Galatians 4:3 kjv
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Galatians 4:3 nkjv
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
Galatians 4:3 niv
So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
Galatians 4:3 esv
In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
Galatians 4:3 nlt
And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.
Galatians 4 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:23 | Now before faith came, we were held captive under law... | Galatians 3:23 (Context) |
| Romans 6:14 | For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. | Romans 6:14 (Contrast) |
| Colossians 2:8 | Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. | Colossians 2:8 (Rudiments) |
| Romans 7:6 | But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. | Romans 7:6 (Freedom) |
| Hebrews 9:10 | Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. | Hebrews 9:10 (Carnal Ordinances) |
| Galatians 5:1 | Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. | Galatians 5:1 (Liberty) |
| John 8:32 | And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. | John 8:32 (Truth & Freedom) |
| Galatians 3:24 | Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. | Galatians 3:24 (Schoolmaster) |
| Acts 15:10 | Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? | Acts 15:10 (Yoke of Bondage) |
| 1 Corinthians 10:20 | But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. | 1 Corinthians 10:20 (Spiritual Powers) |
| Ephesians 2:2 | Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. | Ephesians 2:2 (Worldly System) |
| John 12:31 | Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. | John 12:31 (Prince of World) |
| 1 John 5:19 | And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. | 1 John 5:19 (World System) |
| Galatians 3:1 | O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? | Galatians 3:1 (Bewitched) |
| Galatians 4:9 | But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? | Galatians 4:9 (Return to Bondage) |
| Colossians 2:20 | Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? | Colossians 2:20 (Subject to Ordinances) |
| Romans 8:15 | For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. | Romans 8:15 (Spirit of Bondage vs Adoption) |
| Galatians 5:18 | But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. | Galatians 5:18 (Led by Spirit) |
| Matthew 11:29 | Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. | Matthew 11:29 (Christ's Yoke) |
| 1 Peter 2:16 | As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. | 1 Peter 2:16 (Servants of God) |
Galatians 4 verses
Galatians 4 3 Meaning
Just as we were under bondage before, when we were children, so were we under the element of the world; all those spiritual observances and carnal rudiments, that are observed by the law of Moses and nature, which kept the Israelites in a state of bondage.
Galatians 4 3 Context
This verse is part of Paul's argument in Galatians, contrasting the Old Covenant law with the New Covenant in Christ. The Galatian believers were being influenced by false teachers (Judaizers) who insisted that they must adhere to the Mosaic Law, including circumcision, to be truly saved. Paul reminds them that before they received Christ, they were spiritual infants, held captive by the basic principles or elementary teachings of the world under the Old Covenant. This condition was characterized by a bondage to legalistic observances and ritualistic laws. He uses this to argue that reverting to the Law after embracing Christ is a step backward into a similar state of spiritual infancy and servitude. The chapter highlights the transition from being enslaved by the Law to being adopted as sons through faith in Christ, possessing the freedom and inheritance that comes with sonship.
Galatians 4 3 Word Analysis
Ὡς (hōs): "As" or "like." This comparative particle introduces a resemblance or a state of being. It connects the past state of spiritual childhood under the law to a similar state of bondage under the "elemental principles of the world."
γὰρ (gar): "For" or "because." This is a conjunctive particle, indicating a reason or explanation for something previously stated or implied. Here, it explains why believers were previously enslaved by the Law.
ἤμεθα (hēmetha): "We were." This is the first-person plural imperfect indicative of the verb εἰμί (eimi), "to be." The imperfect tense signifies a continuous state or ongoing action in the past. It emphasizes that this state of bondage was not a single event but a prolonged condition.
ἀφ’ (aph'): Contraction of ἀπό (apo) meaning "from," "away from." Used with the genitive case, it signifies origin or separation.
τούτου (toutou): "Of this." Refers to something previously mentioned or understood, in this context, the Law.
τοῦ (tou): "The." Definite article, masculine genitive singular.
κόσμου (kosmou): "Of the world." Genitive singular of κόσμος (kosmos). This refers not just to the physical world, but to the system of human existence apart from God, including its values, philosophies, and religious practices. In this context, it specifically refers to the elementary teachings or basic principles that governed human life before Christ, particularly within the framework of the Law.
κατεχόμενοι (katechomenoi): "Being held," "being detained," "being occupied." This is the present passive participle, genitive plural, of the verb κατέχω (katechō). The passive voice indicates they were being held by these external principles. The present participle might suggest a continued state or condition being described in relation to their past. It conveys a sense of restraint, control, and subjection.
Word Group Analysis
- “Ὡς γὰρ ἤμεθα νήπιοι, τοιοῦτοι τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ κατεχόμενοι” (hōs gar ēmetha nēpioi, toioutoi toutō tō kosmō katechomenoi): This entire clause is setting up a parallel. Paul is saying, "For just as we were infants [in spiritual understanding and maturity], so were we being held captive by these rudiments/principles of the world." The phrase "under the Law" (implied from the previous verse and context) is linked to being "held by these rudiments of the world."
Galatians 4 3 Bonus Section
The term "elemental principles of the world" (or "rudiments of the world") – στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (stoicheia tou kosmou) – is significant. In its broader sense, it refers to the basic ABCs or foundational components of something. In a spiritual context, it can denote the rudimentary teachings, religious practices, and observable phenomena that characterize the world's systems of belief and living, apart from direct divine revelation. This includes not only the ceremonial and legal aspects of the Mosaic Law but potentially also the cosmic or astrological beliefs and occult practices common in the Greco-Roman world. Paul uses this concept to show that any system that focuses on such external observances rather than the internal transformation through Christ leads to a state of spiritual childhood and servitude, lacking the true understanding and liberty found in sonship. The spiritual infancy emphasizes their immaturity in understanding their adoption into God's family, needing the guidance of tutors (like the Law) before reaching full maturity in Christ.
Galatians 4 3 Commentary
Paul asserts that before receiving Christ and the Spirit, believers, like infants, were subject to bondage. This bondage was characterized by being held captive by the basic, elemental principles of the world. These were not neutral concepts but represented a system of spiritual immaturity and subjugation. The Mosaic Law, while given by God, in its unfulfilled state served as a temporary tutor and restraining force. Its ceremonies, sacrifices, and precepts, when viewed as ends in themselves rather than pointers to Christ, resulted in a form of spiritual immaturity and bondage, a far cry from the sonship and freedom available through faith in Christ. The "elements of the world" could also encompass the pervasive pagan beliefs and practices prevalent at the time, against which the Law also stood as a distinguishing factor, albeit an inadequate one for salvation. The implication is that attempting to return to the Law after salvation is akin to willingly stepping back into this state of immature, limited spiritual experience.