Galatians 4:24
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
GALATIANS 4:24
Paul declares that these things are “an allegory.” The two covenants symbolize two ways of relating to God. The Sinai covenant (Agar, the bondwoman) produced bondage because it centered on law and human effort; the heavenly Jerusalem (the mother of all who have faith) represents freedom and the Spirit. The readers are urged to see beyond literal genealogies or ceremonial practices to the larger pattern of salvation history: old covenant law points to human limitation; new covenant grace points to divine empowerment through the Spirit. The allegory clarifies that the gospel is not a mere improvement of the old system but a transformation of the relationship with God.
This verse crystallizes Pauline soteriology: law leads to bondage, grace to freedom. It emphasizes the old covenant’s purpose as a pedagogue to lead to Christ, while the new covenant ushers in interior transformation by the Spirit. It also reframes the narrative of slavery and freedom as spiritual realities found in the heart: allegiance to the old covenant yields bondage; allegiance to the promise yields liberty in Christ.
People often treat spiritual life as a set of rules to follow, forgetting that the Christian life is rooted in a living relationship with God through the Spirit. Practical takeaway: invite the Spirit to empower ordinary life—work, parenting, relationships—so it becomes a field of liberty rather than a battleground of obligation. Guard against reducing faith to external performance; instead, cultivate a daily posture of trust in God’s promises, coupled with compassionate freedom toward others who are on different paths.
Cross-References
- Romans 7 (the law’s role and struggle)
- Galatians 3:23-29 (law as tutor to faith)
- 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (the Spirit gives freedom)