Galatians 4:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

NIV: Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

NASB: And you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

CSB: Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

NLT: And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

KJV: Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

NKJV: Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

Paul continues his allegory about the difference between living under the law, versus being made right with God through faith in Christ. It is a difference between slavery and freedom. He has connected those under the law as being born into slavery, in the same way that those born to a slave woman—like Abraham's slave-wife Hagar (Genesis 16:1–3)—are born into slavery.

In comparison, those born to a free woman like Abraham's wife Sarah (Genesis 21:1–3) are born into freedom. In that way, those who have trusted in Christ, as the Galatian Christians had initially done, are like Isaac. They are born into freedom. More specifically, Christians are the children of promise, as Isaac was.

In fact, Christians become children of God by the very same promise God gave to Abraham and fulfilled in Isaac. Earlier in Galatians, Paul has written that "those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham" (Galatians 3:9) and that "if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" (Galatians 3:29). In that sense, Christians are truly Isaac's siblings.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 11:37:32 AM