Galatians 4:21-31
Hagar and Sarah
You who want to be under the authority of the law, tell me something. Don’t you know what the law says? It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one. Abraham’s son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God’s promise.
These things are examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar. Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves. But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother. It is written,
“Be glad, woman,
you who have never had children.
Shout for joy and cry out loud,
you who have never had labor pains.
The woman who is all alone has more children
than the woman who has a husband.” (Isaiah 54:1)
Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was. At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now. But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. He’ll never share it with the free woman’s son.” (Genesis 21:10) Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.
Galatians 5:1-6
Christ Sets Us Free
Christ has set us free to enjoy our freedom. So remain strong in the faith. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again.
Here is what I, Paul, say to you. Don’t let yourselves be circumcised. If you do, Christ won’t be of any value to you. I say it again. Every man who lets himself be circumcised must obey the whole law. Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we long to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait for this in hope. Circumcision and uncircumcision aren’t worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love.
