WHEN THE FULNESS OF TIME WAS COME
Gal. 4:4-5
Morning Meditation 10/17/16
Verses 4- 5 say, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
This is Paul’s inspired comment on the birth of Jesus from a doctrinal standpoint as he refuted the heresy of mixing law with grace as a basis for salvation. Any mixture of our own works adds self righteousness to His righteousness and they do not mix (Rom. 11:6). A mixture of our works in substance perverts the true gospel message (Gal. 1:6,9).
God’s plan to send His Son into the world finds its first promise in Genesis 3:15 and its first type as a sacrifice in Genesis 3:21. After that, there is a scarlet thread that leads through the Old Testament, and is tied to the manger in which Jesus was born and then on to the cross.
Paul says, “But when the fulness of the time was come.” The word “But” is a conjunction which means it is a trailer hitch and is dragging something behind. What is connected is Paul’s explanation of the purpose of the law. Verses one to three of this chapter say, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:” The law places a man in bondage from which Jesus came to deliver. If we are under law, we are not delivered. Who are the heirs that are being spoken of here? Those who were under the law. What was the purpose of the law? It was a schoolmaster (3:24). It was a tutor until the death of the one who would bring the heir into his inheritance. Note the words, “Even so we, when we were children” places this condition (being children) in the past. The words “we were” translates “‘emen,” and is the imperfect tense of the to be verb “I am.” It is imperfect indicative and means “we continued to be.” This continued from the giving of the law until Jesus came and nailed it to His cross (Col. 2:14). The words “were in bondage” is exactly the same imperfect verb used again, i.e., “we continued to be in bondage.” The word “bondage” is a perfect passive participle meaning, "to make a slave of, reduce to bondage." The perfect tense is completed action in the past with the result that it is still true. The passive voice is where the subject “we,” (we Jews) are acted upon. The giving of the law put the Jew in bondage and it is still true that anyone under the law remains in bondage. The false Jewish teachers who had come from Jerusalem were trying to get the Christians in the Churches of Galatia to make circumcision as a rite a condition to salvation.. Circumcision was a commitment to keep the law.
The words “when the fulness of time was come” identify the time when this changed. The “fulness of time” refers to the time known only to God when He sent His Son according to promise. God has a plan and is working it out on His schedule. Some verses that teach this are: Matt. 13:35, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Matt. 25:34, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Heb. 4:3, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 17:8, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
Don’t try to figure this out. This is what the theologians have done and come up will all kinds of contradictory things. Just rejoice that things are not evolving and running wild. If you are a believer, you are in His plan. You can’t fail, as to your destiny, because He can’t fail. He is in charge (Phil. 1:6). It was finished before it started! He can take the worst Satan can do and make it work for your good and His glory (Rom. 8:28). Please! Someone hold my mules!
The words “was come” in the phrase, “when the fulness of time was come” translate, “erchomai” and means “to come from one place to another” and is an aorist active indicative verb. This means the “fulness of time” came marching through time, from the plan of God before the foundation of the world, came marching through all the Old Testament promises, and came marching up to the manger, and, as the Christ Child was born said, “I am now here.” The aorist tense is a point of time divorced from time and perpetuated forever. The birth of Christ happened and a point of time and it stands as an ETERNAL NOW. It cannot be altered by denial. It cannot be perverted except in the minds of unbelievers. Thank God He came right on time and men will either accept it or spend eternity wishing they had. He is the ONE AND ONLY WAY (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
The words “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman . . .” put God as the Authority behind the coming of Jesus. He was “sent forth.” The words “sent forth” translate “exapostello.” This word is the combination of two words, “ek” which means “out of, or, from, and “apostello” which means “one sent with a commission.” Where did God send His Son out of? Out of His presence. Jesus came from heaven. He did not originate in Bethlehem or the virgin womb. He stepped out of eternity into time. He was sent on a mission to save the world. The words “made of a woman” refer to His physical body. Man (Joseph in this case) had absolutely nothing to do with the birth of Christ. Men who do not believe in the virgin birth have nothing in the Jesus they claim to worship, but, at most, a good man. Those who believe the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus have a Saviour sent from God who faithfully accomplished what He came to do. Amen!
The word “made” in the phrase “made of a woman” translates “ginomai” and means “to become, i.e., to come into existence, begin to be, receive being.” Jesus, as the eternal Son, became something in His physical birth, that He had never been before, i.e., a man. This is an aorist middle participle. This means He was made at a point of time, and the middle voice means that He participated in the result of the action. It means He benefitted from the action He participated in. This is the process by which He gained a bride. The Bible speaks of the “Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). God could have made Jesus just like He made the original man. But, while He would have been of the same elements, He would not have been the Kinsman Redeemer. He was procreated through Mary, God bless the memory of this devout believing Jewish maid.
Next Paul says, “made under the law.” This means He was born of a Jewish parent and as such He was born under the law. He was under the law to fulfill it. He was never condemned by the law and needed no sacrifices offered for Him. His parents didn’t know this. So everything that a normal Jewish child would have done to conform to the law happened to Jesus. He was made under the law for the purpose that is stated in the words, “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The words “we might receive” translate “apolambano” and means, “to receive what is due or promised.” In order to receive the inheritance as sons, Jesus had to redeem the sons who were in bondage. This is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to redeem and did redeem every son of Adam who will repent of sin and put his faith in Christ as a personal Saviour. He is ONLY THE REDEEMER OF THE BELIEVER. 1 Tim. 4:10 says, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”
May God bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
