And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father.
All Commentaries on Galatians 4:6 Go To Galatians 4
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
The Spirit of His Son. The Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is an argument from effect to cause, as when we say, "Where there is smoke there is fire." God first sent forth the Spirit of His Son to us, from which it followed that we became sons of God. Because we are sons, therefore, we know that He hath sent forth the Spirit of His Song of Solomon , else should we not be sons. Because, therefore, denotes not so much the efficient cause as the logical reason.
Or, better still, we may connect the particle because with the cry, "Abba, Father." God hath sent forth His Spirit, not to make you sons, but to make you cry, "Abba, Father."
Crying. Causing you to invoke God ardently, confidently, with filial affection. It is the clamour of the heart, not of the mouth, as in Exodus 15:15.
Abba. The Hebrew Ab, the Syriac Abba, which in Greek and Latin becomes Abbas, denotes father. See my notes to Romans 8:15. As this place is a terror to the lukewarm, who rarely experience this feeling of filial prayer, so does it inspire the devout, who seek it within with a hope of salvation and enjoyment of their heavenly inheritance.
