Two women

Joseph Marie Vien:
Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham

Based on the Galatians 4 you can read here an overview +teaching about the old and new status of the believers. According to the apostolic teaching the old, child like status describes Israel and the new status refers to the adoption we have got in Christ.
Meanwhile, the symbolic image of the two women, the two mothers (Abraham's concubine and his wife), gives a detailed picture of the complex spiritual family relationship between the Jewish and the Christian believer.
We will use the ESV Bible.

Pre

When the apostle Paul speaks of the life of Abraham and about the Law, we need to see two states. One is a blessing: based on the voluntary mercy and grace of God, the other is a system: which God has prepared for the deliverance of His people and the building up of the Jewish nation.
We can see that the promise, Abraham's blessing came 430 years before the giving of the Law. Moreover we will see that the Law is not a consequence of Abraham's blessing, because it has a different purpose:
In Gal 3 we read:

the Law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. (..the inheritance was given to) Abraham by a promise.
Gal. 3:17-18

Overview: the two eras

 The beginning: our spiritual childhood

the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave^a, though he is the owner of everything^b, but he is under guardians and managers^c until the date set by his father. (↓v.4) ... when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
Gal 4:1-3

Note:
a bondservant 'doulos' - He/she was linked to the household but not an owner
b The next generation already has everything from the heavenly perspective. (Isa 1:19; 1Cor 3:21-22) The old generation has a time frame and the new generation has a new one.
c Gal 3:24 says : "the Law was our guardian (paidagogos: kids teacher) until Christ came". Keywords: under-age and temporary status VS matured age and infinite {heavenly} status

 The fullness of Time: spiritual maturity

when the fullness of time had come^a, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under^b the law, so that we might receive adoption^c as sons... you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
v. 4-5

Note:
a According to the apostolic teaching the Kingdom of God has been brought to the world. Jesus said: the "Kingdom has arrived" (Luke 10:9)
b under: Paul refers to a bonded status, he uses heavy associations in Gal 3:13 and teaches the new, saved status!
c adopted: the person previously had no full status in the Family. He/she got the status by sheer goodwill or grace / mercy.
d heir: it's not simply a "full membership" but full wealth, resources, and responsibilities according to the Family's rank.

{you} were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God^a, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world.. You observe days and months and seasons and years!^b
v. 8-9

Note:
a "knowing" is a term for intimacy in Hebrew has almost nothing to do with intellect. "Adam knew Eve and she gave birth" (Gen 4:1) or “{Joseph} knew her not until she had given birth to a son”. (Mt 1:25) - where the Catholic belief system ends..
Intimate relationship and fruitfulness has substantial attachment. Fruitfulness is the part of the blessing. Jesus prays for that before the LORD: "that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and You in me, that they may become perfectly one" (in Jn 17:22-23), Jesus knows that intimate relationship brings fruits in our lives.
b This is a direct reference to the festivals by the Jewish "lunisolar" calendar where we have twelve "months /moons" (alternating 30 or 29 days), and an extra month (Adar II) added in Leap Years. Paul was a highly educated scolar of the Jewish religion, Jewish religious seasonal festivals and their religious engagements/ commitments, according to the Law. Then he recognized Christ and the new, adopted status that came with Him, in Him. He is far above the Law.

The 2 eras, based on Abraham's 2 wives - the 2 women

you who desire to be under the Law, do you not listen to the Law?^a For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman^b and one by a free woman^c.
But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
Gal 4:21-23

Note:
a The Law - here we can read it in the broader sense of the Jewish language/usage - "the Law and the Prophets". Just see how Jesus uses the term in Luke 16:16; 16:29; 16:31
b Sarah's carnal "solution" through Hagar the concubine → in Gen. 16:2
c Sarah's promised son from Gd → in Gen 17:16-19; 18:10; 21:1-2

The core teaching on the 2 women

Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai^a, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.... corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother^b.
v. 24-25

Note:
a Sinai is the mountain where Moses got the 10 Commandments (Exod 20:1-17)
b Obviously the 2 systems are existing together: "present Jerusalem" VS "Jerusalem above" - it is a conflict even today and often: confrontation, as Jesus predicted (Mt 10:16-18), as we can see in the life of the apostles (Act 14:5 and Act 14:19; 2Cor 11:25; 2Tim 3:10-12) and the lives of the believers. As a reminder: We have no fight against flesh and blood but against the spirits (Eph 6:12-13)

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise^a. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.^b But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit^c with the son of the free woman.”

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.^d
v. 28-30-5:1

Note:
a Paul emphasises this several times in other places: → Rom 9:8
b The coexistence brings conflicts: see the notes for v.25
c It is crucial not to confuse the two systems and mindsets; not to collaborate with the slave system / mindset. It has consequences!
d Stand firm! Freedom VS Slavery!

Summary - far above the Law

Despite the strong apostolic warning it's a common mistake (religious bias, disobedience?) confusing Abraham's covenant and the Jewish law or culture.
Abraham is not a Jewish person. He is an aramaic chief: the head of his tribe. He is our forefather by the faith. His actions mark out for us the way of the believer. His promised son Isaac came by faith, later, his grandson Jacob (Israel) arrived in the family. In the 3rd generation we can see the story of Israel when the Gd Almighty established and led a whole nation by the Law. But Abraham's original covenant refers directly to Christ. A highest, longest (everlasting) covenant compared to which the Law is just a period of time. As Christians we need to understand the bigger, greater messianic perspective and within that the two covenants of minority and majority. {Here the whole chapter of Heb 7 helps us to approach it even better. For the details, I would like to highly recommend the corresponding articles below.}


- Two eras
- Jesus is better
- The "end" of the Law
- Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament Law?
- Two persons

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HU