What is the meaning of Galatians 4:3? So also, • Paul has just illustrated how an heir, though owner of everything, is “no different from a slave” while under guardians (Galatians 4:1–2). “So also” draws a direct line from that picture to our own experience before Christ. • Just as a minor can’t yet enjoy his inheritance, humanity—both Jew and Gentile—was living in a kind of spiritual minority. Compare Romans 5:14, where death “reigned from Adam to Moses,” and Hebrews 9:9, where the old covenant worship pointed forward but could not yet give full access. when we were children, • The phrase points to immaturity, not innocence. We were spiritually undeveloped, needing supervision. – Galatians 3:23 describes us as “held in custody under the law.” – 1 Corinthians 3:1 speaks of believers who are “infants in Christ,” showing that childhood in Scripture often pictures limited understanding and restricted privilege. • Before conversion, even the most religious person is stuck in a childish stage—aware of rules, unable to keep them, and prone to trust what is seen rather than the unseen God (2 Corinthians 4:18). we were enslaved • Apart from Christ, every person is a slave—first to sin, then to the fear of death, and finally to the accusing power of the Law (Romans 6:17; John 8:34; Hebrews 2:15). • Slavery implies: – No freedom to choose righteousness (Romans 7:14). – No capacity to earn release (Ephesians 2:1–2). – Constant anxiety over meeting unattainable standards (Acts 15:10). • The gospel proclaims real emancipation: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). under the basic principles of the world • “Basic principles” (or “elemental forces”) refers to everything that keeps people in spiritual kindergarten—rituals, superstition, legalistic performance, and even demonic influence masquerading as religion. – Colossians 2:8 warns against “philosophy and empty deception… in accordance with the elemental spiritual forces of the world.” – Colossians 2:20 asks why, if we died with Christ, we still submit to “its regulations.” • For first-century Jews, these principles included the ceremonial law that pointed to Christ but could not save (Galatians 3:24). For Gentiles, they included pagan deities that “by nature are not gods” (Galatians 4:8). For modern people, they include any self-help system or religious checklist promising acceptance apart from the finished work of Jesus. • The common thread: each principle keeps us distracted from grace, chained to performance, and blind to the cross (2 Corinthians 4:4). summary Galatians 4:3 sketches our pre-conversion story: like minors, we lacked the maturity to enjoy our inheritance; like slaves, we were powerless to break free; and like victims of worldly ABCs, we were caught in a system that could only accuse, never save. Paul sets this backdrop so the next verses can explode with hope—God sent His Son, born under law, to redeem and adopt us (Galatians 4:4–5). Freed from childish slavery, we now stand as full heirs, crying, “Abba, Father!” |
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