 of Galatians. We have come to chapter four and we looked at the first seven verses. So let's continue on. So in chapter four, Galatians, Paul is saying that he's talking about the son, about the child and how the child in the early days, in the young days, does not differ. It's not any different from the servants, from the slaves who are there in the house in terms of rights and in terms of freedom. The child is protected, the child is in the house and he's talking about the role of the law, the role that the law has placed played in all our lives and he's saying this is what has happened. Even though the child is there, the child does not enjoy that freedom or the inheritance till an appointed time. So he goes on to say that the child is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Now, if you look at what Paul is talking about, he's actually talking about a Roman household, not a Jewish or a Greek household. In the Jewish culture and tradition, in the Greek culture and tradition, there is already a set date and time for the child to be recognized as an adult, typically for the son to be recognized as a man, a certain number of years. So automatically, at that, okay, this person is maybe 15 years or 14 years or whatever. I'm not sure about the specifics, but at that age, the child is automatically recognized as an adult. And then all the freedom that comes with it, the inheritance, recognition of the child being an adult, all that happens at that time. But in a Roman tradition, what happens is the father decides, okay, based on observation and everything, the father decides that okay, this is the time. The time has come for my son to be recognized as a man. Okay, the father decides. So Paul is actually using that in, that is the usage, that is the understanding, because Paul is saying, is under guardians and stewards, he's talking about the child, this is chapter four and verse two, under guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by the father. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth a son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. Okay, so typically, you know, the same usage, you know, that until the time appointed by the father. The same understanding is there, even in verse five, when he says that, that we might receive the adoption as sons. So, so in the, again, in the Roman tradition, this, the child is, you know, when, when, when the father says, okay, this is a time appointed, I'm going to recognize. So it's like, it's like adopting. It's like saying that this, this is now my son. And all the rights and privileges that are there, now I bestowing, you know, I'm just placing on my, on my son. Okay, so Paul is referring to that. So Paul is saying that when the Cairo's moment, that the opportune time had come, God sent forth the, sent forth his son, right, to redeem those who were under the law. So why is he referring to the law? He's talking about, again, talking about people who are going back to the law. He's, he's talking about the role of the law. And here he's saying that God is actually, you know, at that appointed time, the father sent the son to redeem those who were under the, who were under the law, right. And here verse six says, because you are sons, God is sent for the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out Abba, father. So the Holy Spirit, he has sent forth who, who resides in you now, now enables you to cry out Abba, father, now enables, and, and also Romans eight, we saw that verse where says that we cry out that Abba, father, because his spirit testifies to us, but that we are children of God, that we are sons of God, right. So verse seven, therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are no longer held by the law, but you are set free. You have, you know, reached that stage of being adopted. So you are a son. And the rest of the verse is that, if you are a son, then an heir of God through Christ, you know, just wonderful from a slave, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you're a son, then this is what happens, that you are an heir. And in, so which means that you receive the inheritance, right. It's not that you are a nobody, but you are an heir, you receive the inheritance that is given, that is due to you. So, which means whatever belongs to the father and now has been given to you, right. Whatever is the possession, whatever is the riches is now yours, because you are the son. Legally, you are an heir and you receive the inheritance. So that is what we see here. Okay, let's, so now today, let's, let's continue from verse eight. Okay, verse eight. But then indeed, when you did not know God, you serve those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage. You observe days and months and seasons and years. I'm afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. You know that because of physical infirmity, I preach the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh, you did not despise or reject. But you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness, if possible, you would have plucked your own eyes and given them to me. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? They zealously quote you, but for no good. Yes, they want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always. And not only when I'm present with you, my little children for whom I labor in birth until Christ is formed in you. I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone for I have my doubts. I have doubts about you. Okay, so let's let's start from verse eight onwards. Okay, just a minute. Let's go to verse eight. And so Paul here is saying, you know, you indeed, when you did not know God, you served those who, which by nature are not gods. Okay, so you serve these, serve, you know, false gods. And of course, this is a Gentile church. So he's saying that, you know, you, you, you serve these gods and these false gods. Because you did not know, like you were ignorant, you did not know God. But now you are known by him or rather, so now that you know God, but rather you are known by God, you know, he uses that word, the Greek word there, which means gnosko, which means that you know him intimately. Right? He's not just, you know, you know, you just not this information, but also you experienced, right? You know him intimately. So now that