Children of God

Galatians 3:26-4v7

Can women grow beards, and if they can, are they allowed to shave them under Jewish law?

Kirsch, A., 2016. Men: Thank God We're Not Women!.
kirsch-2016-men~a1

Galatians 3:26

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (use)

Acts 17:28

for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ (use)

John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (use)

Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (use)

The great and excellent privilege which real Christians enjoy under the gospel: They are the children of God; they are no longer accounted servants, but sons;

Henry, M., 1896. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible. UK. Galatians
mhcom-galatians~3v26

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (use)

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (use)

...the mark of circumcision, the sign of the covenant made with Abraham and his natural seed, was only upon the males; but now under the Gospel dispensation there is no distinction made between male and female as to divine things; as they are alike called by the grace of God, they have the same right to Gospel ordinances, baptism and the Lord's supper, and to every spiritual privilege...

Gills, J., 1748. Exposition of the Bible Commentary.
gills-1748-exposition~galatians-3v26

The basic conclusion here is that Torah was and still is for everyone in general, but not every law in Torah is for everyone in particular.

Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, E., 2021. Thank You, God, for Not Making Me a Woman.
lizorkin-2021-thank~a1

And Hermippus in his Lives attributes to this man [Thales] that which is said by some concerning Socrates. For they say that he would say he was grateful to Fortune for these three things: first, that he was a human and not a beast; next, that he was a man and not a woman; third, that he was a Greek and not a barbarian.

Laertius, D., 250. Lives of Eminent Philosophers.
laertius-250-lives~a1

Luke 18:11

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (use)

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a gentile. Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a slave. Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a woman.

Davis, A. , 1105. Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Morning Blessings.
davis-2014-siddurashkenaz~a1

200 AD formal inclusion

...would provide the Jewish man with the right combination of appreciation and humility,...

Kohn, R.L., 2017. Who Hast Not Made Me a Woman Part I.
kohn-2017-who~a1

the blessings of self-identity

Tabory, J., 2001. The Benedictions of Self-Identity and the Changing status of women and of orthodoxy.
tabory-2001-self~a1

I think it is no coincidence that it has just been in the last 70 years or so that people have begun to become troubled by this question and I think one of the reasons why people had begun to become troubled by this question is because if you would have lived in any other era, in any place on earth, before 70 years ago, you never would have asked why it is that men thank God every morning you would have known why it was better to be a man and not be a woman.

Fohrman, D., 2019. Thank You, God...For Not Making Me A Woman?. 3:19
fohrman-2019-woman~a1

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (use)

Acts 10:28

And he{Peter} said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean." (use)

His point was that within the body of Christ all have the same relationship to God. God does not observe the differences that exist among us and treat some of His sons and daughters differently than He treats others. He treats all believers equally.

Constable, T., 2022. Expository Notes.
constable-2022-expository~galatains-3v28

Galatians 3:28 says nothing explicitly whatsoever about how male/female relationships should be conducted in daily life. Even the feminists acknowledge that the context of Galatians 3 is theological, not practical.

Scanzoni, L. & Hardesty, N., 1975. All We're Meant to Be: a Biblical Approach to Women's Liberation. 18-19fn21
scanzoni-1975-all~a1

Paul's statement does not mean "that all male-female distinctions have been obliterated in Christ, any more than that there is no racial difference between the Christian Jew and the Christian Gentile."

Fung, R.Y.K., 1988. The Epistle to the Galatians. New International Commentary on the New Testament series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.175
fung-1998-galatians~a1

On the one hand, this makes sense: identity is the hot issue of our age. On the other, it makes no sense at all, because your identity is, we keep being told, whatever you want it to be.

Freeman, H., 2017. Identity is the issue of our age.
freeman-2017-identity~a1

Caspian: "I was wishing that I came from a more honourable lineage." Aslan: "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content."

Lewis, C.S., 1951. Prince Caspian. Chapter 15
lewis-1951-prince~a1

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (use)

In Christ, our differences are not simply erased but rather embraced, valuing the unique ways we each reflect the image of God.

The Archbishops Anti-Racism Taskforce. 2021. From Lament to Action.
archbishops-2021-lament~a2

As people made in God’s image, culture warriors hunger and thirst for righteousness. But as broken people in a fallen world, they might not know how to find it. So they deal with the problem the only way they know how: by canceling what seems wrong in their own eyes.

Burrus, M., 2023. How Cancel Culture Points to the Gospel.
burrus-2023-cancel~a2

Galatians 3:29

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (use)

Acts 16:15

And after she{Lydia} was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. (use)

1 Timothy 2:12

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (use)

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (use)

Revelation 5:10

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. (use)

Galatians 4:1

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, (use)

Acts 17:11

Now these Jews{Bereans} were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (use)

James 3:1

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (use)

1 Peter 4:10

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: (use)

The Incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus was and remains the great stumbling block in Christianity for the Jews.

Beasley-Murray, G.R., 1987. John. Word Bible Commentary series. pg.93
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The Incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery, but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains.

Packer, J.I., 2015. The Staggering Mystery of Christmas. Decision Magazine.
packer-2015-staggering~a3a

Galatians 4:4

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, (use)

Galatians 4:5

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (use)

Verses 4-5 contain one of the most compressed and highly charged passages in the entire letter because they present the objective basis, the Christological and soteriological foundation, for the doctrine of justification by faith.

George, T., 1994. Galatians New American Commentary series.
george-1994-galatians~c4v4-5

We are all one in sin, one in failure, one in hopelessness, one in need of the Lord Jesus Christ and His great salvation.

Lloyd-Jones, M., 2012. Preaching and Preachers.
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Galatians 4:3

In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. (use)

We are loved sinners in Christ – so loved that we don’t have to despair when we do wrong, so sinful that we have no right to be puffed up when we do right.

Keller, T., 2015. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Scepticism. Hodder & Stoughton.
keller-2015-preaching~a1

Galatians 3:25

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian{the law}, (use)

That poor, lost, sinful man has nowhere else to go but to Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and if the sinner betakes himself to any other way he will wander and die.

Barnes, A., 1884. Albert Barnes Notes on the Whole Bible.
barnes-1884-notes~john6v68

In a society that desperately wants to believe humans are perfect just the way we are, the outrage culture pulls the curtain back, unveiling that “the way we are” isn’t only imperfect; it’s actually a horror show.

Gorman, A.M., 2019. Let the Outrage Culture Help You Share the Good News.
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The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.

Chambers, O., 2017. My Utmost for His Highest.
chambers-2017-upmost~apr-6

Galatians 4:6

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' (use)

Numbers 27:8

And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.' (use)

Deuteronomy 21:17

but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his. (use)

Acts 10:45

And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. (use)

The purpose of the Son's mission was to give the rights of sonship; the purpose of the Spirit's mission, to give the power of using them.

Swete, H.B., 1909. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament. p.204
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When a sinner trusts Christ and is saved, as far as his condition is concerned, he is a 'spiritual babe' who needs to grow (1 Peter 2:2-3); but as far as his position is concerned, he is an adult son who can draw on the Father's wealth and who can exercise all the wonderful privileges of sonship."

Wiersbe, W.W., 1989. The Bible Exposition Commentary. 1:705
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