Part CIII on Galatians Study

Galatians 5:1b
"...and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Now let's see what the Apostle Peter said about the Law. Come back to Acts chapter 15, and pick up the text at that great Jerusalem counsel. This is when the Judaizers and the Jewish leaders, and that included Peter and the eleven, were coming down hard on the Apostle Paul. Remember his message for teaching the Gentile believers was faith in the finished work of the Cross + nothing. But those at Jerusalem were trying to convince him that those Gentiles also had to practice circumcision and keeping of the Law and all the statues and ordinances for them to be saved. (Acts 15:1-5) And we know that Paul adamantly refused to accept that.

Then finally Peter wakes up, the Holy Spirit gave him a big push, and he realizes that - "Hey, years ago up there in Caesarea, God used me to take the Word to a Gentile by the name of Cornelius." We know that Peter witnessed the salvation of those Gentiles, and again God had the long term in view, not the near, so God had Peter all primed and ready to come to Paul's defense by using something that took place 12 years earlier. It doesn't say 12 years here but chronologically that's what it was. 


Acts 15:7
"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them. Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." Now look how Peter describes the Law in verse 10.

Acts 15:10
"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples  (the believers up there at Antioch who had become believers of Paul's Gospel) which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"


Now goodness sake what was the yoke? The Law! The Law was a heavy yoke of bondage. We've made that point before that living under the Law was severe. For example if the old High Priest goofed in one little detail, what happened? He was dead! We don't know how much truth there is to it, but you've all heard the account that the High Priest actually had a rope around his ankle when he went in behind the veil. Now if that be true we can see why, because if he would have goofed with any part of that ritual on the Day of Atonement, he was a dead man. And of course the Hebrews realized that was always a possibility so they had a rope on his foot to drag him out. They certainly couldn't go back behind the veil and carry him out. But the point we're making here is that the Law was SEVERE! It was like a heavy yoke on the neck of an oxen, and a yoke is never an easy burden to bear, and that's what the Law was. We've said that it was a corral and tutor which served to hem in, keep them separated and was used to train and was intended to keep the Hebrews separate from those around them, but it failed to do so. All right now coming back to Galatians chapter 4 once again. Paul is using that same analogy, that the Law was the flesh, it was like a heavy yoke, it only brought in bondage. Just as Aaron's priesthood could only deal with the external. Now verse 25 of Galatians 4.


Galatians 4:25a
"For this Agar is (typically now in the allegory) Mount Sinai in Arabia,..."
Now you've heard us say that we feel that the Apostle Paul spent one year at Sinai. What one great event do you always associate with Sinai in Arabia? The Ten Commandments. Now, that's what Paul says. Hagar is a picture of the giving of the Ten Commandments on Sinai. Now let's go on.