you are known by God, you know, how is it that you are turning again to the weak and beggarly, you know, he uses that word beggar, beggarly, meaning somebody who's in need, who's begging. So how are you that, how is it that you're turning again to those principles? So in other words, he's saying that these are things which lack the full power, which lack the fullness. It had a role, these laws, these traditions. Now, these laws had a role, and this was the role, right? In order to show you which was wrong, in order to point you to the truth, in order to keep you safe till the fullness of time till Jesus would come, so that you might receive redemption through him. Now, this had a place, this had a role, now that is over. Now, how can you go back to it? Because this is weak. It is beggarly, meaning it is weak. It is, it does not have any power against the things of the flesh, right? So in other words, if it said, okay, this is sin, don't do it. In fact, your sinful nature would prompt you to do it, right? It had no power to put to death the deeds of the body. It had no power to put to, to bring to an end the things of the flesh. That was only by the spirit. It is only by the spirit of the Lord. So these principles, these precepts, these laws did not, it just told you that you were sinful. It confined the whole world under sin, right? So it lacked something. It had its purpose. It had its place, but still it lacked something. It could not give you righteousness. It could not make you righteous. Only Jesus could, right? So he's saying, how can you turn again to these weak and beggarly elements to which you desire to become, or come under bondage, right? That is verse 9. So you're saying, so now you just want to come and bring yourself again, excuse me, bring yourself again to a place of submission and bring yourself to be like a slave even to these elements, again, to these principles, to these practices. Why? It has, it is weak. It is lacking. So he uses strong words. It's weak and beggarly elements. Let's go to verse 10. So verse 10 is talking about, okay, this is what you're doing, right? In turning back to the weak and beggarly elements and turning back to the law, these are some of the things that you're doing. What are you doing? Saying verse 10, you observe days and months and seasons and years. Okay, in the sense, you are saying that, okay, one day is better than the other. Some days are holy, some days are not. And based on that, you are doing certain things, just like how a religious person would do. So you are saying that, okay, this day, I need to do this. This day is a better day. This day is holy. And this day is not. So which means that their whole life revolved around this, observing, okay, what is a good day? What is a good time? Is it a good day to do this? Is it a good time to do this? Rather than being led by the Spirit of God, right? So you're doing this. Verse 11, I'm afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. So Paul is just confessing, he's saying, you know, I'm afraid. All the work that I've done, you know, is it empty? Is it a waste? All that I have labored, right? So he's talking about this ministry and the ministry work that he's done. And so the word used there, you know, it's hard work. It's like labor. He has spent a lot of time with them. He has spent explaining things with them. He has undergone hardship. He's saying that hard work that I've done. I'm thinking, you know, is it a waste now? Like, is it futile? Verse 12, brethren, I urge you to become like me, okay. Excuse me, for I became like you, you have not injured me at all. So you're saying, you know, you become like me, for I became like you, in the sense, you know, what does it change? Well, he was very much a Jewish person who observed these things earlier. Like he says, he was zealous in for the ways of his father and father meaning, you know, of his forefathers. So he exceeded far more in Judaism compared to his own peers, his contemporaries, he went, he excelled in it. So he was such a person, but he changed. And he's saying, you become like me. You know, all that he actually put aside so that he could find freedom in Christ, all that he put aside when he realized that righteousness came through faith, now righteousness and salvation is by grace. So he's saying, you know, you become like me for I became like you in the sense, I became a person who was not held by the law, like a non Jewish person like you, Gentile, I became like you. So you become like me. And he's saying, you know, you have not injured me at all. You know, you've not hurt me. You've not, you know, by your actions, it's not like I'm offended or I'm bitter. You've not hurt me. You know, that because of physical infirmity, I preach the gospel to you at the first. So in the next few verses, so what he's saying is that, you know, like we don't know what kind of physical infirmity that he had, right? So what we see is that he did undergo persecution. And, you know, when we when we read, we see that he was actually left for the dead, right? They beat him up. And he was, you know, he was down. And they just thought he was dead. And then they and then they left him and they went, right? So he was persecuted to that extent. And he was left there. So maybe, you know, maybe it could be a reference to that, whatever, you know, we don't know. But the thing is that, you know, he when he came to preach the gospel in Galatia to these believers, you know, he it was with that kind of a thing in the flesh, the trial in the flesh, he had these things going happening, right? So says, but you did not despise or reject this trial, which is shows in my flesh, you did not despise or reject, but you received me said, this is how when I brought the gospel, when I shared the gospel, this gospel of salvation of by salvation by grace through faith, when I came and shared, you received me, I said, you receive me as an angel of God, you receive me even as you would receive Christ Jesus. That is how you received me. And, you know, and but then what was the blessing you enjoyed, right? For I bear you witness that if possible, you know, such was your love and affection, and the way in which you receive the gospel, you know, if possible, you would have even, you know, plucked your own eyes and given to me, you know, it was, it was