The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (211 page)

3:17 four hundred and thirty years:
The duration of Israel's stay in Egypt before the Exodus (Ex 12:40-41). Thus, the Abrahamic covenant, last confirmed with Jacob (Gen 28:14), preceded the ratification of the Mosaic covenant by more than four centuries (Ex 19-24). 
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3:19 It was added:
The Torah was inserted into history between the Abrahamic covenant and the New Covenant.
because of:
The Greek can indicate either the goal ("for the sake of") or the cause ("by reason of") for adding the Law. Paul may have both ideas in mind: the
goal
of the Law was to expose transgressions and heighten Israel's awareness of sin (Rom 3:20; 5:20; 7:7); the
cause
for adding the Law, at least the bulk of its sacrificial and ceremonial rites, was the rebellion of Israel during the Exodus period, particularly the golden calf transgression (see, e.g., Christian theologians St. Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho
18-22; St. Irenaeus,
Against Heresies
4, 15; St. Aphrahat,
Demonstrations
15, 8; St. Thomas Aquinas,
Summa Theologiae
I-II, 102, 3).
ordained by angels:
Jewish tradition based on the Greek version of Deut 33:2 held that Moses received the Torah from the hands of the angels (Acts 7:53; Heb 2:2; Josephus,
Antiquities
15, 136). 
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3:20 an intermediary:
Moses, who delivered the Torah to Israel (Ex 20:18-22; Deut 5:4-5). That the Mosaic covenant involved a mediator implied that
more than one
party was responsible for fulfilling the terms of the covenant—God and Israel. The Abrahamic covenant, by contrast, was a unilateral arrangement, i.e., God alone swore an oath and assumed the responsibility of blessing the world through Abraham's offspring (Gen 22:16-18).
God is one:
The monotheistic creed of ancient Israel (Deut 6:4). 
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3:22 consigned all things to sin:
Scripture declares all peoples, Jews and Gentiles alike, prisoners of sin. Paul spells this out in Rom 3:9-19 and Rom 11:32. 
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3:23 kept under restraint:
The mass of ethical, juridical, and ceremonial laws codified in the Torah was designed to keep Israel in temporary protective custody, lest it imitate the depravity of the Gentiles (CCC 1963-64). 
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3:27 baptized into Christ:
Baptism is the sacrament of faith (3:26) and the rite of Christian initiation that replaces circumcision (Col 2:11-12). It cleanses us of sin, joins us with Christ, and makes us righteous children of God (Acts 22:16; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 3:21; CCC 1226-27). Paul's description of this mystery reflects early liturgical practice where the newly baptized
put on
a white garment to symbolize their purity in
Christ
(cf. Rom 13:14; Eph 4:24; CCC 1243, 2348). 
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3:28 you are all one:
All peoples, irrespective of ethnic, gender, and social distinctions, are equal candidates for salvation and sonship in Christ (Col 3:11; CCC 791). 
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Word Study

Custodian
(
Gal 3:24-25
)

Paidagōgos
(Gk.): a "tutor" or "disciplinarian" or "guide". The word is used twice in the NT, here and at 1 Cor 4:15. It refers to a household slave in Hellenistic society who was charged by a father to oversee the moral formation of his son. This tutelage normally lasted from the time the child was a minor until he reached maturity. The tutor would accompany the youth to and from school, supervise his daily activities, protect him from dangers, and administer discipline whenever necessary. Paul used this familiar custom to explain how the Mosaic Law served a similar function in Israel. It was an instructor and guide for the nation, yet one that was temporary and destined to pass away. The coming of Christ meant that Israel could now be freed from the supervision and restraints of the Mosaic Law to embrace the full inheritance awaiting it in the New Covenant (Gal 4:4-7; CCC 708).

