21 Tell G3004 me, G3427 ye that desire G2309 to be G1511 under G5259 the law, G3551 do ye G191 not G3756 hear G191 the law? G3551
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Did ye G314 never G3763 read G314 in G1722 the scriptures, G1124 The stone G3037 which G3739 the builders G3618 rejected, G593 the same G3778 is become G1096 G1519 the head G2776 of the corner: G1137 this G3778 is G3844 the Lord's G2962 doing, G1096 and G2532 it is G2076 marvellous G2298 in G1722 our G2257 eyes? G3788 Therefore G1223 G5124 say I G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 The kingdom G932 of God G2316 shall be taken G142 from G575 you, G5216 and G2532 given G1325 to a nation G1484 bringing forth G4160 the fruits G2590 thereof. G846 And G2532 whosoever shall fall G4098 on G1909 this G5126 stone G3037 shall be broken: G4917 but G1161 on G1909 whomsoever G3739 G302 it shall fall, G4098 it will grind G3039 him G846 to powder. G3039
Jesus G2424 answered G611 and G1161 said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye do err, G4105 not G3361 knowing G1492 the scriptures, G1124 nor G3366 the power G1411 of God. G2316 For G1063 in G1722 the resurrection G386 they neither G3777 marry, G1060 nor G3777 are given in marriage, G1547 but G235 are G1526 as G5613 the angels G32 of God G2316 in G1722 heaven. G3772 But G1161 as touching G4012 the resurrection G386 of the dead, G3498 have ye G314 not G3756 read G314 that which G3588 was spoken G4483 unto you G5213 by G5259 God, G2316 saying, G3004 I G1473 am G1510 the God G2316 of Abraham, G11 and G2532 the God G2316 of Isaac, G2464 and G2532 the God G2316 of Jacob? G2384 God G2316 is G2076 not G3756 the God G2316 of the dead, G3498 but G235 of the living. G2198
For G1063 when G3753 we were G2258 in G1722 the flesh, G4561 the motions G3804 of sins, G266 which G3588 were by G1223 the law, G3551 did work G1754 in G1722 our G2257 members G3196 to bring G1519 forth fruit G2592 unto death. G2288 But G1161 now G3570 we are delivered G2673 from G575 the law, G3551 that being dead G599 G599 wherein G1722 G3739 we were held; G2722 that G5620 we G2248 should serve G1398 in G1722 newness G2538 of spirit, G4151 and G2532 not G3756 in the oldness G3821 of the letter. G1121
What G5101 shall we say G2046 then? G3767 That G3754 the Gentiles, G1484 which G3588 followed G1377 not G3361 after righteousness, G1343 have attained G2638 to righteousness, G1343 even G1161 the righteousness G1343 which G3588 is of G1537 faith. G4102 But G1161 Israel, G2474 which followed G1377 after the law G3551 of righteousness, G1343 hath G5348 not G3756 attained G5348 to G1519 the law G3551 of righteousness. G1343 Wherefore? G1302 Because G3754 they sought it not G3756 by G1537 faith, G4102 but G235 as G5613 it were by G1537 the works G2041 of the law. G3551 For G1063 they stumbled G4350 at that stumblingstone; G3037 G4348
For G1063 they being ignorant G50 of God's G2316 righteousness, G1343 and G2532 going about G2212 to establish G2476 their own G2398 righteousness, G1343 have G5293 not G3756 submitted themselves G5293 unto the righteousness G1343 of God. G2316 For G1063 Christ G5547 is the end G5056 of the law G3551 for G1519 righteousness G1343 to every one G3956 that believeth. G4100 For G1063 Moses G3475 describeth G1125 the righteousness G1343 which G3588 is of G1537 the law, G3551 That G3754 the man G444 which doeth G4160 those things G846 shall live G2198 by G1722 them. G846 But G1161 the righteousness G1343 which is of G1537 faith G4102 speaketh G3004 on this wise, G3779 Say G2036 not G3361 in G1722 thine G4675 heart, G2588 Who G5101 shall ascend G305 into G1519 heaven? G3772 (that is, G5123 to bring G2609 Christ G5547 down G2609 from above:) Or, G2228 Who G5101 shall descend G2597 into G1519 the deep? G12 (that is, G5123 to bring up G321 Christ G5547 again G321 from G1537 the dead.) G3498 But G235 what G5101 saith it? G3004 The word G4487 is G2076 nigh G1451 thee, G4675 even in G1722 thy G4675 mouth, G4750 and G2532 in G1722 thy G4675 heart: G2588 that is, G5123 the word G4487 of faith, G4102 which G3739 we preach; G2784 That G3754 if G1437 thou shalt confess G3670 with G1722 thy G4675 mouth G4750 the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 and G2532 shalt believe G4100 in G1722 thine G4675 heart G2588 that G3754 God G2316 hath raised G1453 him G846 from G1537 the dead, G3498 thou shalt be saved. G4982 For G1063 with the heart G2588 man believeth G4100 unto G1519 righteousness; G1343 and G1161 with the mouth G4750 confession is made G3670 unto G1519 salvation. G4991
But G1161 before G4253 faith G4102 came, G2064 we were kept G5432 under G5259 the law, G3551 shut up G4788 unto G1519 the faith G4102 which should afterwards G3195 be revealed. G601 Wherefore G5620 the law G3551 was G1096 our G2257 schoolmaster G3807 to bring us unto G1519 Christ, G5547 that G2443 we might be justified G1344 by G1537 faith. G4102
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Galatians 4
Commentary on Galatians 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
The apostle, in this chapter, is still carrying on the same general design as in the former-to recover these Christians from the impressions made upon them by the judaizing teachers, and to represent their weakness and folly in suffering themselves to be drawn away from the gospel doctrine of justification, and to be deprived of their freedom from the bondage of the law of Moses. For this purpose he makes use of various considerations; such as,
And in all these, as he uses great plainness and faithfulness with them, so he expresses the tenderest concern for them.
