Galatians 4:4

"So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world."

Key Reflection

In Galatians 4:4, Paul describes their initial state as being under the influence of basic spiritual concepts and practices, which restricted them and kept them from a deeper understanding of God's true nature until they came to know Him more fully. This bondage symbolizes the limitations imposed by the Mosaic law and cultural norms that prevented them from experiencing the freedom and fullness of God’s grace.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. But when the fulness of the time was come. The full time appointed by the Father; the completion (filling up, plhrwma) of the designated period for the coming of the Messiah. See Barnes "Isa 49:7, See Barnes "Isa 49:8, See Barnes "2 Co 6:2". The sense is, that the time which had been predicted, and when it was proper that he should come, was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready for his coming.

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