My Dear Children

Galatians 4:17-20 - Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Romans 8:29 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Ephesians 4:11-13,15 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Philippians 4:1 - Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Conclusions:

• "Those people" are Judaizers
• Paul has an affectionate relationship toward his converts
• "My dear children" only occurs in Galatians 4:19 in Paul's writings, but is common in John's
• The goal of Paul's ministry is to have Christ formed in his converts
• Some hold that God not only knew us before we had any knowledge of Him but that He also knew us, in the sense of choosing us by His grace, before the foundation of the world
• Others believe that Paul, in Romans 8:29, refers to the fact that in eternity past God knew those who by faith would become His people
• The reason God foreknew, predestined and conformed believers to Christ's likeness is that the Son might hold the position of highest honor in the great family of God
• Unity is not just a matter of a loving attitude or religious feeling, but of truth and a common understanding about God's Son
• In the face of libertine practices, we should follow Paul's example, having our minds set on heavenly things
• We should stand firm in the midst of present struggles for the sake of the gospel
• We all are to become mature

Application:

• Were you foreknown, predestined and now conformed to Christ's likeness?
• Do you have a conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him?
• Do you stand firm in the midst of present struggles for the sake of the gospel?
• Are you becoming mature?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Illness

Galatians 4:11-16 - I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

1 Thessalonians 3:5 - For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

Conclusions:

• Paul fears he has wasted his efforts on the Galatians due to their return to the old covenant law
• Paul uses the Greek emphatic pronoun, I, to bring out his deep conviction
• Satan is spoken of in every major division of the New Testament
• Satan is supreme among evil spirits
• Satan's activities can affect the physical and the spiritual
• Satan tempted Jesus, and he continues to tempt Jesus servants
• Satan hinders missionary work
• But Satan has already been defeated and Christians need not be overwhelmed by him
• Satan's final overthrow is certain
• Some suggest Paul's illness was eye trouble
• Others have suggested Paul's illness was malaria or epilepsy
• Paul first preached to the Galatians on his first missionary journey
• Because of the restraints of legalistic Judaism, the Galatians had lost their blessing and joy
• "Torn out your eyes" is a hyperbole indicating the Galatians willingness, for Paul's benefit, to part with that which was most precious to them
• The same verb for "torn out" is used of digging through a roof in Mark
• Paul implies that under the influence of Judaizers, the Galatians have changed their attitude toward him
• Telling the truth sometimes results in loss of friends

Application:

• Are you overwhelmed by Satan?
• Have you lost your blessing and joy?
• Have you lost friends because of the truth?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV



Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Special Days

Galatians 4:9-10 - But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Leviticus 16:29-30,34 - "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you-because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins…"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Conclusions:

• Legalistic trust in rituals, in moral achievement, in law, in good works, or even in cold, dead orthodoxy may indicate a relapse into second childhood on the part of those who should be knowing and enjoying the freedom of full-grown sons
• Special days are days such as the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement, which had never been, and can never be, in themselves means of salvation or sanctification
• Months and seasons are New Moons, Passover and Firstfruits
• Years are sabbath years
• The Pharisees meticulously observed special days, months, seasons and years to gain merit before God
• On the Day of Atonement the repentant Israelite was assured of sins forgiven
• Christ's sacrifice was once for all, not once a year.

Application:

• Do you legalistically trust in rituals?
• Are you assued of sins forgiven?
• Christ's sacrifice was once for you?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Spirit Of His Son

Galatians 4:6-8 - Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Romans 5:5 - And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 8:2 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 - It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid…immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 - He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Jeremiah 2:11 - Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.

Conclusions:

• Spirit of His Son is a new guardian identified as the Spirit of God
• The Greek for "calls out" is a vivid verb expressing deep emotion, often used of an inarticulate cry
• The Greek for "calls out" is used of Jesus final cry
• Abba, Father is expressive of an especially close relationship to God
• The believer's hope is not to be equated with unfounded optimism
• On the contrary, the believer's hope is the blessed assurance of our future destiny and is based on God's love which is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and objectively demonstrated to us in the death of Christ
• Paul has moved from faith to hope to love
• The verb for "has poured out" indicates a present status resulting from a past action
• When we first believed in Christ, the Holy Spirit poured out His love in our hearts and His love for us continues to dwell in us

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

God Sent His Son

Galatians 4:4-5 - But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Ephesians 1:9-10 - And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 3:22-24 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

John 1:12-13 - Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Romans 8:14 - For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Conclusions:

• "Time had fully come" is the time set by God for His children to become adult sons and heirs
• "Born of a woman" shows that Christ was truly human
• "Born under law" means subject to the Jewish law
• Paul uses a significant term in Ephesians 1:10 that not only has the idea of leadership but also was often used of adding up a column of figures
• A contemporary way of putting it might be to say that in a world of confusion, where things do not add up or make sense, we look forward to the time when everything will be brought into meaningful relationship under the headship of Christ
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God's plan of salvation
• The world is all people on earth--or perhaps all creation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God's Son in a unique sense

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Baptized Into Christ

Galatians 3:26-27 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Romans 8:13-14 - For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Romans 13:14 - Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Conclusions:

• God is the Father of all in the sense that He created all and His love and providential care is extended to all
• But not all are His children
• Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews of His day, you belong to your father, the devil
• People become children of God through faith in God's unique Son, and being led by God's Spirit is the hallmark of this relationship
• Baptism is a sign of union with and commitment of Christ
• Paul exhorts believers to display outwardly what has already taken place inwardly--including practicing all the virtues associated with Christ
• I need to count myself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus
• I have been baptized by the same Spirit as everyone else in the church

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Christ

Galatians 3:22-25 - But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Romans 10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Galatians 2:15-16 - "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Romans 8:13-14 - For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Conclusions:

• This faith is in Christ
• To be a prisoner of sin and a prisoner of law amounts to much the same, because law reveals and stimulates sin
• Was put in charge translates the Greek paidagogos
• Paidagogos refers to the personal-slave attendant who accompanied a freeborn boy wherever he went and exercised a certain amount of discipline over him
• The slave-attendant's function was more like that of a baby-sitter than a teacher
• Although the Greek word for "end" can mean either (1) termination, cessation, or (2) goal, culmination, fulfillment, it seems best in Romans 10:4 to understand it in the latter sense
• I am justified by faith in Christ
• Do we live according to the sinful nature or the Spirit? Are we sons of God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible