A study of GALATIANS 4:21-31

nana · Bear Cub Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 625

GALATIANS 4:21-31

GALATIANS 4:21 “TELL ME, YE THAT DESIRE TO BE UNDER THE LAW, DO YE NOT HEAR THE LAW?

The Galatians have been bewitched; they have fallen under the law from which they have been delivered. Paul says, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Paul explains the reason that he stands in doubt of their salvation, he does this with an allegory.

4:22, “FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THAT ABRAHAM HAD TWO SONS, THE ONE BY A BONDMAID, THE OTHER BY A FREE WOMAN.

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael, born of a servant (bondmaid) Hagar and another, born of his wife a free woman (not a servant).

THE ALLEGORY (A natural truth with a spiritual application)

4:23, “BUT HE WHO WAS OF THE BONDWOMAN WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH; BUT HE OF THE FREE WOMAN WAS BY PROMISE.”

Hagar is an allegory of the Mosaic Law pertaining to the flesh. Hagar’s son Ishmael is an allegory of those born of the flesh that became the Gentile nations.

Sara is an allegory of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God from above and her son Isaac spiritually represents the children of the promise born of faith (those who believe God) that are the children of the Kingdom.

Hagar and Sarah portray the two covenants, neither of which can be broken.

Genesis 17:19, “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.”

Romans 4:13, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. This covenant is everlasting and is of faith.”

To be continued

nana · Bear Cub Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 625

WHAT ARE THE TWO COVENANTS?

4:24, “WHICH THINGS ARE AN ALLEGORY: FOR THESE ARE THE TWO COVENANTS; THE ONE FROM THE MOUNT SINAI, WHICH GENDERETH TO BONDAGE, WHICH IS HAGAR. 25) FOR THIS HAGAR IS MOUNT SINAI IN ARABIA, AND ANSWERETH TO JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS, AND IS IN BONDAGE WITH HER CHILDREN.”

THE FIRST COVENANT:

One covenant (Hagar, the bondwoman) represents the law that came down from Mt Sinai in the land of Egypt by the hand of Moses. It was a law written in stone by the finger of God and pertains to the flesh. The law was not just the 10 commandment, but God spoke to Moses, when on the mount, of sacrifices and burnt offerings and ordinances of divine service. It was a law of servitude and bondage and showed no mercy; it was an eye for an eye. The priests must offer up sacrifices continually for the sins of the people; the fires were continually burning. Transgression of the law finds a man guilty of sin and under the Law the wages of sin is death. When the law was given the entire world was in sin. There was none righteous, no not one.

Romans 4:14-15, “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none affect 15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

It is the law that charges one guilty and unless man is to be released from the law in some miraculous manner, then death for mankind was imminent. Christ was the miracle that would rescue man from sin in the flesh by a new and living way (when He rose from the dead). It is faith in his sacrifice for the sins of the world that we are imputed righteousness; righteousness by faith.

GALATIANS 4:25, “FOR THIS HAGAR IS MOUNT SINAI IN ARABIA, AND ANSWERETH TO JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS, AND IS IN BONDAGE WITH HER CHILDREN.

The Law which is in bondage with her children is to now answer to Jerusalem, the Law of Faith.

THE SECOND COVENANT:

GALATIANS 4:26, “BUT JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE IS FREE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL.”

This covenant is the covenant of promise made to Abraham. This promise was not written in stone like the first covenant, but sealed with a seal (like the seal of a Notary) and that seal was circumcision. This covenant of promise was given and then sealed with the circumcision 430 years before the law came, it was a token of God promise. Technically it was first, but because it was not instituted until Christ, it is call the second. The seal of circumcision represented the cutting away of the sins of the flesh, which is what Christ did when he died for the sins of the people. Righteousness by faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen and was set to go into motion at the appointed time. What time was that? When Christ took his seat at the right hand of the Father!

WHY WAS ABRAHAM CHOSEN AND WHY WAS HE COUNTED WORTHY TO BARE THE SEED THAT WOULD INHERIT THE NATIONS?

Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Abraham’s act of faith was as little as the grain of a mustard seed. If the Pharisees had had similar faith Mt. Sinai would have been removed and their hills would have been made low (it was on the hills that idols were worshiped).

Genesis 15:4, “And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him (Abraham) saying, this shall not be thine heir (Ishmael); but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir (Isaac). 5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. 6) And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Righteousness is the scepter of God’s Kingdom and without it none of us shall see God. Abraham met the requirements and by a simple act of faith, he believed God. That same simple act of faith is accounted to us for righteousness.

