Galatians 4:20

Paul could not understand why the Christians wanted to leave their freedom. It is often very difficult to write what we feel. It is much easier to speak. We can use a loud or soft voice. People understand more when they can hear the tone of our voice. Paul had to write this letter in a rather strict way. He had to explain the truth again. But he wanted to be kind to the Christians too. He could not do this easily in this letter. This is one reason why he was suffering. So he really wanted to go and speak to them.

The difference between Sarah and Hagar

v21 Some of you still want the *Jewish law to control you. But you do not really understand what the law says. v22 The *Scripture says that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave. The mother of the other son was not a slave. She was a free woman. v23 The slave had her son as a result of a natural process. The free woman had her son as a result of God’s promise to Abraham. v24 These two situations help us to understand something else. These two women are similar to the two agreements that God made. Hagar is like the agreement that God made on Mount Sinai. Her children were born as slaves. v25 Hagar is like Mount Sinai, which is in the region called Arabia. And you can compare Mount Sinai to Jerusalem. Jerusalem and all the people there are like slaves. v26 But the city of Jerusalem that is in heaven is free. This Jerusalem is like our mother.

v27 The *Scripture says:

‘To the woman who has never had children, be happy.

You never had a child. But you should shout and cry because you are happy.

You will have more children than the woman who has a husband.’

v28 My Christian brothers and sisters, you are God’s children because of what God promised. In the same way, Abraham had a son, Isaac, because of what God promised. v29 One son (Ishmael) was born as a result of a natural process. He caused trouble for the son (Isaac), who was born because of God’s Spirit. The same thing is happening today. v30 But this is what the *Scripture says: ‘Make the slave woman and her son go away. The son of the slave woman must not receive anything that belongs to his father. The son of the free woman will receive it all.’ v31 Therefore, my Christian brothers and sisters, we are not like the slave woman’s children. Instead, we are like the children of the wife who is free.