The Social Meaning of Sonship

The Social Meaning of Sonship (Galatians 3: 23-26; 4: 4-7)

In chapter 3, Paul has ingeniously used examples from Scripture and from life to illustrate his argument that observance of the law of Moses is no longer necessary for Gentile converts to Jesus. He maintains that his argument is valid in spite of the fact that other Christian missionaries have made a good case to the contrary and have presented the practice of Jewish custom in an appealing way (3:1–2; 4:10). In one of those examples, Paul speaks of the law as a “custodian” (RSV) or “disciplinarian” (NRSV). The reference is to a slave assigned as tutor and guardian of the son of a well-to-do Greco-Roman family (3:23–25; 4:1–3). Paul says that we are like that son, heir to the estate but, as a minor, subjected to a mere slave of the household until we attain maturity. The coming of Christ marks that change in status that frees us from the authority of our guardian (the law) in order to enjoy our inheritance as adults…