Romans 4:11, “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them (the Gentiles) also.” No government nor principality nor kings or priests can nullify this covenant, for we have likewise been sealed with circumcision, in the cutting away of the sins of the flesh at the cross; it is a spiritual circumcision.

Colossians 2:11, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ…”

to be continued

nana · Bear Cub Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 625

HOW WAS THE FIRST COVENANT REPLACED WITH THE SECOND?

The law was a covenant and could not legally be destroyed, so the answer to this dilemma was not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. At the end of the Law comes death, a law without mercy, so Christ became the sacrifice for sin once and for all, for both Jew and Gentile alike. He paid the ultimate price and so the Law was fulfilled. Because Christ died for every man once and for all we were freed from the law of sin and death.

There is no righteousness that can be found outside of Christ and the Galatians were foolish and unlearned to put their faith in the Law. Just as the Jews knew the Law was binding and could not be destroyed, they also did not take into account that Christ fulfilled the Law. When Christ began his ministry he set the Jews straight immediately:

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

The law is not fulfilled by man in keeping the law, it was fulfilled by Jesus Christ our redeemer when he went to the cross and died for the sins of the world. The fulfilling of the law was death. All the glory goes to Him.

John 1:29, “…John (the Baptist) seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith; behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John 4:42, “…for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
I John 4:14, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
John 12:47, “And if any man hears my words, and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”
I Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men…”

The churches today preach a personal savior and the continual cleansing of sin, they are under a strong delusion and just as the churches in Revelation, they are found wanting. If you think that Christ is personally forgiving sin in the flesh then think again; Paul would say the same thing to the churches today, for they have placed themselves back under the Law; a law that was fulfilled by Christ.

I John 2:2, “… he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” His death was one time once and for all.

Galatians 3:20, “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.”

GALATIANS 4:27, “FOR IT IS WRITTEN, REJOICE, THOU BARREN THAT BEAREST NOT; BREAK FORTH AND CRY, THOU THAT TRAVAILEST NOT: FOR THE DESOLATE HATH MANY MORE CHILDREN THAN SHE WHICH HATH A HUSBAND.”

The Gentiles were widowed, they were a nation barren and desolate; without God. The Gentiles did not travail in birth as did Jerusalem or labor in any way to merit God’s favor (the forgiveness of sin in the flesh), so she is to rejoice and cry out, because she is many more children than that of the married wife; the natural Jew. Jerusalem is to:

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes (Abraham dwelled in tents, for he was a sojourner on the earth).

Isaiah 54:3, “For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4) Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth (when they were without God) and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5) For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”

GALATIANS 4:28, “NOW WE, BRETHREN, AS ISAAC WAS, ARE THE CHILDREN OF PROMISE.”

The Galatians were gentiles, but now by adoption declared to be the ‘children of promise’. Paul doubts their salvation because they do not believe in the redemption that freed the world of sin in the flesh. As long as they see themselves sinners they are under the law that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ our Lord. Like the Galatians the churches today sees themselves sinners and born the old man.

Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man (that was born of sin) which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

This new man is not created by any works of the law, but by the hearing of faith; a simple act of faith and the renewing of ones mind.

Galatians 2:16-17, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? GOD FORBID.”

GALATIANS 4:29, “BUT AS THEN HE THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH PERSECUTED HIM THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE SPIRIT, EVEN SO IT IS NOW.

I Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

You cannot preach righteousness without the works of the law and not suffer persecution. Righteousness by faith is regarded by the unbeliever as unreasonable and foolish. Ironically it is mostly the religious that deny such an exceeding and great salvation and persecute the saints thinking they do God a service.

GALATIANS 4:30, “NEVERTHELESS WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE? CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON: FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.”

Genesis 21:9-10, “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10) wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”

GALATIANS 4:31, “SO THEN, BRETHREN, WE ARE NOT CHILDREN OF THE BONDWOMAN, BUT OF THE FREE.”

When the law was fulfilled it was fulfilled for every man. The only sin that one can be guilty of today is the sin of unbelief; that is the sin it is speaking of in I John 1. If we were still guilty of sin in the flesh then we would still be under the Law, because sin is the transgression of the Law.

John 16:8-9, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9) Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

In Christ, Judy

trettep · Lion Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 910

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/barnabas-roberts.html