Rejoicing In the Sabbath:

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Galatians 4:10-11 "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

It does not say that.Let us just go back a couple of verses to avoid the 'cherry picker' effect.

I went back to the end of chapter three to arrive at this conclusion!

Gal 4:6-12

"Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God "[Abba.]" Abba means Father.

So you aren't slaves any longer. You are God's children. Because you are his children, he gives you what he promised to give his people.

This is speaking to SAVED GENTILES in contrast to Jews. The JEWS were the HEIRS mentioned in verse 1 of ch. 4. Paul was stating in chapter 3 that the JEWS were under law until Christ came. That is why Paul used the terms US and WE. He was speaking solely of Jews. And then after speaking more of JEWS in the first few verses, using US and WE, he then switches to speak to the GENTILES in the church as YOU. The gentiles were the servants in contrast to the Jews who were like HEIRS. But the heirs (Jews) were not different in practical issues than the servants (Gentiles) while the heir was under tutorship of Law.

Then he said the heir "graduated" from tutors when Christ came, and the Gentiles were adopted into the family to be heirs as well!

So then Paul asks why the Gentiles would leave one form of bondage under idols to the bondage of the elements of the world (elementary school of law's tutorship), when the Jews whom law was over are not even under law now.

THAT is the context.

At one time you didn't know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all.

Speaking to gentiles. Right.

But now you know God. Even better, God knows you. So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless beliefs? Do you want to be slaves to them all over again?

No, he did not say that. He said they were going from bondage to IDOLS and false gods into the OTHER bondage the Jews experienced under law to DAYS AND MOTHS AND YEARS. He is talking about holy days and months and years from previous covenants for Israel.

You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you."

Or rephrased: Before you knew the One True Living God you worshiped false Gods by observing special days and months and years. Do not become enslaved to false gods again now that you have been adopted as God's children by doing that again.

No, that is not what he said. He said the JEWS were the HEIRS who were BOUND TO ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD.

Galatians 4:1-5 KJV Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; (2) But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. (3) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

This is speaking about JEWS UNDER LAW. Notice the word BONDAGE. We know this is bondage to days and months and years of Israelite holy times because verse 5 says it is about redeeming those under law.

Verse 6 switches from US and WE, speaking of Jews, to YOU and YE in speaking of gentiles. They left bondage alright, but not the same bondage of verse 3 which was ELEMENTARY school of law (elements of the world). But they left the bondage of idols and went into the Israelite bondage of law. That is why Gal 5 tells them to not go under the yoke of bondage, and mentions circumcision, because these Gentile believers were using law-keeping and holy days and circumcision, when Paul said that was only the heri's schoolmaster and tutor UNTIL CHRIST CAME.

We cannot disconnect Gal 3 from the context of Gal 4 like you inadvertently did.

Paul himself observed Sabbath and would have looked kind of silly if this were about the fourth commandment...

No he did not. He only did it to reach Jews on the synagogues and to win those under law. Show me where he kept sabbath because God expected him to. It's not there.