August
August 1
Chapter 4, Verse 15, “What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.”
ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν, pou oun ho makarismos hymōn, “What then the blessedness of you?” In the vernacular, “Where is the blessed life you once enjoyed?” The adjective μακάριος, makarios, a long form of the original μακάρ, makar, which in turn if from mak- = “to become long, to become large,” and is generally translated bless, blessed, or happy, and is used to describe when God bestows his provision; hence, one is blessed and happy. By extension, it addresses the idea of satisfaction. So Paul could have said, “Why are you not satisfied now with all God has given to you by his grace?” Some, maybe most, but certainly not all these Galatian believers were now not content to simply believe God, trust his Son alone, and enjoy the favor of God upon their lives. This smacks of Israel in the wilderness when God provided quail for supper and manna for breakfast everyday. For forty years, God supplied their need, but in Numbers 11, they complained, “All we have is this manna.” They had all they needed, but they wanted more, something different. Trouble came to them because they “rejected the LORD (Numbers 11:20). The Galatians were doing the same thing by believing the grace of God, in Christ, was somehow not enough so they wanted to add to it. In doing so, they lost their sense of being blessed. And it showed.
August 2
Chapter 4, Verse 15, “What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.”
Paul wrote, “I bear witness,” μαρτυρῶ, martyro, from martus = witness (English martyr). Here, it is used in the present tense, “I continually bear witness” or testify to knowledge that can confirm something because I have witnessed it myself. His use of εἰ δυνατὸν, ei dunatov, “if possible,” is clearly hypothetical even though the root word dunatos means one who possesses power and in the context of a situation addresses possibility. While it is most likely that Paul was using the idea of plucking out their eyes as a figure of speech, implying complete willingness–to endure pain and loss for his benefit, this verse is the reason some believe his problem was poor eyesight due to disease or injury. The accompanying evidence for this consideration is 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Whether or not his words here are literal or figurative, it is evident that these people were at one time willing to do most anything to help him. And that is exactly why their seemingly sudden disregard for what he had taught them seemed (seems) so puzzling. The life of a believer who share their walk and teaches the truth of Scripture can be perplexing when those that they teach turn their backs on what they have professed to believe.
August 3
Chapter 4, Verse 16, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν, hōste echthros hymōn gegona alētheuōn hymin, “So enemy of you have I become speaking truth to you?” “Then,” hoste, could also be therefore or wherefore, looking back as far as verse 9, “how can you turn your back.” The real emphasis, here, is not so much on their actions as it is on their character in relationship to Paul. Echtrhos, “enemy,” is generally someone who is openly hostile with an active, deep hatred for another, implying an irreconcilable difference, and a desire to do personal harm. Paul asked, “Have I become” that to you Galatians? These believers in Galatia did not come to this mindset on their own. The agitators, the “circumcision party” [2:12], judaizers, lamenting faith alone without the Law, had clearly confused these people to the point Paul was considered their enemy. It is truly ironic that this man of God who invested his life into theirs to be the instrument of God to save them from the hostility of the world was now regarded as foe instead of friend. But, that is exactly what “half-truths” and outright lies do to relationships. That is why Peter wrote, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” Take heed, be of a sober mind, keep your focus on being in Christ, and do not let the world confuse you faith.
August 4
Chapter 4, Verse 16, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?“
Paul viewed himself as being treated like an enemy by those he ministered to for ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν, alētheuōn hymin, “speaking truth to you.” He was not a man of convention, compromise, or consensus. The old rules did not hold sway, his message was singular, and he did not seek a bargain with anyone. Was he brash and sometimes harsh? Probably. But did he have a loving heart? Absolutely. And, yet, telling the truth has become dangerous. Why? It threatened a long-standing understanding of how thing were supposed to work, especially among some of the Jews who could not separate law from grace. Worse, by telling the truth in an environment of lies and deceit, he was likely considered by some to be a revolutionary–one upsetting the cart of self-righteousness. Lying, or failing to tell the truth, as was the case with the false teachers, was creating havoc among the believers. Teaching false doctrine, when it becomes consistent deceit, is evil at its core and draws people away from God. Jesus said to the Jews who believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Paul was trying to get these believers to see that listening to the purveyors of repugnant distortion of the simple truth of the gospel endangered their spiritual lives and could cause others to be led astray so as to not accept Christ and Christ alone–and thereby be eternally lost and separated from God’s love.
