27/09/20 – Galatians 4:21-31
Today’s study is very long because it was considered best to tackle the whole of this passage as one unit, rather than split it up into 2 sections.
Galatians 4:21 – Tell me, ye
that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
hear – akouo (not
deaf; to hear; to consider what is said; understand; perceive the sense of what
is said; learn by hearing; to give ear to teaching or teacher; comprehend)
“Tell me (make it clear to me what you are saying),” says Paul, “you
who desire to be under the jurisdiction of the law (by adding the requirement of circumcision), don’t you
comprehend what the law tells you? That is, don’t you pay attention to what it
says?”
Paul knew all too well what the law meant; he had been born into it as a
son to a family of pharisees (Philippians 3:5-7).
Jesus touched on this same issue in speaking to the pharisees.
Matthew 22:29; 31-33 – 29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing
the scriptures, nor the power of God.
31But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33And when the multitude heard [this], they were astonished at his doctrine.
Jesus spoke in parables lest those who had no desire to hear should still understand.
Matthew 13:13-15 – 13Therefore speak I to them in parables (Greek parabole): because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (This is quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10)
Galatians 4:22 – For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Paul here begins a debate that compares the OT covenant of the law (represented by the orthodox Jews) with the NT covenant of grace (represented by the Christians) (see “the two covenants” Vs 24 below). The Jews were under the bondage of the law which acted as their tutor until they should reach the age to inherit their promise (see Galatians 3:24).
This relates to Galatians 4:1-5 where Israel was kept under the tutelage of the law until their coming of mature age at the coming of Christ when they would have (or should have) inherited that which had been promised to them as heirs.
Galatians 4:1-5 – 1Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The Jews laid claim to Abraham as their (physical) father, through his son Isaac. But in this passage the Jews (Israel) are represented by Abraham’s son of bondage: Ishmael.
Abraham actually had 8 sons according to the Bible. Six of those were with Keturah whom he took after Sarah died (Genesis 25:1-2). However, for this account we’ll only look at the first 2 sons, Ishmael and Isaac.
Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, was by Hagar the bondmaid (young female maid or slave) and his second son, Isaac, was by his wife, Sarah. One (Hagar) was under bondage as a slave, and the other (Sarah) was a freewoman. This commences Paul’s allegorical comparison between the two sons. The bondmaid represents the bondage of the law and the freewoman represents the freedom of grace through the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14). (The book of Hebrews covers the transition from the old covenant to the new.)
This leads to the orthodox Jews (Judaists) being represented by Ishmael, son of the bondmaid, and the Christian church being represented by Isaac, son of the freewoman.
Orthodox = Adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. (thefreedictionary.com) Here it means Jews worshipping according to OT law. Paul identifies the Jews under bondage to OT law with Ishmael. While some Jews became Christians, most remained under bondage to the OT law. (see Romans 11:7-8)
Galatians 4:23 – But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
In this allegory, the Jews are represented by Ishmael who was born according to the flesh, being the progeny of bondage (of the bondwoman). They are therefore seen as the physical descendants of Abraham, under bondage to the law.
The Christian church is represented by Isaac who was born according to the promise of God, being the progeny of the promise by faith through Abraham. The church therefore is seen as being the spiritual children of Abraham, freed from the law.
Galatians 3:7, 14, 16, 18 – 7Know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.
16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He
saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one,
And to thy seed, which is Christ.
18For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.
Thus we also have the physical birth (Ishmael of the bondwoman) of the Jew under the law and the spiritual birth (Isaac of the freewoman) of the Christian under the promise of faith.
Thus the Jews (Judaists) are physically born in bondage to the law and the Christians are spiritually born free according to the promise of God by faith.
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.
an
allegory – allegoreo (to speak allegorically or in a figure
of speech) This is its only use in the NT. It derives from allos
(another) + agoreo (to
harangue) Thus, “to speak in a double (or “another”) sense”.
In this sense we have various “types” in the OT: Joshua is a type of
Jesus; the old sacrificial law is a type of the new covenant through the blood
of Christ by which He entered the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:6-12); and the earthly
tabernacle was an “example and shadow” of the tabernacle in the heavenlies.
Hebrews 8:5 – Who
serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was
admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he,
[that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in
the mount.
In fact, much of the OT covenant was merely a shadow, a figure or type
of the future perfected reality of the new covenant.
gendereth – gennao (to be born; be begotten; give birth) The Latin equivalent is generare which means “bring forth, beget, produce”. Note that “regenerate” (to be born again) comes from the Latin regenerare (re- + -generare), which is the equivalent of the Greek anagennao (ana- + -gennao) which is translated “Being born again” in 1 Peter 1:23 – Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Calvinists prefer the term “regenerated” rather than “born again”
because so many Christians do associate (quite correctly) being born again with
being saved by faith in Christ, yet calvinism actually teaches that we must be
born again (regenerated) before we may believe in Christ and be saved.
