Galatians 3:23-4:7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
23 Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.(A) 24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian[a] for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.(B) 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.(C) 26 For through faith you are all children of God[b] in Christ Jesus.(D) 27 [c]For all of you who were baptized into Christ(E) have clothed yourselves with Christ.[d] 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(F) 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.(G)
Chapter 4
God’s Free Children in Christ.[e] 1 I mean that as long as the heir is not of age,[f] he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under the supervision of guardians and administrators until the date set by his father. 3 (H)In the same way we also, when we were not of age, were enslaved to the elemental powers of the world.[g] 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,(I) 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.(J) 6 As proof that you are children,[h] God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”(K) 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.(L)
Do Not Throw This Freedom Away.[i]
Footnotes
- 3:24–25 Disciplinarian: the Greek paidagōgos referred to a slave who escorted a child to school but did not teach or tutor; hence, a guardian or monitor. Applying this to the law fits the role of the law described in Gal 3:19–25.
- 3:26 Children of God: literally “sons,” in contrast to the young child under the disciplinarian in Gal 3:24–25. The term includes males and females (Gal 3:28).
- 3:27–28 Likely a formula used at baptism that expresses racial, social-economic, and sexual equality in Christ (cf. Col 3:11).
- 3:27 Clothed yourselves with Christ: literally, “have put on Christ”; cf. Rom 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10. Baptismal imagery, traceable to the Old Testament (Jb 29:14; Is 59:17) but also found in pagan mystery cults.
- 4:1–7 What Paul has argued in Gal 3:26–29 is now elaborated in terms of the Christian as the heir (Gal 4:1, 7; cf. Gal 3:18, 29) freed from control by others. Again, as in Gal 3:2–5, the proof that Christians are children of God is the gift of the Spirit of Christ relating them intimately to God.
- 4:1, 3 Not of age: an infant or minor.
- 4:3 The elemental powers of the world: while the term can refer to the “elements” like earth, air, fire, and water or to elementary forms of religion, the sense here is more likely that of celestial beings that were thought in pagan circles to control the world; cf. Gal 4:8; Col 2:8, 20.
- 4:6 Children: see note on Gal 3:26; here in contrast to the infant or young person not of age (Gal 3:1, 3). Abba: cf. Mk 14:36 and the note; Rom 8:15.
- 4:8–11 On the basis of the arguments advanced from Gal 3:1 through Gal 4:7, Paul now launches his appeal to the Galatians with the question, how can you turn back to the slavery of the law (Gal 4:9)? The question is posed with reference to bondage to the elemental powers (see note on Gal 4:3) because the Galatians had originally been converted to Christianity from paganism, not Judaism (Gal 4:8). The use of the direct question is like Gal 3:3–5.
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