August 5
Chapter 4, Verse 17, “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.”
Ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, Zēlousin hymas, “They are zealous after you.” The root of zēlousin, ζῆλος, zelos, “zeal,” means to have warmth of feeling for someone, to covet a relationship, to have an earnest desire for, even to be jealous over. When I met my future wife, to say I was zealous was an understatement. Smitten was a better way to describe it. But I was dishonest about my spiritual condition, both to her and myself. But because of my zealous attraction to her, I won over her heart and we were married. It was a false covenant, we were unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14), and it cause many problems. Fortunately, after 7 years together, and realizing my lostness, with a repentant heart toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, I was saved. Now, more than 50 years later, our home is bathed in grace, our family is whole, and our future is secure, in Christ. Paul addressed this very issue in Romans 10:1-4, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Having zeal for something can be good, but it must be based in ἐπίγνωσιν, epignōsin, “knowledge,” which, in Romans 10:2 means full discernment of the truth. Refusing to acknowledge the truth of God’s word results in condemnation and separation. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
August 6
Chapter 4, Verse 17, con’t, “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.”
οὐ καλῶς, ou kalōs, “not rightly.” “Their intentions are not good (NLT), “not in a commendable way” (NASB), “not honorably” (Amp). Kalos, both an adverb (here) and an adjective, means done well or right, commendable, beautiful, or correctly. “They” in zelousin (the previous phrase), are the false-teaching judaizers who came to Galatia with the express purpose of misleading those who had accepted Christ into their lives. In no way were they interested in a Christo-centric approach to salvation. They were a selfish group only seeking to change the minds of these new Christians so they would return to legalism. So what did they do? The CEV says, “they paid a lot of attention” to them. Their “courting” or “wooing” was “for no good purpose,” i.e., ill intent. Paul wrote, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18). He also wrote, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). And in 1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, “For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” The issue is very clear. The gospel, as taught by Paul and others, always points people to Christ, and Christ alone. Anyone who adds anything or takes anything away from the gospel message is a false-teacher, a liar, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Beware!
August 7
Chapter 4, Verse 17, con’t, “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.”
ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε, ala ekkleisai hymas thelousin hina autous zēloute, “but to exclude you [from us] they desire so that them you might be zealous after.” The first, most obvious, and most dangerous habit of all cults is alienation. They want those who follow them to be kept away from anyone who may disagree with them. “Shut you out,” ellkeisai, from ekkleio, a combination of ek = out, and kleio = shut, literally means to shut out; the idea is to eliminate, to not allow, or to exclude from a thing. The false teachers were jealous of Paul and the way the Galatians had welcomed him and followed his clear teaching of the gospel. they wanted to separate as many as they could from his leadership and guidance so that the people would “make must of them,” — give them priority. Their cause was not Christ, it was themselves and their damnable self righteousness. That sort of legalism never focuses on Christ. The focus is always on the organization and what it can do for someone. The is certainly religion, but it is not Christianity.
August 8
Chapter 4, Verse 18, “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,”
καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε, kalon de zēlousthai en kalō pantote, “Good [it is] now to be zealous in a right [thing] at all times.” The adjective καλός kalos, is used twice in this verse, generally translated “good” and “right.” Properly, it means beautiful, figuratively and most often it is rendered good, literally it means valuable and morally it means virtuous. Overall, the idea is a good that inspires or motivates someone to embrace what is lovely; i.e., That which is beautiful or praiseworthy. The Amplified Bible reads, “Now it is always pleasant to be eagerly sought after [provided that it is] for a good purpose, and not just when I am with you [seeking you myself—but beware of the others doing it].” Being zealous about something, or, being attracted to a thing, a person, or an idea, can be very beneficial if that which is sought after is deserving of praise and/or admiration. In so many words, Paul was saying it was OK to find him deserving of commendation–so long as what he had to say was true. A lot of sought after speakers are charismatic in their personalities and are able to draw a crowd. The question is–is what they are saying worth listening to? When Jesus talked about the end of this age, he said, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Matthew 24-4-5). The message of truth, the gospel, always leads to Jesus. The message of evil, the lies of false religion, lead away from Jesus.
