Chapter Four

Read Galatians chapter 4

The following are the lists we composed about some of the key words in Galatians chapter 4.

What do we learn from key words?

Law

The law is referred to here as “the elemental things” - it has held us in 

   bondage until the fullness of time came, when God sent His Son

The “elemental things” are weak and worthless, once you have come 

   to know God, or rather to be known by God (in other words, when 

   you came to faith)

Free (freedom, liberty)

The son of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh and the

   son of the free woman was born through the promise - an allegory 

   of the covenants

law produces bondage (earthly Jerusalem), the promise brings 

   freedom (heavenly Jerusalem)

The son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free

    woman (those under the law shall not be heirs with those under

    grace through faith)

We are children of the free woman

Some additional thoughts about Galatians chapter 4:

In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul reiterates a lot of what he just said in

    chapter 3

     verse 2 - “guardians and managers” - compare to Galatians 3:24

                                                                              “our tutor”

    verse 3 - “elemental things” - Paul is referring to the law

    verse 7 - Go back and read Galatians 3:29 - Read Rom. 8:16-17 

verse 9 asks the question:

    How is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless 

       elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over 

        again?

              Do they not realize the freedom that Christ has given them?

               - verse 11 Paul fears for them

verse 10 - the Galatians were observing the Jewish Sabbaths and 

    Feasts, thinking they were earning “brownie points” with God

verse 17 - “they” is referring to false teachers

   The false teachers were trying to get the Galatians to follow their 

       teachings, rather than Paul’s

verses 19-20 - Paul refers to the Galatians as his children - has a 

     deep concern for them wants to “straighten them out”

To summarize the rest of the chapter:

We cannot become children of God through works of the law

Read John 3:3-10 - It seems that the Galatians do not understand these things, either.  The Galatians strayed from the truth. They were doing fine when Paul was with them, but they fell prey to the false teachers. The same can happen to us, if we don’t stay grounded in the Word of God. It is so important that we continue to learn truth for ourselves, and grow spiritually, so that we won’t be deceived by false teachers and doctrines.