Galatians 4:5 Meaning: Redeemed to Receive Adoption as Children
that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive;
that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship.
Meaning in one sentence
In Galatians 4:5, Paul shows that Christ redeemed those under the law so we could receive full adoption as children of God, a status now realized through
Context
Paul is writing to Christians in Galatia who are being pulled back toward Jewish customs and the law of Moses. He has been arguing that the law was like a guardian for children, keeping them in line until the right time. In this chapter, he uses the picture of a young heir who, though he owns everything, lives like a servant until the day his father sets him free. That day has come. God sent His Son, born under the law, to buy us out of that childhood. The goal was not just rescue from punishment. It was a new standing: full membership in God's family, with all the rights that come with being a grown son or daughter.
Key Words
The verb behind “redeem” is exagorazō, a market word. It means to go to the auction block and pay the price to set someone free. Paul wants you to know that your freedom cost something real. The word for “adoption” is huiothesia, literally “placing as a son.” In the Roman world, adoption was a serious legal act that gave a person full inheritance rights, erasing their old identity. And “receive” is apolambanō, which means to get what was promised, what was held for you. Put together, the verse says: Christ paid the full price so you could be legally placed in God’s family with all the rights of an heir. It is not a distant hope. It is your actual standing, right now.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse with different emphases. Some, following Calvin, note that Old Testament believers already had the status of children, but the full experience of adoption, the Spirit’s cry of “Abba, Father”, came only after Christ. Others, like Adam Clarke and Albert Barnes, see the adoption as something entirely new, a privilege granted through the gospel that the law could never give. The two views are not far apart. Both agree that redemption frees us from the law’s domination and that being a child of God is now more direct and intimate than before. The debate is about how much of that blessing the faithful experienced before Jesus came. Either way, the point stands: you are no longer a servant, but a son.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think Paul means Christ only died for Jews, since he says “those under the law.” In fact, Paul includes all people in that category, Jew and Gentile. Everyone stands under God’s law and its curse in some sense. Christ’s redemption reaches everyone who believes, regardless of background.
Living This Out
This week, notice the moments when you feel you have to earn God’s approval, by enough prayer, enough serving, enough trying. That is living like a child under a guardian, not a grown son or daughter. When that feeling comes, stop and say aloud: “I am already adopted. I belong. I do not have to buy my place.” It sounds simple, but it changes how you talk to God and how you face your failures. You are not on probation. You are home.
Main takeaway: Through Christ’s redemption, we are no longer under the law’s demands but are fully adopted as God’s children with all the rights of heirs.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus paid everything so we could be in God’s family. Now God is our Father, and we are His children forever.
For ages 9, 12
Paul says that before Jesus came, God’s people were like kids who had to follow lots of rules. But when Jesus died and rose again, He bought us out of that. Now we are not servants trying to earn our way. We are sons and daughters who already belong. That changes everything about how we pray, how we obey, and how we see ourselves.
Questions People Ask
What does 'redeem' mean in Galatians 4:5?
The Greek word exagorazō means to buy someone out of the marketplace, to pay a price to set them free. Paul uses it to show that Christ’s death was the payment that released us from the law’s hold and from the curse of sin.
What is the 'adoption as children' Paul talks about?
Adoption (huiothesia) is a legal term from Roman culture. It means being placed as a son or daughter with full inheritance rights. In Christ, believers are given the status of mature heirs, not servants. The Holy Spirit confirms this relationship by crying 'Abba, Father' in our hearts.
Does this verse mean Old Testament believers were not God’s children?
Christians differ on this. Some say OT believers were children in a lesser sense, like heirs under a guardian; others see adoption as a new privilege coming only after Christ. Paul’s main point is that the full experience of sonship, with the Spirit’s intimacy and freedom from the law, is now ours in a way it was not before.
What does 'under the law' mean in Galatians 4:5?
It means being subject to the law’s commands and its curse for those who break it. Paul has in mind both the Mosaic law for Jews and the moral law written on every heart. Christ redeemed us from that condition so we could live as free children of God.
How does this verse connect to Galatians 3:13?
Galatians 3:13 says Christ redeemed us from the law’s curse by becoming a curse for us. Verse 5 repeats the idea of redemption and adds the purpose: that we might receive adoption. Together they show the cross secures both forgiveness and a new family identity.
For pastors & researchers
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