In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul gave an interpretation of the story from the Old Testament about Abraham and the two sons he had, one to Hagar the slave woman, and the other to Sarah his wife. The false teachers in Galatia were perhaps using this story to try to force non-Jewish believers to become Jews. However, Paul showed how the story itself supports his main thesis that both Jews and non-Jews may receive God’s promised blessing through faith, not through law-keeping.
The ideal king’s marriage to the ideal bride not only teaches us about marriage but also about the relationship between God and his people.
The conclusion to the first half of Ephesians is a prayer for believers to have strength to know Christ’s love.
To those who try to impose their own rules on all Christians we should just say “No!”
