Gal. 3:26-4:7, No Longer Slaves but Sons

With respect to the Law, we have seen two thoughts as to its purpose.  It chains us and holds us under guard as sinners.  The Law makes it clear: all have sinned!  Then, the Law becomes God’s instrument to lead us to Christ; it is a tutor.  Its work is done when we place our faith in Christ as our Savior. 

In 3:26 Paul specifically addresses the churches in Galatia.  First he says, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Then he says, as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  He makes it clear in 3:28 that there are no exceptions to this, concluding in v29: if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Let’s be clear ourselves.  “Baptism” is not in conflict with “faith in Christ Jesus.”  The baptism he speaks of in one phrase is the baptism he discusses at length in Rom. 6:1-11.  When we trust Christ as our Savior, we are identified with or joined with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.  Water baptism is a picture of that transaction, a fact that would have been familiar to the Jewish believers. 

So why didn’t Paul just stay with the “faith” terminology?  Why did he bring up this “baptism” and our oneness with Christ?  The answer has to do with the “Seed” issue that he returns to in v29.  We, as believers, have been baptized into Christ.  All of us, Jewish and Greek believers, male and female believers, and so on.  We are one in Christ.  We are Abraham’s seed because we are all in the one Seed, Christ Jesus.

Now, pretend as if there is no chapter division, because the thought continues. He’s still speaking about the working of the Law, both in the hearts of individuals and in the life of the Jewish people.  It’s the “tutor” picture.  In Greek culture, the child was under a tutor until the father said it was time for his graduation, so to speak.  The father had little to do with the child; the child was the same as the slave.

Paul uses this illustration in two ways.  In 4:3-5 he uses it of the Jewish people.  They were in bondage under the rudiments of the world.  What does that mean?  Paul uses it here of Jews; in Col. 2:20 he uses it of Gentiles.  It speaks of the basic approach to religion, which has to do with being “under the law.”  At the right time, God sent His Son, who was born under the law, to redeem those under the law.  The result of Christ’s work was that now people could become sons of God, no longer under the tutor. 

In 4:6-7 Paul speaks personally, not just to the Galatian churches but to the Galatian believers.  You are now sons, by faith in Christ.  Because of that God has sent the Holy Spirit into our lives, producing a deep and personal relationship with Him as our Father.  Thus, we are no longer slaves but, in Christ, we are heirs.  This is marvelous, and I want to speak more about it in our next post.