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The Epistle to the Galatians. Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11. Gal 4:8 – NKJV ‘But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. ’ when you did not know God eidō – literal or figurative or ‘head’ knowledge manifested by ignorance
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The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • Gal 4:8 – NKJV ‘But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.’ • when you did not know God • eidō – literal or figurative or ‘head’ knowledge • manifested by ignorance • perfect active participle • But even the heathen in some way originally knew (ginoska) God (Rom 1:21), but failed to retain Him in their knowledge, and so corrupted the original truth. • Who are the ‘you’ here? • Jewish and/or Gentile believers? • Although the types of gods may have been different - Acts 17:29,30 • you served those by nature that are not gods • service – as a slave or in bondage • Who are these gods? • Deut 12:2,3; Isaiah 44:9-20; Ps 115:4-8 • Describe this condition 1 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel
The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • No freedom from anxiety and fear • Lack of reality – who are these gods or idols anyway? • Thus, the unbeliever is not free • But slaves to the deities of their own creation. • Religious slavery! • In Christ we are free indeed – John 8:36 • And from what is this freedom? • Gal 4:9 ‘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?’ • known here is ginoska • rather - more (in a greater degree) or better, (so) much the more • By His great Grace by which He called us. • John 15:16; I John 4:19; Phil 2:13 • turn – revert or bring back • Gal 1:6 • weak and beggarly elements 2 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel
The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • I just love this NKJV description • weak – feeble, without any strength, totally unable • beggarly - destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor • Compare to Eph 1:18 • elements – first things or principles of perverted Judaism • Not idols but religion! • Interlinear Greek – impoverished fundamental principles • NIV - weak and miserable principles • NASB - weak and worthless elemental things • desire again – present active indicative • to be resolved or determined or purposeto renew • Why/How does this desire come to be? • What motivates it? • to be in bondage – in context this appears to be a legal thing • As in Gal 4:3, but what about Gal 5:19,20? • What value? • Col 2:20-23 3 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel
The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • But there is a purpose isn’t there? • Gal 3:24; Rom 8:29; II Cor 4:6 • Gal 4:10 – NKJV ‘You observe days and months and seasons and years.’ • observe - to stand beside and watch, to watch assiduously, observe carefully • present middle indicative • The middle voice implies that they were intensely interested in their own profit from this behavior. • A general reference to these traditions is found in Lev 23:1-43 • days – the keeping of Jewish Sabbaths • months and seasons – rituals lasting more than one day • months – the new moons where Sabbaths, new moons and feasts are mentioned – I Chron 23:31; II Chron 31:3 • seasons – the annual feast weeks of the Jews • Passover, the unleavened bread, Day of Atonement 4 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel
The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • years • the sabbatical year (every 7th year) • The Year of Jubilee -7 sabbatic cycles of years, i.e. 49 years • Lev 25:8-10 • Not a path to salvation for the Gentiles for sure, but could a saved Jew continue to participate in these ordinances? • Contrast this with the Christian way of life! • Col 2:16,17 • Gal 4:11 – NKJV ‘I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.’ • am afraid – terrified, sufficient to flight • lest – Paul’s concern was not his own but for them! • A similar sentiment - II Cor 12:20,21; I Thess 3:5 • labor - with wearisome effort, to toil • vain – without success or effort • Paul’s labor – Gal 2:2 5 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel
The Epistle to the Galatians Why Turn Back?: Galatians 4:8-11 • So what then keeps us from turning back? • Let’s look again at last week’s lesson • Gal 4:6,7 – ‘And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ KEEP LOOKING DOWN! 6 July 18, 2010 Bob Eckel