Galatians 4 Breakdown (Updated)

1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,

While the child is waiting for his inheritance, he is really no different than a slave in terms of how he is looked upon from the master. It doesn’t matter that he is the master of all, it only matters that he does not have authority as of yet. This is a distinction between Yeshua and the Law of YHWH.

2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

It wasn’t until YHWH gives the word of appointment that Yeshua was granted authority above the Law.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

Before we knew our Creator and Savior, we were in bondage to sin, which is an element of the world.

 

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

When YHWH determined the time was right, He sent Yeshua the Savior into the world, under the law of sin, just as the rest of us are born. This would ensure He faced every temptation we face, in the same manner as we do.

5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

He was sent to redeem those still under the law of sin and death. This law is that which came from Adam. When he chose to sin it brought about death.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Now, because we can be grafted into Israel, we can receive the Spirit of YHWH, sent by YHWH.

 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of[b] God through Christ.

Because of this grafting in, we are no longer a slave to sin, but a son to YHWH making us an heir to His promises.

8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

Before you knew YHWH, you served things which were not gods. Basically Paul is saying you worshiped as the pagans do. We must remember Paul is speaking to the Galatians here. Galatia is in modern day Turkey. The Galatians were previously all pagan with descendants from the scattered House of Israel living within the city. They had all but abandoned their belief in YHWH and turned to the worship of idols, similarly to the reason their fathers were scattered in the first place.

9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

Paul is asking what’s going on now they know who YHWH is and can return to Him. There were some Jews who were following Paul around telling all the newly converted Believers they must keep all the Torah laws in order to be saved. If they did not do these deeds, they could not receive salvation. This idea is similar to what they had been doing in the pagan religions. That is why Paul says they seem to desire to be in bondage. If the Galatians did not know YHWH before Paul came, then how could they turn back to the ways of keeping Torah? It seems the argument for many Christians today is keeping Torah is bondage. This is in direct opposition to what is taught in the Bible. Keeping Torah is freedom, brings liberty, and is a light for our lives. How can something God calls freedom be called bondage? There is something else going on here and as I stated, it was the false believers, a sect of the Jews who were claiming a requirement for salvation was to keep all the commandments, as well as their own oral law.

10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

Paul is calling them out here. We must remember, again, these are the Galatians, formerly pagan people. They had never before observed YHWH’s Holy Days, and feasts. Due to this fact, we cannot assume these people are now practicing the Holy feast days, but rather they were being influenced by other pagans, probably friends and family who had not converted to Christianity, who were continuing in pagan holidays and seasons.

11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Paul is concerned they are turning their back on everything he had taught them. What he teaches is very difficult to comprehend and he feels he did all of it for nothing. We know Paul is difficult to understand and comprehend because Peter tells us so.

2 Peter 3:14-16

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

We must entertain the idea of Paul being difficult to understand, and doing so we cannot simply take what he says word for word without understanding the entire context in which he is quoting or discussing. That being said, know this, Paul talks about being saved through faith because of Grace. It is after being saved we desire to keep the commands of YHWH. He goes on to say keeping those very same laws is not what saves us. This seems to be the most difficult thing for people to understand.

12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.

Paul tells the Galatians to be as he is, following the things he taught.

13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.

Paul originally went to them and taught while he was ill.

14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

During that time they did not reject him but received him as a messenger of YHWH.

15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.

He asks them why they were blessed by what he preached. He even says they believed him to the point they would have given their eyes for him. So he is completely lost as to why they are turning from what he taught them. Turning from the message they believed so strongly.

16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

Paul wonders what the deal is, do they believe the Jews so much now that Paul is considered an enemy because he preaches against what they now believe, which is a lie. The Galatians allowed the Jews to come in and pervert their belief system in such a way they think salvation requires works, not just that found in the Bible, but also the oral law.

17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

The Circumcision sect of Jews are causing you to believe them, even though nothing good can come from it. They want to remove you and your zeal for us, and desire them.

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

Being zealous is not bad, so long as you’re zealous about good things, and you don’t have to be zealous only when Paul is present.

19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Paul will continue to fight for these Galatians.

20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Paul desires to be with them again to teach them, and he would be a bit harsher this time because he is not fully convinced the Galatians will keep their faith.

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

He wants answers from those who currently believe what the Circumcision sect of the Jews have taught.

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

Paul again goes into the Torah to explain his point of view.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Ishmael was not the promised son for Abraham. He was the son born not to Sarah, but to Hagar, and this went against what YHWH wanted Abraham to do. Therefore, Ishmael was born according to the flesh, Abraham and Sarah thought their way would be better in ensuring Abraham had children. Isaac was born to Sarah and was the promised child to Abraham of YHWH.

24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

Paul states these two children are symbolic for future events. These are the two covenants we see now, one of the flesh, wish is rooted in sin and keeping man’s ways above YHWH’s ways, as Abraham did to conceive Ishmael.

25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

Keeping man’s ways will always lead men into bondage. When YHWH tells us to do a thing, we must trust Him and do that thing. Abraham did not do this and tried to rush YHWH’s promise which ultimately resulted in YHWH’s people living in bondage.

26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Jerusalem which is in heaven is free, and this is where we desire to end. Keeping the Law of YHWH is freedom.

Psalm 119:45

And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

The English word liberty literally means to be free within a society. A synonym for the word precepts is laws. So, King David literally said, “I will walk in freedom, because I keep your law”. 

27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1 here. Sarah was barren, but Hagar was not. Sarah’s descendants became not only the Jews, but parts of every nation on earth. Hagar’s descendants make up what we know as Islam today.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

We, believers, can become grafted into the promise YHWH gave to Abraham.

29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

Ishmael and his descendants persecuted Isaac and his descendants, and this still continues to this day. We will be persecuted, by all non-believers, but it seems the major persecutor of Believers is Islam, in our world today.

30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Paul quotes the Torah again, Genesis 21:10. Ishmael and what we know as Islam will never be heir with Isaac and the believers of YHWH. This goes hand in hand with my theory on the end times. Abraham was commanded to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. To take this a step further, Islam follows a set of deeds which must be done in order to receive salvation, those deeds may not be the same as those from the Judaism, but nevertheless, it is still a deeds based salvation. Just something to consider.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Paul simply states, we as believers, are heirs to Abraham based on our faith in YHWH. It was Christ’s death which nullified the first covenant allowing a New Covenant to come into play. By nullifying the first covenant we are now all starting over with no sin against YHWH. In choosing to believe His ways are better than ours and having faith in this idea, we are granted salvation as a gift. By keeping the commands found in the Torah, we show our love for YHWH the way He wants us to show our love. In this faith in YHWH, we become children of the free woman, Jerusalem from above, and heirs to Abrahams promise.