Both Jews and Christians would claim Abraham as their father. Jews would stress the physical connection to Abraham through circumcision. Christians would emphasize the spiritual connection to Abraham by faith. In this passage Paul asks a different question, “Who is your mother?” Abraham had two wives from whom he fathered two sons. By means of the literary device of allegory, Paul argued that salvation by grace through faith is both taught in the Old Testament and beautifully illustrated in it as well.
- The history of Two Wives. . . Two Sons. . . One Way, vv. 21-23
- The allegory of Two Wives. . . Two Sons. . . One Way, vv. 24-29
- The relevancy of Two Wives. . . Two Sons. . . One Way, vv. 30-31
Which way are you trusting? The way of flesh which trusts in what you do, or the way of promise which trusts in what God has done?
