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WHAT IS GALATIANS SPEAKING ABOUT

Evangelicals need to understand Galatians 4:24 is not saying the ten commandments gendereth to bondage. I quote Gal.4:23-24
Gal.4:23,24,26
"23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
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.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

The covenant from Mount Sinai that gendereth to bondage, is what Paul called the old covenant which consisted of symbolic rituals, ceremonies and feasts. These existed to teach Spiritual realities of the plan of salvation and existed alongside the Spiritual Covenant of Righteousness by faith. The old covenant entailing symbolic observances gendereth to bondage because of the hardness of the Jewish heart the symbolic observances began to be seen as a means to salvation instead of the Spiritual Covenant of Righteousness by faith. I quote Gal.4:9-10
"Gal.4:9-10
9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years."

Acts 15:1
And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Paul makes a distinction between what is nothing and what is something in regards to its necessity for salvation. Take note:
1Cor.7:19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Circumcision is part of the old covenant and and is nothing in regards to its necessity for salvation. Thus the point Paul makes against the old covenant (gendering to bondage) does not nullify commandment keeping, for the old covenant has nothing do with the ten commandments, the two are distinct and different to each other.
P.S
Note also two other texts that Paul gives us as to what is nothing and what is something in regards to its necessity for salvation.

Gal.5:6
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."

Gal.6:15
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (similar to 2 Cor.5:17,18 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.18 And all things are of God, ..)

These texts which speak of the new creation as something are dealing with the issue of conversion or salvation of heart by Righteousness within by faith (the revealed truths) - the gospel of Christ. This is the Spiritual Covenant, and is the transformation or the conversion from having the carnal mind; that is not subject to the law of God; to the Spiritual mind that is subject to the law of God (Rom.8:6-7 explains the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God while Rom.8:8-10 & 1John 4:24 shows that the Spiritual mind keeps the commandments). Thus Paul refers to the Spiritual or New Covenant (new in the contest of reinstated) as being the Jerusalem that is above that is the mother of us all in Gal.4:26. The Spiritual Covenant brings us into the experience of life in God, it births us and is thus is likened to our mother.
This why Gal.4:23 & 28 speaks of us as being the children of the promise. See Gal.3:5-7 & 14 which explains the children of the promise are those that are of justified by faith and blessed with faithful Abraham by receiving the promise of the Spirit by faith.
The new birth through Righteousness by faith is God's heart intent of Love or His covenant (really testament) towards us and is Grace in the tender affectionate mercies of compassion of God towards us.
May you all be blessed by this study in Jesus name Amen.

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