Thy Strong Word — Galatians 4:21–5:12: Children of the Free Woman

Paul turns to the story of Sarah and Hagar to illustrate the difference between life under the law and life under the promise. Those who belong to Christ are not children of the slave woman, but of the free. His message is simple and urgent: stand firm, and do not return to the yoke of slavery. In Christ, outward rituals mean nothing. What counts is faith working through love.

The Rev. Robert Hiller, pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, CA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Galatians 4:21–5:12.

To learn more about Community Lutheran Church, visit www.clcfamily.org.

There’s urgency in Paul’s voice. No warm greetings. No slow build. Just a sharp rebuke: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you.” The stakes are that high.

Galatians is Paul’s bold stand for the pure Gospel message: Christ crucified and risen, apart from works of the law. When freedom in Christ is threatened by legalism or confused with license, Paul doesn’t hold back. He calls the Church back to the cross, to the promise, and to the Spirit. In this series on Thy Strong Word, we walk verse by verse through one of the most foundational and explosive letters in the New Testament. The message is clear: You are justified by faith, not by what you do.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Galatians 4:21-5:12

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[a] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸Now you,^[b] brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified^[c] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,^[d] still preach^[e] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Footnotes

Galatians 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
Galatians 4:28 Some manuscripts we
Galatians 5:4 Or counted righteous
Galatians 5:11 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 13
Galatians 5:11 Greek proclaim

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.