The two testaments occupy an important rank in the epistle to the Galatians because this epistle looks for the faith that started with Abraham. On this basis, Paul calls the believers “the sons of Abraham” although most of them aren’t from his offspring. Abraham’s blessing is “for the Pagans through Jesus Christ”. The word “pagans” indicates that Abraham is the father of all nations through their faith in Christ.
Paul assures in this sense that “Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman (Hagar) and the other by the free woman (Sarah)”. Paul uses two expressions: flesh and promise. The son that came from the slave woman was born according to the flesh i.e. without a divine promise. However, the son that was born from the free woman came as a result of a promise. Here, the apostle explains that the two women symbolize two testaments: the first is from Mount Sinai the land of slaves, i.e. Hagar. He explains that Hagar refers to “Mount Sinai in Arabia”. Sinai is a name of a peninsula between Egypt and Palestine.
This Mount corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, which is the center of Judaism, which “is in slavery with her children” because she didn’t recognize the New Testament yet. This Jerusalem has become a normal city as all cities. However, “Jerusalem that is above (and he means here the Church) is free and is our mother”. We come from this mother that gave us birth in Baptism and this Baptism makes us all one in the Church of the Lord.
Paul supports his thought by a phrase from a Book of the Old Testament: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child”. He also adds in the same sense: “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”. By this, he refers to the new birth that happens in Christ. Christians can feel joy in Lord Jesus even if they were a minority because they look towards faith, hope and love.
This chapter of the epistle to the Galatians indicates our liberation from the Old Testament and our entrance, with Christ, to a new life. We have become “New creations” and we renew the universe after being renewed in Christ.
This requires liberation from all old things in our behavior, as the Holy Spirit, our comforter, is always poured on us. Although we are made from this body, but our deep truth is that the Holy Spirit makes us the sons of God and not the sons of our mothers and fathers only. After that, we should raise others through our repentance and theirs. We should make the person that believed in Jesus enter the life in Jesus that renews us because He is the ever-new.
The Church becomes new through her sanctified children through the Holy Spirit. In this Church, man is liberated from the old things that were stuck on him and this man becomes belonging to the daily renewed Church through the Sacraments and especially through Christ’s body and blood that makes us according to His image day after day.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “العهدان” –Raiati 39- 23.09.2012
