BEMA Episode Link: 147: Galatians — Two Women, Two Covenants
Episode Length: 25:41
Published Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 01:00:00 -0800
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about the importance of covenants and how they are relevant to different audiences.

Galatians — Two Women, Two Covenants Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 147

The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter

Transcript for BEMA 147

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 147: Galatians — Two Women, Two Covenants

Title & Source Summary

This episode continues the BEMA Podcast’s journey through Paul’s letter to the Galatians, focusing on the completion of chapter 4. Hosts Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore Paul’s allegorical teaching about Abraham’s two wives (Hagar and Sarah) to illustrate the difference between covenant relationships based on law versus faith. The episode emphasizes Paul’s revolutionary argument that Gentiles can become children of Abraham through faith rather than circumcision and legal observance.

Key Takeaways

  • Paul uses the allegory of Abraham’s two wives (Hagar the slave woman and Sarah the free woman) to contrast two covenant approaches: law-based slavery versus promise-based freedom

  • The circumcision party (Shammai Jews) represents the Hagar covenant - born into slavery under the law, while faith-based believers represent the Sarah covenant - born into freedom through God’s promises

  • Paul’s argument is revolutionary because he claims Gentiles can become “b’nai Abraham” (children of Abraham) through faith, not just “Ben Noach” (sons of Noah)

  • The Gospel has always been inclusive since Abraham - God’s story is about bringing all nations back to the table, not creating exclusive spiritual checkpoints

  • Paul calls God-fearing Gentiles “brothers” and “children of promise,” demonstrating their full inclusion in God’s family without requiring conversion to Judaism

  • Zeal itself is not wrong - God called zealots as disciples - but zeal must be directed toward God’s inclusive purposes rather than exclusionary practices

Main Concepts & Theories

The Allegory of Two Women, Two Covenants

Paul constructs a rabbinical allegory using Abraham’s two wives to represent different covenant relationships:

  • Hagar (slave woman): Represents Mount Sinai covenant, present Jerusalem, and those born into slavery under the law
  • Sarah (free woman): Represents the Jerusalem above, covenant of promise, and those born into freedom through faith

This allegory demonstrates that those seeking justification through law-keeping are actually choosing slavery over freedom, contrary to their intentions.

Covenant Hierarchy and Relationships

The episode explains how biblical covenants layer upon each other:

  • Noahic Covenant: Universal covenant with all creation
  • Abrahamic Covenant: Specific covenant with Abraham’s descendants, based on faith and promise
  • Sinai/Mosaic Covenant: Covenant specifically with the descendants of Jacob who stood at Mount Sinai

Paul’s revolutionary claim is that Gentiles can enter the Abrahamic covenant through faith, bypassing the need for the Sinai covenant (circumcision and law observance).

Inclusivity vs. Exclusivity in the Gospel

Paul argues that the Gospel’s true nature is inclusive, not exclusive. This doesn’t mean universalism or that truth is relative, but rather that:

  • God has always intended to bless all nations through Abraham
  • Faith, not ethnic identity or law-keeping, is the pathway to justification
  • The Gospel creates spiritual checkpoints that we wrongly impose, similar to the circumcision party’s requirements
  • True children of Abraham are those who demonstrate faith, regardless of their ethnic background
The Purpose and Limitations of the Law

Paul continues his argument that the law serves as a “pedagogue” (teacher/guardian) within God’s larger story:

  • The law was given 430 years after the promise to Abraham
  • The law’s purpose was temporary and preparatory, not ultimate
  • The story of God is fundamentally about promises, not legal observance
  • Circumcision cannot be the marker of Abraham’s covenant because Abraham was justified before he was circumcised

Examples & Applications

Historical Context Applications

  • God-fearing Gentiles in Galatia: Paul addresses those who attended synagogue but weren’t full converts to Judaism, showing how they were being pressured to undergo circumcision by the circumcision party

  • Paul’s Personal Experience: Paul references his illness that led to his extended ministry in Galatia, demonstrating how the Galatians initially showed Abraham-like hospitality but had since changed their attitude

  • Synagogue Practices: The episode mentions how even today, a Gentile can attend synagogue services and identify as “Ben Noach” (son of Noah) but would not be welcomed claiming to be a child of Abraham

Contemporary Applications

  • Modern Spiritual Checkpoints: We often create requirements for Gospel access similar to the circumcision party - using our understanding of morality or doctrine to create insider/outsider groups

  • Denominational Exclusivity: Churches sometimes adopt a “we are in and you are out” mentality that mirrors the circumcision party’s approach rather than Paul’s inclusive Gospel

  • Cultural Conversion Requirements: Imposing cultural or traditional requirements on new believers parallels the pressure for Gentiles to become Jewish before becoming Christian

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Theological Questions
  • How do we balance Gospel inclusivity with biblical standards of truth and morality?
  • What are the implications of Paul’s covenant theology for modern Jewish-Christian relations?
  • How does the temporary nature of the law’s pedagogical role affect our understanding of Old Testament ethics today?
Historical and Cultural Studies
  • Deeper study of first-century Judaism’s various schools of thought (Hillel vs. Shammai traditions)
  • Investigation of God-fearer (theosebos) communities in the Roman Empire
  • Analysis of rabbinical allegorical interpretation methods used by Paul
Biblical Studies
  • Comparative study of covenant structures throughout Scripture
  • Examination of Paul’s use of Genesis 15-17 throughout his letters
  • Study of the “Jerusalem above” concept in relation to Revelation’s New Jerusalem
Practical Ministry Applications
  • How churches can avoid creating modern “circumcision parties”
  • Methods for maintaining biblical truth while practicing Gospel inclusivity
  • Strategies for welcoming people from different cultural backgrounds without requiring cultural conversion

Comprehension Questions

  1. Analysis Question: How does Paul’s allegory of Hagar and Sarah challenge the circumcision party’s understanding of their own spiritual status? What makes this argument particularly powerful from a rabbinical perspective?

  2. Application Question: Paul argues that the Gospel is inclusive by nature, not exclusive. How can modern Christians distinguish between this biblical inclusivity and relativistic universalism? What are the key differences?

  3. Historical Context: Explain the significance of Paul calling God-fearing Gentiles “brothers” and “children of promise.” How would this have been received by both Jewish and Gentile audiences in the first century?

  4. Theological Integration: How does Paul’s covenant hierarchy (Noahic, Abrahamic, Sinai) support his argument that Gentiles can become children of Abraham without converting to Judaism? What role does timing play in this argument?

  5. Personal Reflection: Paul warns against creating “spiritual checkpoints” that prevent people from accessing the Gospel. What modern examples of such checkpoints exist in contemporary Christian communities, and how might Paul’s teaching address them?

Brief Personalized Summary

Paul’s masterful use of the Hagar-Sarah allegory reveals the heart of the Gospel controversy: whether God’s family is defined by legal compliance or faithful trust in His promises. By demonstrating that Abraham’s true children are those who share his faith rather than his ethnic lineage, Paul revolutionizes our understanding of spiritual belonging. The episode challenges us to examine whether our own religious communities reflect God’s inclusive heart or mirror the exclusionary practices of the circumcision party. Paul’s frustration with the Galatians mirrors God’s heart for all nations - a reminder that the Gospel’s power lies not in who it excludes, but in how broadly it extends God’s gracious invitation to become children of promise through faith.

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