The New Testament believer is no longer a slave to works under law but is a son in life under grace.

Abba is an Aramaic word, and Father is the translation of the Greek word Pater. Such a term was used first by the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane while He was praying to the Father (Mark 14:36). The combining of the Aramaic title with the Greek title expresses a stronger affection in crying to the Father. Such an affectionate cry implies an intimate relationship in life between a genuine son and a begetting father.

The parallel verse, Rom. 8:15, says that we who have received a spirit of sonship cry in this spirit, "Abba, Father!" whereas here it says that the Spirit of God's Son is crying in our hearts, "Abba, Father!" This indicates that our regenerated spirit and the Spirit of God are mingled as one, and that our spirit is in our heart. This indicates also that the sonship of God is realized by us through our subjective experience in the depth of our being. In this verse, Paul appealed to such an experience of the Galatian believers for the supporting of his revelation. This appeal was quite convincing and subduing because it contained not only objective doctrines but also subjective, experiential facts.

Actually, the Spirit of God came into our spirit at the time of our regeneration (John 3:6; Rom. 8:16). Because our spirit is hidden in our heart (1 Pet. 3:4), and because the word here refers to a matter that is related to our feeling and understanding, both of which belong to our heart, this verse says that the Spirit of God's Son was sent into our hearts.

God's Son is the embodiment of the divine life (1 John 5:12). Hence, the Spirit of God's Son is the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2). God gives us His Spirit of life not because we are law keepers but because we are His sons. As law keepers, we have no right to enjoy God's Spirit of life; as the sons of God, we have the position with the full right to participate in the Spirit of God, who has the bountiful supply of life. Such a Spirit, the Spirit of the Son of God, is the focus of the blessing of God's promise to Abraham (Gal. 3:14).

Verses Gal. 4:4-6 of this chapter speak of the Triune God's producing of many sons for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose. God the Father sent forth God the Son to redeem us from the law that we might receive the sonship. He also sent forth God the Spirit to impart His life into us that we might become His sons in reality.

Christ's redemption brings us into the sonship of God that we may enjoy the divine life. God's economy is not to make us keepers of the law, obeying the commandments and ordinances of the law, which was given only for a temporary purpose. God's economy is to make us sons of God, who inherit the blessing of God's promise, which was given for His eternal purpose. God's eternal purpose is to have many sons for His corporate expression (Heb. 2:10; Rom. 8:29). Hence, He predestinated us unto sonship (Eph. 1:5) and regenerated us to be His sons (John 1:12-13). We should remain in His sonship that we may become His heirs to inherit all that He has planned for His eternal expression, and should not appreciate the law and thereby be distracted to Judaism.

God's chosen people were shut up by the law under its custody (Gal. 3:23). Christ was born under law in order to redeem God's chosen people from the custody of the law that they might receive the sonship and become the sons of God. Hence, they should not return to the custody of the law to be under its slavery, as the Galatians were seduced to do, but should remain in the sonship of God to enjoy the life supply of the Spirit in Christ.

Christ was born under law, as revealed in Luke 2:21-24, 27, and kept the law, as revealed in the four Gospels.

The virgin Mary (Luke 1:27-35). The Son of God was born of her to be the seed of woman, as promised in Gen. 3:15.

Sabbaths, new moons (Isa. 66:23).

Sacred months, such as the first, Abib, the ear month (Exo. 13:4); the second, Ziv, the flower month (1 Kings 6:1, 37); the seventh, Ethanim, the month of streaming rivers (1 Kings 8:2); and the eighth, Bul, the month of rain (1 Kings 6:38).

Festal seasons, such as the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Chron. 8:13).

Perhaps sabbatical years (Lev. 25:4).

Paul labored upon the Galatians to bring them into Christ under grace. Their turning to the Jewish religious observances could have caused Paul's labor upon them to be in vain.

The completion of the Old Testament time, which occurred at the time appointed by the Father (v. 2).

The same Greek word as for rudiments in Heb. 5:12. I.e., elementary principles, referring to the rudimentary teachings of the law (see note Col. 2:8^3c). So also in v. 9.

The time appointed by the father refers to the time of the New Testament, beginning with the first coming of Christ.

Guardians are wardens, and stewards are administrators. These describe the functions of the law in God's economy.

The same Greek word as for little children in Eph. 4:14, referring to a minor. So also in v. 3.

