Galatians 4:4
Galatians 4:4-5
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
J. Vernon McGee: “Under the Law the best man in the world is absolutely condemned, but under the gospel the worst man can be justified if he will believe in Christ.” (Thru the Bible commentary series: First and Second Timothy, Titus and Philemon, p.27)
The solution, therefore, is to get out from under the Law, since it benefits no one redemptively, and to get in Christ, who died to set free all those who are enslaved by the weight and penalty of the Law.
Question: When Paul said, “those who were under the Law,” who did he have in mind?
Answer: Until you believe in Christ, you remain condemned under the Law: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18) Not only does this verse damage Calvinistic Limited Atonement, but Calvinistic Unconditional Election as well, since it is connected with “adoption.”
John Calvin: “He does not begin to choose us after we believe, but by the gift of faith he seals the adoption that was hidden in our hearts and makes it manifest and sure.” (Acts: Calvin, Crossway Classic Commentaries, p.229, emphasis mine)
John Calvin: “Thus, we are told, the grace of illumination, like a river, flows from the fountain of that eternal counsel which he had before been hidden. This is far removed from the thought that God in choosing us had any regard to faith; for faith could not have existed, unless God had appointed it for us by the grace of His adoption.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.69, emphasis mine)
Paraphrasing with Calvin’s view: “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem [the elect], that [the elect] might receive the [hidden] adoption as sons [according to eternal secret counsel of God].”
Where in Galatians 4:4-5 do you get the idea that only certain persons are eligible for redemption and adoption?
