Gal 4:24-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gal 4:24-25: 4:24-25 Paul connects Abraham’s human attempt to fulfill God’s promises (4:23 ) with the human attempt in Galatia and elsewhere to attain salvation by keeping the law. Hagar’s status as a slave-wife corresponds with Israel’s enslaved status under the law. This status contrasts with the status of those who have faith in Christ (4:26-27 ). 4:24 serve as an illustration (literally are being allegorized ): In allegorical writing, every character and event is symbolic of a deeper meaning. Allegorical interpretations often ignore the historical meaning of the text and invent fanciful meanings. Here, by contrast, Paul understood the story correctly in its historical context and recognized the story as history. But he interpreted the characters of the historical story as symbolizing the current situation. Paul’s opponents were apparently also using allegorical methods of interpretation, so Paul refuted faulty allegory with true allegory (cp. 1 Cor 9:22 ). • God’s two covenants: The old covenant was formed through Moses; the new covenant came through Jesus Christ. • Hagar represents Mount Sinai: Just as Hagar was a slave-wife who represents human effort, Mount Sinai brought slavery to following the law.

a4:24-25►

b4:23►

c4:26-27►

d4:24►

e1 Cor 9:22►

f4:25►

gJohn 8:31-59►

hGal 3:23-24►

i4:1-3►

jExod 3:1►

k4:26►

l4:24-25►

m3:29►

n3:26-29►

o4:4-7►

‏ Galatians 4:24-26

Summary for Gal 4:24-25: 4:24-25 ^a Paul connects Abraham’s human attempt to fulfill God’s promises (4:23 ^b) with the human attempt in Galatia and elsewhere to attain salvation by keeping the law. Hagar’s status as a slave-wife corresponds with Israel’s enslaved status under the law. This status contrasts with the status of those who have faith in Christ (4:26-27 ^c). 4:24 ^d serve as an illustration (literally are being allegorized): In allegorical writing, every character and event is symbolic of a deeper meaning. Allegorical interpretations often ignore the historical meaning of the text and invent fanciful meanings. Here, by contrast, Paul understood the story correctly in its historical context and recognized the story as history. But he interpreted the characters of the historical story as symbolizing the current situation. Paul’s opponents were apparently also using allegorical methods of interpretation, so Paul refuted faulty allegory with true allegory (cp. 1 Cor 9:22 ^e).

• God’s two covenants: The old covenant was formed through Moses; the new covenant came through Jesus Christ.

• Hagar represents Mount Sinai: Just as Hagar was a slave-wife who represents human effort, Mount Sinai brought slavery to following the law.
4:25 ^f Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of Jerusalem, which stood for Judaism in Paul’s day. Judaism continued to trust in the law and in physical descent from Abraham for their status before God (cp. John 8:31-59 ^g); they rejected Christ and continued to live in slavery to the law (Gal 3:23-24 ^h; 4:1-3 ⁱ).

• Mount Sinai in Arabia: The traditional location for Mount Sinai is in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. However, some have suggested that in Arabia means that Mount Sinai was in Midian, where Moses once lived (see Exod 3:1 ^j).
4:26 ^k Just as Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai (4:24-25 ^l), Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem, the ideal city of God. Abraham’s true children by faith (3:29 ^m) now live in the reality of God’s reign in Christ.

• she is our mother: Sarah’s child, Isaac, was the freeborn recipient of all of God’s promises apart from the law. Similarly, Jews and Gentiles who live by faith in Christ are Sarah’s true children—they receive God’s promises to Abraham freely apart from the law (3:26-29 ⁿ; 4:4-7 ^o).