August 9
Chapter 4, Verse 18, con’t, “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,”
In this phrase, we can take away two intellections; one, it was OK to speak fondly of Paul when he was not present with them and, two, they should also continue to follow his example when he was away. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:1-2). The noun translated “traditions” in the ESV, is παραδόσεις, paradoseis, “teachings,” as in the concrete and fundamental principles he had shared–including the gospel and how to live their Christian lives. This begs the question, “What does a person do when the authority (parent, employer, accountability partner, etc.) in their life is not present? There is an old adage, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” People often have the notion that when no one of import is watching, morality goes out the door. This should never be the case with believers. Why? A week before Passover, Jesus ate at Lazarus’ house. Mary, his sister, anointed his feet with very expensive perfume and Judas complained. Jesus responded, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7-8). He was saying, “I will not always be with you in the flesh.” Later in John 14, Jesus said he was going away to prepare a place for believers. Then he said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). The point? The Holy Spirit, our authority as believers, is always with us. There is never a time when a believer is alone and left to their own devices. So honor God all day, every day.
August 10
Chapter 4, Verse 19, “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”
The phrase, my little children, Τέκνα μου, Tekna mou, is used here, in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” and similarly in 1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” Both Paul and John were speaking as a parent would about a child actually born to them. They said this because they had a highly vested interest in these believers. Especially for Paul, and like for John as well, much time had been invested in sharing the gospel, giving invitation to accept Christ as Savior and Lord, baptizing new believers, starting churches, and then, in some cases, spending years as pastor/teacher to “raise” these spiritual children in the truth. Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” It is hard to imagine the heartache Paul suffered when he saw and heard these adult children in the faith turning away from the truth to the fable of legalism. When believers stray, those who first taught them about Jesus are always face with the inconvenient and painful question, “Did I do enough?” This happens even though we who teach are not responsible for their wandering. Each of us, individually, will stand before God and give an account of our life (Romans 14:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 22:12).
August 11
Chapter 4, Verse 19, con’t, “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”
οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, hous palin ōdinō mechris hou morphōthē Christos en hymin, ” of whom again I travail until that shall have been formed Christ in you.” This is a troubling passage, not because of verbiage, but the message itself. Only two possibilities exist. Because of his parent-like love for them, he was hurting in his spirit — “travail,” ὠδίνω, ōdinō, from ōdin = the pain of giving birth (literally or figuratively) — some or many of them were either in a backslidden state, or, they were simply not saved. Their disaffection for Paul suggests at the very least a state of confusion brought by the false teachers seeking to gain control over them. However, Paul’s statement, “until that shall have been formed Christ in you,” coupled with palin, “again,” seems to indicate he saw himself in the same struggle he had when he first came to them with the gospel. Was their apparent conversion real or imagined? Was their testimony of faith based on heart change or religious experience? When a person, who claims Christ, is easily turned away from him, they should examine their experience and discover the truth, being careful to determine if they actually know Christ for eternal life.
August 12
Chapter 4, Verse 20, “I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”
ἤθελον δὲ παρεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι, ēthelon de pareinai pros hymas arti, “I was wishing (I could wish) indeed to be present with you presently.” In the vernacular, “I wish I could be there with you now, but I can’t.” It is likely that Paul wrote this letter sometime in 48 AD after his first missionary journey to the region, at which time he organized these churches, and before the Jerusalem council in late 48 or early 49 AD. He was probably located in Corinth or Ephesus when he wrote this letter, having heart about the struggles they were having because of the judaizers. Paul remembered how he was able to speak to the people and how well they received him (4:12-14). But, now he struggled because what he wrote could not truly express was was in his heart. He know the power of voice, expression, and intonation that is absent using pen and paper. We should remember that in 1:6, he was astonished because they were turning away. He had already faced off with Peter at Antioch over legalism (2:11-12). And he called those who were turning away bewitched (3:1). Now, he had a strong desire to return to the Galatians churches so he could confront the issue in person. That is usually the best way to address a problem–face to face.
