What is the meaning of Galatians 4:5? Context Paul is explaining why, at exactly the right moment in history, “God sent His Son… born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4). Verse 5 gives the purpose of that sending. To redeem • “To redeem” means to buy back at a price. Christ’s death was the ransom payment (1 Timothy 2:5-6). • The picture echoes the marketplace image in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.” • Redemption is not theoretical; it required the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:12). Those under the law • “Those under the law” refers first to Israel, who lived under the Mosaic covenant (Romans 3:19). • Yet Paul has already shown that the Law imprisons everyone in sin’s guilt (Galatians 3:22). Thus both Jew and Gentile need redeeming. • Jesus placed Himself “under the Law” (v. 4) so He could meet its demands perfectly (Matthew 5:17) and bear its penalty for others (Isaiah 53:6). That we might receive • Redemption is the means; reception is the result. Salvation is a gift to be received, not earned (Ephesians 2:8-9). • Paul’s “we” includes all who trust Christ, abolishing any spiritual caste system (Galatians 3:28). Our adoption as sons • Adoption speaks of legal placement into God’s family with full rights. Believers are not merely forgiven servants; they are inheriting children (Romans 8:15-17). • The Father’s purpose stretches beyond rescue from wrath to intimate relationship. Hence God sends “the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). • Sonship secures an unfading heritage—“an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). summary Galatians 4:5 teaches that Jesus entered our world and met every demand of the Law in order to pay the price we could never afford. By trusting in His finished work we are not only liberated from condemnation but welcomed as beloved sons and daughters, enjoying all the privileges and inheritance that belong to the family of God. |
    |