See note Gal. 3:26^1a.

One who is of full age according to the law (the Roman law is used for illustration) and who is qualified to inherit the father's estate.

The New Testament believers become heirs of God not through the law nor through their fleshly father but through God, even the Triune God — the Father, who sent forth the Son and the Spirit (vv. 4, 6); the Son, who accomplished redemption for sonship (v. 5); and the Spirit, who carries out the sonship within us (v. 6).

The gods, the idols, do not have the divine nature. They were considered gods by their superstitious worshippers, but by nature they are not gods.

Lit., serve as a slave.

I.e., zealously court them.

It is always good to zealously court someone in a good thing or in the proper preaching of the gospel. However, this should have taken place not only when Paul was present with them. By this word Paul indicated that he was not narrow, i.e., he did not prohibit others from preaching the gospel to the Galatians; rather, he rejoiced in others' preaching (Phil. 1:18).

Paul considered himself the begetting father and the Galatian believers his children begotten of him in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 4:15; Philem. 1:10).

Paul was free from the bondage of Jewish observances. He besought the Galatians to become as he was.

Paul became as a Gentile was, for the truth of the gospel.

In his first ministry journey Paul was detained in Galatia because of physical weakness. While there, he preached the gospel to the Galatians.

Lit., spit out.

The Galatians formerly considered it a blessing that Paul was detained in their place and preached the gospel to them. They were happy about this and boasted of it. That became their felicitation. However, now that they had departed from Paul's preaching of the gospel, the apostle questioned them, "Where then is your felicitation, your happiness, your blessedness?"

The Galatians appreciated Paul's preaching and loved him to such an extent that they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to him. This may indicate that Paul's physical weakness (v. 13) was in his eyes. This can perhaps be confirmed by his use of large letters in his writing to them (Gal. 6:11). This weakness may also have been the thorn in his flesh, a physical weakness, which he prayed would be removed from him (2 Cor. 12:7-9).

I.e., zealously court you.

Not in an honorable, commendable way.

I.e., exclude you from the proper preaching of the gospel, the gospel of grace.

This book deals strongly with the matter of deviating from Christ by being under the law. Such deviation shuts the believers out from the enjoyment of Christ as their life and their everything.

According to the succeeding verses, the law here includes the book of Genesis. The entire Old Testament is called the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:40). The first part is the Law, and the second, the Prophets.

Painful toil in childbirth. In this metaphor Paul likened himself to a mother who gives birth to a child. He had labored in this way to regenerate the Galatians when he first preached the gospel to them. Because they deviated from the gospel that he had preached to them, he was toiling again in travail until Christ would be formed in them.

Christ, a living person, is the focus of Paul's gospel. Paul's preaching, which differed greatly from the teaching of the law in letters, was to bring forth Christ, the Son of the living God, in the believers. Hence, this book is emphatically Christ-centered. Christ was crucified (Gal. 3:1) to redeem us out of the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13) and rescue us out of the evil religious course of the world (Gal. 1:4), and He was resurrected from the dead (Gal. 1:1) that He might live in us (Gal. 2:20). We were baptized into Him, being identified with Him, and have put Him on, clothing ourselves with Him (Gal. 3:27). Thus, we are in Him (Gal. 3:28) and have become of Him (Gal. 3:29; 5:24). On the other hand, He has been revealed in us (Gal. 1:16), He is now living in us (Gal. 2:20), and He will be formed in us (v. 19). To Him the law has conducted us (Gal. 3:24), and in Him we are all sons of God (Gal. 3:26). It is in Him that we inherit God's promised blessing and enjoy the all-inclusive Spirit (Gal. 3:14). Furthermore, it is in Him that we are all one (Gal. 3:28). We should not be deprived of all profit from Him and thus be severed from Him (Gal. 5:4). We need Him to supply us with His grace in our spirit (Gal. 6:18) that we may live Him.

When the Galatian believers were regenerated through Paul's preaching of the gospel to them the first time, Christ was born into them but not formed in them. Here the apostle was travailing again that Christ might be formed in them. To have Christ formed in us is to have Christ fully grown in us. First, Christ was born into us at the time we repented and believed in Him, then He lives in us in our Christian life (Gal. 2:20), and, finally, He will be formed in us at our maturity. Christ's being formed in us is needed that we may be sons of full age and heirs to inherit God's promised blessing, and that we may mature in the divine sonship.

