A “NoN-ETHNIC” PEoPlE? 115 If one relates Paul’s argument strictly to Isaac and Ishmael, the distinction in question cannot have anything to do with physical birth as opposed to some other kind of birth, since both Isaac and Ishmael seem to have been born in the same way 50. However, Paul does not restrict the distinction in question to Isaac and Ishmael; he uses Abra- ham’s two sons as representatives for contemporary people groups, ascribing an allegorical significance to the distinction between the births of Isaac and Ishmael (Gal 4,24). The distinction between Abraham’s two sons, and the ways in which they were born, corresponds to groups of people who now stand in a social conflict: “But just as then the child of the flesh persecuted the child of the Spirit, it is the same now” (Gal 4,29). In light of the larger context in Galatians, there can hardly be any doubt that the persecution in question, carried out by the “child of the flesh”, must refer to the persecution of the Jesus move- ment carried out by Jewish groups (cf. Gal 1,13.23; 5,11; 6,12) 51. This implies that the “child of flesh” is identified as Jewish 52. In light of Paul’s argument in Gal 3,1-14, the child of the Spirit must include the non-Jewish Galatians. To be born of the Spirit is thus not a matter of belonging to the correct physical lineage from Abraham — the one through Isaac as opposed to the one through Ishmael. It is rather a mat- ter of having received the Spirit, thereby participating in the kind of sonship which Isaac allegorically represents in contrast to Ishmael 53. Although Paul does not make this explicit in Gal 3,29, it is thus evident that he is able to imagine two different interpretations of the phrase “descendant of Abraham”. The phrase could be taken to refer to all those who are descendants of Abraham according to the flesh. An understanding of descent from Abraham, according to which one has to be Jewish to be counted as heir of the promises given to him, would explain why the Galatians were under pressure to join the Jew- ish people through circumcision, and it would also explain why Paul found it necessary to convince his non-Jewish audience that they were already descendants of Abraham. In other words, Paul’s rhetoric in reference to the fact that his opponents wanted to use circumcision “on the flesh” (Gal 6,13) as a way of identifying the family of Abraham. 50 Correctly pointed out by J.D.G. DuNN, The Epistle to the Galatians (BNTC; london 1993) 247. 51 MARTYN, Galatians, 444-445, suggests that Paul might be referring specif- ically to persecution carried out by “false brothers” (cf. 2,4). 52 Paul also elsewhere refers to his relationship to fellow Jews as being through the flesh (Rom 9,3-5). 53 BoER, Galatians, 305.