13. The Closing Argument

What this episode covers

Most people think that the Church is just for pious, upstanding, religious people. But the Gospel turns all our conceptions about Christianity on their heads. A sermon on Galatians 4:21-31 Outline: I. The Gospel is polarizing II. The Gospel is surprising III. The Gospel is convicting Quotations:  No one can have God as his Father without the Church as his mother. -St. Cyprian of Carthage, 3th c. This Holy Church is the mother of us all –which is the spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, and is a figure and copy of Jerusalem which is above, which is free, and the mother of us all; which before was barren, but now has many children. -St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 4th c. The Church is called the mother of believers. And certainly he who refuses to be a son of the Church in vain desires to have God as his Father. -John Calvin, 16th c. No man who has a choice given him will be so mad as to despise freedom, and prefer slavery. But here the apostle teaches us, that they who are under the law are slaves. Unhappy men! who willingly choose this condition when God desires to make them free. -John Calvin, 16th c. A Christian man, then, though terrified by the law showing him his sin, despairs not, for he believes in Jesus Christ, being baptized in Him, and cleansed by His blood, he has remission of all his sins. -Martin Luther, 16th c. Scripture text: Galatians 4:21-31 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Liturgy bulletin link Sermon transcript link Outline of Galatians “The Closing Argument,” preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy, Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 10:00AM at New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. Come see the beautiful Finger Lakes region, and worship God with us. www.newlifeithaca.org. Sermon music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. www.sandramccracken.com. The post 13. The Closing Argument first appeared on New Life Ithaca Presbyterian Church.