Galatians 4:28-31
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse isn't just saying we receive a promise, but that our very identity as believers comes through God's promise, just like Isaac wasn't just a child, but the child of promise. This highlights that our belonging isn't based on lineage or our own effort, but on God's faithfulness to His spoken word.
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 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. 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.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is continuing his allegorical argument, explaining that believers are like Isaac, born through God's promise, not by human effort or lineage like Ishmael. He's showing how the Old Testament story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac prefigures the difference between those who are spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith and those who rely on the Law. This verse directly follows the explanation of the two covenants, with Paul now applying the Isaac/Ishmael illustration to his readers.
In a world obsessed with lineage and natural ability, Paul reminds us of a radical shift in identity. It's not about who your parents are, but about the promise that brought you into God's family.
Paul contrasts the two sons of Abraham: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born according to the ordinary course of nature. Isaac, however, was born supernaturally, as a direct result of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah.
The Promise Matters
This distinction is crucial for understanding our identity as believers. Like Isaac, we are not children of God because of our natural birth or heritage. Instead, we are 'children of promise' – born into God's family because of His direct, supernatural intervention through faith in Jesus Christ. This sets us apart from those who rely on their own efforts or lineage for standing before God.
What does it truly mean to be 'like Isaac'? It's more than just a comparison; it points to a new way of living and belonging, set apart by God's supernatural grace.
The phrase 'like Isaac' (or 'after the manner of Isaac') is key here. It doesn't just mean we are children of promise, but that our standing and relationship with God are patterned after Isaac's unique status.
Living Under the Promise
Isaac's birth was a miracle, a testament to God's faithfulness against all odds. Similarly, our Christian walk is not based on human strength or natural ability. We are called to live in the reality of God's promises, trusting in His power to do what is impossible for us. This means our identity is rooted in God's faithfulness and His ongoing work in us, not in our own performance or background.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
epangelia · Greek Noun
Refers to a divine declaration or guarantee given by God to His people, which is fulfilled by His power and grace rather than human works, as exemplified in the covenant with Abraham.
sarx · Greek Noun
Refers to human effort, natural biological birth, or reliance on self and the works of the Law, standing in direct opposition to the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit.
diōkō · Greek Verb
To harass, mistreat, or oppress, often specifically directed at those who are faithful to God or the Gospel, reflecting the hostility of the world or legalism toward the way of grace.
pneuma · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, who gives new life, guides believers into truth, and empowers the Christian walk, distinct from and superior to the limitations of the flesh.
graphē · Greek Noun
The authoritative, inspired Word of God, serving as the final standard for doctrine, correction, and guidance for the life of the believer.
paidiskē · Greek Noun
One who is legally owned by another, used metaphorically to describe a person enslaved to the Mosaic Law or the power of sin, lacking the rights and standing of a child of God.
klēronomeō · Greek Verb
The act of receiving the blessings, promises, and eternal life that God has prepared for His people by grace, not earned by merit.
adelphoi · Greek Noun
A term of endearment and spiritual equality used among believers, signifying their shared relationship as members of God’s family through faith in Christ. It emphasizes the communal identity of the church.
tekna · Greek Noun
Individuals characterized by their relationship to a parent; in a theological sense, those who belong to a specific spiritual lineage or state—either under the law (slavery) or under the promise (freedom).
paidiskēs · Greek Noun
A person bound to another, lacking personal liberty; in biblical typology, this represents the state of being under the bondage of the Law of Moses or sin, unable to attain salvation through personal effort.
eleutheras · Greek Adjective
Possessing liberty and status; in the New Testament, this refers to the believer’s spiritual standing through Christ, liberated from the penalty of sin and the yoke of the Law, belonging to the covenant of promise (typified by Sarah).
~2000 BC
God's Promise to Abraham
God promises Abraham descendants, stating his lineage will be through Isaac, who will be born to Sarah in their old age.
~1980 BC— this verse
Birth of Isaac
Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah, fulfilling God's promise. This miraculous birth sets Isaac apart as a child of promise, not of ordinary human conception.
~1960 BC
Ishmael Mocks Isaac
Ishmael, Sarah's other son born through Hagar, mocks Isaac. This incident leads to Sarah's demand that both Hagar and Ishmael be sent away.
~1440 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, are freed from slavery in Egypt, marking a pivotal moment for the 'children of promise' under the Old Covenant.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham and Isaac, is crucified and resurrected, fulfilling the ultimate promise of salvation for all who believe.
c. AD 48-55
Paul's Ministry and Writing Galatians
The Apostle Paul travels and preaches the Gospel, establishing churches in regions like Galatia. He writes the Epistle to the Galatians to address issues of Judaizing teachers and the importance of faith over law.
This passage directly describes the promise of a child to Sarah, which is the foundational promise that made Isaac the 'child of promise' in the first place.
Genesis 21:12God explicitly states that Abraham's 'offspring will be reckoned through Isaac,' cementing Isaac's unique status as the heir through promise, not mere natural birth.
Romans 9:7-9Paul directly echoes this theme, explaining that not all of Abraham's physical descendants are true 'children of promise,' but rather those born according to God's promise, just like Isaac.
Hebrews 11:11This verse highlights Sarah's faith in believing God's promise for Isaac's conception, underscoring that being a child of promise involves both God's faithfulness and human faith responding to it.
cambridgeGalatians 4:28: "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
28 . The previous verse is introduced parenthetically. The connexion is, ‘Jerusalem from above is our mother … and we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children, not according to the flesh, but of promise’. The same conclusion as that arrived at ch. Galatians 3:29 .
vincentGalatians 4:28: "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
As Isaac was (κατὰ Ἱσαὰκ)Lit. after the manner of Isaac. See Romans 9:7-9, and, for this use of κατὰ, 1 Peter 1:15; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10.Children of promise (ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα)Not promised children, nor children that have God's promise, but children who are not such by mere fleshly descent, as was Ishmael, but by promise, as was Isaac: children of the Jerusalem above, belonging to it in virtue of God…
The verse isn't just saying we receive a promise, but that our very identity as believers comes through God's promise, just like Isaac wasn't just a child, but the child of promise. This highlights that our belonging isn't based on lineage or our own effort, but on God's faithfulness to His spoken word.
Paul is continuing his allegorical argument, explaining that believers are like Isaac, born through God's promise, not by human effort or lineage like Ishmael. He's showing how the Old Testament story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac prefigures the difference between those who are spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith and those who rely on the Law. This verse directly follows the explanation of the two covenants, with Paul now applying the Isaac/Ishmael illustration to his readers.
Paul is continuing his allegorical argument, explaining that believers are like Isaac, born through God's promise, not by human effort or lineage like Ishmael. He's showing how the Old Testament story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac prefigures the difference between those who are spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith and those who rely on the Law. This verse directly follows the explanation of the two covenants, with Paul now applying the Isaac/Ishmael illustration to his readers.
"Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 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. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the…" — The verse isn't just saying we receive a promise, but that our very identity as believers comes through God's promise, just like Isaac wasn't just a child, but the child of promise. This highligh…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
