We Are His Sons, God Has Sent Forth The Spirit Of His Son Into Our Hearts, Crying 'Abba! Father!' Therefore We Are No Longer A Slave, But A Son; If A Son, Then An Heir Through God, (cont)

7) [Compare Ro 8:17 ]:

B) (Gal 4:8-11) At That Time, When The Galatian Believers Did Not Know God, They Were Slaves To Those Which By Nature Are No gods. And Now, Having Known God As Savior And Father - But Rather Having Been Known By God As His Sons, Paul Asks, "How Do You Turn Again To The Weak And Worthless Elements To Which Anew You Desire To Serve. You Observe Days And Months And Seasons And Years. I Fear For You, That Perhaps I Have Labored Over You In Vain

1) [Compare 1 Cor 8:1-8]:

2) [Compare Gal 3:1-5 ]:

C) (Gal 4:12-20) [Paul Wrote In A Fatherly Tone "I Beg Of You, Brethren, Become As I Am, For I Also Have Become As You Are [Freed From Captivity Under Law]."

"You Have Done Me No Wrong... [Despite A Bodily Illness - A Trial] When I Preached For The First Time... You Did Not Despise Or Loathe Me, But You Received Me As An Angel [A Messenger] Of God, As [If] Christ Jesus Himself]

"Where Is That Sense Of Blessing You Had [For Me]? For I Bear Witness, If Possible You Would Have Plucked Out Your Eyes And Given Them To Me. So Have I Become Your Enemy By Telling You The Truth? They [The Judaizers] Are Zealous For You [To Join Them Against Me]. But Not For Good, They Wish To Shut [Me] Out, That ... You May Be Zealous After Them. Now It Is Always Good To Be Zealous About Good Things - And Not Just When I Am With You."

"My Children, With Whom I Am Again In Labor Until Christ Is Formed In You [Unto Spiritual Maturity] - How I Wish I Could Be With You Now And Change My Tone, Because I Am Perplexed About You."

1) [Compare Phil 3:1-6]:

2) [Compare Gal 1:1 ]:

****** EXCERPT FROM GALATIANS CHAPTER TWO AND ACTS CHAPTER 15 ******

[Compare Gal 2:9-10]:

[Compare Acts 15:4, 7-11]:

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM GALATIANS CHAPTER TWO AND ACTS CHAPTER 15 ******

3) [Compare Gal 2:19-20]:

D) (Gal 4:21-26) Paul Writes, "You [Galatian Believers] Want To Be Under Law. Do You Not Hear [Understand] The Law?" Abraham Had Two Sons, One By The Bondwoman - According To The Flesh [Law], And One By The Free Woman (Sarai  = The Promise)

Allegorically Speaking, Two Covenants Are In View: One Woman, The Bondwoman Hagar Represents The Law / Human Doing = Mt. Sinai In Arabia. These Are Born Of Hagar In Slavery, Corresponding To Earthly, Present Day Jerusalem. The Other, (The Free Woman Sarai) Correspond To The Promise To Believers Of A Heavenly Jerusalem Above, Which Is Our (Believers') Mother

1) [Compare Gen 17:15-19]:

2) [Compare Gen 16:1-16]:

a) (Gen 16:1-3) After Abram Had Lived In The Promised Land For Ten Years, His Wife, Sarai, In Faithlessness, Blamed The LORD For Her Childless Condition And As Was The Custom Of The Time, She Persuaded Abram To Take Her Egyptian Slave Servant Hagar As His Second Wife As A Substitute Child Bearer For Sarai. This Contradicted God's Covenant / Promise With Abram, Caused More Problems In Abram's Household And Jeopardized The Fulfillment of God's Covenant / Promise...

