Galatians 4:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.

NIV: His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

NASB: But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

CSB: But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise.

NLT: 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.

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

NKJV: But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

The Galatian Christians are being deceived by a group known as the Judaizers. These false teachers claim that one must follow the law of Moses, in addition to believing in Christ, in order to be saved (Galatians 2:4). In this passage, Paul continues building an illustration based on the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. He will compare their legal standing to slavery under the law and freedom in Christ.

In spite of the fact that God had promised a child to Abraham and his wife Sarah (Genesis 15:3–6), they eventually chose to have a child through Sarah's Egyptian slave-girl, instead (Genesis 16:1–2). This succeeded, and Ishmael was born, but he was not the child of God's promise. Paul describes him as being born "according to the flesh." Eventually, Sarah did give birth to a son—when she was 90 (Genesis 21:1–3)! This boy, Isaac, was indeed the child of the promise. He was the long-awaited one. Once he was born, Ishmael's status became even less significant.

Paul will continue by explaining that this echoes the difference between seeking salvation through works, as opposed to accepting it through faith in Christ.

Galatians 4:21–31 contains Paul's allegory about Abraham's two wives, and the two sons born through them. Paul sets out to use Scripture to show the difference between being born into slavery, by human effort, as opposed to being born into freedom, by the work of God through the Holy Spirit. Ishmael was born into slavery as Abraham's son, but he was cast out when the child of promise arrived. In a similar way, living under the law became pointless when Christ arrived. Those who trust in Him become children of promise by God's power.

In this chapter, Paul uses three new methods to teach his Galatian readers an important lesson. It is futile to follow the law of Moses in order to be made right before God, since justification comes only by faith in Christ. First, Paul shows that the arrival of Christ made it possible for all people to become God's children through faith in Him. Next, Paul makes a more personal appeal, asking what has changed to cause the Galatians to turn on Paul's teaching of the gospel. Finally, Paul builds an allegory from Scripture, illustrating the difference between being born into slavery and being born into the promise by faith in Christ.

Galatians 3 ends with Paul stating, once more, that those who are in Christ are Abraham's offspring, just as He is, making us heirs along with Him. Galatians 4 continues that idea, showing how Christ's arrival signaled the moment all people could receive the inheritance with Him and be adopted as God's children. Paul makes his appeal personal, asking why the Galatians moved from blessing him to rejecting the message of Christ. The chapter ends with Paul's allegory about the difference between being born into slavery under the law and being born into freedom by the power of the Spirit through faith in Christ. Chapter 5 will continue by expanding on the freedom we have in Christ.

Galatians is sometimes called “a short Romans” for its similar themes of justification and sanctification through faith. A group of Christians known as “Judaizers” were preaching a gospel of legalism, rather than grace. Paul’s main purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to reiterate the true nature of the gospel: we are justified (made righteous) and sanctified (made more Christlike) through our faith in Jesus Christ alone. This letter was probably written shortly before the church elders in Jerusalem issued their official refutation of the Judaizers, commonly called the Jerusalem Council.