Galatians 4:29

An Exegetical Analysis of Galatians 4:29: The Nature of its Comparison and Eschatological Implications

This exegetical study of ‘Gal 4:29 What type of conditional?’ is based on a b-greek discussion from Saturday, May 29, 1999. The initial inquiry posited that Galatians 4:29 functions as a conditional sentence, marked by the particles ὥσπερ (protasis) and οὕτως (apodosis) which appear to correlate with the temporal adverbs τότε (then) and νῦν (now). The query sought clarification on the specific class of this conditional sentence, its precise semantic analysis, and any potential eschatological implications arising from such an identification.

The main exegetical issue at the heart of this passage revolves around the grammatical classification of the sentence in Galatians 4:29. Specifically, the debate is whether Paul constructs a genuine conditional statement, implying a contingency between the past and present events, or if he employs an analogical comparison, asserting a parallel between two distinct yet similar realities. This distinction significantly impacts the interpretation of Paul’s argument concerning the relationship between the “child born according to the flesh” and the “child born according to the Spirit,” and consequently, the theological understanding of the ongoing persecution experienced by believers within the framework of the new covenant.

Ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ τότε ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς ἐδίωκεν τὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα, οὕτως καὶ νῦν. ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή; Ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς· οὐ γὰρ μὴ κληρονομήσει ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.

(Galatians 4:29-30, Nestle 1904)

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• There are no significant textual differences between the Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT 2010 editions for Galatians 4:29-30.

Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):

The critical apparatus of the NA28 indicates no significant variants for Galatians 4:29-30, confirming the stability of the text in these verses across major manuscript traditions.

• διώκω (diōkō, “to persecute, pursue”): BDAG defines this verb primarily as “to pursue, hunt,” and in a hostile sense, “to persecute.” KITTEL (TDNT) extensively details its range from eager pursuit to active hostility, often involving violence. In Galatians 4:29, the context clearly indicates hostile persecution.
• ὥσπερ…οὕτως (hōsper…houtōs, “just as…so also”): BDAG identifies this common Greek construction as a marker of analogy or simile. ὥσπερ introduces the basis for comparison, while οὕτως introduces the corresponding parallel. This structure serves to establish a direct, emphatic comparison rather than a conditional relationship.
• τότε (tote, “then”) and νῦν (nyn, “now”): These adverbs of time establish a stark temporal contrast. BDAG notes that νῦν often denotes “at the present time” in opposition to past or future, and in Pauline theology, can carry eschatological significance, marking the fulfillment of God’s plan in the present age. Here, the contrast highlights a continuous pattern across different eras.
• σάρξ (sarx, “flesh”) and πνεῦμα (pneuma, “spirit”): These are pivotal Pauline terms. BDAG on σάρξ includes “human nature apart from divine influence,” often representing the realm of human weakness and sin. For πνεῦμα, it refers to the divine Spirit, often in antithetical relation to σάρξ, signifying the sphere of divine power and righteousness. KITTEL provides comprehensive entries for both, emphasizing their theological significance in Paul’s anthropology and soteriology. In this allegorical context, they represent those born under the Law and those born of the Spirit, respectively.

Translation Variants with Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis

The grammatical structure of Galatians 4:29 is characterized by the comparative conjunctions ὥσπερ…οὕτως, which fundamentally establish an analogy rather than a conditional statement. There is no presence of an “if” (εἰ) particle, which would be requisite for a true conditional sentence. Consequently, the interpretation of this verse as a conditional statement is grammatically unfounded.

Rhetorically, Paul employs this analogical construction to draw a direct parallel between the past persecution of Isaac (the child “according to the Spirit”) by Ishmael (the child “according to the flesh”) and the present persecution of Christian believers (those “according to the Spirit”) by their adversaries (often understood as Jewish legalists, those “according to the flesh”). The sentence asserts a factual similarity across two distinct time periods, emphasized by the temporal adverbs τότε (then) and νῦν (now).

An important grammatical feature is the ellipsis in the second clause (οὕτως καὶ νῦν). The verb ἐδίωκεν (he persecuted) from the first clause, along with its subject and object, is clearly implied. Thus, “the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one according to the Spirit” is understood to apply to the “now” as well, with an appropriate shift in tense (from aorist to present indicative, διώκει, “he persecutes”). This ellipsis maintains the concise and forceful nature of Paul’s comparison. The participles ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς (“the one born according to the flesh”) and τὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα (“the one according to the Spirit,” with an implied “born” or “generated”) function substantivally, clearly identifying the allegorical figures involved in both the past and present persecutions.

The rhetorical force of this analogy is to justify the exclusion of the “child of the slave woman” (Gal 4:30), asserting that those who rely on the flesh (the Law) will persecute those who rely on the Spirit (faith in Christ). It establishes a continuity of conflict, grounding the present reality of persecution in a divinely ordained pattern from redemptive history, thereby strengthening Paul’s argument for the supremacy of the New Covenant and the freedom found in Christ.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

In conclusion, Galatians 4:29 is not a conditional sentence but a powerful analogical statement, marked by the ὥσπερ…οὕτως construction, which asserts a parallel between past and present realities. The absence of a conditional particle (εἰ) confirms this grammatical classification. Paul uses this analogy to highlight the enduring conflict between those who live “according to the flesh” and those who live “according to the Spirit,” thereby validating the contemporary experience of persecution faced by Christian believers. The eschatological implications are indirect, nested within Paul’s broader argument that the “now” represents the fulfillment of God’s promises, distinguishing those of the Spirit from those of the flesh within the new covenant era.

Here are three suggested translations, emphasizing different nuances:

1. But just as then the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one according to the Spirit, so it is also now.

   This translation maintains a very literal rendering of the Greek, clearly showing the analogy and the implied repetition of the action in the present.

2. However, just as in the past the child born of natural descent persecuted the child of the Spirit, so also today it continues to be so.

   This version clarifies the implied meaning of “according to the flesh” and “according to the Spirit” in this allegorical context, and explicitly states the continuity of the persecution.

3. Nevertheless, what occurred in the past, when the one born by human effort persecuted the one born through divine promise, is happening again now.

   This interpretive translation focuses on the underlying theological categories (human effort vs. divine promise) that Paul is employing in his allegory, making the parallel more explicit to a modern reader.