Thus, in the above verse, the law which was given at Mt Sinai begets
bondage to it (the law), and is of Hagar, or represented by (symbolic of) the
bondage of Hagar.
Paul assures us that his writings here are indeed an allegory representing the two covenants, the law, and the promise of faith.
Firstly, here, Paul deals with the covenant from Mt Sinai (Exodus 19 and following).
Thus, “For these things must be taken as allegorical, symbolic or figurative: These two women and their sons represent the two covenants, one of which is the covenant of law from Mt Sinai which gives birth to bondage (brings forth children into bondage to it); this is represented by Hagar.”
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.
answereth – systoicheo (to stand or march in the same row
(file) together with, as of soldiers; to answer to; resemble; corresponds to) It derives from syn
(many people or things acting together as one unit; a synthesis) and stoicheo (to proceed in a row as
soldiers do; go in order; direct one’s life)
Here it would indicate a one-to-one correspondence with each other. Thus
Mt Sinai “corresponds to Jerusalem”. The people under bondage to the law covenant
of the OT corresponded exactly to the people currently inhabiting Jerusalem in
Paul’s day. They were still under that bondage to the law in Paul’s day (because
they had rejected their Christ, mediator of the better, new covenant).
See Hebrews 8:6-9 – 6But
now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the
mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7For
if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have
been sought for the second. 8For finding fault with them, he saith,
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9Not according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my
covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Yet, when given the option to choose, Jerusalem chose to remain under
the covenant of the law by rejecting the new covenant (of the promise by faith
in Christ).
Paul is saying, “For Mt Sinai in Arabia (which was Ishmael’s country) represents the bondage of Hagar. It corresponds to the present Jerusalem (“which now is” in Paul’s day); this present Jerusalem is in bondage with her children (population; inhabitants).”
Some suggest that Mt Sinai was also called Hagar, citing that there was a town or city on this mountain called Agra or Agara, with its inhabitants called Hagarenes.
Psalm 83:6 – The
tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
This could be so, but it makes perfectly good sense to simply associate Mt Sinai with the law of bondage according to the allegory of the bondage represented by Hagar. This would then make the new Jerusalem of the promise, which it does in next verse.
Galatians 4:26 – But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
If the present Jerusalem (in Paul’s day) represented the bondage of the law (as represented by Hagar), then the future Jerusalem which is above (in heaven; the new Jerusalem) represents the freedom found in the promise by faith through Christ (freedom as represented by Sarah). Therefore, this is a spiritual Jerusalem as opposed to the physical Jerusalem, but it can also be seen as the future dwelling place of those who live according to the promise by faith, the heavenly Jerusalem.
Hebrews 12:22-24 – 22But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.
Also see Revelation 21:2; Philippians 3:20; John 8:23; Colossians 3:1-2.
which is the mother of us all – see Galatians 4:31 – So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
This would assume that all those to whom Paul is writing are considered to be among the free and should not under bondage, so why are they trying to get back under bondage when they are already free? Why endeavour to be slaves if you are already free?
Note what Paul says next after this passage:
Galatians 5:1-3 – 1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
The Jerusalem of Paul’s day could have been free but it had chosen to remain under bondage to the law according to the teachings of the pharisees. The Jews of the churches of Galatia had escaped from this bondage but were doing much to bring themselves back under that bondage to the law. They were also trying to draw the Gentile Christians into that same bondage.
Is it possible that there were false teachers among those Galatian Jews as per 2 Peter 2:1 who brought in heresies using carefully sculpted speech, verbal gymnastics (“feigned words” – 2 Peter 2:3), who were “wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” (2 Peter 2:17)?
Were such false teachers at Galatia trying to draw back into bondage those who had “clean escaped from them who lived in error” (2 Peter 2:18), including also the Gentiles in this allurement back into the world again?
2 Peter 2:18-21 – 18For when they (false teachers) speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19While they (false teachers) promise them (Christians) liberty, they themselves (false teachers) are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20For if after they (Christians) have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
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 is a difficult verse to understand fully, so I’ll look at many other passages to get an idea of biblical consistency. There may be other interpretations but the following seems reasonable given its context.
Isaiah 54:1 – Sing, O
barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry
aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the
children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
Paul generally quoted from the Septuagint (the LXX Greek version of the OT).
