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LEADER'S GUIDE Read Genesis 15:17-16:10, Genesis 21:1-13, and Galatians 4:21-31. In this part of Galatians, Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah as a picture of the relationship between God and man. The Jews traced their lineage through Abraham’s legitimate son, Isaac, the son of Sarah, and regarded Ishmael, the son of Hagar, as an outcast. Here, Paul tells them that Hagar represents the covenant given on Mt. Sinai, which is the law that the Jews in Jerusalem pride themselves on keeping. He goes on to quote from Genesis—“the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son”—and encourages the Galatians to claim the promise made to their ancestor, Isaac, by shaking off the bonds of slavery imposed by the law. 1. What makes this such a powerful message for the Galatians? How do you think this message made them feel? The story of Hagar and Sarah is symbolic and has a deeper meaning than first appears. The two women represent two covenants: Hagar the covenant of the law and Sarah the covenant of grace. The covenant of the law given at Mt Sinai produced slavery; thus Hagar, a slave girl, fitted that covenant. Hagar represents Jerusalem (vs 25), the center for unsaved Israelites who were still seeking to obtain righteousness by keeping the law. For Paul to link unbelieving Israelites with Hagar rather than with Sarah was a stinging characterization. True believers are born of God and faith in Jesus (vs 28) but they will often be persecuted and mocked by those born of the flesh, just as Ishmael mocked Isaac (vs 29). Paul goes on to encourage the Galatians to listen to the verdict of scripture (vs 30) that it is impossible to inherit God's blessings on the basis of human merit or effort; furthermore, those who trust in Christ have no connection with the law as a means of obtaining divine favor. They (and we) are the children of Sarah, the free woman. 2. Do you take pride in any ethnic, national, or spiritual ancestor? What effect does that relationship have on the way you live your life? 3. What is the “yoke of slavery” to which Paul refers in verse 5:1? The yoke of slavery refers to the burden of trying to obey the law by yourself. Christians must stand against those who would enslave us with rules, methods, or special conditions for being saved or growing in Christ. You have been made free by the tremendous sacrifice that Christ has made for you and in gratitude you must stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made you free. 4. Is there anyone in your life who tries to impose a yoke of slavery on you? How should you respond? 5. What does Paul tell the Galatians they will be obligated to do if they comply with the requirement of the Judaizers to be circumcised? Legalism makes Christ of no value. Circumcision to Paul was not a surgical operation nor a religious observance. It represented a system of salvation by good works and obedience to the law. It declared a gospel of human effort apart from divine grace. It was a law supplanting grace; for to add to Christ was to take from Christ. Christ is our only savior -- solitary and exclusive. Circumcision would mean exclusion from Christ. Legalism requires men to keep the whole law. If a person attempts to please God by being circumcised, then he is under obligation to keep the whole law. Thus, if he is under the law, Christ is valueless to him. 6. Circumcision made it easy for Jews to identify others who believed as they did. Paul tells them (v. 6) that “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.” How, then can they—and we—identify others who hold similar beliefs (Christians)? Outward identity markers include things like wearing a WWJD bracelet, having a chrome fish on your car, or carrying a Bible. But this is not what makes you a Christian; behavior is what counts. "By the way that you act, they will know you are a Christian." God is not interested in rituals or appearances, but in the reality of a Godly life. Faith is not idle; it manifests itself in unselfish service to God and man. Faith works through love; it is prompted by love, not by law. 7. What is Paul’s tone in 5:7-12? He seems disappointed and perplexed. "Why," he asks, "are you listening to these Judiazers and their doctrine of legalism? Why are you turning your back on and being disobdient to the truth that you already knew? 8. We are surrounded by the kind of yeast to which Paul refers in verse 7:9. Give an example—positive or negative—from your own life. How did you respond? 9. Paul tells us that we “were called to be free.” Does this mean we can do anything we want to do? Absolutely not. Christ came to set us free -- not free to do whatever we want because that would lead us back into following our selfish desires. Rather, thanks to Christ, we are now free and able to do what was impossible before -- to live unselfishly. The believer's standard is the life of the Lord Jesus, and the love for Christ impels him to hate sin and love holiness. The Christian is free from the law, but not lawless. Christian liberty does not permit sin; rather it encourages loving service. It is like a river that has the liberty to flow, but only between its banks; without these it would only spread out into a slimy, stagnent pool. 10. How does God want us to use the freedom He has given us? |
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