Galatians Journal: Chapter 5, Verse 1

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

The first verse of chapter 5 is really the final summation of all the arguments that proceeded it – going all the way back to Galatians 3:1.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set you free” The King James version of the Bible has this verse translated and phrased more like the original Greek. It says “Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.” The New International Version (quoted above) separates the phrase “stand firm” from the first phrase. But the original Greek ties it all together. We are not just to “stand firm,” but to stand firm IN the freedom Christ provides. This might seem to be “niggling,” but it is in keeping with the overall theme of the book – we cannot “stand firm” by a mere act of our will, or by our own efforts, but only by being “in Christ,” in a living RELATIONSHIP with Christ.

The word “freedom” here means many things on many levels. The implication here, the ultimate meaning, is complete and total liberation from the bondage of the law and, as Paul will explain in more detail in Chapter 5, from the bondage of sin. But there are further subtleties here. Just like “freedom” in English, the Greek word for “freedom” can mean many things, and the interpretations of the word in both languages have parallels.

There are three basic meanings for “freedom” in Greek, and all three apply here:

1) Freedom as in choice – the most common understanding of this word is the ability to do or omit things that have no relationship to salvation. By using this particular word (rather than a derivative, like the word for “free” later in the first phrase of this verse), Paul (or better yet, the Holy Spirit through Paul) is actually helping to emphasize the underlying theme of the unimportance of culture, race, or ethnicity as defining factors in our relationship with God and with each other. All of the arguments made so far in this letter have focused on the concept that it is unnecessary to conform to the requirements of the law of Moses (in other words, to become a Jew and adopt the culture of the Jews) in order to be saved, or be acceptable to God. True freedom, then, is the ability to choose to worship God in any manner that is fit. Style does not matter. The key factor is to be a child of the promise (as Paul pointed out in the previous section where he compared Hagar to Sarah), that is, truly born again. The place, manner, and “order” of worship is really not relevant to salvation. Our lifestyle choices do not matter either (unless they are “contrary to the Spirit” as Paul will emphasize later in Galatians 5: 16-26).

2) Freedom as in license – the freedom to do as we please. Of course, this is not the antinomianism discussed back in Chapter 3 – this is not a license to sin. Paul makes this clear as a major theme here in Chapter 5. But, freedom from the law, and the bondage of sin, brings a new exuberance to our relationship with God. Call it a license to serve, a license for joy, a license to open up your heart and relate in authenticity – the sky’s the limit. Freedom in Christ has no boundaries (again, not in the sense that we are free to sin, but that God’s possibilities in us and through us are limitless!).

3) Freedom to be responsible; freedom to be obedient. This is true freedom. This is a melding together of the first two definitions. It is the concept of living as we should, rather than just as we want. This is explained in detail later in this Chapter, in verses 13-26 – that is, the death of our sinful nature, and our new life in the power of the Spirit. This is often confused with legalism. Some argue, “How can you say you’re free, when you insist on a code of behavior, like refraining from the list of “sinful desires” in Galatians 5?” It’s really not a matter of do’s and don’ts. Once we are filled with the Spirit, the transformation of our lives in our relationship with Jesus produces virtue – and frees us from the bondage of these “sinful desires.”

While an inexact comparison, this is sort of like the United States Constitution. Under the Constitution’s text, we are guaranteed specific rights and liberties. But it also requires that we live responsibly so as not to violate those rights in other people’s lives or society generally. It is this second principle that is lost on most Americans.

The word “free” at the end of this sentence/phrase implies deliverance. We have been set free from the bondage of sin, and the law – from the dominion of sin.

“stand firm” A command, and a warning. The implication is that this freedom can be lost, or at least impinged upon. It implies that we have to fight for this freedom -- that we need to be aggressive about it.

“do not let yourselves” The primary meaning and understanding of the word “freedom” involves choice. Paul is imploring, indeed, he is commanding that we not make the wrong choice.

“be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” A yoke was a heavy piece of wood that held a team of horses or oxen together to work as a team. An individual is helpless to move against the force of the yoke, for where the group is led by the master, the individual is compelled to follow. In a positive sense, a yoke would be used for an untrained animal, to teach it what to do, to train it, and then remove the yoke once the animal was properly accustomed to the work (e.g. in Matthew 11:29, when Jesus says “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”). The obvious implied meaning here is the “yoke” of the law on the Gentiles. Peter spoke of a “yoke” in the same manner in his speech at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:10-11. But in the context of Galatians 5, Paul means all of this, but so much more.