August 13
Chapter 4, Verse 20, “I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”
The verb ἀποροῦμαι, aporoumai, “I am perplexed,” is always in the middle voice in the New Testament, and literally means to be without a path or way–to get somewhere. The idea is that a person does not know which way to turn to reach their destination even though they may generally know where their journey is leading them. It seems, from the evidence in verses 15 and following, that Paul was puzzled concerning the actual condition of their souls. Their abandonment of the simple truth of the gospel message in favor of a step backward to the legalistic demands of the false teachers left him with considerable doubt. As bewildered as he must have been, he knew all too well how the Galatian believers could be acting against his teaching. The most difficult lesson about life as a believer Paul ever learned, and talked about, my well be found in Romans 7:15-21, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” Evil is always hanging around. And once again, I am drawn to 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” This can happen to new believers and well as seasoned saints. We must make sure we are in Christ, by faith alone. Then we must resist evil with every breath, every thought, and every action. Peter also wrote, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Steadfastness is enduring patience, something hard to accomplish, and only possible if we are led by the Spirit and not by the world.
August 14
Chapter 4, Verse 21, “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?”
Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, Legete moi hoi hypo nomon thelontes einai, “Tell me, those under [the] Law wishing to be.” Verse 21 begins a challenge and comparison between law and grace that continues through verse 31, before Paul labors in chapter 5 with freedom in Christ as we wall in the Spirit. the challenge is Λέγετέ μοι, Legete moi, “Tell me.” Reading that challenge, I am drawn to an English slang word, legit, a shortened form of legitimate, functioning as an informal adjective meaning real(ly), genuine(ly), or legally valid. So, in street language, Paul might have said, “Legit, you wanna be under law?” What Paul is actually doing here is accepting the challenge of the judaizers who used the law to confuse and deceive. He, in turn, will use the law to clearly demonstrate that believers are not under the law. He is moving from the personal appeal of verses 12 through 20 to an objective argument laid out in the pages of the Old Testament, a text known to everyone, especially Torah Jews. Then he asked, “Have you actually considered the Law?”
August 15
Chapter 4, Verse 21, con’t, “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?“
τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε?, ton nomon ouk akouete?, “the Law not you do listen to? The verb akouete, from ἀκούω, akouo’, (the root of the English acoustics), properly means “to hear.” In this context, the more precise meaning is “understanding and heeding what you hear.” It is as if his point was that they were not paying attention to what they were doing. Instead, they were foolishly allowing themselves to be captivated by the false teachers and misled by their misguided claims. Those in the Galatian fellowships who were converted Jews, and many if not most of the Gentiles, would by this time be familiar with the story of Abraham, his wives, and their children. Here, Paul pleads to the law, to disprove the claims of the law as presented by the judaizers. While the following verses contain what Paul called allegory, a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life, it is not a license for us to over-spiritualize Scripture or purposefully take the Bible out of context. As that has happened many times in the past, the result is entire false religions springing up from not “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
August 16
Chapter 4, Verse 22, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.”
γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, gegraptai gar hoti Abraam dyo huious eschen, “It has been written for that Abraham two sons had.” The conjunction gar, “for,” connects verse 21 with verse 22; the idea is “your desire to again be under law does not conform to Scripture and here is what it says.” That which should first be noted is that Paul simply stepped into the story with no background information. From this we can assume two things. The Galatian gentiles were already very familiar with the story of Isaac and Ishmael and that was because the only Scripture available to Paul from which to preach was the Old Testament. The phrase “It is written,” is a perfect tense form of γράφω, grapho’, literally meaning “it stands written,” which, in turn, means that which was referred to was absolutely authoritative (Genesis 15-17, 21-22). It is most likely that Paul utilized this approach because it is what the judaizers would have done to prove their point. So, Paul was merely turning the tables on them to show from Scripture that they were in error and not worthy of the attention of the believers in Galatia.
August 17
Chapter 4, Verse 22, con’t, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.”
