Yesterday we looked at Galatians 4:4, as it pertained to Jesus. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” which clearly needs more information to complete its thrust.

Which today brings us to Galatians 4:5, “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Wow!

In God’s perfect timing, Jesus came! The Greatest Apostle (a Greek word meaning “Sent One”) of all!

And (surprisingly) Jesus took a place (among us human beings) “under the law!” 

The preposition here is “hupo,” and is translated “under” 48 times in the New Testament. It is also rendered “with” 14 times!

Jesus came to earth planning to live obediently, submissively “in accordance” to the Law of Moses! (By the way, He never failed in keeping that Law, either! Not once!) 

He was accused of transgressing the Law, but falsely accused!

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus rightly said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Wow!

Romans 10:4 applies here, too! Beautifully so! “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” With “end” meaning “termination,” or “the utmost limit.”

Wow!

But still, in today’s verse, WHY did Jesus come? Other than showing God’s Law was “doable” by a Man Who was totally “sold out” to the Father! By the God-Man! By the Son of God! By God the Son!

Here’s why: “To redeem them that were under the law.”

I too was “under” that Law! As you were!

“Under” it, being crushed by it! (It’s the Greek “hupo” again.)

Under it as a guilty sinner!

Under it as a rebel!

Under it as deserving of death!

Remember what James later wrote: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” See James 2:10, to be exact.

So … Jesus came “to set me free” from that bondage! To “redeem” me! I mean us!

The King James again: “To redeem them that were under the law.”

And that verb “redeem?”

In Greek it’s spelled “exagorazo,” meaning “to ransom.” More so, “to pay a price in order to recover some lost entity!”

(Jesus came to the “slave market” of sin, where the Law was holding us prisoner! And “bought us” at auction, what a Price He paid! Thereby lovingly leaving us forever indebted to His saving, marvelous Grace!)

Yes, Jesus “bought” (with His shed Blood on the Cross of Calvary) our liberty, our salvation!

Then offered it to us as a “Gift!”

Received simply “by faith” in His Death, Burial and Resurrection!

Wow again!

“To redeem them that were under the law.”

Jesus … a Job well done!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

(I realize I did not “finish” discussing the verse this morning. But the idea of “adoption” is too vast and thrilling to discuss briefly!)

So, the Lord willing, Monday morning … “that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The last clause of Galatians 4:5.

And … at the risk of being criticized:

Wow!

 

One of the Epistle’s best known verses today!

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4, but verse 5 is equally as important, completing the thought! Verse 5, tomorrow’s Text, the Lord willing.

The first phrase here is unique to Scripture, “the fulness of the time.” The phrase is, but certainly not the truth behind it. God always does things on time! (As in: “In due time Christ died for the ungodly.”) Amen!

Paul’s point is (in regard to the Law of Moses) God the Father send His Son (Jesus) into the world (Virgin-born) to live “under the Law!” To fully obey the Law! To never once (not even close) break any of the Law! Jesus Who lived His whole earthly Existence “without sin!”

And this same Jesus then … died on the Cross … to pay our penalty for disobeying the Law! He Alone could have done that, He being perfectly victorious over the Law!

Furthermore, in our verse today the clause “made of a woman” in keenly interesting. Generally in ancient literature the “man” is the main actor in childbirth! HE begat that boy or girl!

Here God overlooks “custom” and emphasizes the “woman!” Not the “man!” Because no “man” had a part in Jesus coming to earth, His birth! He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, hence the term we often use, the Virgin Birth.

Wow!

Jesus, the Son of God, literally!

I love Galatians 4:4 for all these reasons, and more.

It gallantly exalts our Saviour!

Jesus born …

* on time!

* deputized of God!

* birthed by a woman (only), not Joseph!

* completely obeying the Law, every facet of it, properly applied!

Wow again!

God, in saving lost souls, sure did it right!

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I am a little late today posting the Lesson.

But what a Text it is!

“When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law!” Galatians 4:4

Wow!

Why a delay?

Earlier this morning I recorded a new CD Sermon (Hosea chapter 6, verse by verse) to mail to our “financial supporters.” We do this each month. It’s our way of personally saying “thank you” for such faithful generosity!

That (joyfully) takes a while, of course.

I am now writing today’s Lesson, however.

It will be here soon!

Dr. Mike Bagwell

Yesterday driving home Debbie and I ate at a quaint little mountain restaurant.

Yes, the “Cookie Jar!”

Old fashioned farm-grown vegetables, too!

The front porch!

Country dining!

The view driving there, at a scenic roadside parking area!

We thought you might enjoy these pictures.

We love y ‘all!

