In an attempt to free the Galatians from the terrible yoke of legalism, Paul appeals to their heads and their hearts.

Galatians 4:1-31

PICTURE

Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:

What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?

READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a great app, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)

Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.

Review and retell the story.

Themes

Topics

Hashtags:

#Hashtags
Topical Bible Search Tool
Kevin's Teaching Blog About Galatians *

Intro Questions to get us thinking:

OBSERVATIONS (Reflect on the topic and build the concept the writer is trying to communicate to the original audience)
Pericopes and links to deeper study

Chapter Outline:

SECTION OUTLINE FOUR (GALATIANS 4)

In an attempt to free the Galatians from the terrible yoke of legalism, Paul appeals to their heads and their hearts.

I. Paul’s “Head” Words (4:1–7, 21–31): He offers two illustrations.

A. A legal illustration (4:1–7)

1. The Roman father and his son (4:1–2)

a. The frustration (4:1): Until he comes of age, the son can enjoy very little of his father’s estate.

b. The freedom (4:2): Upon coming of age, the son can enjoy all of his father’s estate.

2. The redeemer’s Father and the Father’s children (4:3–7)

a. The frustration (4:3): While under the law, they enjoyed very little of the Father’s estate.

b. The freedom (4:4–7): Upon coming of age (effected by Christ’s death), they can enjoy all of their Father’s estate.

B. An Old Testament illustration (4:21–31): Paul uses the example of Hagar and Sarah, two Old Testament women, to allegorize the law of Moses and the grace of God.

1. Hagar (an allegory of the law) (4:21–22a, 23a, 24–25, 29a, 30–31a)

a. She was a slave (4:21–22a).

b. Her marriage to Abraham was fleshly directed (4:23a).

c. Her son, Ishmael, was naturally born (4:24).

d. Their son persecuted Abraham’s second son, Isaac (4:29a).

e. Her child was not considered Abraham’s rightful heir (4:30–31a).

f. She corresponds to earthly Jerusalem (4:25).

2. Sarah (an allegory of grace) (4:22b, 23b, 26–28, 29b, 31b)

a. She was a free woman (4:22b).

b. Her marriage to Abraham was spirit-directed (4:23b).

c. Her son, Isaac, was supernaturally born (4:27).

d. This son was persecuted by Ishmael (4:29b).

e. Her child was considered Abraham’s rightful heir (4:28).

f. Sarah represents the new covenant (4:27).

g. She corresponds to the heavenly Jerusalem (4:26).

II. Paul’s “Heart” Words (4:8–20)

A. The rebuke (4:8–11): Again, he faults them for their return to legalism.

B. The review (4:12–18)

1. Paul reminds them that they once were his friends (4:12–15).

2. Paul wants to know if they are now his foes (4:16–18).

C. The rebirth (4:19–20): Paul will again suffer the pains of childbirth until Christ is fully developed in them.

ebible (NLT) (Best for having Bible sections divided by "pericope" or sections by thought)
Bible Project (NLT) (Helpful videos and instructions for the bigger picture)
Thematic Bible (Books and Chapters Structure)
Bible Hub = Outline, Themes, Topics, People, Locations, and Questions
Phind
Perplexiy
Chatgpt
CoPilot
Aria
Gemini

STUDY RESOURCES (This takes some work, and here are more resources than you can go through completely)

Rhys N. Thomas @ Thomas Theology Hub has written on Galatians.
Going Deeper: Go to the "Pericope" for more specific study.

God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?

Link to More Questions

APPLICATION (God wants us all to arrive at action, life-changing faith)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation with some helpful resources.
Biblegateway (CSB, NLT, The Message, ERV, CEV) has some application resources.
Virtual Bible Study
Heartlight (Great for practical application of scripture)
Precept Austin Devotionals
Verse of the Day
Scripture Graphics
Bible.org search site
https://www.openbible.info

I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
What transformative move needs to be made?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

Take Away Challenges

What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?

PRAYER: In the Name of Jesus.