“It is written,” or, “And so the story goes.” Oral transmission or story telling was common long before Paul as the primary means of passing down history. But still, in his day, it was one of the most important ways to get a message across to someone. Paul used the story of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael by Hagar, and Isaac by Sarah, to illustrate the difference between law and grace. The judaizers made much of being racially descended from Abraham and placed their hope of salvation in that patriarchal relationship. But the Bible says, “What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Romans 4:1-8). Those who were teaching the Galatians a corrupt gospel, i.e., requiring works to be added to faith, had missed the mark in their understanding of Abraham’s relationship to God. Scripture never suggests Abraham was right with God because of what he did. He was right with God because of what he believed that led him to faith that was counted (λογίζομαι, logizomai, credited or imputed) as righteousness. Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.” Abraham walked by faith with his two sons–they had to determine in their own hearts who they would trust.
August 18
Chapter 4, Verse 22, con’t, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.“
Hagar is παιδίσκης, paidiskēs, a bondwoman, slave woman, servant girl. From παῖς, pais, the diminutive form refers to a young girl, a youth age female (one capable of bearing a child). In the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), it is use 6 times in Genesis 16 referring to Hagar. A slave had little to no rights, even the use of their body for sexual purposes was completely controlled by the owner. Under the laws of the time, this was the exact opposite of being free. Being under legal ownership was a great burden to the slave, meaning they could not make decisions for themselves. Sarah was ἐλευθέρας, eleutheras, free. It was used to describe a man or woman who was not a slave, unrestrained, and at liberty to make decisions for themselves. In Abraham’s world, yo were one or the other, no other choice was available. Essentially, Paul was directing the people to decide how they wanted to live–bound by the limits of law or free in the grace of God through Jesus. Romans 8:3-4, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” The law was not abolished, but fulfilled by Jesus who gave himself to pay the price of slavery to sin and offer salvation to all who will believe.
August 19
Chapter 4, Verse 23, “But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.”
In Genesis 12, God sent Abram toward Egypt, telling him,”I will make you a great nation.” That required offspring, sons to be exact. In Genesis 15, God promised Abram a son. In Genesis 16, because she was barren, Sarai, Abram’s wife, sent him into Hagar to give him a son. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born “according to the flesh.” Are not all children born according to the flesh? In the most basic sense, yes. But this idiomatic statement is referring to this birth as happening in the normal course of nature, requiring no miracle, no promise, no dependence on God, and certainly no trust in his plan. The promise was to Abram and Sarai, not Abram and Hagar. In their haste, largely because of their age and thinking it was hopeless for Sarai to give birth, together they failed to rely on God’s power to fulfill his promise. Instead, they relied on what they thought was the next best thing, human fallibility. Of course, their plan failed because it was not God’s plan. Sarai became angry with Hagar and eventually she and Ishmael were abandoned to die in the desert. Instead, they survived and Ishmael became a great nation, just not the one God had in mind for Abram. All this happened because the principle characters in the story were motivated by the desires of the flesh instead of by faith in God. That is how all stories end when God is left out.
August 20
Chapter 4, Verse 23, “But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.”
The noun ἐπαγγελία, epaggelia, is usually translated “message” or “promise.” Properly, it means “announcing what is appropriate” or fitting. In the Greek world, it was often used as a legal term that referred to a formal decree concerning a pledge. In New Testament terms, most uses refer to an Old Testament event. In this case, it was God telling Abram over and over, that he was going to have a son, who was Isaac. In Genesis 12:2, God said, “I will make you a great nation.” In 12:7, he said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” In 13:16, “I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.” In Genesis 15, Abram had a vision through which God said, ““Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:1-5). Then, in Genesis 17, as God was giving him the covenantal sign of circumcision, ““As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17:15-17). In Genesis 18:1-14, we read about the LORD showing up to speak personally with Abraham (his name had been changed and this was a theophany, Christ before the incarnation), “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” Finally, in Genesis 21, when Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born and the promise was fulfilled. Now, Paul, while contrasting law and grace, slavery and freedom, was reminding the Galatians that God always keeps his word and his word clearly teaches (even in the Old Testament) that salvation is entirely a gift from God, a miraculous transaction between those who do not deserve it and the one who freely gave it. The work of the flesh creates chaos and bondage. The work of God offers grace as a free gift that can only be received by faith in Christ. And that faith ends in complete freedom to worship, honor, and serve God forever.
