Galatians 4:12-5:1 Lesson 365

Galatians 4:12-5:1
Lesson 365

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Agar the bondmaid, and Sarah the free woman.

This lesson ends the second of three major topics in Galatians;
salvation comes from faith, not the Mosaic Law.

Moses receives the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai.

By Italian renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520)

Where is -

Mount Sinai -
Mount Sinai is a mountain (elevation 7,500 feet) in the south-central Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt. It is where God first appeared to Moses and presented him with the Mosaic Law (Exodus 19:1-8). It is also called Mount Sina (Acts 7:30) and "Horeb the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:8) in the Old Testament.

Jerusalem -
Jerusalem is Hebrew for "foundation of peace." The city of Jerusalem is also called Mount Zion, David's city, Ariel (Isaiah 29:1), Salem, Jebus (Judges 19:10), and the Holy City. It is fourteen miles west of the Dead Sea, thirty-three miles east of the Mediterranean and sits in the Judaean Mountains, approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. Surrounded by valleys on three sides, Jerusalem dominated the area and, in Jesus' time, was the epicenter of Jewish life, government, and religion. The ancestral home of Israel's King David, ancient Egyptian texts refer to the city as far back as the 19th century BC. It is first mentioned in the Bible under the name Salem (Genesis 14:18) and is first called Jerusalem in Joshua 10:1. The original city covered only about eight acres but was continually rebuilt and expanded. Early Christians were forced to flee Jerusalem or face persecution. Through the centuries, Jerusalem has been occupied by Assyria, Egypt, Babylon (2 Kings 25), Persia, Greece, and Rome (who destroyed the city and murdered its citizens in AD 70). Rome rebuilt Jerusalem, named it Colonia Aelia Capitolina, banned Jews, and constructed a temple to the pagan god Jupiter. In AD 614, the Persians captured the city, and again, Jerusalem's citizens were killed. The European Crusaders occupied Jerusalem in 1099 and later the Turks. Today, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and holds religious significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Study Tip:

Write down important Bible verses, memorize them,
and ponder their meaning. Build a list of your favorite verses.

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Galatians

The King James Bible

Galatians 4:12-5:1
Abraham's two sons

12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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 an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

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 freewoman.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Galatians 5:1

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Margin notes:

"Be as I am." (4:12) - "Be like me (free from the Mosaic Law)."

"Ye have not injured me." (4:12) - "You did not abuse me." Unlike others, the Galatians initially welcomed Paul and were eager to hear his message (Acts 13:42-44).

"Through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel." (4:13) - "Through sickness, I preached the gospel."  We can not be sure what Paul's ailment was, but verse 4:15 implies it involved his eyes. You may also remember that Paul was stoned by a mob and left for dead (Acts 14:19). This could have left him with lifelong injuries. Or perhaps Paul's infirmity was caused by one of the incidents he describes in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. Whatever it was, Paul tells us his "infirmities" were a source of strength in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

"My temptation." (4:14) - "My illness." This is another reference to Paul's physical problem.

"Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?" (4:15) - "Where is the joy you spoke of (when you first believed)."

"I bear you record." (4:15) - "I bear witness."

"If it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me." (4:15) - Most Bible scholars believe Paul had an eye disease (possibly Chronic Ophthalmia) which affected his vision and may have disfigured him. This might also explain his "large" handwriting (Galatians 6:11) and why he dictated his letters to others.

"Am I therefore become your enemy." (4:16) - "Have I now become your enemy?"

"They zealously affect you, but not well." (4:17) - "They (false teachers and Judaizers) zealously try to persuade you, but not for your good."  Seeing Paul's success, the false teachers tried to turn the Galatians against him (Galatians 1:7; 2:4.

"I Travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (4:19) - "I labor in birth pangs until you grow in Christ."

"Change my voice." (4:20) - "Change my tone."