like that. Now that's how you, you were, you know, when I first came to you. Now, have I become your enemy because I speak the truth or 16? I'm actually speaking the truth. So now, because I'm speaking the truth, is it, you know, is it causing you to distance yourself? Are you, are you treating me like an enemy? You know, just so he's, he's reminding them of the time when he shared the gospel and they received the gospel and how, you know, how they, they, they considered him, you know, as someone to whom they would even, you know, lay down their lives. And you know, you said, you would even pluck out your eyes and, you know, give it to me. But now, saying that, you know, what has happened now, things seem to have changed. You, you've turned to another gospel and, and you're treating me like an enemy. Have I become your enemy because I'm speaking the truth? Then, then we see that in verse 17, it's talking about the false president. It's talking about those who have brought this other, you know, other gospel thing. They zealously quote you, you know, they zealously come and they, they invite you and it's as if they are quoting you even. Right. So they, they do that zeal with enthusiasm and they do that. But the reality is this. So they zealously do this, but it's for no good. It is not for a good cause that they're coming and spending time and they want you to follow them. It is not for a good objective. It's not for a good end. So what is it? So you're saying they want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them. They want to exclude you and the word again, the Greek word used there means that they want to, you know, isolate you. They want to even like, it's like shutting you up in a room. They want to exclude you that you might be zealous for them, for their cause. Right. They are, they're preventing you. They are shutting you up so that you might be zealous for them, that you might in their cause or in following them. So that is the, that is the objective. Why they are pursuing, why they are coming after and why they are zealously quoting you. Okay. Verse 18 said it is good to be zealous. Okay. As, as believers, you know, you need to be zealous. So it is good to be zealous, but in a good thing and something is of the truth and something is, you know, of God when something is, is the truth brought in by the spirit which liberates. Now it's, it's good to be zealous in a good thing and not only when I'm present with you. So, you know, it's, it's, it's in my absence also, excuse me. It's about saying, you know, it's, it's not only when I'm, I'm with you, but when I'm, whether I'm present, whether I'm absent, you know, you, you be, you know, you, you continue to be zealous and you continue to be zealous in a good thing. Okay. Okay. Let's look at verse 19. You know, my little children for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone for, I have doubts about you. Okay. So verse 19, this is my little children for whom I labor in birth until Christ is, but again until Christ is formed in you. So, you know, if you, if you go back to verse 14, verse 30, verses 13 and 14, he's talking about how he came, he shared the gospel and they received Christ. Right. So here in verse 19, he's saying, now I labor in birth, I labor in birth, you know, it's like laboring again in birth until Christ is, he uses that word for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Now here is something that I'm doing again. I'm repeating that process of laboring in birth and, you know, it is intercession, interceding for them, again, reaching out to them, again, teaching, you know, the principles of elementary principles, the foundational things again. So it's like, it's like laboring in birth again until Christ is formed, until there is Christ likeness. Right. So when we say Christ likeness, we're talking about, you know, the character of Christ, which comes with the truth of Christ. So which, which the character of Christ likeness cannot be separated from the truth, which is there in the word. So saying, you know, I'm again laboring, again doing these things so that Christ be formed in you. Verse 20, I would like to be present with you and to change my tone for I have doubts about you. Okay. Now, verses 21 to 31, the last part of this chapter is going to talk about some more information, you know, from Exodus chapter 19 and chapter 20, and he's talking about, you know, about the covenant. Okay. So let's read through verse 21. Tell me you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond woman, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bond woman was born according to the flesh and he of the free woman through promise, which things are symbolic for these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, rejoice, O baron, 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. So it's coding from Isaiah 54. And okay, verse 28. Now we brethren, as Isaac was our children of promise, but as he who was born according to the flesh, then persecuted him who was born according to the spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what does the scripture say? Cast out the bond woman and her son for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then brethren, we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free. So Paul again is addressing those who are still desiring to be under the law and who want to go back to the law is saying, do you not know what is written? Do you not know the law? In the law you read about Abraham having two sons. Now one was from bondage out of bondage in the sense out of the flesh. Why was it according to the flesh? Because it was God promised Abraham that he would, one who would come through him physically, born to say, born to Sarah would be the heir. But because of their own anxieties and because of their unbelief, even, you know, because of wrong instruction or listening to Sarah's, you know, instructions, you know, now this situation happened. Here you have a son who is born through Hegar and that represents does not represent the freedom or the covenant, but represents actually the bondage, represents the law. So this is how it was. Now he who was of the bond woman was born according to the flesh and of the free woman through the promise. Now these are against symbolic. He's saying, you know, this is against