August 21
Chapter 4, Verse 24, “Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.”
ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα, hatina estin allēgoroumena, “which things are allegorized.” “This” or “which things” refers to verses 22-23. The issue here is allegory. This is the only place in the New Testament where this term is used (referred to as hapax legomenon). We must first understand that in ancient Greek literature, allegory was not just a literary device. It was a way of thinking about the world, exploring profound ideas, and engaging with the culture and historical context of the time. In fact the word ἀλληγορέω, allégoreó, which combines allos = more or otherwise and agora = marketplace, literally means more in the marketplace and can be understood to mean public discourse, a discussion about issues to matter in life. Paul was presenting two historical events as an analogy. He used the term allegory only because the judaizers believed the highest form of interpreting the Law was allegory. He was not denying historicity, literal interpretation, nor facts in evidence. He was using a legitimate argument from Genesis to symbolize later events. When studying the biblical texts, seeking the deeps truths of God as we are led by the Spirit, we must be careful not to treat the Scriptures as allegory, particularly those texts that deal with end-time issues like Revelation, Ezekiel, Joel, and others. Those books, like these two stories Paul used for comparison, are real.
August 22
Chapter 4, Verse 24, con’t, “Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.”
αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι, hauti gar eisin dyo diathēkai, “these for are two covenants.” The first question is, what is a covenant? The noun διαθήκη, diathéké, combine dia = thoroughly and give intensity to tithemi = to place or set, and inside or outside the biblical text is a set agreement having complete terms determined b the initiating party and agreed to by the party entering into the agreement. In the Bible, a covenant is a solemn, binding agreement or relationship, often described as a partnership between God and humanity, and sometimes between humans. The divine-human relationships, which function similarly to contracts but are rooted in oaths and promises, form a central theme for the Old Testament covenants to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, through to the New Covenant established by Jesus. Key elements of biblical covenants include stipulations, blessings and curses, witnesses, and a sign, serving as God’s chosen way to relate to and redeem mankind. Here, in Galatians, the covenants in view are the Abrahamic and Noahic covenants. Paul used the lives of Hagar and Sarah to illustrate how these covenants symbolize law and grace. The first is Mosaic and the subject is Hagar.
August 23
Chapter 4, Verse 24, con’t, “Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.”
μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἁγάρ, mia men apo orous Sina eis douleian gennōsa hētis estin Hagar, “one indeed from Mount Sinai unto slavery begetting, which is Hagar.” Hagar, that is the one representing the Law, bears children into slavery. The Law has immutable demands. “You must do this” and “You must not do that” to live in accordance with the Law. It always demands obedience. The point is it enslaves people to do exactly what it say to do. So, if someone desires to approach God depending on his own righteousness (that is the only way to come when your approval is based on works), he is in complete bondage to the Law because he must keep all the Law to the letter in order to be acceptable to God. Paul is not saying the Law is bad. We should strive to live as morally as possible and do the right things for the right reasons. But none of what we do (works) will ever make us right and acceptable before God. The Law shows us just how sinful we are in our inability to keep it. Rules and sacrifice have no capacity to save. Only the free gift of grace in Christ who fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) can release us from the bondage of sin and grant to us God’s freedom.
August 24
Chapter 4, Verse 25, “Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.”
