19 My G3450 little children, G5040 of whom G3739 I travail in birth G5605 again G3825 until G891 G3757 Christ G5547 be formed G3445 in G1722 you, G5213
Till G3360 we all G3956 come G2658 in G1519 the unity G1775 of the faith, G4102 and G2532 of the knowledge G1922 of the Son G5207 of God, G2316 unto G1519 a perfect G5046 man, G435 unto G1519 the measure G3358 of the stature G2244 of the fulness G4138 of Christ: G5547
I beseech G3870 thee G4571 for G4012 my G1699 son G5043 Onesimus, G3682 whom G3739 I have begotten G1080 in G1722 my G3450 bonds: G1199
Yea, G235 and if G1499 I be offered G4689 upon G1909 the sacrifice G2378 and G2532 service G3009 of your G5216 faith, G4102 I joy, G5463 and G2532 rejoice with G4796 you G5213 all. G3956
And G2532 that ye put on G1746 the new G2537 man, G444 which G3588 after G2596 God G2316 is created G2936 in G1722 righteousness G1343 and G2532 true G225 holiness. G3742
I write G1125 not G3756 these things G5023 to shame G1788 you, G5209 but G235 as G5613 my G3450 beloved G27 sons G5043 I warn G3560 you. For G1063 though G1437 ye have G2192 ten thousand G3463 instructors G3807 in G1722 Christ, G5547 yet G235 have ye not G3756 many G4183 fathers: G3962 for G1063 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus G2424 I G1473 have begotten G1080 you G5209 through G1223 the gospel. G2098
But G235 put ye on G1746 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 and G2532 make G4160 not G3361 provision G4307 for G1519 the flesh, G4561 to fulfil the lusts G1939 thereof.
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 Wherefore hast thou afflicted H7489 thy servant? H5650 and wherefore have I not found H4672 favour H2580 in thy sight, H5869 that thou layest H7760 the burden H4853 of all this people H5971 upon me? Have I conceived H2029 all this people? H5971 have I begotten H3205 them, that thou shouldest say H559 unto me, Carry H5375 them in thy bosom, H2436 as a nursing father H539 beareth H5375 the sucking child, H3243 unto the land H127 which thou swarest H7650 unto their fathers? H1
And G2532 there appeared G3700 a great G3173 wonder G4592 in G1722 heaven; G3772 a woman G1135 clothed G4016 with the sun, G2246 and G2532 the moon G4582 under G5270 her G846 feet, G4228 and G2532 upon G1909 her G846 head G2776 a crown G4735 of twelve G1427 stars: G792 And G2532 she being G2192 with G1722 child G1064 cried, G2896 travailing in birth, G5605 and G2532 pained G928 to be delivered. G5088
My G3450 little children, G5040 these things G5023 write I G1125 unto you, G5213 that G3363 ye sin G264 not. G3363 And G2532 if G1437 any man G5100 sin, G264 we have G2192 an advocate G3875 with G4314 the Father, G3962 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 the righteous: G1342
Who G3739 in G1722 the days G2250 of his G846 flesh, G4561 when he had offered up G4374 prayers G1162 and G5037 G2532 supplications G2428 with G3326 strong G2478 crying G2906 and G2532 tears G1144 unto G4314 him that was able G1410 to save G4982 him G846 from G1537 death, G2288 and G2532 was heard G1522 in that G575 he feared; G2124
To Titus, G5103 mine own G1103 son G5043 after G2596 the common G2839 faith: G4102 Grace, G5485 mercy, G1656 and peace, G1515 from G575 God G2316 the Father G3962 and G2532 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Saviour. G4990
Unto Timothy, G5095 my own G1103 son G5043 in G1722 the faith: G4102 Grace, G5485 mercy, G1656 and peace, G1515 from G575 God G2316 our G2257 Father G3962 and G2532 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Lord. G2962
Epaphras, G1889 who is one of G1537 you, G5216 a servant G1401 of Christ, G5547 saluteth G782 you, G5209 always G3842 labouring fervently G75 for G5228 you G5216 in G1722 prayers, G4335 that G2443 ye may stand G2476 perfect G5046 and G2532 complete G4137 in G1722 all G3956 the will G2307 of God. G2316
For G1063 I would G2309 that ye G5209 knew G1492 what great G2245 conflict G73 I have G2192 for G4012 you, G5216 and G2532 for them at G1722 Laodicea, G2993 and G2532 for as many as G3745 have G3708 not G3756 seen G3708 my G3450 face G4383 in G1722 the flesh; G4561
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,