Образъ закону и благодѣти: Агаръ и Сарра
The Pattern of Law and Grace
The chapter opens by declaring that Law precedes Grace as shadow precedes truth, and introduces Hagar and Sarah as the typological figures.
First the Law, then grace; first the shadow, then the truth. The Law and grace are figured by Hagar and Sarah: Hagar the slave woman and Sarah the free woman — the slave woman first, and then the free woman — so that the one who reads may understand!1 For Abraham had Sarah as his wife from his youth—a free woman, not a slave—and God, for his part, willed and purposed before the ages to send his Son into the world, and through him for grace to appear. But Sarah was not giving birth, because she was barren. She wasn't barren, but by God's providence she was kept from conceiving so that she would give birth in old age.2 And the unknown and secret things of God's wisdom were hidden from angels and human beings—not that they could never be made known, but hidden, and destined to appear at the end of the age.3
The Birth of the Law
Sarah's barrenness leads to the birth of Ishmael through Hagar, paralleling God's giving of the Law on Sinai as a shadow, not the truth.
And Sarah said to Abraham: "See, the Lord God has closed me so that I cannot bear children; so go in to my maidservant Hagar, and you will have children by her." And Grace said to God, "If it isn't yet time for me to come down to earth and save the world, go down to Mount Sinai and give the law."4 Abraham heeded Sarah's words and went in to her maidservant Hagar. And God likewise heeded Grace's words and came down onto Sinai. So Hagar, the servant, bore Abraham a child—a servant, a son born to a slave woman—and Abraham named him Ishmael. And Moses too brought down from Mount Sinai the law, not grace—a shadow, not the truth.
The Visitation and the Birth of Grace
God's visitation to Abraham at Mamre prefigures the Incarnation, and the birth of Isaac parallels the birth of Grace as truth and son.
After this, when Abraham and Sarah were already old, God appeared to Abraham as he sat at the entrance of his tent at midday by the oak of Mamre. Abraham ran to meet him, bowed down to the ground before him, and welcomed him into his tent. And as this age was coming to an end, the Lord visited the human race and came down from heaven, entering the Virgin's womb. And the Virgin received him with reverence into the tent of her flesh, without pain, saying to the angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."56 Then God opened Sarah's womb, and she conceived and bore Isaac—the free woman bore the free son.✦ And when God visited human nature, what had been unknown and hidden was revealed, and grace was born—truth, not the law; a son, not a slave.✦✦7
The Feast of Grace
Isaac's weaning feast prefigures the manifestation of Christ at His Baptism, where Grace is fully revealed and celebrated.
When Isaac was weaned and had grown strong, Abraham threw a great feast to celebrate the weaning of his son Isaac.✦ When Christ was on earth, grace had not yet grown strong; it was still nursing—and it continued to nurse for another thirty years, during which Christ remained hidden.✦8 But once it had been weaned and grown strong, and the grace of God appeared to all people at the Jordan River, God held a great feast and banquet with the calf that had been fattened long ago—his beloved Son, Jesus Christ—calling heaven and earth to a single rejoicing, uniting angels and human beings as one.✦✦✦9
The Expulsion of the Law and the Inheritance of Grace
Sarah's demand to expel Hagar and Ishmael prefigures the expulsion of Judaism and the Law, so that the children of Grace inherit the promise.
Later, when Sarah saw Ishmael, Hagar's son, playing with her son Isaac, and that Isaac was being mistreated by Ishmael, she said to Abraham: 'Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will not inherit with the free woman's son.'✦✦ But after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus, when the disciples and the others who had already believed in Christ were in Jerusalem, and both groups were intermixed—Jews and Christians—the baptism of grace was being mistreated by the circumcision of the Law, and the Christian church in Jerusalem would not accept an uncircumcised bishop, because those of the circumcision, considering themselves superior, were imposing themselves on the Christians—slave-born children against freeborn sons—and there were many quarrels and disputes among them.10 But free grace, seeing her own children—the Christians—mistreated by the Jews, the sons of the slavish Law, cried out to God: 'Drive out Judaism, and with the Law scatter it among the nations, for what fellowship does the shadow have with the truth, or Judaism with Christianity?'✦11 And Hagar the slave woman was driven out with her son Ishmael, and Isaac, the free woman's son, became heir to Abraham, his father.12 And the Jews were driven out and scattered among the nations, and the children of grace—the Christians—became heirs to God and the Father. For the moon's light passed away once the sun had risen; so too the Law, once grace appeared. And the cold of night perished when the sun's warmth had warmed the earth. And humanity is no longer cramped under the Law, but walks freely in grace.13
Read the original Church Slavonic
Прѣжде законъ, ти по томь благодѣть, прѣжде стѣнь, ти по томь истина. Образъ же закону и благодѣти Агаръ и Сарра, работнаа Агаръ и свободнаа Сарра, работнаа прѣжде, ти потомь свободнаа, да разумѣеть, иже чтеть!
