Galatians 4:21 Cross References - AUV

²¹ Tell me, those of you who desire to be under [obligation to the requirements of] the law of Moses: Are you really paying attention to what the law of Moses says?

⁴² Jesus [then] said to the leading priests and elders of the Jewish people, “Did you not ever read in the Scriptures [Psa. 118:22-23], ‘The building block rejected by the builders is the same one that was made the principal stone by which the entire building was aligned. This was planned by the Lord and is a marvelous thing to us’? ⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you [Jews] and will be given to a nation [i.e., the Gentiles] that will produce the fruit of the kingdom. ⁴⁴ And the person who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but whoever it falls on will be scattered like dust.”

²⁹ But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken [in your reasoning], not knowing [what] the Scriptures [teach] or [how much] power God has. ³⁰ For in the resurrected state men do not get married, nor are women given away in marriage, but [all] are like angels in heaven. ³¹ But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God spoke to you, saying, [Ex. 3:6] ³² ‘I am Abraham’s God, and Isaac’s God and Jacob’s God.’ [So], He is not God to those who are [physically] dead, but [He is] God to those who are [still] alive.”

⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses’ [writings], you would [also] believe in me, for he wrote about me. [See Deut. 18:15-19]. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how do you expect to believe my message?”

³⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your law [Psa. 82:6], ‘I said, you people are gods’?

³⁴ Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from [the writings of] the law of Moses that the Christ will live forever; so how can you say, ‘The son of man must be lifted up [i.e., to die]?’ Who is this son of man?”

²⁵ This all happened so the Scripture, written in their law [Psa. 35:19], would be fulfilled, ‘They hated me for no reason.’

¹⁹ Now we [all] know that everything the law says applies to those who are under [obligation to obey] that law, [Note: Here “the law” appears to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures generally, since Psalms and Isaiah are quoted. See verses 10-18]. This is so that the mouth of every objector may be stopped [i.e., from making excuses for his sin], and thereby bring the entire world under God’s judgment [i.e., both Jews and Gentiles].

¹⁴ For sin must not be your master [i.e., it must not have power over you], for you are not governed by law, but by God’s unearned favor.

⁵ For when we were in the flesh [i.e., before conversion], our sinful desires, aroused by [the restrictions of] the law of Moses, worked in our bodies to produce activity that led to [spiritual] death. ⁶ But now that we have died to what controlled us and have been released from [the requirements of] the law of Moses [i.e., under the Gospel age], we serve [God] in a new way [directed] by the Holy Spirit [Note: Some take “Spirit” here to be “spirit” and see it as describing the inner person], and not in the old way [directed] by the written law of Moses.

³⁰ What shall we say then? [Simply this]: That the Gentiles, who did not attempt to become right with God [by how they lived] were made right with God, and this was the result of their faith [in Christ]. ³¹ But the Israelites, who were attempting to become right with God by [conformity to] the law of Moses, never achieved [this righteousness] by that law. ³² Why? Because they did not [attempt to do it] by faith [in Him], but by trying to fulfill all the requirements [of the law]. So, they stumbled over “the stumbling stone,” [i.e., the Jews refused to become obedient to Christ. See I Pet. 2:6-8].

³ For they did not know about God’s way of making people right with Himself, so they attempted to establish their own way. In doing this they did not submit to God’s way for being made right with Him. ⁴ So, Christ has brought an end to the law [as a means] of being made right with God for every person who believes [in Him]. ⁵ For Moses wrote [Lev. 18:5] about a person being made right with God by obeying the requirements of the law of Moses, that he would gain [never ending] life for doing this. ⁶ But the [means of] being made right with God by faith [in Christ] is described in the Scripture this way [Deut. 30:12-13], “Do not ask yourself, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (in order to bring Christ down [to earth]). ⁷ “And [do not ask yourself], ‘Who will go down into the deep hole?’” (in order to bring Christ up from the dead). [Note: This “deep hole” probably refers to the unseen place of departed spirits, or possibly the grave. Being made right with God does not require something as difficult as bringing Christ down from heaven or up from the dead (which God had already done), but is within easy reach of everyone]. ⁸ But what does the Scripture say [about being made right with God]? [Deut. 30:14 says], “The message of God is near you [i.e., it is not difficult to comprehend]. It is on your lips and in your heart.” This is the message of faith [in Christ] which we [apostles] preach. ⁹ So, if you profess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For a person believes [in Christ] with his heart in order to be made right with God, and he makes a profession with his lips in order to be saved.

¹⁰ For all who seek to be right with God by trying to meet all the requirements of the law of Moses are under a curse [from God], because it is written [Deut. 27:26], “Every person is cursed [i.e., cut off from God] who does not continue to obey all of the requirements written in the law of Moses.”

²³ But before faith [in Christ] became available, we [Jews] were kept in bondage under [condemnation for not obeying perfectly] the law of Moses. [This condition existed] until the faith [i.e., the Gospel message] was made known [to people]. ²⁴ So, the law of Moses became like our “transportation to school,” bringing us to [the school of] Christ where we [learn how to be] made right with God by faith [in Christ].

⁹ But now that you have come to know God [as your Father], or rather, to be known by Him [as His children], how can you turn back again to the weak, cheap, elementary teachings [of the law of Moses], to which you [seem to] desire to become enslaved?