symbolic. It's referring to a deeper truth. Now what is it? Verse 24. Now there are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai. Exodus 19, Exodus 20, where Moses goes to Mount Sinai and God gives those commands, commandments, and he comes and shares with the children of Israel, right? Now saying, now that is, that is something that confines all under sin. Yes, it shows you like, you know, we read about it. What purpose is the law? Chapter three verse 19. So, you know, he is answered that what purpose does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made, etc. So here again, he's talking about, you know, this, what happened at Sinai. Now that is actually confining or bringing everyone and confining everyone to sin, saying that yes, you are a sinner. But the other covenant, which is from above, the new Jerusalem, now there he's saying that that is freedom. Now verse 26, but the Jerusalem above is free. It is not confining people to the law or confining or bringing them, saying that you are a sinner, but it's actually freeing them, bringing them out of bondage and into freedom in Christ, right? So, so he's saying this is symbolic. Verse 25, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is the sense. People who have not yet in Jerusalem, people who are there, who are still following the law, who are still following, you know, not coming to Christ, it actually represents them, right? They are still in bondage. But the Jerusalem from above is free, which is the mother of us all in the sense, you know, out of that, we were born again. Out of that gospel, by the word and the spirit, we were born again. Now that is something which is made us free. And referring to Isaiah 54, so rejoice, O baron, you did not bear, break forth and shout, you are not in labor, for the desolate has more children than she who has a husband. And we, brethren, as Isaac was, now Isaac was born to Sarah and Isaac was born out of promise that God made. Now, we are like Isaac, as Isaac was, our children of promise, because of the covenant that was made to the seed, the seed of Abraham, right? That in you, nation shall be blessed, referring to salvation, referring to what would happen in Christ, right? So, but as he who was born according to the flesh verse 29, as he who was born according to the flesh, then persecuted him who was born according to the spirit, even so, it is now. So we read about Ishmael, we read about Isaac, we see that there was always tension, we see that there was always persecution by Ishmael, you know, against Isaac, right? And later we see that the people, you know, who were with Ishmael again, persecuting Isaac, right? So you're saying that those, even so, it is today, even now, the same thing happens, that those who were born according to the flesh, persecuted those who were born according to the spirit, you know, he's talking about how the Jews persecuted those who were Gentiles and how he himself, you know, when he was ignorant, he persecuted the church, which was, you know, which comprised of those who were born according to the spirit, and he was someone who was born according to the, I mean, who was under the law and who was following the law, but he was persecuting that which was by grace, that which was brought about by the spirit. So he was persecuting that. So we're saying this is the reality that those who were born according to the flesh persecut, those who are born according to the spirit, even so it is now, okay? And nevertheless, what does the scripture say, you know, what is the what is the instruction of scripture, you know, cast out have nothing to do with my for the so cast out the bond woman and her son for the son of the bond woman shall not be air with the son of the free woman. So so the thing is this that, you know, we are called out of slavery and called to be sons and daughters of God, children of God. And because we are sons and daughters, we are heirs of God. Okay. Now, that is what has happened out of slavery into family, into inheritance. Now, that is something that that you are experiencing that you're enjoying. But if you are this, and if you are going back to the law, know this, the son of the bond woman shall not be air with the son of the free woman. Okay, verse 30, it's very clear. Okay, you cannot call yourself an air and receive all that inheritance which God has for you, right? You cannot be an air if you're turning back to the law. So you see, you know, sometimes we think, no, why is Paul so upset? Why is Paul so irritated? He's calling them you foolish Galatians. Why? All that they're doing was, wasn't it a good thing, right? Okay, all these, you know, we might even say, oh, they were so devoted, oh, they were so pious, you know, they're going back to circumcision, they're going back to, you know, they keep certain days and months and years and seasons and observing this, you know, they're so devout. But Paul knew, you know, and he's conveying communicating the truth. The truth is this. That you have been actually brought out, you've been set free and you are an air. Now, understand that, God said that if you are going to be following the law or if you're going to be recognizing yourself as children or sons of the bond woman, then you cannot be an air of the free woman. You cannot be this, you're going to be an air with the son of the free woman. No, you cannot be an air. You cannot consider yourself an air. So in other words, he's saying, you cannot, you know, you, if you're going to back to the law, then you are actually cutting off yourself from the family of God. You're saying, I'm no more a son. You're saying, I'm no more a child of God. I'm no more an air of God. So understand the seriousness of what you are actually considering, what you are actually doing, right? When you go back to the law. Okay, so that is how chapter four ends. Okay, so let's start off with chapter five and then we'll take a break, chapter five. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he's a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ. You have attempt to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace for we, for we through the spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. Okay, so we'll take a break and when we come back, we'll, we'll go through this. Okay, right, you take a break for 10 minutes.