Introduction
In this session, Galatians chapters 4:21-31 we will focus on understanding the struggle a person goes through when confronted by two alternatives and one is immature to make the right choice. Paul used an illustration of two women, two sons and two covenant to help us understand this struggle
Objectives
By the end of this session, the learner will have:
- Understood how Paul appealed to his backslidden spiritual children who had been bewitched （controlled thinking） by false teachers to depend on human efforts to follow Christ instead of depending on the finish work of the cross.
Outline
- Two women, two covenant, two sons
- The enemy called immaturity, average
- Steps to drifting away at the round about
- Backsliding children
Group Study Time
Galatians 4: 21-31
Connecting
- Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
- Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
- Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
- Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.
Comprehending
- Who were Abraham’s two sons? How were they born? How does the Bible describe them till today? Galatians 4:21-23, 28-31.
- Who were Abraham’s two wives? How did Marty them? How does the Bible describe them? Galatians 4: 21-24
- What is a covenant? Describe the two covenants mentioned here Galatians 4: 24-27.
- What does this story of Abraham two sons tells us about God’s own way of fulfilling his promises and human’s alternatives (efforts) to attempt in fulfilling God’s promises Galatians 4: 21-31
Committing
- Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
- List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
- Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
- Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
- Sin to confess
- Promise to claim
- Attitude to change
- Command to keep
- Error to change
- Prayer to make
- Example to copy
- Truth to obey and
- Something praiseworthy
Communicating
- Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
- Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
- Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.
Post Lesson Teaching Summary
Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!
The meaning of Two women, two covenants and two sons
Galatians 4: 21-31
Audio Summary
Galatians 4:21-31
Context
- Immaturity facilitates backsliding, as immature heirs are no different from slaves despite owning everything, under trustees and the law.
- Paul uses the allegory of Abraham’s two sons to illustrate two covenants: one from slavery (law) and one from freedom (promise).
- The allegory shows how false teachers, like Ishmael’s persecution of Isaac, persecute those born by the Spirit.
- Believers are children of the promise under the new covenant, born of the free woman, not the slave woman.
Two Covenants Allegory (Galatians 4:21-31)
- Question to Law Observers: Those desiring to be under the law should listen to what the law says about Abraham’s two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
- Sons’ Origins: The son by the slave woman was born naturally, while the son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
- Allegory of Covenants: These represent two covenants: one from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery (Hagar), corresponding to the present Jerusalem in slavery with her children; the other is the Jerusalem above, free, and mother of believers.
- Barren Woman’s Joy: As Isaiah prophesied, the barren woman rejoices with more children than the one with a husband, signifying the new covenant’s fruitfulness.
- Persecution Parallel: Just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, those born naturally persecute those born by the Spirit now.
- Scripture’s Command: Scripture commands to get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.
- Children of Promise: Believers are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman, born of the promise.
Application
- Get rid of enslaving powers by holding to the new covenant of grace and the promises of God, as children born of the promise.