b) (Gen 16:4) Abram Took Hagar As His Wife As Sarai Suggested And When Hagar Conceived She Began To Openly Despise Sarai Her Mistress Knowing That The Child Would Not Be Hers, But Sarai's

i) [Compare Gen 16:2 NKJV]:

c) (Gen 16:5-6) Abram Slept With Hagar After Making Her His Second Wife And When Hagar Knew She Was Pregnant With His Child Who Would Be Given To Abram And Sarai As An Heir, Hagar Understandably Began To Openly Despise Sarai, Whereupon Sarai Reacted By Playing The Victim And Blaming Abram; Which Abram Then Gave Her Latitude To Do As She Wished, Resulting In Such Abuse That Hagar Fled Into The Wilderness

d) (Gen 16:7) The Angel Of The LORD, God's Unique Messenger / Agent, Who Is God, Made Himself As Human And Spoke With Hagar At A Spring Of Water At Shur On Her Way Back To Her Native Egypt

e) (Gen 16:8) The Angel Of The LORD Calls Hagar By Name And Refers To Her Position As A Female Slave, But Does Not Make An Issue Of Her Enslavement. Later He Tells Her To Go Back In Submission To Sarai. Hagar's Response Is Honest And Obedient

f) (Gen 16:9-10) The Angel Of The LORD Said To Hagar To Return To Sarai's Authority And Then Said That He Will Multiply Hagar's Descendants Will So That The Number Will Not Be Countable, Demonstrating The Omniscience Of God

g) (Gen 16:11-12) The Angel Of The LORD Declares Hagar Is With Child And Shall Bear A Son Implying Omniscience Hence Diety. Then He Tells Hagar To Call Her Son Ishmael Because The LORD Has Heard Of Her Affliction, (The Name Ishmael Means God Hears). Finally, The Angel Of The LORD Says that Ishmael Will Be A Wild Tempermental Man With His Hand Against Everyone And Will Live In Hostility Toward His Brothers

h) (Gen 16:13-14) Hagar Names The Angel Of The LORD 'You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees' Declaring That He Is God Whom She Has Seen In Human Form. The Well At Shur, In The Desert Between Kadesh And Bered, Was Named 'Beer Lahai Roi,' I.E., 'The Well Of A Living One My Seer'

i) (Gen 16:15-16) Hagar Bore Abram, Now Eighty-Six, A Son Whom He Named Ishmael, Meaning 'God Sees' Which Ironically Points To God Seeing Abram And Sarai Work Out A Problem Of Childlessness In Opposition To The Promise Of The LORD

3) [Compare Gen 21:1-12 ]:

(D cont) (Gal 4:21-26 cont.) Paul Writes, "You [Galatian Believers] Want To Be Under Law. Do You Not Hear [Understand] The Law?" Abraham Had Two Sons, One By The Bondwoman - According To The Flesh [Law], And One By The Free Woman (Sarai  = The Promise)

Allegorically Speaking, Two Covenants Are In View: One Woman, The Bondwoman Hagar Represents The Law / Human Doing = Mt. Sinai In Arabia. These Are Born Of Hagar In Slavery, Corresponding To Earthly, Present Day Jerusalem. The Other, (The Free Woman Sarai) Correspond To The Promise To Believers Of A Heavenly Jerusalem Above, Which Is Our (Believers') Mother, (cont.)

4) [Compare Gal 3:6-9, 13-16]:

a) (Gal 3:6) Abraham Believed In God's Plan For His Eternal Destiny And It Was Credited To Him As Righteousness. Abraham Was Thereby Justified Unto Eternal Life Before He Was Circumcised - Long Before God Instituted The Law Through Moses For Purposes Other Than To Attain Eternal Life Through Works

i) [Compare Gen 15:1-6]:

i_a) (Gen 15:1-6) Abram Believed In God's Plan For His Eternal Destiny And It Was Credited To Him As Righteousness. Abraham Was Thereby Justified Unto Eternal Life Before He Was Circumcised And Long Before God Instituted The Law Through Angels And Entrusted It To Moses For Purposes Other Than To Attain Eternal Life Through Works

b) (Gal 3:6-7) The Covenant Blessing Of Eternal Life Is One Which Is Available By Faith Alone For All Mankind

c) (Gal 3:6-9) Only those Who Are Of Faith Alone In The Seed Of Abraham Alone - In Christ Jesus - Are Sons Of Abraham Unto Eternal Life - Whether Jews And Gentiles. And Scripture Having Foreseen That God Would Justify The Gentiles By Faith, [He (God)] Preached The Gospel To Abraham Beforehand Saying, "In You All The Nations Shall Be Blessed." So Then Those Who Are Of Faith - Jew And Gentile Alike - Are Blessed With Abraham, The Believer In Christ Jesus.

