Galatians 4
1 My point is this – as long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.
NOW I affirm, that as long as the heir is an infant, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be master of all;
2 He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them.
but is under tutors and trustees until the time fixed by his father.
3 And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world;
So we also, when we were infants, were in bondage under the first elementary principles of the world:
4 but, when the full time came, God sent his Son – born a woman’s child, born subject to Law –
but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.
that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And it is because you are sons that God sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, with the cry – ‘Abba, our Father.’
But because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father!
7 You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God’s appointment.
Therefore thou art no more a slave, but a son, and if a son, an heir also of God through Christ.
8 Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to ‘gods’ which were no gods.
But at that time when ye knew not God, ye served those who by nature are not gods.
9 But now that you have found God – or, rather, have been found by him – how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?
But now after having known God, or rather being known of God, how turn ye back again to those weak and beggarly elements, to which again a second time ye desire to be in bondage?
10 You are scrupulous in keeping days and months and seasons and years!
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 You make me fear that the labor which I have spent on you may have been wasted.
I am afraid for you, lest haply I have bestowed on you labour in vain.
12 I entreat you, friends, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.
Be as I am, for I also am as ye are, brethren―this is my request to you: ye have not injured me in the least.
13 You remember that it was owing to bodily infirmity that on the first occasion I told you the good news.
Ye know that with infirmity of flesh I preached to you the gospel at the first.
14 And as for what must have tried you in my condition, it did not inspire you with scorn or disgust, but you welcomed me as if I had been an angel of God – or Christ Jesus himself!
And my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected with disgust; but as an angel of God ye received me, even as Christ Jesus himself.
15 What has become then, of your blessings? For I can bear witness that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me!
What then was your blessedness, for I bear witness to you that, if it were possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me.
16 Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 Certain people are seeking your favor, but with no honorable object. No, indeed, they want to isolate you, so that you will have to seek their favor.
They affect zeal for you, not honourably; but they wish to exclude us, that you may be zealously attached to them.
18 It is always honorable to have your favor sought in an honorable cause, and not only when I am with you, my dear children –
It is good indeed to be zealously affected in a good cause always, and not only when I am present with you.
19 you for whom I am again enduring a mother’s pains, until a likeness to Christ will have been formed in you.
My little children of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you,
20 But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.
I wish I could be with you now, and change my address; for I am in doubt about you.
21 Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law – Why don’t you listen to the Law?
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one the child of the slave-woman and the other the child of the free woman.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free.
23 But the child of the slave-woman was born in the course of nature, while the child of the free woman was born in fulfillment of a promise.
Now the son of the bond-maid was born after the flesh, but that by the free woman was by promise.
24 This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two covenants. One covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar.
Which things are allegorical; for these are the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, gendering unto bondage, which is represented by Agar.
25 Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents the Jerusalem of today, for she and her children are in slavery.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds with Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she it is who is our mother.
But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For scripture says – ‘Rejoice, you barren one, who have never given birth, break into shouts, you who are never in labor, for many are the children of her who is desolate – yes, more than of her who has a husband.’
For it is written, “Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not, cry out and shout for joy, thou that travailest not, for more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her which had an husband.”
28 As for ourselves, friends, we, like Isaac, are children born in fulfillment of a promise.
So we, brethren, as Isaac, are the children of the promise.
29 Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now.
30 But what does the passage of scripture say? ‘Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave’s son will not be coheir with the son of the free woman.’
But what saith the scripture? “Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-maid shall in no wise inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31 And so, friends, we are not children of a slave, but of her who is free.
So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