LXX – Psalm 54:1 – Rejoice,
thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry,
thou that dost not travail: for more are the children of the desolate than of
her that has a husband:
bearest (not) – tikto (bring forth; bear; produce fruit from
seed; of a woman giving birth; the earth bringing forth its fruits) Thus a childless
woman here (= “barren” in Isaiah 54:1).
travailest (not) – odino (birth pains) A childless
woman does not feel birth pains.
the desolate – eremos (solitary;
lonely; desolate; uninhabited; a desert; wilderness; one who is deserted by
others; deprived of the aid and protection of others, especially of friends,
acquaintances, kindred; a flock deserted by the shepherd; a woman neglected by
her husband) Here the context would have to refer to Jerusalem being a woman who
has been deserted by God who is pictured as her husband who has divorced her
for her unfaithfulness. Thus Jerusalem is barren
without children, desolate, yet one day she (as the new Jerusalem in the
heavens) will have many more children than she ever did when she first had a
husband (who was God).
Some commentaries say that this is a picture of the Jews returning after
their exile at Babylon. However, while this is possible (many prophecies do
have more than one level of prophecy), the context in Galatians does point to a
time when Jerusalem would no longer be of the law but of the promise of faith. Isaiah 54:1 may have
primarily referred to the return from Babylon, yet Paul has described a
further, probably more complete explanation of Isaiah’s prophecy, a second
level that looks at the final heavenly Jerusalem inhabited by those of the
promise by faith.
Revelation
21:1-3
– 1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them, [and be] their God.
Other commentaries say that this is a picture of
the church as the spouse of Christ who is God. But this could only be so if
Jerusalem is inhabited by the children of the promise, and that can only point
toward the new Jerusalem of Revelation 21:1-3.
Israel (here it is the Jews) was barren, having
been forsaken by her husband, God (see Isaiah 54:4-5), because of her
treacherous marriage to a false god.
Malachi 2:11 – Judah hath
dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in
Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and
hath married the daughter of a strange god.
Their spiritual apostasy brought spiritual ruin as per Deuteronomy 28:15 – But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
And God as her spiritual husband (Isaiah 54:4-5) divorced her for her harlotry.
Jeremiah 3:8 – And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
And Israel, now desolate, is unable to bring forth spiritual children, for she is a spiritual widow.
But when Jerusalem is inhabited by children who are no longer under the curse of the law, Jerusalem will be blessed with fruitfulness (represented by having many children), more fruitful than she had been before (spiritually speaking). The desolate (the abandoned one) who had lacked a husband will one day be blessed with more spiritual fruitfulness than when she had God as her husband in the OT. It is worth noting that Isaiah 54 goes on to say that one day Jerusalem’s widowhood will come to an end.
Isaiah 54:4-5 – 4Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the Lord of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
One day Israel will be declared eternally righteous (Daniel 9:24), and her husband, who forsook her for her unfaithfulness, will one day gather her again with great mercy.
Isaiah 54:7-8 – 7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
One day Israel’s reproach (for her sin) will be removed; she that was desolate (abandoned) will again have a husband (Isaiah 54:5) and many more children than she ever had before. In a way this allegory relates to Sarah who was barren for so long, yet finally she has her son, Isaac, through whom she would become the mother of a great multitude of children.
Hannah, Eli’s barren wife, praised God that, finally, she would be more fruitful than those who had born many children (the other wives). God’s burden upon her would one day be reversed. The filled ones would become empty (hungry) and those who were hungry would be filled. She who had no children would bear seven (often known as God’s perfect number, the number for spiritual perfection), and she who was fruitful would become feeble with respect to child-bearing.
1 Samuel 2:5 – [They that were] full have hired out themselves for bread; and [they that were] hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. (Hannah’s prayer)
In the days (yet to happen) when Israel finally became children of the promise, she would no longer be forsaken, nor desolate, but instead would be God’s delight and wedded once again, “for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”
Isaiah 62:4 – Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi–bah (“My delight is in her”), and thy land Beulah (“Married”): for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
This was primarily a promise for Israel when she finally returned in righteousness to her God, but this might also be applied to the Church that, in Paul’s day, took over Israel’s task until the church was completed (Romans 11:25), after which Israel would become the righteous people of God once again (Romans 11:26-27) and His fruitful nation as prophesied. In Galatians Paul does appear to be relating (via his allegory) this abundance of children to the church of the promise (represented by the freewoman Sarah). In a way this allegory relates to Sarah who was barren for so long, yet finally she has her son, Isaac, through whom she (and Abraham) would become the mother (and father) of a multitude of children.
