Galatians 3:26 – All sons of God

For you are all  sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.

When speaking about the law, Paul always spoke about we and us in the foregoing. “We were garrisoned under the law” (3:23) and “the law has become our escort” (3:24). With this we, of course, Paul refers to the nation of Israel of which he himself is a part. But from verse 26 the we is turned into you, i.e. the nations. That does not exclude the believing Israelites, but it does include the nations. “… all of you are sons of God,” whether Jew or Greek (3:28).

Paul starts the above sentence with “for” to declare that now “faith” has come, we (=Israel) are no longer under the pedagogue (= the law). Why not? Well, all, Jew or Greek, are sons of God. Note, however, “sons” and not children, as many translations read quite incorrectly. Children are supervised by a pedagogue or babysitter. Sons, on the other hand, are past that stage. A son is no longer underage, but made a son to manage the father’s ‘inheritance’ as an ‘heir’. Sonship presupposes maturity and freedom and that is opposed to immaturity and slavery (4:1). “In Christ Jesus” every believer is destined for this sonship: free and mature!

Delen: