Galatians 4:1-3 I am saying, as long as an heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the master of everything. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
Paul now begins to illustrate (I am saying) the key points he made in ch. 3. He does this by way of a comparison between a slave and a son. The first comparison is between an heir and a slave. There are many differences between a slave and a son, such as the many privileges a son receives such as an inheritance. Paul draws upon the common cultural practices of the time to make his point. A young child is under a form of slavery because he or she must follow rules and be trained appropriately. An heir is no better than a slave until grown up.
Even though the heir had the highest authority as the “lord” or “master” of the household, he (the male heir in Paul’s example) must still listen to those who are raising him. The type of household Paul is talking about here would have been one of the wealthier and more complete units in the Greco-Roman culture about which the Galatians would have been familiar. In this case, Paul mentions guardians and trustees. The difference between these two is not real clear. Guardians (epitropos) and trustees (oikonomos) were the stewards or managers of the household who were tasked with administrating the affairs of the master. In some settings, we might call this person the top butler or the right-hand man. This person might also be responsible for the finances of the home and had to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
The father of the house has told the child to listen to those in charge. There will come a time when the roll is reversed, but the child must learn the proper ways of behavior. A child who is not guided may grow up wild and difficult to deal with.
In v. 3, Paul applies this example to the we, who would be believers and inclusive of the Galatians. He refers to the period of being children who were guided by the elemental spiritual forces of the world. This last phrase is a challenge to interpret. The Greek stoicheia is used in Colossians 2:8 in the context of philosophy, empty deceit, and human tradition, which are all set against Christ. In today’s terms, we might label this humanism. It is finding meaning outside of God’s revelation.
This type of existence is controlled by the devil and evil forces that wage war against God and God’s purposes, deceiving people into rebellion and self-reliance. This is what life is like before a person comes to Jesus Christ in faith. That is the situation for all people. Many of these people try to do religion through human effort, such as following a set of rituals or laws. Circumcision fits into this, which is why Paul is writing such a strong letter to wake up the Galatians about this. This type of life is a form of slavery. There is no escape outside of God’s grace found in Jesus Christ. People can fool themselves into thinking there is, but they are only deceiving themselves or being deceiving by others.
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