GALATIANS LESSON 7


     We will begin this lesson in 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;"

     We see in this, that Paul is still speaking of the same things
that he did in chapter 3, but with a slightly different slant. Some
servants were entrusted with the wealth of the family. This was the
case with Abraham. His trusted servant was even sent to bring a wife
for Isaac. A small child will inherit his father's fortune, if the
father dies. When he is small, he is not capable of handling the
affairs. In a case such as this the trusted servant would care for the
inheritance for the child, until he became of age. It may all belong
to him, but he cannot take possession, until he is more mature. The
child must be in obedience to his father the same as the servant,
until he is of age.

     Galatians 4:2 "But is under tutors and governors until the time
appointed of the father."

     This is reverting back to the schoolmaster in the chapter before.
A brand new Christian can not really handle his own affairs, until he
is schooled in God's ways.  It is really not for us to decide when we
are ready to be released from training. Only God knows when we can
begin to teach, instead of being taught.

     Galatians 4:3 "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage
under the elements of the world:"

     The battle raging for a Christian is the battle between the flesh
and the spirit. When we are first saved, habits still call out to our
flesh, and put us under bondage of the desires of our flesh. As we
grow in the Lord, our spirit becomes stronger and takes over control.
When the spirit reigns, sin no longer has us under bondage. We
overcome the world and the flesh, and live for Jesus.

     Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

     In heaven, Jesus was the Word of God. At a time appointed of the
Father, the Son of God was sent to this earth in the form of man to
save His people. The Holy Spirit hovered over Mary, and she conceived
of the Spirit of God. The flesh of the Lord Jesus was as a man. It was
a flesh body. It {the body of Jesus} was made under the law. Mary was
a natural woman. The body of Jesus was natural man. The Spirit, within
that body, was God the Son, or God the Word. Jesus was made of the
woman and not of man. In Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 this had been
promised. 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."  The Father of Jesus was not Joseph.
The Father of Jesus was God. This plan had been made from the
foundation of the world.
     Galatians 4:5 "To redeem them that were under the law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons."

     The reason that all must be redeemed from the law, is the fact
that by the law all are condemned to die. The law brings death. Romans
6:23 "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is]
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Every Christian has been
redeemed by Jesus Christ with His precious blood and been adopted into
the family of God. We are the adopted sons of the Father, if we accept
Jesus as our Saviour Redeemer.

     Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

     Only Jesus and Jesus' followers can call the Father Abba. This
means sweet heavenly Father. It is actually the Spirit of Jesus within
us that cries out Abba. The Holy Spirit within us reveals the fact to
us of our sonship. This Spirit of the Risen Christ within us opens our
understanding to this.

     Galatians 4:7 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

     Our inheritance is in Christ and we are His inheritance as well.
I Peter 1:4 "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"  We must not lose sight
of the fact that Paul is explaining to these Galatians the benefits of
the grace of God over the law. The Judaizers were trying to put them
back under the law. Christians receive sonship through the Spirit of
Christ within them.

     Galatians 4:8 "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service
unto them which by nature are no gods."

     Many of the Galatians had been heathen people, before they
received Christ as their Saviour. They truly had not known what, or
whom to worship, until they received the Truth through Jesus Christ.
The creation of God is not to be worshipped. Anything that you can see
with your natural eye is not God. The things of nature can glorify
God, but they are not God and should not be worshipped. They
worshipped things which really were not God.

     Galatians 4:9 " But now, after that ye have known God, or rather
are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"

     Paul is speaking directly to the Christians in Galatia now. We
will never really know God in the fullest sense, until we are in
heaven with Him. He knows us though. How can they even think of
turning away from the freedom they know in Christianity and go back to
the bondage of the law?

     Galatians 4:10 "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and
years."
     This was very much a part of the law. This observance of days had
to do with the Sabbath and with the feast of the law. There are some
religions today who are doing like these people in Galatia were doing.
On one hand they wanted the benefits of Christianity, but they were
very much caught up in the law. This is one of the reasons the
Christians celebrate Sunday instead of Saturday for their holy day.
The Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The others
are living in the law.

