Galatians 4

1What I am sayingG3004 is that as long asG1909G3745G5550 theG3588 heirG2818 isG1510 a childG3516, he is no differentG1308G3762 from a slaveG1401, although he isG1510 the ownerG2962 of everythingG3956. 2He isG1510 subject toG5259 guardiansG2012 andG2532 trusteesG3623 untilG891 theG3588 date setG4287 byG3588 his fatherG3962.

3SoG3779 alsoG2532, whenG3753 we wereG1510 childrenG3516, weG1473 wereG1510 enslavedG1402 underG5259 theG3588 basic principlesG47471 of theG3588 worldG2889. 4ButG1161 whenG3753 theG3588 timeG5550 had fullyG4138 comeG2064, GodG2316 sentG1821 HisG846 SonG5207, bornG1096 ofG1537 a womanG1135, bornG1096 underG5259 the lawG3551, 5to redeemG1805 thoseG3588 underG5259 the lawG3551, thatG2443 we might receiveG618 our adoption as sonsG5206. 6AndG1161 becauseG3754 you areG1510 sonsG5207, GodG2316 sentG1821 theG3588 SpiritG4151 ofG3588 HisG846 SonG5207 intoG1519 ourG1473 heartsG2588, crying outG2896, “AbbaG5, FatherG3962!” 7SoG5620 you areG1510 no longerG3765 a slaveG1401, butG235 a sonG5207; andG1161 sinceG1487 you are a sonG5207, you are alsoG2532 an heirG2818 throughG1223 GodG2316.

8

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

FormerlyG5119, when you did not knowG3756G1492 GodG2316, you were slavesG1398 to those whoG3588 by natureG5449 areG1510 notG3361 godsG2316. 9ButG1161 now thatG3568 you knowG1097 GodG2316, or ratherG3123 are knownG1161G1097 byG5259 GodG2316, howG4459 is it that you are turningG1994 backG3825 toG1909 thoseG3588 weakG772 andG2532 worthlessG4434 principlesG4747? Do you wishG2309 to be enslavedG1398 byG3739 them all overG509 againG3825? 10You are observingG3906 special daysG2250 andG2532 monthsG3376 andG2532 seasonsG2540 andG2532 yearsG1763! 11I fearG5399 for youG4771, that my effortsG2872 forG1519 youG4771 may have beenG4459 in vainG1500. 12I begG1189 youG4771, brothersG80, becomeG1096 likeG5613 meG1473, forG3754 I becameG2504 likeG5613 youG4771. You have done me no wrongG91G1473G3762.

13

You knowG1492 thatG3754 it was because ofG1223 an illnessG769G3588G4561 that I first preached the gospelG2097G3588G4386 to youG4771. 14AndG2532 although myG1473 illness was a trialG3986 to youG4771, you did not despiseG3756G1848 or rejectG1609 me. InsteadG235, you welcomedG1209 meG1473 as ifG5613 I were an angelG32 of GodG2316, as ifG5613 I were ChristG5547 JesusG2424 Himself. 15WhatG4226 thenG3767 has become of yourG4771 blessingG3108? ForG1063 I can testifyG3140 thatG3754, ifG1487 it were possibleG1415, you would have torn outG1846 yourG4771 eyesG3788 and givenG1325 them to meG1473. 16Have I now becomeG5620G1096 yourG4771 enemyG2190 by telling you the truthG226G4771?

17Those people are zealous for youG2206G4771, but notG3756 in a good wayG2573. InsteadG235, they wantG2309 to isolateG1576 youG4771 from us, so thatG2443 you may be zealousG2206 for themG846. 18NeverthelessG1161, it is goodG2570 to be zealousG2206 if it servesG1722 a nobleG2570 purpose—at any timeG3842, andG2532 notG3361 onlyG3440 whenG1722 I amG1473 withG3918G4314 youG4771.

19MyG1473 childrenG5043, for whomG3739 I am againG3825 in the pains of childbirthG5605 untilG3360 ChristG5547 is formedG3445 inG1722 youG4771, 20how I wishG2309 I could beG3918 withG4314 youG4771 nowG737 andG2532 changeG236 myG1473 toneG5456, becauseG3754 I am perplexedG639 aboutG1722 youG4771.

Hagar and Sarah

(Genesis 21:9–21)

21TellG3004 meG1473, you whoG3588 wantG2309 to beG1510 underG5259 the lawG3551, do you not understandG3756G191 what theG3588 lawG3551 says? 22ForG1063 it is writtenG1125 thatG3754 AbrahamG11 hadG2192 twoG1417 sonsG5207, oneG1520 byG1537 theG3588 slave womanG3814 andG2532 the other byG1537 theG3588 freeG1658 woman.2 23HisG3588 son byG1537 theG3588 slave womanG3814 was bornG1080 according toG2596 the fleshG4561, but his son byG1537 theG3588 freeG1658 woman was born throughG1223 theG3588 promiseG1860.

24TheseG3748 things serve as illustrationsG1510G238, forG1063 the women representG1510 twoG1417 covenantsG1242. OneG1520 covenant is fromG575 MountG3735 SinaiG4614 and bears childrenG1080 intoG1519 slaveryG1397: ThisG3748 isG1510 HagarG28. 25NowG1161 HagarG28 stands forG1510 MountG3735 SinaiG4614 inG1722 ArabiaG688 andG1161 correspondsG4960 to theG3588 present-dayG3568 JerusalemG2419, becauseG1063 she is in slaveryG1398 withG3326 herG846 childrenG5043. 26ButG1161 theG3588 JerusalemG2419 aboveG507 isG1510 freeG1658, and she isG1510 ourG1473 motherG3384. 27ForG1063 it is writtenG1125:

28NowG1161 youG4771,4 brothersG80, likeG2596 IsaacG2464, areG1510 childrenG5043 of promiseG1860. 29At that timeG5119, howeverG235, theG3588 son bornG1080 byG2596 the fleshG4561 persecutedG1377 theG3588 son born byG2596 the SpiritG4151. It is the sameG5618G3779G2532 nowG3568.

30ButG235 whatG5101 does theG3588 ScriptureG1124 sayG3004? “ExpelG1544 theG3588 slave womanG3814 andG2532 herG846 sonG5207, forG1063 theG3588 slave woman’sG3588G3814 sonG5207 will never share in the inheritanceG3756G3361G2816 withG3326 theG3588 freeG3588G1658 woman’s sonG5207.”5 31ThereforeG1352, brothersG80, we areG1510 notG3756 childrenG5043 of the slave womanG3814, butG235 of theG3588 freeG1658 woman.