International Sunday School Lesson October 29, 2023 Fall Quarter #9
Galatians 3:23-29 ESV Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. (24) So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (25) But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, (26) for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:23-29 ESV
Galatians 4:1-7 ESV I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, (2) but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. (3) In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. (4) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (6) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (7) So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Galatians 4:1-7 ESV
Background
The Guardian/Schoolmaster in those times was not a teacher. They were someone that took care of the child as a toddler and took the child to school when they were older. They were not the teacher but brought the child to the teacher.
Captive Under the Law — Galatians 3:23-24
The Law leads us to Christ. It is like the schoolmaster in Roman times.. It is bringing us to the Cross. It is showing us our failures (Romans 3:19-20). It is also holding us captive with the demands that we cannot fully meet.
No Longer Under a Guardian — Galatians 3:25-27
The analogy is just like the Roman child that had been under the schoolmaster that took the child to school. During that time, the child was powerless to do anything about their life. All the child could do is merely follow the schoolmaster. However, when the child became an adult, they would then be able to make their own decisions. The child then has their freedom and no longer under bondage.
We are all One in Christ — Galatians 3:28-29
Praise God! We all all one in Christ. All of our political divides, all of of racial divides, all of our educational divides, all of our social divides, of our our regional divides — of of those things — are meaningless after the bonding of the new birth into His body.
We are one and commanded to show love and compassion to each other (Colossians 3:11-13). May God give each of us a new fervor to show love and unity to our brothers and sisters.
Under Guardians — Galatians 4:1-2
Paul makes the point that a child is no different than a slave while they are in training. It does not matter if they will later own everything.
Adoption — Galatians 4:3-5
The world was in bondage. Then God sent His son to pay the price for the our sin. This redemption allows us to receive the adoption as sons. Now the Spirit of God bears witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).
Abba Father — Galatians 4:6-7
There is a sweetness in the cry, “Abba! Father!” What blessedness that we are a part of the family of God.
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