 

Paul, talking about things as they were “before Jesus came to earth,” has humanity living in “slavery!” His words, “under tutors and governors.” Controlled by a person the Bible calls a “schoolmaster!”

And today the Apostle goes even further. “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.” Galatians 4:3

The phrase “in bondage” translates “douloo,” but as a perfect, passive participle! Being “held” under the heavy weight of slavery!

The Law of Moses never made anyone free!

Only Jesus Christ can do that! 

“If the SON therefore shall make you FREE, ye shall be FREE INDEED.” John 8:36

The noun “children” (in our Text) is “nepios” again, “minors” (not of legal age) but also rendered “babes” six times in the King James Version. At times, “infants” are meant.

Before we were “saved,” I think Paul is saying.

Then again, maybe prior to the “Virgin Birth” and vicarious “Death” and literal “Resurrection” of Jesus too!

But, still referring to our verse today … under bondage to what?

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD.”

This noun, “elements,” (in Greek “stoicheion”) is interesting! It literally means “any first thing, something beginning a series of other sequential things.”

Let me illustrate.

Our alphabet … A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L … and so on! (The ABC’s, folks!)

That’s clearly a series, with “A” being the first of the chain.

Our numbers (which we learned as little children) will work as well. As in: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 … and so on. A sequence!

In like manner the verb “stoicheo” means “to march in a line, taking your proper place.” Its parent verb is “steicho” which means “to arrange in order, in a regular line.”

So, what’s Paul’s idea here?

Identify these “elements,” please.

Probably (again) the Law of Moses!

Virtually the Books of Genesis through Deuteronomy!

Commandment number 1, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, then 6, then 7, then 8 … all the way to number 613, if the old Rabbi’s have counted correctly!

Wow, what a chain!

To live life strictly under that “regimen” would indeed be torture, “slavery!”

(By the way, that is exactly the way Paul did live his life as Saul of Tarsus! From Philippians 3, we learn of him … “If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the LAW, a Pharisee, touching the righteousness which is in the law, BLAMELESS.”)

But, as tomorrow’s Lesson will emphasize … Jesus came!

And died on Calvary!

And now offers us (while not at all condoning iniquity) Liberty!

Slavery behind!

Spirt Filled life ahead!

Remember 2 Corinthians 3:17 … “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” And He lives this very second … in my heart!

Yours too, if you’re born-again.

Free in Jesus!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Hallelujah!

I realize I often write myself into a spirit of praise!

Lots of Lessons have ended this way … “Thanks be unto God!”

 

Paul makes a great chronological Statement today, actually part of a divinely inspired Clause we began considering yesterday morning. (That Lesson is archived here for you, if you missed it.)

“But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” Galatians 4:2 … with a child, a minor, being the one who “is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”

Basically Paul is here taking a “dispensational” view of God’s overall Plan. In the history of Israel, NO … in the history of mankind, God resorted to the Law of Moses to help show man what a failure (sinner) he was, that Law clearly identifying and classifying the iniquity, the rebellion! That would be our deep-seated disobedience to God!

And I believe Paul is here (in today’s verse) using two word pictures to illustrate that Law.

First, that of a “tutor,” in Greek spelled “epitropos,” meaning “one into whose care a prized person or thing has been entrusted for safekeeping.” At times even “for an education!” Literally “epitropos” means we have “been turned” a “certain way!” Turned from thinking we are “pretty good” in God’s Eyes … to realizing “we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God!”

And goodness, does the Law do that! It even educates us! Humiliates us! Shows us our shortcomings! And convicts us all as despicable sinners!

Wow!

Secondly, a word with which we are more familiar, “governor.” Here is the Greek noun “oikonomos,” the head slave in a Roman household who was in charge of “running the place,” enforcing the Master’s laws!” (Our English word “economy” is derived therefrom!)

God put the Law of Moses “in charge” (by legislative prowess) … urging to us the stark reality of the fact of our depravity! Our propensity to do things for ourselves … rather than doing things for God! 

Wow!

But just a minute!

The Law held that position temporarily, looks like.

We were … “under tutors and governors UNTIL THE TIME APPOINTED of the father.” Until we became “of age,” no longer a child, an infant!

And we learned yesterday …“until Jesus came” to fully, completely obey that Law (the Only One Who ever did) and yet (Jesus) to suffer its Penalty for those of us who could not obey it!

Now my loyalty is NOT to the Law, not to Moses!

My loyalty is to Jesus!

Moses operated his system by fear.

Jesus operates His by Love!

Oh, I am so thankful today that the “time has come!”

Jesus has finished the Work God gave Him to do!

And I, by faith in Jesus (not by slavishness to the Law) am saved!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell