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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Galatians 4:3 http://www.dailybiblestudy.org
3 Even [kai] so [houto] we [hemeis], when [hote] we were [en] children [nepios], were [en] in bondage [douloo] under [hupo] the elements [stoicheion] of the world [kosmos]: KJV-Interlinear
3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. NASB
Paul has been painting an illustration from the last chapter and continuing on into and through this chapter, portraying two children, one being the son of the master of the household, and the other a slave child who is not a son of the master. The difference between the two children is that one is the son of the master and the other is not, and the second difference is that the son of the master will one day become heir to the master’s property, that is the property of his father, and the servant child will not be an heir. The similarities between the two children are that both children have neither freedom of choice or function within their lives while they are still children. Both children are under the authority and control of a guardian. In Paul’s illustration, the guardian has complete control and authority over the lives of the children. At some point in the lives of the children, the son of the master will reach an age of adulthood. That age is determined by the master. When that age is reached the child is released from the guardian and in effect set free. The child now has freedom of action, freedom of choice, and freedom to receive his inheritance at the proper time. The slave or servant child never receives this freedom. In this illustration the guardian represents the law of Moses. The law of Moses represents works, or man’s effort to function within his life such that his life will be perfect as demanded by the guardian (the law). However the law of Moses also dictates punishments and penalties for any imperfection that arises in the individual’s life. The guardian is a harsh master, and represents the harsh realities and penalties of even the slightest single infraction. The penalty for failure for even a single infraction, is permanent punishment. This is the lake of fire punishment for sin. The slave or servant child represents the unbeliever who will never gain his freedom, and therefore is destined for the lake of fire. The other child, the son of the master, represents the believer in Christ, who is qualified for an inheritance and freedom from the lake of fire, however that qualification is dependent on the work of Christ on the cross, not the efforts of the child. The work of Christ on the cross, which secured salvation for us all, represents the child reaching adulthood and is no longer under the law of Moses, but now is governed by the promise of Christ. Until Jesus Christ went to the cross, all of humanity was trapped in slavery which is described as human works. Without the cross there would be no salvation. Without the cross there would be no mechanism for escaping from the slavery of sin. So, prior to the cross, all of humanity who had believed in the promised Savior, were still trapped or imprisoned, as it were, until the actual event of the cross and the fulfillment of God’s promise. In this verse Paul says, we children, which refers to people who have believed in Christ. And what he means is, even though people have believed in Christ, or people have believed in a promised Savior, humanity was still in bondage under the elements of the world. The elements of the world simply refers to the fundamental attributes of life, and living within the world. Without Christ, every individual is dependent on what the world offers and allows. And we all know that life in this world is not equal for everyone. There are innumerable prejudices and biases and inequalities that separate the rich from the poor, that separates the haves from the have-nots, that separates those who are elite from those who are common. Living under the rules of this world makes it difficult enough just to get by in life from day-to-day, let alone gaining God’s approval. Obtaining God’s approval from the standpoint of the world is impossible. In order to gain God’s approval, we need something outside of and beyond this world, which is faith in Christ. And by the same token, to get along in and survive in this world, we likewise need God’s blessing, which also comes through faith in the written word. Therefore rejecting God’s method of salvation, and rejecting God’s method of functioning within the spiritual life, means that you only have the elements of the world to depend on, and that means that you have nothing.
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
