Unlocking the Scripture_Interpretation Assignment
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1 Name: Kion Bolden Date: November 11, 2019 Section: BIBL 360 – D02 Interpretation Assignment Galatians 4:21-31 Interpretation Assignment Question Chapter Eight Question Instructions:
In this exercise, you will be going back to your work in chapter 6 to apply the principles of interpretation (What does it mean?) to some of the observations and questions you raised about Galatians 4:21-31. Your assignment is come up with interpretive questions that allow you to explore each category: Who, What, When, Where. Using these questions, you will study through the steps of content, context, comparison, and consultation to arrive at conclusions regarding Galatians 4:21-31. Lastly, you will seek to answer the final question: Why? We must deal with the question of “why” somewhat differently than the questions of “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where.” When we ask “why” we must draw conclusions about the meaning of the passage, based on our study up to this point. Answer the following questions about Galatians 4:21-31 based on your findings and additional research. Please note three items: First, in the Comparison sections you will need to demonstrate how other Scriptures support your interpretive conclusions. Second, in the Consultation sections you should use other scholarly resources in order to present support for your interpretive conclusions. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
, Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook
, Holman Concise Bible Commentary
and the HCSB Study Bible
notes are included in your course textbooks and myWSB library for this very reason. Third, material that can be found for free on the internet is typically neither scholarly nor academic and should not be used for support. Thus, websites like Wikipedia, GotQuestions.org, etc. should not be used for supporting your interpretive conclusions. A. Who? (The Characters) Description: Find out all you can about the author and the recipients, including their identities and situations. If specific people or groups are mentioned, now is the time to learn more about them. There are two characters central the letter; the author and the audience. There are also other characters listed in this passage that you will need to identify. You are not composing a detailed biography of their lives. You simply want to note what Galatians 4:21-31 says about them and how that fits with other Scriptural passages. Your “Who” section should have at least 5 “Who” questions
2 Question: Who is the author of this letter? Initial proposal based on content: The Apostle Paul Context: Paul opens his letter to the church in Galatia by introducing himself saying, “Paul, an apostle—
sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Galatians 1:1 NIV)” Moreover, he refers to himself saying, “Mark my words! I, Paul” as he makes a vow to the Galatians in regards circumcision (5:2 NIV). Comparison: Paul makes it very clear that he is not commissioned by man in Galatians 1:1, but has been sent and appointed as an apostle by Jesus Christ and God the Father. Likewise, in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians he acquaints himself as a, “servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle”. Thus, Paul is eager to defend for his position as an apostle because it is what he has been chosen to. Consultation: For this information, I consulted with the book of Galatians and Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Conclusion: Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ wrote this letter Question: Who was Paul writing to? Initial proposal based on content: Paul wrote this letter to the church of Galatia. Context: The Apostle Paul addressed this letter to the church of Galatia in Galatians 1:2. He writes to reaffirm the gospel message and to address the belief that non-Jewish Christians should follow the laws of Torah. After Paul’s departure from the Galatian churches, “troublemakers had come there proclaiming a different version of the gospel (1:6-9; 5:7-12).”
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Thus, Paul wrote in anger
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to address the churches abandonment of the Gospel he had taught during his establishment of the Galatian churches and their “turning to a different gospel. (Galatians 1:6 ESV)” Comparison: Paul’s usage of “brothers,” in his greeting coincides with his letter to Philemon. This letter he wrote to stress the significance of seeing fellow believers as our brothers and sisters. He taught that this practice had to the potential to increase the willingness to forgive when needed. Consultation: For this information, I consulted with the book of Galatians, Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook and Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 1
(2014). (p. 385). Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 2
Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
3 Conclusion: Paul is speaking to his brothers and sisters in Christ that belong to the Galatian Church, whom or what individual church he specifically he penned the letter around does not offer any greater insight to the overall message. Question: Who does Paul reference in his allegory to convey his principle? Initial proposal based on content: Paul employs the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. Context: Paul employs allegory illustration to address those of the Galatians culture who desired to be subject to the law. He uses both scriptural and traditional narrative detail of Abraham and Sarah’s disobedience and impatience that yielded Ishmael and then their promise fulfilled birth of Isaac. He uses symbolic theological reflection related to the distinction of flesh and Spirit that runs through Galatians. Accordingly, Ishmael, as the son of the slave woman, is born "according to the flesh," while Isaac, the son of the free woman, is born "through the promise" (4:23). Thus, Paul was teaching that “believers too are children of the promise and should not depend on the flesh. To be circumcised was to depend on the flesh. They must trust the promise of God in Christ.”
