GALATIANS LESSON 8


     We will begin this lesson in Galatians 4:17 "They zealously
affect you, [but] not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might
affect them."

     The problem that we have been dealing with in this, is that the
Judaizers had been trying to put these Galatian Christians back under
the law of Moses. This, to me, means that they have worked hard at
getting them to go back under the law. They were even threatening to
have nothing to do with them, if they did not keep the law. This is
separation of the wrong kind. We are supposed to live wholesome lives
after we receive salvation, but to go back to sacrificing and
circumcising the men, would be denying that Jesus fulfilled the law
for all believers. It would really be denying Him to be the Christ,
the Messiah.

     Galatians 4:18 "But [it is] good to be zealously affected always
in [a] good [thing], and not only when I am present with you."

     Paul is saying here, that it is a good thing to work hard for
things that are right. The main thing is that Paul wants them to be
strong in their belief, whether he is with them or not. He wants them
to grow up in the Lord, so they will not be influenced to believe a
lie. Paul can not be with them all the time. He wants to know that
they will be able to walk the Christian walk, even when he is not
there.

     Galatians 4:19 "My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again until Christ be formed in you,"

     Paul is trying his best to get them into the Truth and then keep
them in the Truth. Paul calls them his little children, because they
came to Christ under his ministry. He calls them little children,
because they had not grown up in the Lord. They were still feeding on
milk and honey. He wants Christ to be so fully in their lives that
they will not get off the Truth again.

     Galatians 4:20 "I desire to be present with you now, and to
change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you."

     Paul is concerned that they have gone back into the teaching of
the law. He believes if he were there, speaking directly to them, they
would be stronger in the Truth.

     Galatians 4:21 "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do
ye not hear the law?"

     Paul had spoken to them of his love for them, but now he changes
to a reprimand. Those who are determined that it is necessary to keep
the law of Moses are the ones he is specifically speaking to in this
verse.

     Galatians 4:22 "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the
one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman."

     We see in this a very good argument for not going back to the
law. We have discussed in a previous lesson how the law symbolized the
flesh, and grace symbolized the Spirit. The law brought bondage to
them. Grace had brought freedom.

     Galatians 4:23 "But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after
the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise."

     The comparison, here, is in the natural birth of the nation of
Israel and the law. They were symbolic of the bondwoman's children.
This was a religion of works of the law. The freewoman's son was the
son the promise of the redeemer would be fulfilled through. The free
woman was the mother of the son the promise to Abraham would come
through. We have shown over and over in these lessons how the seed
spoken of in the promise to Abraham was Jesus, and through Him His
followers.

     Galatians 4:24 "Which things are an allegory: for these are the
two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to
bondage, which is Agar."

     We see in these two covenants, the law and the grace. The law
covenant was made to the physical house of Israel, and the covenant of
promise {grace} was for the spiritual house of Israel {all believers
in Christ}. The strange thing is that the covenant of the law had to
be, before there could be the covenant of grace from the law. The law
brought bondage upon the people. Agar, or Hagar, was the mother of the
son of the flesh {Ishmael}.

     Galatians 4:25 "For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and
answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her
children."

     The law was given at mount Sinai. I really believe what is
intended here, is that Hagar, and mount Sinai, both symbolize the law.
The word Hagar is very near to the name chajar which means rock in
Arabic. I really believe this is speaking of the symbolism though.
Jerusalem is the holy city of God.

     Galatians 4:26 "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is
the mother of us all."

     This is speaking of the new Jerusalem. This is the Jerusalem
where Christ reigns. New Jerusalem and the Christians are sometimes
spoken of as the same. Of course, the New Jerusalem spoken of as the
bride of Christ and the believers in Christ being the bride of Christ,
is what I am speaking of.

     Galatians 4:27 "For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that
bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the
desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."
     This has to be a spiritual statement. This could not be in the
natural. This is speaking of the Christians, who are saved, being so
many that they are impossible to number. The Jews, or physical Israel,
is small in comparison to that.

     Galatians 4:28 "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children
of promise."

     Believers in Christ {Christians} are the children of promise,
through Jesus Christ. Isaac was the spiritual son of Abraham. He was
the son of promise, not the son of the flesh. Our blessing is from the
right hand. The right hand blessing is the spiritual blessing.

     Galatians 4:29 "But as then he that was born after the flesh
persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now."

     The war has always been between the flesh and the Spirit.
Christians are born of the Spirit of God. We are not of the flesh.
John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God." John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Paul is warning them
here that there will never be peace between the flesh and the Spirit.
The flesh wants to put you under bondage. The Spirit frees.

     Galatians 4:30 "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out
the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be
heir with the son of the freewoman."

     Jesus is the Way to heaven. There is only one way to get there.
Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ makes heaven your home. It is not
possible to believe in Jesus, and not believe Him all at the same
time. Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10 tell what you must do to be
saved.Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation." This leaves no doubt at all. The son of the flesh
denies the Lord Jesus. The son of the freewoman believes. His faith is
counted unto him as righteousness.

     Galatians 4:31 "So then, brethren, we are not children of the
bondwoman, but of the free."

     Christians are not of the flesh, but are of the Spirit. We are
righteous, with faithful Abraham, because we have faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul is saying one more time, stay free, do not go back
into the bondage of the law.






                        Galatians 8 Questions


1.  What have the Judaizers been attempting to do?
2.  What would it be saying to go back to sacrificing?
3.  What was it good to be zealous about?
4.  Who does Paul call them in verse 19?
5.  Why did he call them this?
6.  Why is Paul concerned about them?
7.  Who is Paul specifically speaking to in verse 21?
8.  Who were Abraham's 2 sons by?
9.  What symbolized the flesh?
10. What is the comparison in verse 23?
11. What was the law a religion of?
12. Which woman's son was the line the redeemer would come in?
13. What two covenants is this about?
14. What name was the bondwoman and her son called by?
15. Where was the law given?
16. What did Hagar and this mountain have in common?
17. What city is called the mother of us all?
18. Who, or what, is the bride of Christ?
19. We are children of promise like _________.
20. What is the right hand blessing?
21. The war has always been between the ______ and the ________.
22. Quote John chapter 3 verse 5.
23. Quote John chapter 3 verse 6.
24. What did the Scripture say to do with the bondwoman?
25. What two Scriptures tell us how to be saved?
26. Faith is counted unto him as _____________.
27. Which woman are we of?