<p>4:1 <i>But I mean so long as the heir</i> <i>is a child, he differs nothing from a slave, though he is lord of all</i>- The argument carries straight on from 3:29, where those baptized into Christ have been declared heirs along with Abraham. But Paul is saying that heirs don't receive anything &quot;until the day appointed by the father&quot; (:2). Inheritance in the first century wasn't necessarily received on the death of the parent. We think of the younger son in the parable demanding his inheritance whilst his father was still living. The father appointed a time or age at which the heir would receive the inheritance. Until that day, although the child was heir, even of absolutely everything &quot;though he is lord of all&quot;, it was of no real meaning- the child had as much legal right to it as a slave. Children had no real value as persons- they were effectively treated as slaves. Many women were in the same position, which explains why the early critics of Christianity mocked it as a religion largely comprised of women and children. True Christianity is attractive today likewise to those who are seen by others as non persons.</p><p>The heir in view is the &ldquo;seed&rdquo; of chapter 3, the Lord Jesus, who is now &ldquo;Lord of all&rdquo;. But Paul now argues as if the heir in view is everyone who was led by the law to become the seed of Abraham by faith. All that is true of the Lord is true of us personally.</p>