The word for “burdened’ here also means to be trapped, ensnared, or entangled. Picture an insect caught in a spider’s web. This is more than assenting to a concept – it is a force that will engulf and destroy you!

“yoke of slavery” This is more than just the law. In the context of the theme I’ve emphasized throughout these meditations, it of course means race, ethnicity, and culture, and the reliance on those things to define a person’s acceptability in God’s eyes. In the context of the rest of this chapter, it means slavery to sin.

This last point is the key concept for the individual Christian – and for most of us. The little word “again” stuck in the middle of it all is so very important. Galatians chapters 3 and 4 made it clear that the promise predates and overrides the Law, and that the promise is eternal, and unconditional. But Galatians 5:1 makes it evident that even a child of the promise, and heir of the Father (see Galatians 4:1-7) can choose to live in slavery. This was the ultimate problem facing the Galatians. It is a choice I am faced with every day of my life.

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, Verse 31

Galatians 4:31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Paul wraps up his “figurative” argument (see Galatians 4:24). There is an old cliché, that when you see the word “therefore” in the Bible, you need to look closer, and see what its “there for.”

First, Paul once again refers to the Galatians as “brothers.” In the commentary on verse 28 here in chapter 4, we discussed how this reference – referring to his readers as brothers – was for Paul a simple statement of truth – a spiritual reality. Its more than just a term of endearment, or an indication of a close relationship. The Galatians had a real relationship with Christ – they were truly born again, truly part of God’s family. This is driven home by Paul’s use of the word “we.” Paul is one with the Galatians. The foundational concept of RELATIONSHIP is really the most important thing. (As I have repeatedly referenced before, one of my spiritual heroes, Charles Simpson, once said that “everything in the Kingdom of God boils down to the concept of RELATIONSHIP.”)

The rest of verse 31 is a simple summary of the entire book. The slave woman stands for the natural, the flesh, and trying to obtain righteousness by our own efforts. The free woman stands for the supernatural, and grace, and the promises of God. The truly born again believer is not enslaved by the law (see Galatians 3:22-25), but a child of the promise (see Galatians 3:6-9), and lives by faith. The focus of the “natural,” side is on that which is connected to the temporal world – that which we see, feel, hear etc. – the external. This includes matters such as the color of our skin, our language, what we wear, our ethnicity, or culture, the music we listen to and use in our worship services, the place we live etc. The focus on the “supernatural” side is on that which is connected to heavenly realms – on the person of Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s transformational power, God’s grace and forgiveness, and most importantly, our relationship with Jesus, and because of that, our relationship with each other.

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, Verse 30

Galatians 4:30 But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."

“But what dies the Scripture say?” All along, Paul has used the Old Testament Scriptures to buttress his agreements. Here, he uses such a reference to complete the “figurative” concept he started back in verse 24. It was vitally important for Paul to anchor his arguments in the Pentateuch – the “Law of Moses” – as he has done throughout the letter, to add the most support, as he continues to turn the very proofs the Judiazers relied upon against them.

Here, he cites to Genesis 21:10 – actually, he quotes it, to complete his Sarah/Hagar analogy. And once again, Paul turns the very words/arguments/beliefs of the Judiazers against them, as if a self fulfilling prophecy, or a spoken curse – or a bitter-root judgment, that comes back upon the person who speaks it, like when a child makes a rash vow such as “I’ll never by like my Parents,” and ends up growing up to be just like them. In this case, the Judiazers argued that uncircumcised Gentiles were not worthy to participate in the covenant. Paul proves its just the opposite, quoting Genesis 21:10. In that passage, it became clear to Sarah that Ishmael had to be put out of the camp. Ishmael and Isaac cannot and could not both inherit the promise. So it is with Paul’s opponents in Galatia. Hagar’s “line” cannot inherit with Sarah’s – and Sarah demands that Hagar’s “line” be banished. Paul is intimating the same here – the spiritual descendants of Ishmael – the Judiazers – should be put out of the church.

