OUR FATHER WHO ALLOCATED FREEDOM TO US WHO BELIEVE

The book of Galatians chapter 5 (NIV) says this:

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

The Apostle Paul tells us that it is for freedom that we are released from captivity and as such, we must guard against the possibility of being re-captured and placed under a yoke of the slavery of the law.

Paul strongly puts to the Galatians that if any of them undertook to attain righteousness by fulfilling one law, that person would be obligated to fulfill the entirety of the law and the work of Christ would then be of no value to them for they would have taken the tack of gaining righteousness by works in the flesh rather than gaining righteouness by faith in Christ Jesus. Paul labeled this abandonment of faith in Christ to grapple for righteousness by works, a "fall from grace".

It is through the Spirit that we hope for righteousness by having faith in the efficacy of the work that the Lord Jesus did for us by dying on our behalf on the cross. As such, the only thing that is measured regarding righteousness is faith and how it expresses itself through love in the life of the believer.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

The Galatians surprised Paul because from his point of view, they had started their christian walk well but in the interim period, some influencers were able to capture their ear and pursuade them to engage in faithless practices. Paul tells us that being able to be pursuaded into leaving the faith of the gospel of Christ cannot have come from Christ who was the one who had called them.

Using the metaphor of a small amount of yeast in a lump of dough, Paul writes to them that there must have been a small incursion of the false doctrine at first but then it ultimately propagated through the whole assembly of the believers at Galatia the way yeast propagates throughout the lump of dough. 

Nonetheless, Paul was sure that the Galatians would return to the truth and the ones who were bringing in the confusion of doctrine would be penalized for their infiltration.

By way of argument, Paul demonstrates to the Galatians that his persecution was proof of fact that  the truth he brought to them was contrary to the law. If Paul was indeed teaching the law, he would have been welcomed by the established religious authorities but instead, they persecuted him because he was teaching that righteousness could only be gained by faith. Paul insisted in his argument that if it was appropriate to teach that righteousness could be obtained by the law, that meant that the cross of Christ (which was the central offence against the administrators of the law), was obsolete. 

Paul then comments strongly about those who were attempting to pursuade the Galatians to undergo circumcision to gain righteousness. He writes that he wished that those promoting circumsion would castrate themselves instead of merely following the prescription of the law.

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

The apostle Paul, addressing the believers in Galatia as his brothers and sisters, tells them that they were called into faith to be free but he reminds them not to use their freedom to give leeway for their fleshly nature to express itself but rather to use their freedom to humbly be of service to one another because what replaced the law of Moses was the law of love which is is a direct expression of God because the scripture elsewhere ( 1 John chapter 4 v. 8 ) says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Paul warns the Galatians that if, instead of love, they participate in infighting and exploitation, they would be on a path of being destroyed by each other.

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Paul now pin-points the singular way that they can avoid seeking after the gratifications of the flesh and that is to walk by the Spirit. The Spirit and the flesh are diametrically opposed to one another and as such, following the Spirit of God constrains us in what is allowable to do and by following the Spirit, we are not under the law but under the coverage of the Spirit and heeding to the law of love.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Paul lists the symptoms of both walking by the Spirit and walking in the flesh:

          FLESH                                    SPIRIT

•  Sexual Immorality                    Love
•  Impurity & Debauchery            Joy
•  Idolatry & witchcraft                 Peace
•  Hatred                                     Forbearance
•  Discord                                    Kindness
•  Envy                                        Goodness
•  Temper trantrums                    Faithfulness
•  Selfish ambition                       Gentleness
•  Dissensions                             Self-control
•  Factions
•  Drunkeness
•  Orgy attendance
•  Conceit 

Paul explains that there are no laws against the practice of walking by the Spirit but the practices of the flesh can result in being excluded from the inheritance of the kingdom of God.          

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS US

Having examined the book of Hebrews, which is a distilate and summary of the redemption story from its old testament roots, we now look into chapter 4 of the  book of Galatians which is known to have been written by Paul and whose content is structured very similarly to the content in the book of Hebrews in the sense that a complex theological matter is being exposited and references are being drawn from the old testament.

In this case, the apostle Paul is addressing the question of the adoption of the believer from orphanhood to sonship.

Paul asserts that an immature believer is like a child in his father´s house who is a ward of the servants who care from him. As a son, he is the heir to all things but until the time of his maturity, he is under the rulership of guardians until the point that his father deems him to be grown enough to be entrusted with the authority of the household.

Through the life of Jesus on earth as a man who suffered and died for us, fallen men were redeemed so that they would be able to move from infancy under the law of external governance to the status of sons who are able to receive the Spirit of God's son in our hearts where we call on the Father as ¨ABBA, Father¨ or as ¨Papa¨ in the same way that a son would call his father.

As a son of God having been taken out of slavery, we are made heirs with Christ.

1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

The Apostle Paul, having explained how privileged we are to have been taken from abject slavery and lifted into the realm of God as sons, is flabberghasted that the Galatians would gravitate back to the same old feeble forces of legal works such as keeping special days and seasons as a means of attaining righteousness.

This retrogression by the Galatians was so contrary to the message of the gospel that Paul became highly concerned for them and feared that all the efforts of bringing them along in the exploration of the incredible gift of salvation had added up to nothing. Paul adjures them for reaching the state of knowing God and thus escaping the bonds slavery and then suddenly, being ensnared by the systems of enslavement and reverting to the practices of enslavement. 

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

The Apostle Paul reminds the Galatians how graciously they accepted him and the hospitality they showed him when he was sick. Even in illness, they respected him and treated him with honor. Paul commented on the fact that their honor for him seemed to have dried up and he wondered if perhaps it was because he was telling them the truth that they were not willing to hear.

