加拉太书 4:3-6 CUNPSS

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

Verse 3 3.Under the elements of the world. Elements may either mean, literally, outward and bodily things, or, metaphorically, rudiments. I prefer the latter interpretation. But why does he say that those things which had a spiritual signification were of the world ? We did not, he says, enjoy the truth in a simple form, but involved in earthly figures; and consequently, what was outward must have been “of the world,” though there was concealed under it a heavenly mystery. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:4

Verse 4 4.When the fullness of the time was come. He proceeds with the comparison which he had adduced, and applies to his purpose the expression which has already occurred, “the time appointed by the Father,” — but still shewing that the time which had been ordained by the providence of God was proper and seasonable. That season is the most fit, and that mode of acting is the most proper, which the providence of God directs. At what time it was expedient that the Son of God should be revealed... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:5

Verse 5 5.That we might receive the adoption. The fathers, under the Old Testament, were certain of their adoption, but did not so fully as yet enjoy their privilege. Adoption, like the phrase, “the redemption of our body,” (Romans 8:23,) is here put for actual possession. As, at the last day, we receive the fruit of our redemption, so now we receive the fruit of adoption, of which the holy fathers did not partake before the coming of Christ; and therefore those who now burden the church with... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:6

Verse 6 6.And because ye are sons. The adoption which he had mentioned, is proved to belong to the Galatians by the following argument. This adoption must have preceded the testimony of adoption given by the Holy Spirit; but the effect is the sign of the cause. In venturing, he says, to call God your Father, you have the advice and direction of the Spirit of Christ; therefore it is certain that you are the sons of God. This agrees with what is elsewhere taught by him, that the Spirit is the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-3

The Church of God in its minority. The apostle now passes to a new phase of argument. He has used the similitudes of a testament, a prison, a schoolmaster, to mark the condition of believers under the Law; he now uses the similitude of an heir in his nonage. The Galatians are here taught that the state of men under the Law, so far from being an advanced religious position, was rather low and infantile. Mark— I. THE HEIR 'S POTENTIAL POSITION . He is "lord of all." He is such by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

Majority through the gospel. Paul, having spoken of the Law-school in the preceding sections, and of the participation of believing Gentiles in the privileges of the Abrahamic family, proceeds in the present section to speak of the times before Christ's advent as infantile, of the advent as the fulness of times, and of the majority which is realized by believers through the gospel. Four leading thoughts are thus presented. I. THE IMPERFECT TIMES . ( Galatians 4:1-3 .) The Old... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-11

Majority and minority. I. THE CHILD COMING TO HIS MAJORITY . Analogy. "But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bond-servant, though he is lord of all; but is under guardians and stewards until the term appointed of the father." At the close of the preceding chapter Christians were described as Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. It is with regard to this that the apostle now makes use of an analogy. It is a very simple and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:3

Even so we ( οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ); so we also. This "we" represents the same persons as before in Galatians 3:13 , Galatians 3:24 , Galatians 3:25 (see notes), namely, the people of God; a society preserving a continuous identity through successive stages of development, till now appearing as the Church of Christ. The plural pronoun recites, not individuals, but the community viewed as a whole, having the now subsisting "us" as its present representatives. Individually,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:4

But when the fulness of the time was come ( ὅτε δὲ ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου ); but when the completion of the term (Greek, time ) came. " The completion of the term" is the notion answering to "the time appointed of the father" in Galatians 4:2 . The "time" ( χρόνος ) here most probably corresponds to the period terminated by the προθεσμία : that is, it is the interval which God ordained should first elapse. So Acts 7:23 , ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:4-5

The fulness of time with its blessings. This corresponds with "the time appointed of the father." The nonage of the Church was past. The world had arrived at mature age. A new dispensation was at hand. I. THE FITNESS OF THE TIME . The new dispensation was no abrupt phenomenon, for it came at the fittest time in the world's history. 1 . When all the prophecies of the Old Testament centred in Jesus Christ. When the whole economy of type had done its work in preparing a... read more

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:5

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:6

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-3

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:4-5

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