It is not clear in the scripture if this was an option for the Galatians, and it appears that this did not actually happen. And the literal application of this in the context of the modern church is problematic – being “drummed out” of the church is a severe remedy. But as far as a personal application goes, it would seem we need to be extra careful about who we fellowship with. I don’t recommend legalism about this sort of thing, but Proverbs 4:23 says “above all else, guard your heart.” There may be, indeed there probably are the modern equivalent of “Judiazers” in the midst of each church congregation, those who would focus on works, or culture, or ethnicity, or custom, or even personal taste – anything external – as a means of being acceptable to God, to the rest of the congregation, and even just being acceptable to them. They may be people of influence, or they may just be the person who happens to sit next to you during the worship service, or they might even be your very best friend. Its easy to get sucked in. Remember Paul’s example of Peter succumbing to this heresy back in Galatians 2:11. This is an easy deception to buy into. We need to guard ourselves and our hearts and minds and focus on Jesus, and the concept of Holy Spirit inspired relationships!

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, Verse 29

Galatians 4:29 At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

At first glance, this verse seems to state the obvious. Genesis 21:9 tells us that Ishmael was “mocking” Isaac. The antagonism between the sons who were descendants of Hagar and the sons who were descendants of Sarah carry on into future generations. Psalm 83:5-6 speaks of the nation of Edom, the descendants of Ishmael, antagonizing the nation of Israel. Ironically, even in the modern world, the present day “Edomites,” the Palestinians, are still at odds with the ethnic-cultural descendants of Abraham.

But of course, Paul is being expressly “figurative.” (see Galatians 4:24). He has used the concept of literal slavery, and slavery to the law, to reverse the roles in which tradition placed Hagar and Sarah – it is the ethnic descendants of Abraham that were in bondage to the law – they were the slaves, like Hagar, and they clung to their slavery with a vengeance. The Galatians, who were Gentiles, were truly born again, truly the children of the promise, and were therefore the spiritual descendants of Abraham. The reality of the statement “it is the same now” is spiritual – and it is spiritual war! This goes all the way back to the dawn of time. I John 3:12 says that Cain murdered Abel from the sense that Cain was evil, and was jealous of Abel’s righteousness. Psalm 37:32 says “the wicked lie in wait for the righteous.” But this goes even deeper. The forces of darkness, masquerading as the forces of righteousness and light, are trying to destroy God’s people. And how subtle this distinction is – for even Ishmael can claim he is a descendant of Abraham! When the deception is wrapped in the cloak of theology and religion, it is all the easier to buy into and justify. And just like the “figurative” argument Paul makes here – where the obvious and traditional view of bloodline is reversed and even made irrelevant – so it is with us. The modern day “Judiazers” – anyone who would insist that compliance with their views or experience involving matters of race, culture or tradition define our relationship with God – argue that they agree with Paul’s conclusions in the book of Galatians – that the Jewish law cannot save us, only faith in Christ. But then they replace the Jewish law with reliance on conformity with their own culture or tradition. The implication is you can’t truly connect with God, can’t truly be part of God’s Kingdom, unless we do it their way, or become like them culturally, or worst of all – because we are part of a different ethnic group, we are rejected completely. Paul is absolutely right – truer words could not be spoken – “it is the same now.”

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, Verse 28

Galatians 4:28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

“Now you, brothers” Paul comes back to addressing the Galatians in a familiar tone, in intimacy. Paul has shifted the tone of his writing style back and forth from tenderness and caring (Galatians 1:11, 3:15, 4:12) to harsh rebuke and even sarcasm (Galatians 1:6, 3:1, 4:10). What strikes me here, however, is not so much a return to tenderness or intimacy here, but a statement of reality – the Galatians were truly “brothers,” they had a real relationship with Christ (see Galatians 3:2-5), and this verse defines the spiritual reality of the new birth. Paul uses the word “Now” – the Galatians are still right with God, despite the issues of unbelief and sin among them. This is the essence of “promise” – it has nothing to do with what we do. They are “brothers” – always!

“like Isaac, are children of the promise” Here, Paul pushes a concept that would have outraged his Jewish critics. First, the Judiazers insisted that a person needed to be circumcised to enter the covenant with Abraham and Isaac and all their descendants, and become their “spiritual descendants.” While there is some strong support in the Old Testament for at least an understanding of why Paul’s opponents insisted on this (see Genesis 17: 10-14), Paul argues that what he is arguing for transcends Jewish tradition and ethnicity. The Judiazers (and Jews generally at that time) expected that when the Messiah came, at the “end of time,” the law would be strengthened, not radically changed. Paul shows us that the coming of the Messiah inaugurated a new age in which the old rules no longer strictly apply (see Galatians 4:4, 4:6), or, better still, that the old rules were never meant to be the basis of salvation, but to show us the way, to point towards the fulfillment of the promise. The concept of the traditional Jewish belief system of Paul’s time is turned on its head – Paul is proving that the new covenant allows that these uncircumcised Gentiles are the spiritual children of Isaac, and the Judiazers – the ones who arguably are faithfully trying to fulfill the terms of the law – are the spiritual children of Ishmael. Ethnicity and culture cannot define the kingdom.

