Galatians 4:6
Galatians 4:6 Images
Read Galatians 4:6 Using Other Translations
What does Galatians 4:6 mean?
And because ye are sons
That is of God, so some copies read; and the Ethiopic version,
"inasmuch as ye are his sons"; not in so high a sense as Christ
is the Son of God; nor in so low a sense as all men are his
offspring; nor in such sense as magistrates are the children of
the most High; nor merely on account of a profession of religion,
as the "sons of God" was a phrase very early used of the
worshippers of the true God; but by virtue of adoption, and which
is not owing to the merits of men, who are by nature children of
wrath, but to the free rich sovereign grace of God. It is a
privilege and blessing of grace in which all the three persons
are concerned. The Father has predestinated to it, and in the
covenant has provided and laid it up; he set up his Son as the
pattern to which these sons should be conformed, and proposed the
glory of his own grace, as the end; by virtue of which act of
grace they were considered as the children of God, as early as
the gift of them to Christ; and so by him when he partook of
their flesh and blood, and died to gather them together who were
scattered abroad; see ( Hebrews 2:13
Hebrews
2:14 ) ( John 11:52 ) . The Son
of God has also an hand in this affair; for through his espousing
their persons, they become the sons and daughters of the Lord God
Almighty; and through his assumption of their nature they become
his brethren, and so to be in the relation of sons to God;
through his redemption they receive the adoption of children, and
at his hands the privilege, the power itself, to become such. The
Spirit of God not only regenerates them, which is an evidence of
their sonship, but as a spirit of adoption manifests it to them,
works faith in them to receive it, and frequently witnesses to
the truth of it; all which show how any come and are known to be
the sons of God. This is a privilege that exceeds all others; it
is more to be a son than to be a saint; angels are saints, but
not sons, they are servants; it is more to be a child of God,
than to be redeemed, pardoned, and justified; it is great grace
to redeem from slavery, to pardon criminals, and justify the
ungodly; but it is another and an higher act of grace to make
them sons; and which makes them infinitely more honourable, than
to be the sons and daughters of the greatest potentate upon
earth; yea, gives them an honour which Adam had not in innocence,
nor the angels in heaven, who though sons by creation, yet not by
adoption. The consequence, and so the evidence of it, follows,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying
Abba, Father.
The Syriac and Arabic versions read, "our Father"; all the three
divine persons here appear, as having a concern in this business,
as before observed; here are God and his Son, and the Spirit of
his Son, said to be sent; by whom is designed not any work of his
upon the heart, nor any of his gifts and graces; but he himself
in person, even the same Spirit of God that moved upon the face
of the waters at the creation of the world, and moved holy men of
God to write the Scriptures; who formed and filled the human
nature of Christ, and descended on him as a dove; and by whom
Christ and his apostles wrought their miracles; and who is called
the Spirit of his Son; as he is frequently by the Jews
F7, (xyvm Klm lv wxwr) , "the Spirit of the King Messiah";
and sometimes
F8 (hyrmym xwr) , "the Spirit of his word", the essential word of God; because he proceeds from him as from the Father, and because he dwells in him, in an eminent manner, as Mediator, and is sent by virtue of his mediation and intercession; and he is the rather mentioned under this character, because adoption proceeds upon the natural sonship of Christ, and is what is the peculiar office of the Spirit to testify. When he is said to be "sent", it does not suppose any local motion or change of place in him, who is a spirit infinite, immense, and omnipresent; nor any inferiority to the Father that sends him, or to the Son whose Spirit he is; for he is one God with the Father and Son, and with the Father is the sender of Christ, ( Isaiah 48:16 ) , but it regards his peculiar office in this affair of adoption, by agreement of all the three persons; the Father predestinated to it, the Son redeems, that it might be received, and the Spirit is sent to discover, apply, and bear witness to it; which is a wondrous instance of the grace of God. The place where he is sent is "into" the "heart": where he is as a principle of spiritual life, and which he furnishes and supplies with all grace; where he dwells as in his temple, and is the evidence of God's dwelling there, and also of interest in Christ; is there as a pledge and an earnest of future glory; and the whole is a surprising instance of condescending grace. The work he does there is various, and consists of divers parts; as convincing of sin, and righteousness, working faith, and acting the part of a comforter; but what is here referred to, is the discharge of his office as a spirit of adoption, "crying Abba, Father". The word Abba is an Hebrew, or rather a Syriac or Chaldee word, signifying "father"; and which is added for explanation sake; and its repetition may denote the vehemency of filial affection, the strength of faith and confidence as to interest in the relation; and being expressed both in Hebrew and Greek, may show that God is the Father both of Jews and Gentiles, and that there is but one Father of all; and if it might not be thought too curious an observation, it may be remarked that the word "Abba", read backwards or forwards, is the same pronunciation, and may teach us that God is the Father of his people in adversity as well as in prosperity. The act of "crying", though it is here ascribed to the Spirit, yet is not properly his, but the believers; and is attributed to him because he excites, encourages, and assists them as a spirit of adoption to call God their Father; and may be understood both of the secret internal crying of the soul, or exercise of faith on God as its Father, and of an open outward invocation of him as such, with much confidence, freedom, and boldness.
F7 Bereshit Rabba, fol. 2. 4. & 6. 3.
Vajikra Rabba, fol. 156. 4. (See Gill on Romans
8:9).
F8 Targum in 2 Chron. ii. 6.
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