Paul’s analogy was brilliant (of course, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit) because the symbolism, comparison, and contrast he used brought to bear the same assertions to these Jewish zealots that Jesus used in John 8. It was the habit of the judaizers to deny their actual identity. They claimed to be righteous because of their racial kinship to Abraham. At the beginning of John 8, the pharisees brought an adulteress before Jesus and demanded she should be stoned according to the Law. Jesus responded, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he talked about being the light of the world and that when he was crucified they would know who he really is–and yet they still denied him. Then, in verse 34, he began to speak about slavery, spiritual bondage. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” (John 8:34-38). Their answer was, “Abraham is our father.” He responded, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did” (John 8:39-40). Then they said, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God” (John 8:41). And to that Jesus rejoined, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” (John 8:42-47). This is exactly what Paul was arguing. Back in John 8:33, the Jews said to Jesus, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.” Really? Between Abraham and Moses, the were slaves in Egypt. Around 600 BC, Nebuchadnezzer carried them off as slaves to Babylon. Even Syria (the Seleucid dynasty) under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, as late as 300 years before Christ, forced Hellenistic culture and religion on the Jews. The very ones claiming freedom were in the first century even, at the time, under Roman domination. So, here is the argument in brief. Hagar equals Ishmael, Ishmael equals Sinai, Sinai equal Jerusalem, Jerusalem equals the flesh, the flesh equals bondage and that ends in condemnation. Legalism, of any sort, produces sin and death.
August 25
Chapter 4, Verse 26, “But Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.”
Paul used “But,” ἡ δὲ, hē de, as a term of extreme contrast, something completely different and totally antithetical to the Jerusalem of verse 25. The Jerusalem of the present, just like it was in Paul’s day, is still following the Judaism that is bound to the Law and, therefore, is a religion of slavery to the same legalism of the first century judaizers. For clarity, the New Living Translation renders this verse, “But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman and she is our mother.” The verb tense here is present, indicating a continual state of freedom and relationship. While Paul’s allusion may include the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21-22, it more directly ties the idea to the present possession of all believers–salvation by grace that grants spiritual freedom instead of salvation by works of the Law that produces bondage. The heavenly city is free from the enslavement of this earth, its religious systems, and it spiritual slavery. Like Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). Thank God salvation is all of grace, in Christ, and it is eternal life for all who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
August 26
Chapter 4, Verse 26, “But Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.”
EXCURSUS: What is biblical freedom?
The Greek verb ἔρχομαι, erchomai, means to come or to go, both literally and figuratively. The noun form, ἐλευθερία, eleutheria, freedom or liberty (something possessed) can be legitimate or only perceived. The adjective, ἐλεύθερος, eleutheros, “free,” as in a free man, and the form found in Galatians 4:26, literally means to go wherever one chooses; they are at liberty to decide for themselves, possessing the competency of movement of their own volition. A free person is unconstrained by another and so may determine what direction they take in life. For a believer, in Chirst, that is, saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-10) with full assurance of eternal life (Hebrews 11:1-3), being free means to be at liberty to live in the power of the Spirit of Christ without regard to the circumstances of life (Ephesians 6:1-8). The most important thing to remember is that being free is not simply being able to do what you want to do, but being guided by the Spirit to do what you ought to do. As Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). And in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Go in faith. Go in freedom. Go to the world with the good news of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
August 27
Chapter 4, Verse 27, “For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.”
γέγραπται γάρ, gegraptai gar, “It has been written for.” Gar, a term of explanation, here points to the blessing of the heavenly Jerusalem associated with Sarah. “It has been written” links what follows to Sarah who was, in fact, barren. Then, Paul pleads to Isaiah 54, particularly verse 1, “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.” Echoing Isaiah, Paul wrote, “Rejoice,” Εὐφράνθητι, Euphranthēti, a form of εὐφραίνω, euphrainó, be merry, have a smiling, positive outlook. Also, “break forth,” ῥῆξον, rhēxon, as in break through the line of battle to victory. And, “cry aloud,” βόησον, boēson, which is a shout for joy. And who was to do this? στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, steira hē ou tiktousa, “O barren woman, the [one] not bearing.” Sarah was totally incapable of having children. But then God show up in power–just like he does with everyone who put their faith in Christ. In Genesis 18, YHWH (a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus) visited with Abraham and Sarah prepared a meal. Isaiah 18:9-14, “They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure? The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” It is likely Sarah laughed out of fear and her obvious barrenness. But then in Genesis 21:1-3, “The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.” Isaac was the father of Jacob, who God renamed Israel. Israel had 12 sons who became the nation. Jesus descended from that lineage through King David according to the will of God. So Paul was again connecting the believer’s life of faith to Abraham and not to Moses and the Law.
