QT 18/08/2024 Sun. Galatians 4. A ward or a child? 是被监护的人，还是孩子？

QT 18/08/2024 Sun. Galatians 4. A ward or a child?
READ http://www.esvbible.org/gal4

"Guardians and managers" of a child (Gal 4:2) were not useless. Nevertheless, they were not superior to "his father" (Gal 4:2).

Paul's argument was this: Why do you yearn to be a ward under a guardian, when one is a CHILD under "Abba! Father!" ? (Gal 4:6). The law was temporary until they receive "adoption as sons" (Gal 4:5).

Paul used the visions of a slave and a son to call the Judaizers out of their misguided theology (their learnings about God).  Indeed, while the laws were the source of Jewish pride, the Galatians have been shackled by them thoroughly. Alas, their spirituality was never about a true relationship with the Father (Gal 4:8-9).

Paul was not denying the value of Old Testament law which also contains the element of faith in God of the Abraham kind (Gal 3:6, 3:16, 3:18, 3:29) and of the Isaac kind (Gal 4:28).

Paul was, however, against the following :-

(1) The narrowing down of OT law into circumcision without true faith (Gal 2:3, 2:12, 5:2-3, 5:6, 6:12-13, 6:15); and

(2) The observance of "special days", "months and seasons and years" (Gal 4:10) as MARKS of Jewishness and wrongly EQUATING them with marks of "true spirituality".

REFLECTION – We lose sight of why we do what we do as a Christian when we cease to have a right relationship with the Father. That was why Paul called readers to think of themselves as true sons and heirs, who fully know what the business of their Father’s estate is about.  Only then can they live freely and right (Gal 4:31).

Leading a hypocrite’s life is very tiring. To the Judaizers, who wanted to continue justifying and consolidating their position in Galatian society and shaking off their hypocritical weariness, they found consolation in their zealousness to win people into their circle.

In so doing, however, they caused the focus to be removed from the pure gospel and diverted the focus to themselves (Gal 4:17).

APPLICATION – May we be restored to the right relationship with the Father, and always remember our roles as heirs. We show this when we genuinely know the true business of the Father’s estate - where "a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Gal 2:16).

星期日 2024年8月18日 今日读经：加拉太书4章. 被监护的人还是孩子？
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Gal/4/

一个孩子的“监护人和管家”(加4:2)不是没有用处的。然而，他们并不比“他的父亲”优越(加4:2)。

保罗的辩解是：一个已经是“阿爸、父！”的孩子(加4:6)，为何还想要在监护人之下？这律法是暂时的直到他们得着“嗣子的名分”(加4:5)。

保罗用了奴仆和儿子的异象把犹太教的教徒从误导性的神学(他们对神的认识)唤醒了。确实，律法是犹太人最引以为傲的。加拉太人也曾被它们锁得牢牢的。可惜，他们的属灵生活却从来都不是与父有着真正的关系(加4:8-9)。

保罗也不是否定旧约律法的价值，这里头包含了对亚伯拉罕的神的信心(加3:6,3:16, 3:18, 3:29)和像以撒那样的信心(加4:28)。

然而，保罗却反对以下的事情:-

(1) 把旧约的律法缩小到只有割礼，没有真正的信心(加 2:3, 2:12, 5:2-3, 5:6, 6:12-13, 6:15); 和

(2) 严守“特别日子”、“月份、节期、年份”(加4:10),以此作为犹太人的特征并错误地把他们等同于“真正属灵的特征”。

反思-当我们与父没有了正常的关系，身为一个基督徒，我们就会迷失方向, 不知道每天为何做我们所做的。所以，保罗呼吁读者要把自己想成是真正的儿子和后嗣，很清楚地知道他们父亲的产业是什么。唯有这样，他们才能活得自由、正确 (加4:31)。

过虚伪的生活是很辛苦的。对犹太教的人来说，他们想继续为自己在加拉太社会巩固他们的地位，并甩掉虚伪的疲乏，所以能够赢得人们进入他们的圈子，他们感到无比欣慰。

然而，这么做造成了焦点从单纯的福音转移到自己身上(加4:17)。

应用：但愿我们与神的关系恢复正常，并常常记住我们身为后嗣的角色。当我们真的知道父的产业是什么时，我们就会表现出来--“人称义不是靠行律法，而是因信耶稣基督”(加2:16)。