Who does 'we' refer to in Galatians 4:3?
The pronoun "we" in Galatians 4:3 refers to Paul himself as a Jew and to Jews who were under the law, not to Gentiles. The Gentile world was never under the law of Moses; only the children of Israel were. So "we" identifies those under the law as children.
Les explains that in Galatians 4:3 the pronoun "we" is Paul referring to himself as a Jew, not including the Gentiles per se, but Jews who were under the law. He points out that the Gentile world was never under the law of Moses, only the children of Israel. Just as Roman and Greek children were under tutors and governors until the father set the time, so Israel, when they were children—that is, under the law—were in bondage. Les emphasizes that to live under the law is always a bondage.
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
More Questions
What is Paul illustrating with the tutors and governors in Galatians 4?
Paul uses the Greek and Roman custom of a child being under tutors and governors as an illustration ('even so') for Israel's condition under the law.