     Galatians 4:11 "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you
labour in vain."

     Paul is feeling as if they have forgotten everything he taught
them. To observe all of the law, would be to say that Jesus' sacrifice
was not sufficient to fulfill all of the law. Paul says, perhaps, I
have wasted my time on you.

     Galatians 4:12 "Brethren, I beseech you, be as I [am]; for I [am]
as ye [are]: ye have not injured me at all."

     Paul had to face this very thing himself. He had been taught from
his youth the law. He had even observed some of the same things he is
speaking against here. Paul says, look, I have overcome that. Paul
realizes that you can not practice the law and grace at the same time.
We must choose between the two. Paul is trying to make them understand
that everything was taken care of in Jesus Christ. They had not caused
him to fall away from grace. Romans 8:38 "For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,"  Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

     Galatians 4:13 "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I
preached the gospel unto you at the first."

     We know that Paul had an infirmity of the flesh. He did stay with
them for a while and preach, in spite of his infirmity. "Infirmity",
in the verse above, means feebleness of body or mind. It could, also,
mean malady, frailty, disease, sickness, or weakness. It was an effort
on Paul's part to bring them the message.

     Galatians 4:14 "And my temptation which was in my flesh ye
despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, [even]
as Christ Jesus."

     Whatever the problem that Paul had, did not cause these people to
reject hearing the message of the gospel to them. There are all sorts
of speculation as to what the problem was, I will not add to that
confusion by guessing. If we were supposed to know, the Lord would
tell us. They had overlooked the infirmity and received him as a
ministering spirit from the Lord. If we minister the way God would
have us to, we do not speak of ourselves. We allow the Lord Jesus to
minister through us. This was the case with Paul. Paul opened his
mouth and the Lord Jesus Christ spoke through him to the people. The
people accepted the message, knowing that Christ was speaking through
Paul.

     Galatians 4:15 "Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I
bear you record, that, if [it had been] possible, ye would have
plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me."

     Paul is disturbed, because they had turned away from that first
message they had so readily accepted. He says, you believed every word
I said and you would have done anything to help me. Why have you
changed your mind about the gospel of Christ? Paul is trying to
explain to them that Truth never changes. Where did your love for the
message I brought go?

     Galatians 4:16 "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell
you the truth?"

     The problem is that while Paul was away, the enemy crept in. Paul
had brought the Truth, but while he was away, they began to believe a
lie. They had even turned against Paul, because he is telling them the
Truth. Paul loves them and wants to be their friend, but more than
that, he wants them to accept the Truth.
































                        Galatians 7 Questions


1.  The heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a
    _________.
2.  What Old Testament person entrusted the choosing of a wife for his
    son to his servant?
3.  He is under tutors and governors until when?
4.  What must a brand new Christian do before he can handle his
    affairs?
5.  Who knows when someone is ready to teach instead of being taught?
6.  In verse 3, what were these children in bondage under?
7.  What is the battle that rages within a new Christian?
8.  When did God send His Son?
9.  Jesus was made of a woman, made under the ___.
10. What was Jesus called in heaven, before He came to the earth as
    Saviour?
11. Jesus' body was as a natural man, what was within that body?
12. Quote Genesis chapter 3 verse 15.
13. Who was Jesus' Father?
14. What does verse 5 say, Christians were redeemed from the law to
    receive?
15. The wages of sin is _______.
16. Who can call the Father Abba?
17. What reveals the fact of our sonship to us?
18. Quote 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 4.
19. Who were trying to put them back under the law?
20. What had many of the Galatians been, before they received Christ?
21. The things of nature can __________ God, but are not to be
    ___________.
22. Quote Galatians chapter 4 verse 9.
23. What things had they been observing?
24. Paul felt that he had bestowed labor on them in ______.
25. To observe the law would be saying what?
26. Quote Romans chapter 8 verses 38 and 39.
27. What was Paul's infirmity?
28. How had they received Paul at first?
29. What terrible extent would they have gone to for Paul at the
    first?
30. Why had they started believing something that Paul had not taught
    them?