Is Galatians 4:4 talking about the Christmas story?
Yes, Galatians 4:4 refers to the Christmas story, meaning Christ's birth in Bethlehem. It marks the fullness of time when the Messiah was born in Bethlehem at the exact right day and hour according to God's schedule. This birth happened because it was in God's timetable.
Les explains that after four thousand years of varying types of responsibility, God did something totally different. The work of the cross couldn't be finished until Christ was born at Bethlehem, and Galatians 4:4 points to the fulfillment of a promise made in Genesis 3:15. Les tells of someone who asked a pastor why he didn't spend more time in Paul and leave off the four Gospels; the pastor replied that if he left the Gospels, he would have nothing to say about the Christmas story. Les calls that ridiculous, saying this verse is the Christmas story—it refers to Christ's birth in Bethlehem. Paul doesn't rehearse all the details of Joseph and Mary because that was already implied and prophesied. Instead, he brings us to the crucial point of Christ's birth in Bethlehem, which happened because it was in God's timetable.
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Why did Paul not rehearse the details of Joseph and Mary in Galatians 4:4?
Paul did not need to rehearse the details of Joseph and Mary because those facts were already implied and had been prophesied. Instead, he moved directly to the crucial point: in the fullness of time, according to God's exact schedule, the Messiah was born in Bethlehem.
When did Christ come according to Galatians 4?
According to Galatians 4, Christ came in the fullness of time, at the exact right moment in time. The God, the Son, was born of a woman, made of a woman, and made under the law, fulfilling God's plan for the ages.
More Questions
When was Christ born according to Galatians 4?
Christ was born in the fullness of time, right on God's timetable, as Galatians 4 teaches.
What does "the fullness of the time" mean in Galatians 4:4?
"The fullness of the time" means that according to God's schedule, at the exact right day and hour and year, the Messiah was born in Bethlehem.