Galatians 4:2
2 But [alla] is [esti] under [hupo] tutors [epitropos] and [kai] governors [oikonomos] until [achri] the time
appointed [prothesmios] of the father [pater]. KJV-Interlinear
2 but he is under guardians and
managers until the date set by the father. NASB
Before we move on much further, we probably need to
review where we have come from.
Remember back in the last chapter, Paul began
describing an example of youngsters as they were growing up, being under the
control of a guardian.
This illustration was to point out the functions of
the Mosaic Law while it was in effect throughout history prior to the crucifixion
of Christ.
Here in this verse the words tutors and governors
are in the plural, and what Paul is pointing out is that the child, who
illustrates people who lived in history prior to the cross, is under the
guardianship or watch of the Mosaic law.
The Mosaic law wasn’t written until the time of
Moses but from the time of Adam and Eve until the cross there were only two
ways to be saved.
First was by faith which of course is the correct
way, and the second way is by works which was, and is, the incorrect way.
Cain is the example of an attempt to satisfy God
through works. Remember he was planting his gain crops and such, and harvested
them. He made an offering of his grains,
which were the works of his labor, to God, and God rejected his works.
Abel on the other hand was a shepherd and he did
virtually no work other than watching over the flocks. He made a sacrifice of one of these animals
which was in accordance with what God had requested. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted.
The concept of works has existed since the time
Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve tried to put fig
leaves over themselves or leaves, and that was an example of works. Later on they were wearing clothes of animal
skins and of course we know where the animal skins came from. They came from
animals which were obviously sacrificed on an altar and so then they would have
the use of those skins for clothing. Needless to say the animals had no further
use of the skins.
Therefore they wrapped themselves up in the
clothing which came from the work of God not from themselves. This is an
illustration of Adam and Eve accepting the work of God through faith and thus
wrapping themselves in the work of Christ, rather than trying to gain God’s approval
and forgiveness by means of their own works.
So Paul is making the similar illustration using
the principle of a guardian who has control and authority over a child.
Using the terms in the plural describes how the
guardian has control over the person that he has guardianship over.
The child has no power, could not order his own
life or actions, he wasn’t able to appropriate new property or do with his
property anything of his own choosing. In
other words the child was bound hand and foot to the control of the guardian,
with no freedom whatsoever.
The phrase, until the time appointed by the father,
is an illustration of when the head of the household makes a decision that the
appropriate time has arrived such that the child is now declared a free adult,
and the services of the guardian are permanently dismissed from the rest of the
life of the child.
From the creation of Adam and his subsequent fall,
until the time of Christ, the human race was under the heavy rule of a guardian
called works.
During this time the line of Christ was developed
until the time of his birth, and then until the time of the cross.
As an illustration of how salvation works, God made
a promise to Abraham. But that promise pointed to both the fulfillment of an
inheritance, as well as to the birth and work of the person would actually
fulfill that promise.
God controls history. God created Adam and Eve, and
gave life to all the generations that followed. During those several thousands
of years, God developed principles and rules and concepts of freedom and truth,
as well as the line of Christ.
Faith was evident from the time of Adam and Eve by
way of their obtaining animal skins as clothing. Faith was illustrated by the
promise made to Abraham, through which faith, righteousness, or salvation, was
credited to him.
But when the time of Moses arrived, the works of
man’s efforts were documented in the Mosaic law, to demonstrate man’s inability
to achieve salvation by works, and the foolishness or stupidity of the person
trying to justify themselves by means of their own effort.
Therefore, the law was given in order to document
and to demonstrate and to prove that man needs something more than the law,
something outside the law, in order to correct and gain his relationship with
God.