Gal 4:1-7
In this chapter the apostle deals plainly with those who hearkened to the judaizing teachers, who cried up the law of Moses in competition with the gospel of Christ, and endeavored to bring them under the bondage of it. To convince them of their folly, and to rectify their mistake herein, in these verses he prosecutes the comparison of a child under age, which he had touched upon in the foregoing chapter, and thence shows what great advantages we have now, under the gospel, above what they had under the law. And here.
Gal 4:8-11
In these verses the apostle puts them in mind of what they were before their conversion to the faith of Christ, and what a blessed change their conversion had made upon them; and thence endeavours to convince them of their great weakness in hearkening to those who would bring them under the bondage of the law of Moses.
Gal 4:12-16
That these Christians might be the more ashamed of their defection from the truth of the gospel which Paul had preached to them, he here reminds them of the great affection they formerly had for him and his ministry, and puts them upon considering how very unsuitable their present behaviour was to what they then professed. And here we may observe,
Gal 4:17-18
The apostle is still carrying on the same design as in the foregoing verse, which was, to convince the Galatians of their sin and folly in departing from the truth of the gospel: having just before been expostulating with them about the change of their behaviour towards him who endeavoured to establish them in it, he here gives them the character of those false teachers who made it their business to draw them away from it, which if they would attend to, they might soon see how little reason they had to hearken to them: whatever opinion they might have of them, he tells them they were designing men, who were aiming to set up themselves, and who, under their specious pretences, were more consulting their own interest than theirs: "They zealously affect you,' says he; "they show a mighty respect for you, and pretend a great deal of affection to you, but not well; they do it not with any good design, they are not sincere and upright in it, for they would exclude you, that you might affect them. That which they are chiefly aiming at is to engage your affections to them; and, in order to this, they are doing all they can to draw off your affections from me and from the truth, that so they may engross you to themselves.' This, he assures them, was their design, and therefore they must needs be very unwise in hearkening to them. Note,
Gal 4:19-20
That the apostle might the better dispose these Christians to bear with him in the reproofs which he was obliged to give them, he here expresses his great affection to them, and the very tender concern he had for their welfare: he was not like them-one thing when among them and another when absent from them. Their disaffection to him had not removed his affection from them; but he still bore the same respect to them which he had formerly done, nor was he like their false teachers, who pretended a great deal of affection to them, when at the same time they were only consulting their own interest; but he had a sincere concern for their truest advantage; he sought not theirs, but them. They were too ready to account him their enemy, but he assures them that he was their friend; nay, not only so, but that he had the bowels of a parent towards them. He calls them his children, as he justly might, since he had been the instrument of their conversion to the Christian faith; yea, he styles them his little children, which, as it denotes a greater degree of tenderness and affection to them, so it may possibly have a respect to their present behaviour, whereby they showed themselves too much like little children, who are easily wrought upon by the arts and insinuations of others. He expresses his concern for them, and earnest desire of their welfare and soul-prosperity, by the pangs of a travailing woman: He travailed in birth for them: and the great thing which he was in so much pain about, and which he was so earnestly desirous of, was not so much that they might affect him as that Christ might be formed in them, that they might become Christians indeed, and be more confirmed and established in the faith of the gospel. From this we may note,
As further evidence of the affection and concern which the apostle had for these Christians, he adds (v. 20) that he desired to be then present with them-that he would be glad of an opportunity of being among them, and conversing with them, and that thereupon he might find occasion to change his voice towards them; for at present he stood in doubt of them. He knew not well what to think of them. He was not so fully acquainted with their state as to know how to accommodate himself to them. He was full of fears and jealousies concerning them, which was the reason of his writing to them in such a manner as he had done; but he would be glad to find that matters were better with them than he feared, and that he might have occasion to commend them, instead of thus reproving and chiding them. Note, Though ministers too often find it necessary to reprove those they have to do with, yet this is no grateful work to them; they had much rather there were no occasion for it, and are always glad when they can see reason to change their voice towards them.
Gal 4:21-31
In these verses the apostle illustrates the difference between believers who rested in Christ only and those judaizers who trusted in the law, by a comparison taken from the story of Isaac and Ishmael. This he introduces in such a manner as was proper to strike and impress their minds, and to convince them of their great weakness in departing from the truth, and suffering themselves to be deprived of the liberty of the gospel: Tell me, says he, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? He takes it for granted that they did hear the law, for among the Jews it was wont to be read in their public assemblies every sabbath day; and, since they were so very fond of being under it, he would have them duly to consider what is written therein (referring to what is recorded Gen. 16 and 21), for, if they would do this, they might soon see how little reason they had to trust in it. And here,