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Comparison: Paul reference God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis in order to illustrate the abolishment of the law. Sarah and Hagar represented two covenants. Hagar symbolized the covenant enacted on Mt Sinai, while Sarah symbolized the covenant of promise which God made to Abraham and brought to fulfillment in Christ. Consultation: For this information, I consulted Genesis 16-21 and Galatians 4. Conclusion: Paul employs allegory illustration as Jesus did in an effort to convey the Gospel and biblical principles in the most profound yet simplistic way. All who chose to believe are justified and are recipients of the new covenant established by Jesus. Question: Who was Paul speaking about? Initial proposal based on content: Paul is adamant about his teaching on Jesus and the justification for the sinner. Context: In his account of Galatians, “Paul forcefully presented his position that justification comes by the grace of God, by faith alone in Christ alone.”
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Thus, he tells the church “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 ESV)” Paul write to the church to urge 3
IBID 4
Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
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4 them to divorce themselves from the Law of Moses because salvation was through the acceptance of Jesus and justification they were presented “guiltless before God.”
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Comparison: Previously, Paul wrote to the Church of Rome teaching the same principle of separation from the Law. Thus he taught, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets. (Romans 3:21 NASV)” Consultation: For this information, I consulted Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and the book of Romans. Conclusion: In light of the work that Jesus has completed, believers are found righteous before God and their sins justified through our faith. Question: Who was speaking against Paul’s teachings? Initial proposal based on content: The false teachers were referred to as “Judaizers.”
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Context: “Judaizers” were likely those Jewish Christians or Pharisees according to Acts 15, who, with sought to alter Paul’s gospel by requiring that the basics of the Law be followed. These being both circumcision and food laws. Moreover, Jewett suggests that the Jewish opponents of Paul in Galatia were from the rising Zealot movement of Palestine.
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Comparison: Paul and Barnabas debated and disputed with the people of Judea who visited Antioch in regards to their false teaching that suggested “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. (Acts 15:1 NIV)” As a result the church commissioned the two to go to Jerusalem and speaking with the church leaders. Consultation: For this information, I consulted Robert Jewett’s, “The Agitators and the Galatian Congregation,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and the book of Acts. Conclusion: Paul makes it clear in his letters that the Old Covenant is to be done away with, that it can do no good for us under the mediation of Christ Jesus. B. What? (The Key Truths or Events) Description: This is the time to investigate important words and ideas in the passage. What is the tone of the passage - joy, sorrow, disappointment, delight? If it is an action passage, what do the 5
IBID 6
IBID 7
Robert Jewett, “The Agitators and the Galatian Congregation.” NTS 17 (1971) 198–212. See also Howard, G. Paul: Crisis in Galatia, 1–19.
5 main actions represent? What are the key truths, events, or relationships mentioned in Galatians 4:21-31? Explore these first as they appear in this passage and then throughout Scripture. You should identify at least five “what” questions. Question: What is the tone of the passage? Initial proposal based on content: Considering his exclusion of his “usual expression of praise after the salutation,”
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Paul wrote with a level of sternness in his letter to the Galatians. Context: Paul’s implication to the churches ignorance to the law provoked his seemingly harsh inquisition. His anger stemmed from the Galatian church’s attempt to follow the teachings of Christ and maintain their allegiance to the Jewish Law. Thus, Paul “reacted violently against the Judaizers by penning this letter (5:12)”
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Comparison: Peter addresses the council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 and argues against the restriction being inflicted on converted Gentiles to be circumcised. He contends that they are upholding a tradition that those before them had controversy with. Thus, salvation through Jesus is accessible faith in Jesus and His grace. Consultation: For this information, I consulted Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Conclusion: Paul affirms shamelessly that there is only one Gospel, his Gospel. The others are wrong, with the result that a person cannot be right with God apart from Paul’s gospel. “Justification is by faith in Christ and the works of the law must not be added. Faith is living one’s life in constant Question: What is the key truth Paul is presenting to the Galatians? Initial proposal based on content: The key truth of this particular passage is that those who belong to Christ are children of Abraham through the promise and not through the law. Context: Paul concludes his argument against the Law of Moses “by appealing to the birth of Abraham’s sons. Isaac was the son through whom the promise came. Ishmael’s birth was natural or “of the flesh.” Isaac, born to Sarah late in life, was born according to the promise of God.”