Яко Авраамъ убо от уности своеи Сарру имѣ жену си, свободную, а не рабу, и Богъ убо прѣжде вѣкъ изволи и умысли сына своего въ миръ послати и тѣмь благодѣти явитися.
Сарра же не раждааше, понеже бѣ неплоды. Не бѣ неплоды, нъ заключена бѣ Божиимъ промысломъ на старость родити. Безвѣстьная же и таинаа прѣмудрости Божии утаена бяаху ангелъ и человѣкъ, не яко неявима, нъ утаена и на конець вѣка хотяща явитися.
Сарра же глагола къ Аврааму: «Се заключи мя Господь Богъ не раждати, вълѣзи убо къ рабѣ моеи Агари и родиши от неѣ». Благодѣть же глагола къ Богу: «Аще нѣсть врѣмене сънити ми на землю и спасти миръ, съниди на гору Синаи и законъ положи».
Послуша Авраамъ рѣчи Саррины и вълѣзе къ рабѣ еѣ Агарѣ. Послуша же и Богъ яже от благодѣти словесъ и съниде на Синаи.
Роди же Агаръ раба от Авраама, раба робичишть, и нарече Авраамъ имя ему Измаилъ. Изнесе же и Моисѣи от Синаискыа горы законъ, а не благодѣть, стѣнь, а не истину.
По сихъ же уже стару сущу Аврааму и Саррѣ, явися Богъ Аврааму, сѣдящу ему прѣд дверьми кушкѣ его въ полудне у дуба Мамьвриискааго. Авраамъ же текъ въ срѣтение ему поклонися ему до землѣ и приятъ и́ в кушту свою. Вѣку же сему къ коньцу приближающуся посѣтить Господь человѣчьскааго рода и съниде съ небесе, въ утробу Дѣвици въходя. Приятъ же и́ Дѣвица съ покланяниемь въ кущу плътяную, не болѣвьши, глаголющи ти къ ангелу: «Се раба Господня, буди мнѣ по глаголу твоему».
Тогда убо отключи Богъ ложесна Саррина, и, заченьши, роди Исаака, свободьнаа свободьнааго. И присѣтивьшу Богу человѣчьска естьства, явишася уже безвѣстнаа и утаенаа и родися благодѣть, истина, а не законъ, сынъ, а не рабъ.
И ако отдоися отрочя Исаакъ и укрѣпѣ, сътвори Авраамъ гоститву велику, егда отдоися Исаакъ сынъ его. Егда бѣ Христос на земли, и еще не у ся благодѣть укрѣпила бяаше, нъ дояшеся, и еще за 30 лѣтъ, въ ня же Христосъ таяашеся. Егда же уже отдоися и укрѣпѣ и явися благодѣть Божиа всѣмъ человѣкомъ въ Иорданьстѣи рѣцѣ, сътвори Богъ гоститву и пиръ великъ тельцемь упитѣныим от вѣка, възлюбленыимъ Сыномъ своимъ Исусом Христомь, съзвавъ на едино веселие небесныа и земныа, съвокупивъ въ едино ангелы и человѣкы.
По сихъ же видѣвши Сарра Измаила, сына Агариина, играюща съ сыномъ своимъ Исакомъ, и ако приобидѣнъ бысть Исаакъ Измаиломъ, рече къ Аврааму: «Отжени рабу и съ сыномъ еѣ, не имать бо наслѣдовати сынъ рабынинъ сына свободныа». По възнесении же Господа Исуса, ученикомъ же и инѣмь вѣровавшиимъ уже въ Христа сущемь въ Иерусалимѣ, и обоимъ съмѣсь сущемь, иудеомъ же и христианомъ, и крещение благодатьное обидимо бяаше от обрѣзаниа законьнааго, и не приимаше въ Иеросалимѣ христианьскаа церкви епискупа необрѣзана, понеже, старѣише творящеся, сущеи отъ обрѣзаниа насиловааху на хрестианыа, рабичишти на сыны свободныа, и бывааху междю ими многы распрѣ и которы. Видивши же свободьнаа благодѣть чада своа христианыи обидимы от иудѣи, сыновъ работнааго закона, възъпи къ Богу: «Отжени иудѣиство и съ закономъ расточи по странамъ, кое бо причастие стѣню съ истиною, иудѣиству съ христианьством».