4:1-7
Paul reads the history of Israel as the story of a minor who has grown to maturity and is ready to receive his inheritance. During the Exodus, Israel was a rebellious son (Ex 4:22) whom Yahweh placed under the guardianship of the Mosaic Law (Gal 3:24) and the servile discipline of covenant curses (3:13). The coming of Christ marks the appointed time when the curses and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law are finally set aside and Israel can receive the full inheritance of sonship through the Spirit (Rom 8:14-15; CCC 1972). 
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4:3 elemental spirits:
The Greek word is simply "elements", which can denote
(1)
the first principles of education (Heb 5:12),
(2)
the physical elements of the world (2 Pet 3:10),
(3)
the heavenly bodies and luminaries, which were deified by the pagans (cf. Deut 4:19), or
(4)
the spirits that control the cosmic elements and were likewise worshiped by the pagans (cf. Wis 13:2). Each of these has connections with the religious culture of the Hellenistic world. In this context, however, life under the elements is connected with life under the Law (Gal 3:23-25). The point is not that Judaism is no different from paganism, but that both constitute a state of bondage under cosmic forces from which Christ has freed us (4:4-5, 8-9; Col 2:8, 20). Perhaps the Torah is classified with the elements because it teaches rudimentary principles of religion; its legal observances make use of physical substances; its cultic calendar follows the movements of the sun and moon; and the Law is mediated by angelic spirits (Gal 3:19), who, according to Jewish tradition, also stand in charge of the physical elements and seasonal cycles of the world (
Jubilees
2, 2). 
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4:4 the time had fully come:
History reached a climax with the birth and death of the Messiah (Mk 1:15; Eph 1:10). This was the predetermined date "set" by God the Father to confer the blessing of divine sonship upon both Israel and the Gentiles (Gal 4:2; CCC 422, 484).
born of woman:
Emphasizes that Jesus shared in the human condition (Job 14:1; Mt 11:11). Giving birth and flesh to the Son of God makes Mary the Mother of God (CCC 495, 723).
See note on Lk 1:43
.
born under the law:
Emphasizes Jesus' link with Judaism and his messianic mission to rescue Israel from the slavery of the Law and its covenant curses (3:13; CCC 580). 
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4:6 sent the Spirit:
As the Father sent the Son to redeem all nations from sin (4:4), he likewise sent the Spirit to renew them for a life of sanctity. The joint mission of the Son and Spirit is to bring blessing to the whole human family and unify them in the divine family of God (CCC 689).
into our hearts:
The Spirit fills us with God's presence and love (Rom 5:5; 2 Cor 1:22). His divine assistance enables us to live righteously as sons and daughters of the Father (Rom 8:4; 1 Jn 3:7; CCC 1265-66, 1695).
Abba!:
Aramaic for "Father!" It bespeaks a new level of intimacy with the Father that Jesus opened (Mk 14:36) for the children of God (Rom 8:15) (CCC 683, 2766). 
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4:8-11
Paul's personal appeal to the Galatians. Having refuted the logic of the Judaizers in 3:1-4:7, he now urges readers to repudiate their propaganda. The pastoral tone of this section reveals the depth of Paul's affection for the Galatians and indicates how earnestly he wants to restore them to spiritual health. 
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4:8 you did not know God:
The Galatians were once pagans, ignorant of the God of Israel (Ps 79:6; 1 Thess 4:5). In accepting the gospel, they turned away from lifeless idols to be known and loved by the living God (Gal 4:9; 1 Thess 1:9). 
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4:9 elemental spirits:
For the meaning of this,
see note on Gal 4:3
. 
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4:10 days . . . months . . . seasons . . . years:
Refers to the liturgical calendar of Israel, which was regulated by the cycles of the sun and moon (Gen 1:14). Apparently the Judaizers persuaded some of the Galatians to begin celebrating the weekly (Sabbath, Ex 20:8-11), monthly (New Moon, Num 28:11-15), seasonal (Passover, Pentecost, etc., Deut 16:1-17), and yearly (New Years, see note on Lev 23:24) festivals of the Old Covenant (Col 2:16). 
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4:12 become as I am:
Imitating Paul in this context means putting aside the ritual ordinances of the Mosaic Law to "live like a Gentile and not like a Jew" (2:14). 
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4:13 a bodily ailment:
The infirmity is not specified, but Paul's comments in 4:15 and 6:11 suggest it may have been a visual handicap. 
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Word Study

