Paul assures we are children of the promise and free from the law. The story has two of many things. There are two sons, two women, two covenants, two places, two mountains and two Jerusalem’s.

1 – The argument (vs. 21)

Paul addresses those who want to live their life under the law. There was people then as there are today who want to try to get to Heaven by keeping the law. Paul tries one last argument in the form of an allegory to get his message across. The scriptures are understood in a literal way unless we are told it is an allegory. An allegory is something that is built upon a true story. There is a deeper hidden meeting in the story. It is well known but not deeply understood. The story is taken from Genesis.

2 – The allegory (vs. 22-27)

• The two sons – See Galatians 4:22; Genesis 15:4, 17:17-19, 21:8-9; Hebrews 11:11. Abraham is 75 years old and took Hagar as his wife and had a son called Ishmael. Abraham was willing to accept him as the son of promise. When Abraham is 100 years old he fathers a son to his wife Sarah and he is called Isaac. He was the son of promise and not Ishmael. Hagar and Ishmael have to go.
• The two systems – Galatians 4:23; Romans 4:19-22
• The two symbols – Galatians 4:24-27. Law and Liberty.

3 – The application (vs. 28-31)

• We are children of promise. – Galatians 4:28
• We are candidates for persecution. – Galatians 4:29. This can be applied historically. This can be applied religiously. This can be applied spiritually. – Galatians 5:17
• We are not to compromise with the flesh. – Gal. 4:30; Rom. 7:18, 8:5, 7
• We are called to liberty not law – Galatians 4:31.

Categories: Galatians