21 Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, do you not listen to [what] the Law [really says]? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman [Hagar] and one by the free woman [Sarah]. 23 But the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, while the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise.

Galatians 4:21-23 (AMP) 中文

Pure Gospel of Jesus

This letter from Paul to Christ followers living in the area of Galatia is all about the means of salvation. With full apostolic authority Paul sharply corrects the false teaching of faith plus works for salvation. In chapter 3, talking to Jews, Paul compares the law to the promise. He is now focusing in chapter 4 on the Gentiles – to address freedom from both the law and the “elementary principles” (4:3) of this world.

Do you know the law?

Remember in this part of the letter, chapter 4, he is addressing Gentiles who are being led by the false teachers to trust in following the Jewish law for salvation. So he asks a rhetorical question: “You want to be under the law but do you really know what the law says? If you did, you wouldn’t be so easily swayed to believe this false gospel.” 

Again Paul turns back to the OT and what was part of the “law” portion – Genesis. In particular, the historical account of Abraham, the father of the Jewish faith. “Paul took it for granted that his readers knew the Bible. He explains his point from the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah in Genesis 16 without a lot of detail from the story. He assumes that they knew the story.” (enduringword.com)

By man or God?

You may already know this account. Abraham, aware of the promise of a son but being already old and having no son, takes matters into his own hands. He has a son through Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar. But God had a different plan – to use Sarah. Isaac was later born of Sarah supernaturally. Abraham’s monumental faith was at a low point. The NLT translates (interprets) verse 23 as: “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.”

This idea is expanded by Fung. “In the scriptural record of the birth of these two sons of Abraham Paul recognizes the same opposition between reliance on self (‘according to the flesh’) and reliance on God (‘through promise’) which exists between those who would be justified by legal works and those who are justified by faith.” (planobiblechapel.org quoting Fung)

RЯeflection

• As we reflect on this account of Abraham, the “man of faith”, and see his faith falter, how do you respond? Do you find yourself in the same situation at times…or even now? You are certain what God’s will is but can’t see how to make it happen and it’s taking too long. What to do?
• Paul asked the Galatians if they really knew the law, if they knew what trap they were falling into. How is our knowledge of the Word? Do we diligently read and study it? How about memorizing, meditating and applying it’s life-working power?