Adoption
(
Gal 4:5
)

Huiothesia
(Gk.): means "adoption as sons" and can refer to the process of entering a new family or to its lasting result. Paul uses the term five times in the NT. In Rom 9:4, he lists it among the privileges that Israel enjoyed by virtue of its covenant bond with Yahweh (Ex 4:22; Hos 1:11). Every other use of the word is connected with Christians. For Paul, the divine adoption of the believer takes place in two stages: first, our souls are raised to new life and filled with the grace of divine sonship (Rom 8:15; Eph 1:5) and, finally, our bodies will be raised to new life and filled with the glory of divine sonship (Rom 8:23). Divine adoption results from an infusion of the divine life of the Spirit (Gal 4:5-6). Historically, the gift of sonship once possessed in part by Israel is now granted in full to all nations united with Christ through faith and Baptism (Gal 3:2627). While Christ alone is the natural Son of God, we are made to share in his filial life as adopted "sons in the Son".

4:19 in travail:
Paul describes himself as a mother who begot Christ in the lives of the Galatians (cf. 2:20). His labor pains continue as he groans to see his sons and daughters turning back to bondage (CCC 526, 562). 
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4:22 two sons:
Abraham's oldest son, Ishmael, was born of his concubine, Hagar (Gen 16:15), while his younger son, Isaac, was born of his wife, Sarah (Gen 21:1-3). Hagar was Sarah's personal slave (Gen 16:1). 
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4:23 through promise:
The birth of Isaac was the result of God's promise and miraculous intervention, since Sarah was barren and elderly at the time (Gen 15:2-4; 17:15-19). Ishmael was conceived by purely natural means, that is, according to
the flesh
(Gen 16:3-4). 
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4:24-31
The mothers of Isaac and Ishmael represent two distinct covenants and thus two ages of salvation history. The slave woman,
Hagar,
is linked with
Mount Sinai,
where the Torah was given to Israel; the essence of this covenant was practiced and promoted in
Jerusalem.
The free woman, Sarah, is symbolic of the heavenly
Jerusalem above,
where the saints worship God in the freedom of the New Covenant (Heb 12:2223) without the burdensome yoke of the Mosaic Law (Gal 5:1). A contrast is thus set up between the Judaizers and the Galatians: the former are sons of the earthly Jerusalem, who are born into religious slavery through the Law (like Ishmael, from Hagar), while the latter are sons of the heavenly Jerusalem (CCC 757), who are born into freedom and blessedness through the gospel (like Isaac, from Sarah).
See note on Gal 3:15-18
. 
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4:24 this is an allegory:
An example of spiritual exegesis, which expounds the prophetic meaning of OT persons, places, events, and institutions in light of the New Covenant. Whereas literal exegesis interprets the words of the Bible, spiritual exegesis interprets the realities and events of the Bible described by its words (CCC 115-17). • The author of Holy Scripture is God, who can signify his meaning, not only by words, as even man can do, but also by things. The first signification whereby words signify things belongs to the historical or literal sense. The signification whereby things signified by words also have their own signification is the spiritual sense, which is based on the literal and presupposes it (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Summa Theologiae
I, 1, 10). 
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4:25 in Arabia:
Paul naturally links Hagar with Arabia, since the descendants of her son, Ishmael (Arabs), dwelt in this desert region. 
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4:27 Rejoice, O barren one:
A citation from the Greek version of Is 54:1. • Isaiah compares Jerusalem, destroyed and desolate after the Exile (586
B.C.
), to a barren woman made fruitful by God and to a tent that will spread out to make the nations her children (Is 54:2-3). Historically, the text is an allusion to the matriarch Sarah, who was barren but miraculously gave birth to Isaac. Prophetically, it points to the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the mother city made fruitful by God to bear children from all nations through the gospel. 
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