Galatians 4:28 kjv
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Galatians 4:28 nkjv
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
Galatians 4:28 niv
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Galatians 4:28 esv
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Galatians 4:28 nlt
And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.
Galatians 4 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gal 3:29 | And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. | Inheritance of Abrahamic promises |
| Rom 8:14-17 | For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God... coheirs with Christ. | Identification as God's children and coheirs |
| Gal 3:6-9 | ...and the Scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." | Faith as the basis of blessing |
| John 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God... not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. | Spiritual birth and God's initiative |
| Eph 1:3-5 | ...having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. | Predestination and adoption |
| Rom 9:7-8 | ...nor because they are the offspring of Abraham are they all children. But, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. | Distinction between physical and spiritual offspring |
| Heb 11:11 | By faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him who had promised faithful. | Sarah's faith as enabling conception |
| Gal 4:22-23 | For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born according to promise. | Hagar and Sarah as allegorical figures |
| Gal 4:30-31 | But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman with her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not be heir with the son of the slave woman." So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. | Exclusion of the slave woman's offspring |
| Gal 5:1 | For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. | Exhortation to stand firm in freedom |
| 1 Cor 15:44-47 | It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. | The contrast between natural and spiritual |
| Phil 3:3 | For we are the true circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. | True circumcision and reliance on the Spirit |
| Col 2:11-12 | In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made by hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God. | Spiritual circumcision through Christ |
| Gal 4:21 | Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? | Questioning those who seek to be under the law |
| Gen 17:4-6 | "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abraham, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you." | Covenant with Abraham; numerous descendants |
| Rom 4:11-13 | ...and to Abraham as a sign that he was circumcised—a seal of the righteousness that was by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness might be counted to them also, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not only of the circumcision but also follow the steps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring, that he would be heir of the world, was not through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | Abraham the father of believers |
| 1 Pet 3:7 | Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. | Joint heirs of grace of life |
| Gal 6:15-16 | For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. | The new creation and peace for God's Israel |
Galatians 4 verses
Galatians 4 28 Meaning
Paul, writing to the Galatians, declares that they, like Isaac, are children of promise. This spiritual sonship, born through faith in Christ, contrasts with the slavery of the Mosaic Law for those who attempt to be justified by it. They are now heirs of God's covenant promises, not by natural lineage or adherence to the Law, but by grace through faith.
Galatians 4 28 Context
This verse is found in the midst of Galatians chapter 4, where Paul uses the allegory of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, to contrast those who seek justification through the Law with those who are children of promise through faith in Christ. Paul is addressing a dispute within the Galatian churches, where some Judaizers were insisting that Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and adhere to the Mosaic Law. Paul argues that this would reduce them to the status of Ishmael, born according to the flesh under bondage, rather than Isaac, born according to the Spirit and promise. The preceding verses (Galatians 4:22-23) lay out the allegory of Hagar (slave woman) and Sarah (free woman), and verse 24 explicitly states these women represent two covenants. Isaac represents the covenant at Sinai (under bondage), and Ishmael represents the covenant of promise. Wait, Paul uses Hagar as the symbol for the bondage of the law (Galatians 4:24-25). But the allegorical interpretation in 4:22-23 states that Abraham had two sons, one by Hagar (the slave) and one by Sarah (the free woman). The son of the slave was born according to the flesh, but the son of the free woman was born according to promise. Then in verse 30, Paul quotes from Genesis 21:10 "Cast out the slave woman with her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not be heir with the son of Isaac." This implies that Ishmael represents slavery and Isaac represents the promise. Galatians 4:28, then, draws the parallel: "So you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise." This means the Galatians, by faith in Christ, are spiritual descendants of Abraham, like Isaac, and are therefore heirs of the promises made to Abraham. This is in contrast to those who rely on the Law, who are akin to Ishmael and the bondage of slavery. The overall message is about the superiority of the New Covenant in Christ over the Old Covenant embodied by the Law, which leads to spiritual freedom and sonship with God.
Galatians 4 28 Word Analysis
- So (houtos | οὕτως): Thus, in this way, so. Indicates a consequence or conclusion based on the preceding explanation.
- you (hymeis | ὑμεῖς): Plural "you," referring to the Galatian believers.
- brothers (adelphoi | ἀδελφοί): Brothers; used here to address the Christian community in a familial sense, emphasizing their spiritual kinship in Christ.
- like (ōsper | ὡσπερ): Just as, even as. Introduces a comparison.
- Isaac (Isaak | Ἰσαὰκ): Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, born by promise. His birth represented a departure from the natural order and an act of God's faithfulness.
- are (este | ἐστὲ): Second person plural present indicative of 'eimi' (to be). "You are."
- children (tekna | τέκνα): Children; here used in the sense of offspring, descendants, implying spiritual relationship and inheritance.
- of (ek | ἐκ): Out of, from. Denotes origin or source.
- promise (epaggelias | ἐπαγγελίας): Promise. Refers to the promises God made to Abraham, particularly those related to his numerous offspring and inheritance through faith.
Words-Group Analysis
- So you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise: This entire phrase succinctly summarizes Paul's argument. The Galatians, through their faith in Christ, are spiritual descendants of Abraham, mirroring Isaac's status as a child born through divine promise, not by natural descent or human effort. They are partakers of the spiritual inheritance guaranteed by God's promise.
Galatians 4 28 Bonus Section
The choice of Isaac as the archetype is significant. His conception was miraculous, Sarah being barren and Abraham advanced in years, thus solely the work of God's power and promise. This mirrors the spiritual birth of believers in Christ, a supernatural act of God independent of human ability. The inheritance promised to Abraham was not merely temporal but an eternal inheritance (Gal 3:16; Rom 4:13). Believers in Christ, therefore, are the true spiritual offspring of Abraham, inheriting God's blessings by faith, not by ethnic descent or ritual observance. The emphasis is on a spiritual lineage and a divine guarantee, not a biological or legal one.
Galatians 4 28 Commentary
The verse firmly establishes the spiritual identity of believers as children of promise. This identity is not earned but received through faith in Christ. It contrasts sharply with any attempt to attain righteousness or acceptance with God through adherence to the Law. Being a child of promise means possessing an inheritance secured by God's faithful covenant, made operative through the new birth by the Spirit. This freedom from legalistic bondage liberates believers to live as true spiritual heirs, mirroring Isaac's position as distinct from Ishmael.