The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 259

though brought up a Jew, in his teaching and life he did not give the impression of belonging to one nation more than to another. Still, the Mosaic system had authority over him, and had to do with his training as the Messiah. (3) Twofold aim of the manifestation. (a) Deliverance from the Mosaic system. "'!'hat he might redeem them which were under the Law." H is true that God sent forth his Son to redeem from the curse of tbo broken Law generally, and from the curse of the Mosaic Law in particular; but it is also true that, in connection with that, he bud a subsidiary design to which prominence is given here. It was that, by his Son discharging all the obli- gations of the Mosaic Law, and answering its ends, it should no longer continue a burden on the conscience. And it is well to have this subsidiary design connected with the great sending forth of the Son. (b) Instating of Chris!ians as sons. "That we might receive the adoption of sons." " We" is to be taken in the wider sense here, as it was taken in the narrower sense in the third verse. The reference is Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. As these were, in the minority of the people of God, Jews, so now are they Christians. The design of the sending forth of the Son was to bring up the people of God into the position of sons. Not only does the time of his being sent forth rule the time of their becoming sons; but the fact of his being Son seems to rule their getting the position of sons. The Son goes forth, and it is sons he brings with him to glory. Such was the twofold aim of the manifestation. He proceeds to show how God did not stop short at giving us the position of sons. He followed it up by giving us the qualification of sons. The Spirit of the f:ion our qualification as ~ons. "And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Our qualification was the Spirit of his Son, i.e. the Spirit who was sent forth on the Son, and who fitted him for his work. He was within him as the Spirit of the true Son. In the darkest hour Christ conquered by being true to the Father. The Spirit proceeds from Christ upon us. He is also within us as the Spirit of the true Sou. He draws us to God as our Father, That is the con::;enial element of his working. The word "Father" is the outcome. His is the language of filial con- fidence, His is the language of filial affection. His is the language of filial obedience. Uis is withal the language of earnestness. He is represented as crying, i.e. impor- tunately calling. And he is represented as crying, "Abba, Father." The idea is empha- sized by repetition. And it is expressed in two languages, Aramaic and Greek, strikingly showing the fusion of Jew and Greek in Christ. According as the Spirit of Christ thus dwells in us are we qualified and have the realization of our freedom as sons. General conclusion regarding heirship. "So that thou art no longer a bond- servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." He individualizes what he says by changing from the plural to the singular. Even the Gentile had not to pass through Judaism into the kingdom of God. The fact of sonship having been formerly arrived at is simply stated here as the basis on which a conclusion is drawn regarding heirship. If thou hast the position of a son, and the qualification of a. son, through God's infinite love, art thou not certainly an heir through the same love? Thus it is made out that the people of God have attained to their majority. They lmve the heirship, not of mere children, i.e. without rights, but of sons, i.e. with full rights. II. THE BON FALLING BACK INTO HIS MINORlTY, So he represents the Galatian5. 1. Their idolatrous past. "Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods." It was their disadvantage that they were ignorant of God. '!'hat being tho case, it was not to be wondered at that they di,l ~ervice to idols. The religious instinct, if it does not find the true, will find the false. If we have not God to fill up the vacuum of our nature, we must havo idols. 'l'hese Galatians had done service to them which by nature were no gods. Paul's idea in one place (1 Cor. x. 20) is that they were devils whom the heathen worshipped. They certainly were only Divine in their own imagiuation. '!'hey had not the nature of God;, they disputed for power; they were not even moral. What bondage to be _in error reaardino-0 the greatest of all objects I What fearful bondage to thmk of him as not o~ly im perfect, but as swayed by the vilest passions! 2. Their relapse. "But now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known of God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in _bondage over again? Yo observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afra1t.l r;( yon, lest GALATIANS, Q 226 THE EPIS'l'LE TO THE G.ALA'l'IANS. [ OH, IV, 1-81.