Don’t Turn Back

Galatians 4:8-3

June 29, 2003

Heathen - Background

Eph. 2:1-10

I Tim. 1:12-20

Acts 26:13-23

Jews rescued from the Law -

Gentiles (heathen) from dumb idols - Hab. 2:18, I Cor. 12:2

v. 8

v. 9 - “ye have know God” - “are known of God”

The Greatest Blessing to know God -

“how turn ye again to the weak & beggarly elements?”

“A yoke ....which neither our fathers nor we were

able to bear” - Acts 15:10

“whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage” - v. 1 “child/

heir - insult/degradation as a full grown son to have to

repeat lessons learned in infant school.

v. 10 - thinking outward observances would of themselves make

their life acceptable with God.

ch. 3:1-3 1:6-9

vs. 13-15 - Pus in eyes - Matt. 10:40-41

v. 17 - zealoun - in ordinary Greek - to admire, deem &

pronounce highly fortunate & blessed.

Custom of men to admire virtues in others, not of men

looking grudgingly on those who are being honored.

“He must increase but I must decrease” - John 3:30

Gal. 1:3-5 - “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the

glory forever”

The gifts which had been bestowed on them, their virtues,

in contrast, especially with their heathen neighbors - their

spiritual enlightenment.

This was said with the idea of courting their favor as in:

Romans 16:18 - “by good words & fair speeches deceive

the hearts of the simple”

A favorite device of this class of deceivers to win the ear

of their unwary brethren.

Of the people of Galatia, Smith’s Bible Dictionary says:

The people have always been described as

“susceptible of quick impressions & sudden

changes with a fickleness equal to their courage

& enthusiasm, and a constant liability to that

disunion which is the fruit of excessive vanity”.

“Yea, they would exclude you” - shut you out.

I John 3:12 - Cain slew his brother “Because his own

works were evil, and his brother’s righteous”.

Ps. 34:21 - “Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that

hate the righteous shall be desolate.”

War - good/evil God/Satan

Fronts over there now in America

Allies/Enemies world/churches

False Teachers John 8:44-45

Isaiah 3:10-12 Eph. 6:10-18

vs. 22-31 - Allegory of Hagar & Sarah - Law & Christ -

slavery & freedom.

v.29 - “But as then he that was born after the flesh

persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,

even so it is now.”

Heb. 10:35-39 Luke 9:62 Heb. 3:12