ALLEGORICALLY SPEAKING…

          Jesus taught many things with parables (Mk.4:2).  This common and colorful style of tutelage was employed frequently by our Lord (Mk.4:34). 

While parables were occasionally used by Old Testament prophets (cf. Ezekiel in Ezk.17:2), none were utilized by the apostles in the writing of their  epistles.  However, the apostle Paul provides very important piece of instruction by way of an allegory.  An allegory could loosely be defined as

“a parable on steroids”.  In a typical allegory various, simple, well-known, real images are used to divulge previously unknown and deeper truths.     

          In his epistle to the churches of Galatia, Paul is combating false teachers who are luring others into apostasy.  He writes, I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of God for another gospel…(Gal.1:6).  Some are being “bewitched” (Gal.3:1) and some are turning back to the weak and worthless elemental things (Gal.4:8).  During this transitory era (from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant) many disciples were falling away (Heb.6:5) - - i.e., many were returning to the Old instead of pressing on to maturity in the New (Heb.6:1).  This was  very likely the sin of Demas, who having loved this present world, deserted Paul (2Tim.4:10).  It wasn’t that Demas possessed an appetite for things immoral, it was that he coveted the Old Covenant realm which was destined to pass away (Mt.5:17-18).  Concerning this backward-looking fixation with The Law (i.e., the Old Covenant), Paul warned the Hebrews:   whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear (Heb.8:13). 

          Paul offers an allegory reminding his fellow saints that “Abraham had two sons” (Gal.4:21-31).  By means of the flesh, Hagar bore Ishmael, who represented bondage via the Old Covenant anchored in Mount Sinai and the old Jerusalem.  According to the promise Sarah bore Isaac, who represented the freedom in Christ found in the New Covenant, “the Jerusalem above” (a.k.a., Mount Zion/Heb.12:22).  As to Paul’s specific purpose in revealing this allegory, vs.29 states:  cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the sons of the free woman.  This time of transition (from the cross until the fall of Jerusalem) was also depicted in Jesus’ parable of the tares (Mt.13:24f).  In inter- preting this parable Jesus noted:  the tares are the sons of the evil lone; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age (Mt.13:38b-39).  What is often misunderstood is that Jesus was addressing “the end of the (Jewish) age” and not the end of planet earth.   

                                                                                                                Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