i) (Gen 12:1-2) God Promises That Abram [Abraham] Will Be Father Of A Great Nation Leading To Eternal And Temporal Blessings For Abram & All Peoples - Jews And Gentiles - Through Abram [Abraham]

ii) (Gen 12:3 and Gal 3:8) God Promises Eternal Blessings / Life To Abram [Abraham] And To All The Families Of The Earth Through One Of Abraham's Descendants

d) (Gal 3:13-16) Christ Redeemed All Mankind From The Curse Of The Law In Order That In Christ Jesus The Fulfillment Of The Covenant / Blessing God Made With Abraham Might Come To The Gentiles Too, So That All Might Receive The Promise Of The Spirit And Eternal Life Through Faith In The Seed Of Abraham, Who Is Christ

i) [Compare Isa 9:6-7 ]:

ii) (Gal 3:16 and Gen 22:16-18) The Promises Were Spoken To Abraham And To His Seed, That Is, Christ

iii) (Gen 13:14-15) God Repeats His Promise To Abram [Abraham]

e) (Jn 8:56) Abraham Rejoiced To See The Day Of Christ Fulfilling The Promise Of A Savior Through Abraham

f) (Ro 4:1-3) Paul Verifies That Abraham Was Justified By Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone

g) (Heb 11:17-19) The Writer Of Hebrews Indicates That Abraham Concluded That He Would Be Raised Up From The Dead

D cont.) (Gal 4:21-26 cont.) Paul Writes, "You [Galatian Believers] Want To Be Under Law. Do You Not Hear [Understand] The Law?" Abraham Had Two Sons, One By The Bondwoman - According To The Flesh (Law), And One By The Free Woman (Sarai  = The Promise)

Allegorically Speaking, Two Covenants Are In View: One Woman, The Bondwoman Hagar Represents The Law / Human Doing = Mt. Sinai In Arabia. These Are Born Of Hagar In Slavery, Corresponding To Earthly, Present Day Jerusalem. The Other, (The Free Woman Sarai) Correspond To The Promise To Believers Of A Heavenly Jerusalem Above, Which Is Our (Believers') Mother, (cont.)

5) [Compare Rev 21:1-27]:

6) CHART ON PAUL'S ALLEGORY IN GAL 4

E) (Gal 4:27-31) You Are To Rejoice - Those Of The Promise Represented By Sarai Who Was Barren Yet Who Represents God's Promise Of Eternal Life By Faith Alone In God's Miraculous Procreation Through Her Unto A Descendant Of Abraham's, Who Is Christ. You Brothers - Fellow Believers In The Promise, Like Isaac - The Son Of God's Promise To Abraham: Through Abraham's Son, Isaac, Through Sarah, Are Children Of God's Promise. Those Destined For Eternal Desolation Will Be Much Greater In Number. Furthermore, Just As When Ismael Persecuted Isaac, So Those Who Are According To The Flesh / Human Doing Will Persecute Those Born According To The Spirit / By Faith Alone In God's Promise. Nevertheless, Those In Bondage To The Flesh / Law Are To Be Cast Out / Apart From And Have No Inheritance With Those Who Are Free According To The Spirit - According To Faith In God's Promise Through Abraham's Seed, Who Is Christ. So Then Brothers, We Believers Are Not Children Of The Bondwoman, i.e., Of Enslavement To Sin, But We Are Children Of Freedom Through Faith In The Promise To Be Born According To The Work Of The Spirit

1) [Compare Isa 54:1-6 Septuagint quoted by Paul in Gal 4:27]:

2) [Compare Gal 3:26-29 ]:

3) [Compare Ro 9:8

Galatians chapter 5