The apostle wished to change his tone from one of severity to one of affection, like the tone of a mother speaking lovingly to her children.

Lit., voice.

Paul was puzzled in dealing with the Galatians. He was searching for the best way to recover them from their deviation from Christ.

In vv. 21-31 there are two women, Hagar and Sarah; two Jerusalems, one earthly and the other heavenly; two covenants, one of the law and the other of promise; and two sons, one according to the flesh and the other according to the Spirit. The apostle wanted the Galatians to know that they were children of the Jerusalem above, children of the free woman, and he wanted them to appropriate the covenant of promise and, according to the Spirit, enjoy the all-inclusive Spirit as the blessing of the gospel (Gal. 3:14). In this section Sarah, the free woman, symbolizes the covenant of promise, which is symbolized also by the Jerusalem above, who is our mother; the mother symbolizes grace, by which we are born to be the children of God, who is the very source of grace. Hence, the free woman, the covenant of promise, the Jerusalem above, and the mother all refer to God's grace, which is the very means of our spiritual birth. It was from this grace — Christ — that the Galatians who had been distracted by Judaism fell away (Gal. 5:4).

Lit., serves as a slave.

A slave under law. At the apostle's time Jerusalem and her children were slaves under law.

According to the flesh means by man's fleshly effort; through promise means through God's power in grace, which is implied in God's promise. Ishmael was born in the former way, but Isaac in the latter.

Referring to the two women in v. 22.

One is the covenant of promise given to Abraham, which is related to the new testament, the covenant of grace, and the other is the covenant of law given to Moses, which has nothing to do with the new testament. Sarah, the free woman, symbolizes the covenant of promise, and Hagar, the maidservant, the covenant of law.

Where the law was given (Exo. 19:20; 24:12).

Slavery under law.

Hagar, the concubine of Abraham, signifies the law. Hence, the position of the law is like that of a concubine. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, symbolizes the grace of God (John 1:17), which has the rightful position in God's economy. Like Hagar, the law brought forth children unto slavery, such as the Judaizers. Like Sarah, grace brings forth children unto sonship; these are the New Testament believers. They are no longer under law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). They should stand in grace (Rom. 5:2) and not fall from it (Gal. 5:4).

Jerusalem, as God's choice (1 Kings 14:21; Psa. 48:2, 8), should belong to the covenant of promise, symbolized by Sarah. However, because it brings God's chosen people into the bondage of the law, it corresponds with Mount Sinai, which belongs to the covenant of the law, symbolized by Hagar.

The Judaizers, the descendants of Abraham according to the flesh, persecuted the believers, the descendants of Abraham according to the Spirit, as Ishmael persecuted Isaac.

The Jerusalem above eventually will be the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1-2), which is related to the covenant of promise. She is the mother of the New Testament believers, who are not slaves under law but sons under grace. We, the New Testament believers, are all born of her from above and will all be in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth.

This indicates that Abraham's spiritual descendants, who belong to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the covenant of promise under the freedom of grace, are far more numerous than his natural descendants, who belong to the earthly Jerusalem, to the covenant of law under the slavery of the law.

Denoting a woman without a husband; hence, a desolate one.

Children of promise are children born of the heavenly Jerusalem through grace under the covenant of promise.

The two kinds of children brought forth by the two covenants are different in their natures. Those brought forth by the covenant of law are born according to the flesh; those brought forth by the covenant of promise are born according to the Spirit. The children born according to the flesh have no right to participate in God's promised blessing, but the children born according to the Spirit have the full right. The Judaizers were children of the former kind; the believers in Christ are of the latter kind. For flesh and Spirit, see note Gal. 3:3^2a and note Gal. 5:19¹ and note Gal. 5:22^1a.

This indicates that Ishmael persecuted Isaac (Gen. 21:9).

The children of promise (v. 28) are born according to the Spirit, God's Spirit of life, who is the very blessing of God's promise to Abraham (Gal. 3:14).

The Judaizers, who are under the slavery of the law, are the sons of the maidservant. They shall by no means inherit God's promised blessing — the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate expression of the processed Triune God.

The New Testament believers, who are under the freedom of grace, are the sons of the free woman. They shall inherit the promised blessing of the Spirit.

We, the believers in Christ, are not children of the law under the slavery of the law but children of grace under the freedom of grace to enjoy the all-inclusive Spirit with all the riches of Christ.