Galatians 4:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

NIV: But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

NASB: But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

CSB: But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

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

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

NKJV: but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

The Galatian Christians are being deceived into thinking they need to follow the law of Moses, as well as believe in Christ, in order to be saved (Galatians 2:4). Calling on the story of Abraham, Paul is refuting this idea by creating an allegory of pairs:

Abraham had two wives, Hagar and Sarah. Hagar was a slave, and Sarah was free.

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael, born to the slave, was also a slave (Genesis 16:1–3). Isaac, born to the free woman, was also free (Genesis 21:1–3).

God made two covenants. Hagar represents the one given at Mount Sinai with the law of Moses. All born under the law are like children born to a slave woman; they are born into slavery themselves. God's covenant with Abraham, however, promised freedom.

And now, according to Paul's analogy, there are two Jerusalems. Hagar also corresponds to the Jerusalem of Paul's day. It is under the slavery of the Roman government, but it is also the seat of Jewish power, representing the law of Moses. In that way, it is the Jerusalem under slavery.

There is another Jerusalem, though. Paul describes it as being "above" and being free. He writes that Jerusalem is our mother. The implication is that as Sarah, the free woman, is mother to Isaac, this "above Jerusalem," the free one, is mother to those who trust in Christ to save them.

Other New Testament writers describe a new Jerusalem, as well. Hebrews 12:22 calls it the "heavenly Jerusalem" and the "city of the living God." This free Jerusalem is where God Himself lives right now. John describes the day when all will be made right once and for all and this "new Jerusalem" will come down out of heaven. On that day, God will come to live with His people (Revelation 21:2–3).

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.