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Thus, Paul conveys that believers should not depend on the flesh or outside regulations to constrict their lives, but to live in the freedom that the promises of God provides for us. Through his allegory, 8
Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 9
(2014). (p. 386). Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 10
Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
6 Paul “showed that everyday Christian living is based on freedom from the law in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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Comparison: The birth of Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s word to Abraham and Sarah, which is likened to the birth of Jesus who birth was prophesied. The Prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Christ saying, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)” This was later fulfilled in the Gospels Mathew 1:22-23 and Luke 1:31-35. While Isaac was not born of the spirit, his birth was miraculously enabled by the spirit. While Jesus was born to fulfill the law and grant the promise, Isaac was born of the promise. Consultation: For this information, I consulted Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Conclusion: Paul’s purpose behind the allegory was to emphasize the bondage that the law inflicted on the people of God. Thus, Jesus’ redemptive mission dispensed freedom for all who would believe. “Reliance on the law placed one under the curse of the law (3:10-14). The purpose of Christ’s work was to free (redeem) from the curse.”
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Question: What was the root of Paul’s frustration with the church of Galatia? Initial proposal based on content: Paul’s frustration towards the Galatians stemmed from their Context: Paul had come into Galatia and established churches where he preached the Gospel and taught the fundaments of Christianity. After he left, “troublemakers had come there proclaiming a different version of the gospel” as they argued the necessity for circumcision and subjection to the Law of Moses in order to be saved. Thus, Paul wrote to reiterate “that turning from this gospel equates with deserting God and deserving "accursed" status (1:6-9), while faith in Christ is the only grounds for justification in God's eyes and for eternal hope (2:16; 5:5).”
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Comparison: Paul’s frustration with the church of Galatia mirrors his aggression with the group of naysayers from Judea who came into Antioch preaching “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved. (Acts 15:1 NLT)” Thus, the bible lets us know that “Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. (Acts 15:2 NLT)” Paul was so angry with the message being preached that apposed the gospel that ventured to Jerusalem to address the council. 11
(2014). (p. 386). Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 12
IBID 13
David S. Dockery (2013). Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
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7 Consultation: To obtain the information provided, I consulted with Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook, Holman Concise Bible Commentary and the book of Acts. Conclusion: Paul was shocked that so soon after his ministry in Galatia, the church was still susceptible to the false teaching. Thus, in his letter he “presented a strong historical foundation for his message.”
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As a result, “he twice pronounced a curse ("anathema") on any being, including an angel, distorting the gospel among his readers.”
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Question: What do these two women allegorically represent? Initial proposal based on content: The bondwoman and her son were cast out foreshadowing the abolition of the Mosaic Law. The free woman and her son were accepted, foreshadowing the acceptance of Jesus and his sacrifice as the basis for a new covenant of promise. Context: To illustrate his premise to the Galatian churches, Paul employs an allegory from the true story about the births of Abraham’s two sons Ishmael and Isaac. “Paul paralleled Ishmael, the 572 child of a slave, to the covenant of the law made at Mount Sinai and the current spiritual slavery of Jewish legalism. He presented Isaac, the child of free Sarah, in line with the promise to Abraham and the New Jerusalem, the Jewish future hope.”
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Comparison: As Paul cleverly referenced the story of Abraham and his two son’s to convey a biblical principle, so does Jesus use the relationship of people and decisions to explicate kingdom precepts. Consider his allegory of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, where the younger son symbolizes the average person who embodies immorality and selfishness. The wealthy father represents God, and the son’s harsh life of hedonism and, later, poverty represents the hollowness of the ungodly lifestyle. The son’s return home in a humble and sorrowful manner is an illustration of repentance on his part and the response of the father is indicative of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Consultation: For this information, I consulted Holman Concise Bible Commentary and the book of Luke. Conclusion: When Paul says, “These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants,” he is setting up Sarah as the new covenant in Christ, and Hagar as the old covenant of the Law. As a result, their sons are compared to the fruits of each covenant. Ishmael as the son of a slave, is a slave to the covenant of the Law. Isaac (v.28), however, is a child of promise, of the covenant of Christ and has the promise of grace upon him. 14
David S. Dockery (2013). Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 15
IBID 16
IBID
8 Question: What is Paul’s conclusion in this allegory? Initial proposal based on content: Paul concludes his allegory by acknowledging the impending persecution of the church by those who fall subject to the law, but he ensures the limited life of this persecution. Context: Paul closes his allegoric reference by declaring to his readers that they like Isaac are children of promise. Moreover, he warns them about the evitable torment that those who choose the way of the promise will endure. However, he guarantees them that it “will not last because those in spiritual slavery will be banished by the "father." Paul intended to leave little doubt that the doom of the false teachers and their message is certain before the Lord.”
