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"O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
I thank Thee I was not born a
GENTILE.
O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
I thank Thee I was not born a
SLAVE.
"O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
I thank Thee I was not born a
WOMAN."
Paul, since the age of twelve, when he became "a son of the law", had prayed this
prayer. Here, in Gal. 2: 28, he sets all such distinctions aside for ever. All in Christ are
"ONE". With the opening of chapter 5:, and arising out of the allegory of the story of
Isaac and Ishmael, comes the clarion cry:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage . . . . . Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you as justified by the law: ye are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5: 1-4).
Before he reaches the conclusion of this epistle, the Apostle refers to some of the
dangers that accompany emancipation. It is only too possible to spell "liberty" as though
it means "license".
"Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty: only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve (douleuo `serve as a slave') one another" (Gal. 5: 13).
Paul could have sung the hymn with a good conscience which contains the words:
"I would not try my soul to save
By works that I have done
But I would work LIKE ANY SLAVE
For love of God's own Son."
It is therefore gloriously consistent for an epistle devoted so passionately to liberty to
close with the words:
"From henceforth let no man trouble me: For I bear in my body the marks (stigmata)
of the Lord Jesus" (Gal. 6: 17).
Luther's translation of Galatians was one of the main instruments in promoting the
Reformation, and all who have the responsibility of teaching and preaching are urged to
give this epistle a prominent place in their witness. We do well to bear in mind always
the clarion call of Gal. 5::
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5: 1).
Let us now turn our attention to the Greek word eleutheroo "to make free", which
includes the verse quoted above. There is a joy that cannot be realized at second hand, in
watching the evident superintendence of the Holy Spirit of the very words of inspired
truth fall into a recognizable pattern. However, the reader can nevertheless appreciate
what is here set out. Here are all the occurrences of,