1. Galatians 3:26-4:2

Please stand for the reading of God’s Word from Galatians chapter 3. I will be reading a smaller section from a long argument that the apostle Paul gives on why we and our children are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and on the merits of Christ alone. Beginning to read at Galatians 3:26.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

You may be seated. Before I dig into chapter 4:1-2, I want to briefly mention six very important points of information that the apostle has already given in this chapter. I won’t try to prove them; I will just list them. Those six points are:

First, we are justified by faith alone apart from our works just as Abraham was.

Second, that just as Abraham became heir of God’s promises by faith, believers today become heir of God’s promises made to Abraham by faith. There is no difference there.

Third, verses 26-29 make it clear that only heirs can be baptized and the promises are only made to heirs.

Fourth, every one of God’s promises made to Abraham was made to Abraham and His seed, and Paul makes the point that the Abrahamic covenant continues to give promises to believers and their seed. It wouldn’t be the Abrahamic covenant if the seed were excluded.

Fifth, verses 15-18 makes clear that nothing added to the Abrahamic covenant by Moses or any covenant afterwards can abrogate the principle of salvation by faith apart from works. This means that just as Abraham couldn’t be justified by faith plus circumcision, we can’t be justified by faith plus baptism, or faith plus anything. Neither circumcision nor baptism justifies an adult or a baby.

Sixth, the paragraph we read this morning deals with who may be baptized in the Abrahamic covenant. Verses 26-29 indicate that all believers may be baptized, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free, males or females, and chapter 3:29-4:2 indicates that the children of each of those believers are also heirs and therefore may be baptized.

And I won’t try to argue any of those points. I’m going to assume that you already believe in infant baptism. I just want to look at seven phrases in chapter 4:1-2 that specifically apply to [child].

First, God still has a plan for our children. The word for child in verse 1 is νήπιος (napios), and refers to a child who is ignorant or who cannot speak yet. The dictionary says that it “refers to beings ranging from fetal status to puberty,” though usually it just refers to a very young child (BDAG). We can praise the Lord that children still have a place in God’s plan. Isaiah 40:11 says of God’s relation to the church of the New Covenant era, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” And that’s exactly what Jesus did. Jesus took the little children and infants in His arms and said, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” This makes sense since the Abrahamic covenant was to believers and their children. [Child] has a special place in God’s plan.

Second, she is said to be an “heir.” This is picking up the language of chapter 3:29, which says of believers, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” You can only be an heir if in some way Christ claims you. This again shows that there has been no change in the status of the children of believers. God continues to give promises to them; promises which they must claim as they grow up. He continues to claim them in some way. Christ has a claim on little [child], and if she is an heir, then she has a claim on Christ.

Third, [child] is said to not differ at all from a slave until she comes of age. In the modern world we tend to think poorly of the concept of slaves. But slaves under Abraham were given special family status. They were fed, clothed, protected, and provided for. But there is a sense in which their future is directed by the believing parents. The children didn’t make all of the choices right away. [Parents] are making many choices for [child], and this morning they are making a choice of bringing her to the Lord. Will she make a choice of her own in the future? Obviously yes. But she is not left in limbo in the meantime. God owns [child].

The next phrase says, “though he is master of all.” When the elect are under age, they have a destiny of being sons and daughters, but they may not yet understand that. And if you look at the whole purpose of guardians and stewards in the larger context of the Mosaic economy being a guardian or steward to lead us to Christ and to lead us to faith, this is one of [parents’] chief responsibilities — to lead [child] to Christ and into her inheritance and into maturity.

The next phrase is, “but are under guardians [ἐπίτροπος,](epitropos).” [Names of mother and father] have entered a responsibility of being guardians of [child] before the Lord. They are to care for her, instruct her, and raise her in the nurture of the Lord. I think it is awesome that God makes a provision of guardianship for babies.

The next phrase is “and stewards [οἰκὀνόμος](oikonomos).” A steward is a trustee of something that belongs to another. Joseph was the steward of all that Potiphar owned. Well, if the children of believers are a stewardship trust, that means that God owns that child and [parents] will be accountable to God for how they raise that child. In Luke 12:42 Jesus asks, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?” The summary answer to that question is given by Spicq, who says that a steward must be:

…hard-working, zealous, competent, circumspect. “What is required of stewards is that they be found faithful,” worthy of the master’s confidence.¹

This is one of the reasons we have parents take vows to follow through on their commitment when they bring their child to the covenant. The baptism is the acknowledgment that the Abrahamic covenant continues to be to believers and their seed and an acknowledgment that they are accountable to Him.

And the last phrase says, “until the time appointed by the father.” And in context, the time of appointment appears to be the time when the child self-consciously makes profession of faith and enters into the privileges of full sonship. Only God knows that date. So with that encouragement, I will ask [parents] to bring [child] up to acknowledge that they embrace their responsibilities in the Abrahamic covenant.