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Comparison: Sarah’s response to Abraham as it relates to Hagar and her illegitimate son born of the flesh in Genesis 21is indicative of Paul’s handling of the law. She told him, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac. (Genesis 21:10 NIV)” Thus, he exclaims to the church that “we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:31 NIV)” Consultation: For this information, I consulted with Holman Concise Bible Commentary and the book of Genesis. Conclusion: With God’s affirmation, obliged his wife by casting out Hagar and her son (Genesis 21:9-14). This symbolized the abolition of the Law of Moses, so that the promise might be established through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:6-7, Hebrews 10:9, Colossians 2:14). Thus, we are not bound by the covenant Moses presented at Mount Sinai but have been given liberation by the promise in Jesus Christ. C. Where? (The Geography and location) Description: Where are the author and readers at the time of the writing? Are there places in the passage that need to be identified in geographic placement? Can anything be learned from the location of the events? Explore these places as they appear in this passage before considering their significance outside of Galatians 4:21-31. You should identify at least two “where” question. Question: Where was Paul when he wrote to the Galatians? Initial proposal based on content: It is probable that Paul wrote his letter to the churches of Galatia from Antioch in Syria. 17
David S. Dockery (2013). Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
9 Context: It is evident that Paul is not with the Galatians at the time he was writing his letter to them (Galatians 1:1). He is writing this letter as a form of reprimanding the church for their abandonment of all the teachings he had done. He “probably composed from Antioch of Syria, his "home base,"
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sometime before the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:1–31). Comparison: In 2 Corinthians 13:1-2 Paul is planning his third visit to the church at Corinth. Consultation: For the information uses in this section, I consulted with Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook and Paul’s second account of Corinthians. Conclusion: Paul’s letter to the Galatians is one of his earlier letters prior to his correspondence with the Romans. It was “written between his first and second missionary journeys.”
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Question: From where did the first covenant proceed? Initial proposal based on content: The first covenant Paul references, the covenant of the law has progressed from Mount Sinai. Context: Mount Sinai is a “Mountain in the south central part of a peninsula in the northwestern end of Arabia”
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where “God manifested Himself to Moses.”
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Thus, Paul employed this location to distinguish between the two sons (covenants). He assigns one to the law and the other to the promise. This the law he is speaking of is “the law made at Mount Sinai.”
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Comparison: In Exodus 31:18, after Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt he led them to Mount Sinai where the law was presented. Consultation: To obtain the information provided, I consulted with Holman Concise Bible Commentary, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary and the book of Exodus. Conclusion: The place of Mount Sinai is referenced as it is the initial birth of the Law of Moses. Thus, Hagar symbolized the covenant God gave through Moses and the physical and spiritual enslavement suffered under that law. 18
(2014). (p. 386). Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 19
IBID 20
Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 21
IBID 22
David S. Dockery (2013). Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com
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10 D. When? (The Time Factors) Description: Determine if there is anything critical related to the element of time in this passage. Does the message depend at all on certain aspects of the era in the church’s history in which it was written? Are there lesson to be learned based on the timing of the events? How is this presented first in Galatians 4:21-31 and then throughout the Scriptures. You should identify at least one “when” question. Question: When did Paul pen this letter to the churches of Galatia? Initial proposal based on content: Paul’s letter to the Galatians was possibly written in a.d. 48-
49.
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Context: The actual date of Paul’s letter is inconclusive due to the fact that scholars still have not confirmed to which part of Galatian’s he was writing. Dockery adds, “By the New Testament era, however, the Roman province of Galatia included territory well to the south of the original Galatian kingdom. It is difficult to determine in which of these areas "the churches of Galatia" (1:2) were located.”
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Comparison: If the Northern Galatians were his target audience then “the only possible occasions when he could have been that far north are found in Acts 16:6 and 18:23.”
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If it were the South Galatian, then the letter would have been written before Acts 15, and therefore be the earliest of Paul’s letters. Given the apparent correspondence between Acts 15 and Galatians 2. Consequently, “the apostle's subject and purpose in writing Galatians fit well in the situation prior to the Jerusalem Council's addressing the issues surrounding the gospel.”
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Consultation: To obtain the information provided, I consulted with Holman Concise Bible Commentary and the book of Acts. Conclusion: “Galatians is the earliest of Paul's epistles.”
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David S. Dockery (2013). Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com 24
IBID 25
IBID 26
IBID 27
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11 E. Why? (The purpose of this passage) Description: The purpose question is two-sided: there is the need that caused the revelation to be given, and there is the author’s message that addressed that need. Here you are drawing conclusion based on all that you have studied. Examine your work in observation and this interpretation exercise; what do you believe is the need of the Galatian believers and then what is Paul’s message and how does it address that need? The Need:
The church of Galatia needed to be reaffirmed of the freedom that comes with the abolishment of the law and acceptance of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Message:
Paul’s message is the slavery of the law that placed human restrictions on a spiritual precept. His message in this passage directly calls the Galatians to revisit their understanding of the law and compare it to the liberty that Jesus Christ gifted those who chose to believe in Him, His death, His resurrection and the workings of the Holy Spirit.