Daily Scripture Reading Galatians 4:21 - 5:15
We live in a culture that puts a lot of emphasis upon being nice. Political correctness is often an attempt to soften the realities of life. Young people especially are often triggered when they hear harsh sayings. The conventional wisdom is that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything.
At first glance, it sounds biblical to insist on always treating people pleasantly and without cruelty. However, we will see in today’s passage that Paul did not follow that philosophy. In fact, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write something severe and abrasive.
In chapter 4, Paul used the illustration of an underage heir being under a guardian as a metaphor for us and the Law. The Law was the guardian people were under until Christ came. The Christians in Galatia should have known that, and yet they wanted to enslave themselves under the Law. That desire was perplexing to Paul.
Gal. 4:21 ¶ Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law?
Gal. 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant-woman and one by the free woman.
Gal. 4:23 But the son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while the son by the free woman through the promise.
Gal. 4:24 This is spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from Mount Sinai bearing children into slavery; she is Hagar.
Take note of the word “allegory”. Paul wrote that Hagar and Sarah were a picture of the Old Testament and New Testament.
Gal. 4:25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
Gal. 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
Gal. 4:27 For it is written,
“REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT GIVE BIRTH;
BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR;
FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE ONE
THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.”
This is a quote from Isaiah 54. The 53rd chapter of Isaiah is about the Servant of Yahweh who would be crushed, justify the many, bear their iniquities, be numbered with the transgressors, and bear the sins of many. As a result of that sacrifice, the barren women were to rejoice because their children would be numerous.
At one time Hagar had a child while Sarah was barren, but then Sarah had a child named Isaac. Isaac gave birth to Israel whose descendants became the numerous Israelites.
Gal. 4:28 And you brothers, in accordance with Isaac, are children of promise.
Just as Isaac was the result of a promise, so too the believers in Galatia were believers because of a promise, not because of keeping the Law.
Gal. 4:29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh was persecuting him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
Gal. 4:30 But what does the Scripture say?
“CAST OUT THE SERVANT-WOMAN AND HER SON,
FOR THE SON OF THE SERVANT-WOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.”
This is a quote from Genesis 21:10. This continues the allegory. Just as Hagar’s son was not an heir with Isaac, so too those who are under the Law, but do not become believers, will not be heirs with those who do believe in Jesus.
Gal. 4:31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant-woman, but of the free woman.
Gal. 5:1 ¶ It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Gal. 5:2 ¶ Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
We know from Acts 15 that there were Jewish believers who insisted the Gentile believers had to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses. Some of the believers in Galatia were buying into that philosophy. Paul wrote this book to the Galatians to refute that false teaching. Paul explicitly refuted it in this verse.
Gal. 5:3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
Gal. 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace!
This is strong language. Anyone who relies on the law is severed from Christ.
Gal. 5:5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness.
Gal. 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Our eternal destiny is determined by how we respond to Jesus, not by whether we are circumcised or not circumcised.
Gal. 5:7 ¶ You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Gal. 5:8 This persuasion is not from Him who calls you.
Gal. 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
A small amount of a leavening agent, such as yeast, will permeate the entire lump of dough. Likewise, a small false idea, if not corrected, can permeate the entire church. In this case, the small false idea was the idea that a person needs to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul did not want that false belief to permeate the church.
Gal. 5:10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view. But the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
Notice the word judgment. The person spreading false beliefs about how to be saved will be judged.
Gal. 5:11 But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross would have been abolished.
The Christians in the region of Galatia knew Paul had been persecuted while he was among them. The persecutions are recorded in Acts 13-14. The Jews were instigating the persecution. The only reason the Jews were persecuting Paul was because he was telling Gentiles they did not have to be circumcised in order to be saved.
Gal. 5:12 I wish that those who are upsetting you would even mutilate themselves.
Pay attention to the word “mutilate”. Paul wanted those who were spreading false ideas about salvation to mutilate themselves. That is not a nice thing to say. It is actually harsh.
We live in a culture that puts a lot of emphasis upon being nice and always speaking nicely. There are many Christians who subscribe to the idea that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything. Some Christians think it is a sin to speak harshly.
Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he did not follow that philosophy. If the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write something harsh, then it is not always a sin to speak harshly.
Gal. 5:13 ¶ For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Just because we are no longer under the Mosaic law does not mean we have no rules we need to follow. We will read more about this tomorrow.
Gal. 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Sometimes loving your neighbor requires you to speak the truth, which may include saying some very harsh things.
Gal. 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
If we don’t love one another, we can easily begin biting and devouring one another, which could lead to consuming one another.
Paul did not live by the philosophy that he should only say nice things. The Holy Spirit inspired him to make some caustic, acerbic statements.
Why was it more important for Paul to wish that those who were disturbing the Galatians would mutilate themselves than it was for Paul to be nice to them?
What are some situations you have seen where it was necessary to speak hard truths?
What are some harsh truths about modern evangelicalism that need to be spoken loudly and clearly?
What are some harsh truths about your church and/or Pastor that need to be stated bluntly and publicly?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”