Paul brings up the emergence of a group of influencers who had come into their circles and were leading them away from the original teaching of the gospel that Paul had brought to them. As a result of the drifting away of the Galatians into the orbits of the influencers who wished to harness them for their own causes, Paul describes his experience of going into labour pains again as if to give birth to them into a state of maturity that comes from having Christ formed in them.

12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! 

Paul, perplexed by the Galatians reversion to the law, begins an excavation of the history of the patriarchs because he percieves that even though they seem to want to revert to the strictures of the law, they may not be aware of what the law actually says.

 21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

The Aposle Paul brings out two figures from the scriptures: One was Hagar who was a slave woman in Abraham's household and the other was Sarah, Abraham's wife who was a free woman.

Hagar bore a son of the flesh when Abraham and Sarah felt that the promise that God made to them that He was going to give them a son was lingering too long and engaged the slave woman to carry a child ( Ishmael ) for them.

Sarah, on the other hand, late in her life, conceive a son in faith and this was the son ( Isaac ) that God had promised them. 

Paul explains that, figuratively,  Ishmael represents Mount Sinai which is from where the law was dispensed and this corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem which is from where the law was administrated over the civilization it governed.

Isaac, on the other hand, represents the promise of grace that was dispensed from the heavenly Jerusalem which is free and that heavenly Jerusalem is "our mother" ( as Paul puts it ) which means that we who are saved are birthed into the civilization of freedom which is governed by grace under the law of love. The metaphore invoked by Paul ( Isaiah 54 v 1 ) of the barren woman points to Sarah but also to the new Jerusalem that had remained childless until the era of grace  was inaugurated and children born of the Spirit and into freedom came forth.

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,

    you who never bore a child;

shout for joy and cry aloud,

    you who were never in labor;

because more are the children of the desolate woman

    than of her who has a husband.”

Paul explains to the Galatians that they were children of the promise by the faith in Christ that they had walked in and as such, even as Ismael persecuted Isaac, the children of the flesh persecute the children born of the power of the Spirit until the slave and her son were turned away from the household.

Those who are saved by grace and are children of free woman should therefore eschew the influence of the children of the bond woman who were never going to share in the inheritance that was for the free woman's son.

In other words, having gained the promise of salvation through grace, the Galatians must expell the law as a means of attaining righteousness from their midst so that they can remain free.

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US

The writer concludes the book of Hebrews in chapter 13 with some exortations to continue cultivating brotherly love among themselves. We are reminded to care for all people including those unknown to us for in some cases, some of the guests encountered were actually angels disguised as human beings. We are also reminded to remember fellow believers who were imprisoned and subject to persecutions. This is necessary to do for the Christians who still dwell on the earth.

1 Let brothely love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Our writer touches on the sanctity of marriage and warns that defilement of the marriage bed by fornication or adultery would be subject to judgement. 

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Next, believers are cautioned on their attitude towards material things. To counter the inclination towards covetousness (envy ), we should sustain contentment knowing that the Lord Himself promised that He would never abandon us to our own devices but rather that he would  provide what we need for our lives.

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said,

                             “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”     

                            6 So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

We are also reminded to be cognisant of those who spoke the word of God to us and whose faith we follow as we reflect on the outcome of their lives.

The writer reminds of the privileged position that believers in Christ have whereby they have access to an altar that those who served the earthy tabernacle had no right to eat from. Whereas the bodies of the sacrificed animals whose blood was presented at the tabernacle were burned outside the camp, the Lord Jesus the Christ, in order to sanctify His people, suffered outside the camp so to speak when he was taken outside the walls of Jerusalem.

We too must be prepared to suffer the ignominy that Christ suffered and so must step outside of the temporal civilization in which we are ensconced so that we can live in the eternal civilization of the kingdom of God. The appropriate response to the sacrifice of Christ is the continous grateful praise of His name and on top of this, do good and share what we have with each other for these two things are loved by God.

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

We are also called to be submissive to those who have been given charge over us for  they are answerable for our lives. If we conduct ourselves properly under them, their responsibility is joyful but if we cause them endless grief, we would lose the benefit of their guidance.

17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. 19 But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Asking the recipients of the letter to pray for them so that their company would be able to reunite with them, the writer of Hebrews gives a benediction of completion so that they would be able to fulfill the will of God in their lives and causing thme to yield fruit that is pleasing to Him through the Lord Jesus who is glorified forever.

Timothy, the protoge of Paul the apostle, is mentioned in the epilogue of the letter as having been released from prison and this strongly suggests that the letter to the Hebrews was written by Paul himself and only a few  artifacts in this book suggest that it could be another person. 

Naming Timothy as  'our brother' here rather than a 'son' as Paul does in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 2 does give us a reason to believe that the writer of Hebrews is a protoge of Paul's, but to counter this point, the change of Timothy's title could have come about as Timothy matured and suffered alongside Paul so that Paul evolved to view Timothy as a brother in Christ rather than a son.

Another artifact in this letter to the Hebrews that suggests that Paul did not write it is that the letter is written in the voice of a plural pronoun "we" or "us" and in "Pray for us" and "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." Heb 2 v1.

Paul, writting to Timothy, uses "I" as the pronoun for example, out of of 2 Tim 1 v 6, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

This stylistic change suggests that the book of Hebrews was written by a person other than Paul but this too can be attributed to a change in attitude that Paul may have undergone in relating to his fellow believers.

Based on the theologiocal depth of the book of Hebrews and the deep understanding of the old covenant, I am inclined to believe that it was Paul who wrote the book when I consider the writer's mention of Timothy and based on the scholarly treatment of the gospel's foundations in the old testament.

20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

22 And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

24 Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

25 Grace be with you all. Amen.

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