Galatians 4 | Strong's Bible

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Chapter 1 Chapter 2

CHAPTER 4

What

I am saying is that

as long as

the

heir

is

a child,

he is no different

from a slave,

although he is

the owner

of everything.

He is

subject to

guardians

and

trustees

until

the

date set

by his

father.

So

also,

when

we were

children,

we

were

enslaved

under

the

basic principles

of the

world.

But

when

the

time

had fully

come,

God

sent

His

Son,

born

of

a woman,

born

under

the Law,

to redeem

those

under

the Law,

that

we might receive

our

adoption as sons.

And

because

you are

sons,

God

sent

the

Spirit

of

His

Son

into

our

hearts,

crying out,

“Abba,

Father!”

So

you are

no longer

a slave,

but

a son;

and

since you are

a son,

you are also

an heir

through

God.

Formerly,

when you did not know

God,

you were slaves

to those who

by nature

are

not

gods.

But

now that

you know

God,

or rather

are known

by

God,

how is it that

you are turning

back

to

those

weak

and

worthless

principles?

Do you wish

to be enslaved

by them

all over

again?

You are observing

special days

and

months

and

seasons

and

years!

I fear

for you,

that

my efforts

for

you

may have been

in vain.

I beg

you,

brothers,

become

like

me,

for

I became

like

you.

You have done me no wrong.

You know

that

it was because of

an illness

that I first preached the gospel

to you.

And

although

my

illness

was a trial

to you,

you did not despise me

or

reject me.

Instead,

you welcomed

me

as if I were

an angel

of God,

as if I were

Christ

Jesus himself.

What

then has become

of your

blessing?

For

I can testify

that,

if

it were possible,

you would have torn out

your

eyes

and given them

to me.

Have I now become

your

enemy

by telling you the truth?

Those people are zealous for you,

but not

in a good way.

Instead,

they want

to isolate

you from us,

so that

you will be zealous

for them.

Nevertheless,

it is good

to be zealous

if it serves

a noble purpose—

at any time,

and

not

only

when

I am

with

you.

My

children,

for whom

I am again

in the pains of childbirth

until

Christ

is formed

in

you,

how

I wish

I could be

with

you

now

and

change

my

tone,

because

I am perplexed

about

you.

Tell

me,

you who

want

to be

under

the Law,

do you not understand what

the

Law says?

For

it is written

that

Abraham

had

two

sons,

one

by

the

slave woman

and

the other

by

the

free woman.

His son

by

the

slave woman

was born

according to

the flesh,

but

his son

by

the

free woman

was born because of

the

promise.

These things

serve as illustrations,

for

the women

represent

two

covenants.

One covenant

is from

Mount

Sinai

and bears children

into

slavery:

This

is

Hagar.

Now

Hagar

stands for

Mount

Sinai

in

Arabia

and

corresponds

to the

present-day

Jerusalem,

because

she is in slavery

with

her

children.

But

the

Jerusalem

above

is

free,

and she

is

our

mother.

For

it is written:

“Rejoice,

O barren woman,

who

bears no children;

break forth

and

cry aloud,

you who

have never

travailed;

because

more

are the

children

of the

desolate woman,

than

of her who

has

a husband."

Now

you,

brothers,

like

Isaac,

are

children

of the promise.

At that time,

however,

the son

born

by

the flesh

persecuted

the son born

by

the Spirit.

It is the same

now.

But

what

does the

Scripture

say?

“Expel

the

slave woman

and

her

son,

for

the

slave woman’s

son

will never share in the inheritance with

the

free woman’s

son.”

Therefore,

brothers,

we are

not

children

of the slave woman,

but

of the

free woman.

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