Fathers

Galatians 4

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Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

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What the Fathers say

Galatians 4:21

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

He says rightly, "ye that desire," for the matter was not one of a proper and orderly succession of things but of their own unseasonable contentiousness. It is the Book of Creation which he here calls the Law, which name he often gives to the whole Old Testament.

Homily on Galatians 4 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

After he had already sufficiently softened them and drawn them to himself, he again enters into dispute, pointing out that the law itself does not wish to be observed: answer me, he says. He also said beautifully: "those who desire," because such a situation depended not on the demand of things, but on their inappropriate passion for disputes. And by the law he means the book of Genesis, since it is his custom to call the entire Old Testament the law.

Commentary on Galatians ↗

Oecumenius

"Tell me," Paul says, "you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law." But "desire" is fitting; for the matter was one of ill-timed quarrelsomeness on their part. "do you not hear the law." What, he says, does he say about himself? and furthermore he brings testimony from Genesis. For it is his habit to call the entire Old Testament "the law." "do you not hear the law," that is, the book of Genesis? and see how he constructs his argument. …

Commentary on Galatians ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

But because in it was prefigured the new testament, the men of God who at that time understood this according to the ordering of the times, were indeed the stewards and bearers of the old testament, but are shown to be the heirs of the new. Shall we deny that he belongs to the new testament who says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me"?

Against Two Letters Of Pelagius 3.6 ↗

Jerome

Tell me, those of you who desire to be under the Law, have you not heard the Law? It should be noted that the Law mentioned here refers to the history of Genesis, not as people commonly think, what should be done or avoided, but rather the entire narrative of Abraham and his wives and children, referred to as the Law (John 15). We also read in another place that the prophets are also called the Law. Therefore, one who truly understands the Law is one who, according to Paul, examines not just its surface, but its essence. …

Commentary on Galatians ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle showed the pre-eminence of grace by a human example; here he proves it on the authority of the Scripture. First, he proposes a fact; Secondly, he expounds its mystery (v. 24); Thirdly, he concludes his proposition (v. 31). As to the first, he does two things: First, he elicits their attention; Secondly, he sets forth his intention (v. 22). …

Commentary on Galatians ↗