Galatians 4:28 – Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Paul affirms that those he is writing to are the children of the promise as represented by Isaac son of Sarah the freewoman. This then is a comparison between the law of the old covenant and the promise of faith of the new covenant. The Christians Paul is writing to are the children of promise, and thus by implication are no longer (or should be no longer) the children of bondage (to the law). These brethren are all those who believe, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (where the word for “Greek” is also translated “Gentile” 7 times in the NT)
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.
persecuted – dioko (persecute; suffer persecution; harass, trouble or molest another) It refers to Ishmael. In the context of our passage, this verse would refer to Ishmael (born after the flesh) harassing or persecuting Isaac (“[that was born] after the Spirit”).
Genesis 21:9-10 – 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.
The word “mocking”
can mean to
laugh, mock, or play, but it can also mean to make sport of, or toy with, in
the sense of bullying another. The LXX (Septuagint) says Ishmael was “sporting
with Isaac”.
Keep in mind that Ishmael was about 14 years older than Isaac and probably resented Isaac being the legitimate son of Abraham. According to tradition, Ishmael assaulted Isaac. Ellicott says that “The Jewish traditions added that Ishmael took out the child Isaac and “shot at him with arrows under pretence of sport.””
Genesis 21:20 says that Ishmael “became an archer”.
This, therefore, appears to be why Sarah wanted
Ishmael away from her son in case Ishmael took a share of Isaac’s inheritance (or,
possibly, if Isaac were killed, then Ismael would inherit all). Sarah wanted
Ismael out of the inheritance equation altogether.
even so [it is] now – This is another hint that there might have been some persecution involved for those who were godly Christians according to 2 Timothy 3:12 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Paul appears to be saying that things haven’t changed since then. The children of bondage (Ishmael) persecuted the children of the promise (Isaac) back then; and the children of bondage to the law are still persecuting the children of the promise by faith. Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for Christians; they are free from the penalty of the law. But those of the world are still condemned by the penalty of the law; they remain under bondage. Those remaining under bondage to the law will continue to persecute those who have escaped such bondage.
Once again we have the comparison between the 2 allegories of the law and the promise. Those of the law will persecute, and those of the promise will suffer persecution.
Jesus taught that Christians would be hated simply because they belonged to Him.
Matthew 10:22 – And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
John 15:18-19 – 18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. 19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Those of the law are also depicted as being born of the flesh, while those of the promise are depicted as being born of the Spirit.
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.
Genesis 21:10 – Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.
This would relate to the judgment where those who are not heirs will not inherit the kingdom. The heirs are Abraham’s spiritual children, the children of the promise by faith.
Galatians 3:29 – And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The children of bondage will not partake of the inheritance which belongs to the children of the free: the promise of faith given to the spiritual children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7; 14; 16; 18) This is another allegorical comparison: that those of the bondwoman Hagar (= the bondage of the law) will not inherit, while those of the freewoman Sarah (= the freedom of the promise by faith) will inherit. Only those who are declared righteous in the judgment will inherit the promise, and only those whose names are found in “the book of life” will be declared righteous; all others will be declared unrighteous.
Revelation 20:15 – And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
That is, there will be no shared inheritance given to those under the bondage of the law!
Galatians 4:31 – So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of bondage but of freedom, and therefore we will partake of that inheritance promised to all those who are free by reason of “the promise of the Spirit by faith.” (Galatians 3:14)
John 8:31-32 – 31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
This passage today makes many comparisons between the children under bondage to the law, and those who are free by the promise of God by faith. These include:
The Jews under bondage – the Christian church free
The bondwoman Hagar – the freewoman Sarah
The child of bondage (Ishmael) – the child of freedom (Isaac)
Mt Sinai (with the giving of the law) – the heavenly Jerusalem (Mt Zion) representing those of the promise.
The children born of the flesh – the children born of the Spirit
The law – the promise by faith
The earthly Jerusalem associated with the law – the heavenly Jerusalem inhabited by only those of the promise
Those enslaved by the law – those set free by the promise
The persecutors – the persecuted
Expulsion of those under the law – the inheritance of those of the promise.
Paul was clearly trying to explain to those who desired to go back to the law what they were really choosing. Adding the requirement of circumcision meant a return to the bondage of the law. Paul demonstrated that there were many other aspects to consider other than just circumcision. In a way he is trying to get them to consider the risk of losing all the benefits of being of the promise for the sake of wanting circumcision. It does appear as if Paul is saying that if you choose the bondage of the law, then be prepared to accept all the other implications listed above.
As a final note, observe very carefully that even though the law brought bondage, it was never taken away by the promise; in fact, the law was fulfilled.
Matthew 5:17 – Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Romans 3:31 – Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 8:3-4 – 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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