"Abraham had two sons." (4:22) - Abraham's first son, Ishmael, was with his bondmaid Hagar (Genesis 16:15). His second son, Isaac, was with his wife Sarah (Genesis 21:2).

"Bondmaid." (4:22) - A slave or servant woman.

"He of the freewoman was by promise." (4:23) - Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a son despite Sarah being elderly (Romans 9:8-9; Hebrews 11:11).

"The two covenants." (4:24) - The Old and the New covenants (agreements). Hagar represents the Old while Sarah the New Covenant. The Old Covenant taught salvation by obeying the Mosaic Law, while the New teaches salvation by grace.

"Which gendereth to bondage." (4:24) - "Which leads to slavery."

"Agar." (4:24) - The Greek name for Hagar (meaning wanderer or fugitive).  Hagar was an Egyptian (Genesis 21:9) and a servant to Abraham and his wife, Sarah. Unable to have children, Sarah permitted Hagar to bear a child for Abraham (Genesis 16:1-3), a common practice in her day. This eventually led to jealousy between the two women, and Sarah forcing the pregnant Hagar into the desert to die (Genesis 16:6-7). Saved by an angel, Hagar returned to Abraham, delivered a son, and named him Ishmael (Genesis 16:15). Ishmael grew up to become the founder of the Arab world. In this passage, Paul uses Hagar to symbolize those held in bondage to the Mosaic Law and who try to earn salvation through their own works. Sarah represents those free of the Mosaic Law and seek salvation by faith in God and His gift of grace (Galatians 4:24-31). See Genesis 16; and 21 for more information.

"But Jerusalem which is above is free." (4:26) - See Isaiah 2:2

"Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not..." (4:27) - Paraphrased from Isaiah 54:1.

"The children of promise." (4:28) - God's promise to Abraham that he would have a son. At first, Abraham thought that Ishmael had fulfilled that promise. But his birth was not a miracle.  God's promise was fulfilled when the elderly Sarah gave birth to Isaac.

"He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit." (4:29) - This means Ishmael persecuted his brother Isaac (Genesis 21:8-10).

"Cast out the bondwoman and her son..." (4:30) - Paraphrased from Genesis 21:10.

"The son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." (4:30) - Means the Mosaic Law and the Gospel cannot both be God's heirs.

"So then." (4:31) - "In summary."

"We are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." (4:31) - "We are not the children of Agar (enslaved to the Mosaic dispensation), but of Sarah" by faith (3:7) and therefore free from the Law.

To learn more about Abraham, Agar, and Sarah, read Genesis 16:1-18:33 and 21:1-22:24.

New Living Translation

Galatians 4:12-5:1

12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles-free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you.

13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News.

14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.

15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible.

16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them.

18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that's all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I'm with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don't know how else to help you.

Abraham's Two Children

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?

22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.

23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise.

24 These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.

25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law.

26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.

27 As Isaiah said,

  "Rejoice, O childless woman,
      you who have never given birth!
   Break into a joyful shout,
      you who have never been in labor!
   For the desolate woman now has more children
      than the woman who lives with her husband!"

28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman's son."

31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Galatians 5:1
Freedom in Christ

1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What is the meaning of the Agar and Sarah allegory? (4:24)\

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Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Paul's allegory contrasts the differences between the Old Covenant (bondage to the Law) and the New Covenant (salvation through faith in Jesus).  Agar symbolizes earthly Jerusalem (Judaism), in bondage to the rules and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law, and those who try to earn their salvation through their own works.  By contrast, Abraham's wife Sarah is a woman of faith (Hebrews 11:11) and represents heavenly Jerusalem (4:26), Christianity, and freedom from the Old Covenant's rules, rites, and ceremonies.  Sarah symbolizes earning salvation through faith in God and His gift of grace. Paul uses the story of Agar and Sarah to dissuade the Galatians from enslaving themselves to the Mosaic Law.



Application thought for the day:

Christian freedom means we are free of the stifling rules,
rites, and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law and free from sin.

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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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