August 28
Chapter 4, Verse 28, “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”
Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐστέ, Hymeis de adelphoi kata Isaak epangelias tekna este, “You now, brothers like Isaac of promise children are.” Most congregations are mixed; that is, true believers, religious but unsaved, and those who know little about God. Here, Paul is very clear. He is addressing adelphoi, “brothers,” the ones the judaizers did their best to confuse. This is Paul’s summary statement before he draws another comparison and conclusion. Every true believer, in Christ, is τέκνον, teknon, (here plural tekna), an offspring, descended from the promise made to Abraham and Sarah, namely, Isaac. Being barren and unable means nothing when God is working. The noun ἐπαγγελία, epaggelia, combining epi = amplifying the verbal meaning, and aggello = to tell or declare, (used 9 times in Galatians) refers primarily to God’s pronouncements of his intention to carry out his pledges and promises that he declared himself obligated to do. Just as Paul wrote to the Roman church, “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13). The promise is passed from generation to generation by faith alone, in Christ alone, without regard to works.
August 29
Chapter 4, Verse 29, “But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.”
Paul now returned to Genesis to begin bringing his argument to a conclusion. Genesis 21:5-9, “Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.” The Hebrew word translated “laughing” is צְחַק, tsachaq; while is does mean laughing, the idea is to mock, show scorn or make sport. Here, in verse 29, Ishmael is said to have “persecuted,” ἐδίωκεν, ediōken, literally, “was persecuting.” The original word, διώκω, dioko, from dio, means to chase, harass, and was used to describe chasing down criminals. The comparison drawn by Paul is contained in “just as at the time. . .so also it is now.” The Galatians beleivers needed to realize that the false teachers were following the same tactic as Ishmael. The were persecuting Christ followers for not adhering to aspects of the Law as part of their salvation experience. The contrast in the verse is flesh versus Spirit, where previously it was flesh versus promise. That, in itself, draws a direct comparison between promise and Spirit. That can be seen clearly throughout the New Testament, most notably in Jesus’ words of promise, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17).
August 30
Chapter 4, Verse 30, “But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
For the third time in this argument, Paul pleaded to Scripture (here, 4:22 and 4:27), and in doing so, called upon God because when Scripture speaks, God speaks. Genesis 21:8-12, “And the child [Isaac] grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” The verb ἐκβάλλω, ekballo, combing ek = out, and ballo = to cast, throw, or drive, is often used with the idea of taking forceful action. Paul used this as a way of instructing the Galatians to get rid of the legalizers–remove them from their presence by whatever means necessary. Does this mean that we should removed legalists from church? Not necessarily. It does mean we should be very careful to vet those teaching so that we know their doctrinal views. And, if they are found to be teaching anything contrary to the gospel message, it may be necessary to ask them to leave if they will not accept godly counsel. It is never a good idea to exclude someone because they may be lost and in need of salvation. But note that Paul’s argument is plain. Law and grace cannot cohabitate in as far as the gospel is concerned. Works cannot save, period. As Paul wrote, “the son of the slave woman shall not inherit.” True believers are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17), but only in light of Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
August 31
Chapter 4, Verse 31, “So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.”
διό, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας, dio, adelphoi, ouk esmen paidiskēs tekna alla tēs eleutheras, “So then, brothers, not we are of [the] slave woman children but of the free.” “So then, dio, is a term of conclusion. This is Paul’s summary statement based on his teaching from 4:21-30. If I had made this law versus grace argument, my conclusion my have gone like this, “OK, brothers and sisters, after all I just said, here is what you really need to know. . .” Paul had clearly demonstrated the supremacy of grace over law, spirit over flesh, freedom over bondage, and the complete incompatibility of the two where salvation is concerned. The most important aspect of this theological treatise may be something not even included in it–the question, “What is the purpose of being free in Christ? Our freedom is not merely the absence of shackles, as good as that is. We are set free to serve. And since we cannot actually serve God around a table, we must serve others in the human family as ambassadors of Christ–showing mercy, love, and grace to others as Christ as shown them to us. Good works are not the path to grace, but they certainly are the product of it.
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