However, in a nutshell, while this verse seems like just a bridge in the argument, its bare essence is truth – the Galatians were brothers – spiritual descendants of Isaac, and children of the promise. For all who are truly born again, it is exactly the same.

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, verse 27

Galatians 4:27 For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

Paul quotes from Isaiah 54:1, a passage originally applicable to the exile, when the nation of Israel had been dispossessed by its Babylonian conquerors, the temple had been closed, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were forced to live in a pagan land. Some biblical scholars/critics complain that Paul stretches too far here – this passage could not have been meant to apply to Abraham and Sarah, let alone the promise of the Messiah. Yet, even Isaiah himself seems to have contemplated such a connection (see Isaiah 51:2). And the application works on all three levels – with Abraham, Israel and God’s family today. In each instance, a promise is fulfilled – a promise regarding a hopeless, impossible to achieve goal – a goal that cannot be reached by human effort. Sarah, a woman who cannot physically have children, gives birth. Israel, a nation destroyed by foreign invaders – destruction allowed by God because of Israel’s own faithlessness – is restored. The Galatians, and therefore Christians today, were people lost in the bondage of sin are made right with God through Jesus. The first two events foreshadow the last. One of the bible commentaries I rely upon says that the Jews of Paul’s day would have easily connected the Isaiah 54:1 passage to the story of Abraham. This of course made Paul’s analogy to Sarah and Hagar all the clearer. Placed in the context of the Jewish reliance on ethnicity, which is the fruit of the heresy of the Judiazers, the use of this passage from Isaiah helps reinforce the concept that race and ethnicity do not matter. Paul will continue with this same analogy through verse 31, but I particularly like the implication of the last phrase here – the children of the barren woman will be more numerous. The promise to Abraham was that his children would be as many as stars, as many as the sand on the beach. It’s like a floodgate – a promise not just of you and me coming to God, but of millions – a promise of true revival, across all ethnic and cultural lines. Truly radical. Truly astounding.

Galatians Journal: Chapter 4, Verse 26

Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

In the previous verse, Paul compares Hagar, as the “slave woman,” with Mt. Sinai and Jerusalem, both centers of Judaism and Jewish culture, sources of the Law, and therefore under the bondage of the Law. Here he makes reference to a new concept – “the Jerusalem that is above.” Rabbinical teaching of Paul’s day taught that in the coming Messianic age, a “new Jerusalem,” a heavenly archetype, would descend to the earth. This, of course, was not too far off from the reality of Christ’s Kingdom. Revelation 21:2 notes that there is a New Jerusalem, a heavenly City of God, where Christ eternally reigns, and of which all “true believers,” all authentic Christians – believers in “the promise,” not the literal descendants of Abraham or citizens of Israel – are citizens. Remember, Paul has announced that he is making this argument “figuratively.” (See Galatians 4:24). The problem is that the Jews took things too literally. They viewed the promise of the new Jerusalem as a physical presence, as something for the present and the here and now, and literally for the re-establishment of the Jewish nation in Israel at some future, but not too far future time. The Messiah would be a temporal King, just like David and Solomon had been. In this verse, Paul makes his own comparison about these concepts complete – and the connections to ethnicity (or lack thereof) could not be clearer. The reality is God’s plan is fulfilled in the promise of Jesus, not in obedience to the law. We are to rely on the Lord’s sacrifice, and not our own merit. Relying on the promise produces life and fulfillment – just as God promised Abraham a son, and produced Isaac. Relying on the law can produce a type of “promise production” that might look and feel similar, but the effort will always fall short – they are never enough to please God – just like Abraham’s relationship with Hagar, and the production of Ishmael. It also drives home that bloodline, ethnicity, and culture mean nothing. Fulfilling the Law means becoming a Jew. But Ishmael, as a literal “child of Abraham” (see the discussion back in Galatians 3: 6-9), was a failure -- and he certainly was not a Jew. So then are all attempts to please God by our own effort, in what we are, what we do, or how we behave. Any outward effort falls short. Any definition of who is a child of God that focuses on what we are, or what we do leads to slavery. We can only be a child of God by being children of the promise. Defining by race, culture, denomination, style, personal preference etc. is no different than trying to please God by following the minutia of the Law.