Freedom of Faith

Galatians 4:21-5:1

Law and faith have two different ears.  They hear and perceive reality very differently.  And so they hear and perceive truth in stories very differently.

And we get a glimpse in today’s reading into the two different ways that Paul and the teachers heard the story of Ishmael and Isaac.

For the teachers the main point to take away from the story
was that Isaac, not Ishmael was the rightful heir,
Isaac was born of Sarah,
Isaac was the son promised of God.
And the teachers probably taught that the Galatians are like the descendants of Ishmael,
Ishmael was born of Hagar, Sarah’s slave,
Ishmael did not inherit the promise of Abraham.
But, the Galatian community can become part of that promise by becoming like Isaac in being circumcised, in following the law.  
This is how the teachers probably heard and communicated the story.  
And so the Galatians are being told that they can become right with God, 
they can make themselves acceptable, if only they will do x, y, and z.