Galatians 4

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 31 verses. Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: • Papyrus 46 (~AD 200) • Codex Vaticanus (325–50) • Codex Sinaiticus (330–60) • Papyrus 99 (~400) • Codex Alexandrinus (400–40) • Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; complete) • Codex Freerianus (~450; extant verses 8–10, 20–23) • Codex Claromontanus (~550) Old Testament references • Galatians 4:27 • : ==The Sending of the Son (4:1–7)==

In this part, Paul uses the illustration that an heir is in a better position than a slave to inherit an estate one day. God sent Jesus as his heir to "redeem those under the law", so "all who are in Christ Jesus might receive adoption." Verse 4 :But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, • "The fullness of the time": Paul believed and affirmed that the sending of Jesus Christ is at "the nodal point of salvation-history". • "Born of a woman": According to Cornelius a Lapide, this "denotes conception without a male". It is Paul's only reference to Saint Mary. • "Born under the law" means "born as a Jew." Verse 5 :to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. • "To redeem those who were under the law": means "to redeem from the 'curse of the law"' (Galatians 3:13), which is achieved by Christ's death "on which a curse was pronounced". Verse 6 : And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" • "And because you are sons": Some copies have "...sons of God"; the Ethiopian version reads "inasmuch as ye are his sons". "the Spirit of the King Messiah". ==Want to Be Enslaved Again? (4:8–11)==

This part exposes Paul's fear that the Galatians, who before becoming Christians were enslaved to idols, now after being believers of Christ would want to be enslaved again, by meticulously observing the Jewish calendar rituals. ==Paul's Perplexity (4:12–20)==

The verses 12–20 display Paul's "passionate concern" for the spiritual condition of the Galatians, whom he addressed as 'friends' or 'brethren' (verse 12) and 'my little children' (verse 19), and his wish to be personally present in their midst. ==The Hagar and Sarah Allegory (4:21–5:1)==

This part is considered as "Paul's striking final argument" to contrast the children born of 'a slave woman' (Hagar), that is "to be subject to the law", with the children born of 'a free woman' (Sarah) 'through the promise' and 'according to the Spirit'; a contrast between "law" and "grace". Verse 25 : for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— • "Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia": NRSV gives the second rendering in its note, "For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia". At the time, the Roman province of Arabia Petraea included the Sinai Peninsula. Verse 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." Citation from Isaiah 54:1 ==See also==