Christmas · First Sunday after Christmas · Year B
Galatians 4:4-7
Sons of God
December 27, 2026
Overview & Insights
“God sent forth his Son, born of woman... so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
The basis upon which Paul makes the previous statement in verse 25 is his conviction that the Galatians are all sons of God by virtue of their being in Christ Jesus . Paul continues to work with the metaphor of inheritance to underscore that all of his readers are inheritors of God’s promise. Paul emphasizes that the Galatians already are “sons” or inheritors of God’s promise. (Paul’s use of “sons” is meant not to exclude the female members of the Galatian churches, but to work with the inheritance metaphor. In the ancient world it was generally sons and not daughters who could expect to be inheritors.) For the benefit of both his Gentile Galatian converts and the Jewish Christian troublemakers who would have eventually heard his words, Paul says that “all” receive the inheritance through the faith of Jesus Christ.
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Commentary
Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7 Working Preacher
Luther Seminary exegesis on adoption, the fullness of time, and heirs of God's promise, the RCL page for this passage.
Galatians 4:4-7 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed commentary insisting the Son was God's Son before the incarnation, not adopted at birth.
Galatians 4 Commentary: Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's evangelical verse-by-verse study of sonship, the Spirit, and the cry of Abba.
Galatians 4:4 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentators aggregated on God sending the Son born of woman, born under law.
Galatians 4 Commentary Precept Austin
Deep verse-by-verse resource collating scholars and word studies on adoption and inheritance.
Background & Word Study
Enter the Bible: Galatians Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary background on Paul's argument against requiring circumcision and law observance.
Galatians Overview BibleProject
Animated overview tracing Paul's case for freedom and life in the Spirit.
Galatians 4:4 Interlinear BibleHub
Greek text with parsing and Strong's numbers for adoption (huiothesia) and the fullness of time.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is Galatians 4 a Christmas reading?
It gives the theology of Christmas in one sentence: in the fullness of time God sent his Son, born of a woman, to redeem us and make us sons and heirs who cry, “Abba, Father.”
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