What does “present evil age” mean in Galatians 1:4?

Answer

In Galatians 1:4, the apostle Paul writes that Christ “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” Here, Paul introduces the purpose of the sacrificial death of Christ, the nature of the world we inhabit, and the eternal plan of God the Father. In obedience to the Father’s will, Christ voluntarily gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age.

To appreciate the significance of Christ’s saving work, we must first understand our own depravity. In Scripture, sin is defined as falling “short of the glory of God” «for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; », (Romans 3:23). This suggests a moral standard that we are unable to meet. The reason we cannot live up to the righteousness that God demands from us is that we are sinners both by nature «Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me. », (Psalm 51:5) and by choice «And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. », (John 3:19). Christ is the only solution to our sin problem. In Him, we are delivered from our sins and from “the present evil age” «who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: », (Galatians 1:4).

The phrase present evil age refers to the current reality that the world is in the grip of Satan. Sin is rampant in our world, and sinners are enslaved to the bondage of sin. In Ephesians

2:1–3, Paul states, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (ESV). Since deceased individuals cannot resurrect themselves, God must revive us spiritually. In Christ, we are “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” «that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; », (Philippians 2:15, ESV).

Freedom from the current evil age has significant implications for our way of life. God urges us to lead lives centered on Christ in the present evil age. This is achieved by embracing the mindset of Christ, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8;ESV). To prevent corruption by the current evil age, we must humble ourselves by allowing God to work in and through us. As a result, people will “see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven” «Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. », (Matthew 5:16, ESV).

The a

The age in which we live is indeed evil, but the era also includes the term “present.” There is a future age to come, one that will be marked by righteousness and justice, devoid of sin (see Isaiah 9:7). Dwelling in the current evil age, those who have been saved have a marvelous future awaiting them.