И отгнана бысть Агаръ раба съ сыномъ еѣ Измаиломъ, и Исаакъ, сынъ свободныа, наслѣдникъ бысгь Аврааму, отцу своему. И отгнани быша иудѣи и расточени по странам, и чяда благодѣтьнаа христиании наслѣдници быша Богу и Отцу. Отиде бо свѣтъ луны, солнцю въсиавъшу, тако и законъ, благодѣти явльшися, и студеньство нощьное погыбе, солнечьнѣи теплотѣ землю съгрѣвши. И уже не гърздится въ законѣ человѣчьство, нъ въ благодѣти пространо ходить.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gal.4.22-Gal.4.31 — For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. Gal.4.23 — But the one born of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but the one born of the free woman through the promise. Gal.4.24 — These things are an allegory: for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Gal.4.25 — Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. Gal.4.26 — But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. Gal.4.27 — For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren one, you who have never given birth; break forth and shout, you who have never been in labor; for the children of the desolate woman are many, more than those of her who has a husband." Gal.4.28 — Now you, brothers, are children of promise, just as Isaac was. Gal.4.29 — But just as at that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. Gal.4.30 — But what does the Scripture say? 'Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not inherit with the son of the free woman.' Gal.4.31 — So, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
- ↩Luke.1.68 — Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and accomplished redemption for his people.
- ↩John.1.17 — For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- ↩Gen.21.8 — The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
- ↩Luke.3.23 — And Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began, being the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- ↩Matt.3.13-Matt.3.17;Mark.1.9-Mark.1.11;Luke.3.21-Luke.3.22;Titus.2.11 — Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. Matt.3.14 — But John tried to prevent him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Matt.3.15 — But Jesus answered him, "Permit it now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted him. Matt.3.16 — And when Jesus had been baptized, he immediately went up from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. Matt.3.17 — And behold, a voice from the heavens said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Mark.1.9 — And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. Mark.1.10 — And immediately, as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending to him. Mark.1.11 — And a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Luke.3.21 — Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, Luke.3.22 — and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, the Beloved; in you I am well pleased." Titus.2.11 — For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.
- ↩Luke.15.23 — And bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
- ↩Matt.3.17;Mark.1.11;Luke.3.22 — And behold, a voice from the heavens said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Mark.1.11 — And a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Luke.3.22 — and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, the Beloved; in you I am well pleased."
- ↩Gen.21.9 — Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.
- ↩Gal.4.30 — But what does the Scripture say? 'Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not inherit with the son of the free woman.'
- ↩Gen.21.10;Gal.4.30 — So she said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac." Gal.4.30 — But what does the Scripture say? 'Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not inherit with the son of the free woman.'
Notes
- 1 ↩Образъ rendered as 'figure' (typological image), not mere 'picture' or 'symbol', to keep the patristic sense of Old-Testament type fulfilled in the New.
- 2 ↩заключена бѣ keeps the biblical image of the womb being 'shut' by God (cf. Gen 16:2), not mere infertility; промыслъ rendered as providence.
- 3 ↩Безвѣстьная and таинаа pair unknown/unrevealed things with mysteries; неявима taken as 'not able to be manifested/made known,' not as eternally nonexistent.
- 4 ↩Благодѣть is personified Grace speaking to God, parallel to Sarah speaking to Abraham; keep the theological term Grace rather than a looser paraphrase.
- 5 ↩кущу плътяную is rendered 'tent of her flesh' to keep the Abrahamic tent typology: Mary's body is the living tent that receives the Lord, as Abraham's tent received the theophany.
- 6 ↩не болѣвьши is rendered 'without pain'; it can mean without suffering/labor, marking the painless, unforced reception of the Word in her flesh.
- 7 ↩благодѣть is rendered as grace (the chapter's governing term for the New Covenant gift), not merely 'favor' or 'kindness'.
- 8 ↩дояшеся continues the Isaac-weaning allegory: grace is still at the breast, not yet weaned into public strength, for the thirty hidden years of Christ’s life before the Jordan.
- 9 ↩тельцемь упитѣныим от вѣка is apposed to the beloved Son: Christ is the eternally prepared ‘fatted calf’ of the feast. Keep the sacrificial-feast image; do not flatten to a generic celebration.
- 10 ↩рабичишти maps the circumcising party as Hagar's slave-born line, and сыны свободныа maps the Christians as Sarah's freeborn line, continuing the chapter's allegory.
- 11 ↩работнааго закона is rendered "slavish Law" to keep the Hagar/slavery pole of the allegory; стѣню съ истиною keeps the shadow/truth contrast rather than paraphrasing it away.
- 12 ↩Source reading бысгь is treated as a corruption of бысть ('became/was').
- 13 ↩гърздится is rare; rendered as 'is cramped/hemmed in' (constraint under Law) over a more generic 'struggles' reading.
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