New American Standard Bible 1995

Galatians 4

Sonship in Christ

1Now I say, as long as the heir is a 1child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is 2owner of everything, 2but he is under guardians and 3managers until the date set by the father. 3So also we, while we were children, were held 4in bondage under the 5 6elemental things of the world. 4But when 7the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, 8born of a woman, born 9under 10the Law, 5so that He might redeem those who were under 11the Law, that we might receive the adoption as 12sons. 6Because you are sons, 13God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “14Abba! Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and 15if a son, then an heir 16through God.

8However at that time, 17when you did not know God, you were 18slaves to 19those which by nature are no gods. 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be 20known by God, 21how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless 22 23elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10You 24observe days and months and seasons and years. 11I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored 25over you in vain.

12I beg of you, 26brethren, 27become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13but you know that it was because of a 28bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the 29first time; 14and that which was a 30trial to you in my 31bodily condition you did not despise or 32loathe, but 33you received me as an angel of God, as 34Christ Jesus Himself. 15Where then is 35that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16So have I become your enemy 36by 37telling you the truth? 17They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable 38manner, and 39not only when I am present with you. 19 40My children, with whom 41I am again in labor until 42Christ is formed in you-- 20but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for 43I am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

21Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not 44listen to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, 45one by the bondwoman and 46one by the free woman. 23But 47the son by the bondwoman 48was born according to the flesh, and 49the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 50 51This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from 52Mount Sinai bearing children 53who are to be 54slaves; 55she is Hagar. 25Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But 56the Jerusalem above is free; 57she is our mother. 27For it is written, “58Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.” 28And you brethren, 59like Isaac, are 60children of promise. 29But as at that time 61he who was born according to the flesh 62persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, 63so it is now also. 30But what does the Scripture say? “64Cast out the bondwoman and her son, For 65the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” 31So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, 66but of the free woman.

Notes

1. Galatians 4:1 Or minor ↩
2. Galatians 4:1 Lit lord ↩
3. Galatians 4:2 Or stewards ↩
4. Galatians 4:3 Gal 2:4; 4:8f, 24f ↩
5. Galatians 4:3 Or rudimentary teachings or principles ↩
6. Galatians 4:3 Gal 4:9; Col 2:8, 20; Heb 5:12 ↩
7. Galatians 4:4 Mark 1:15 ↩
8. Galatians 4:4 John 1:14; Rom 1:3; 8:3; Phil 2:7 ↩
9. Galatians 4:4 Luke 2:21f, 27 ↩
10. Galatians 4:4 Or law ↩
11. Galatians 4:5 Or law ↩
12. Galatians 4:5 Rom 8:14; Gal 3:26 ↩
13. Galatians 4:6 Acts 16:7; Rom 5:5; 8:9, 16; 2 Cor 3:17 ↩
14. Galatians 4:6 Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15 ↩
15. Galatians 4:7 Rom 8:17 ↩
16. Galatians 4:7 I.e. through the gracious act of ↩
17. Galatians 4:8 1 Cor 1:21; Eph 2:12; 1 Thess 4:5; 2 Thess 1:8 ↩
18. Galatians 4:8 Gal 4:3 ↩
19. Galatians 4:8 2 Chr 13:9; Is 37:19; Jer 2:11; 1 Cor 8:4f; 10:20 ↩
20. Galatians 4:9 1 Cor 8:3 ↩
21. Galatians 4:9 Col 2:20 ↩
22. Galatians 4:9 Or rudimentary teachings or principles ↩
23. Galatians 4:9 Gal 4:3 ↩
24. Galatians 4:10 Rom 14:5; Col 2:16 ↩
25. Galatians 4:11 Or for ↩
26. Galatians 4:12 Gal 6:18 ↩
27. Galatians 4:12 2 Cor 6:11, 13 ↩
28. Galatians 4:13 Lit weakness of the flesh ↩
29. Galatians 4:13 Or former ↩
30. Galatians 4:14 Or temptation ↩
31. Galatians 4:14 Lit flesh ↩
32. Galatians 4:14 Lit spit out at ↩
33. Galatians 4:14 Matt 10:40; 1 Thess 2:13 ↩
34. Galatians 4:14 Gal 3:26 ↩
35. Galatians 4:15 Lit the congratulation of yourselves ↩
36. Galatians 4:16 Amos 5:10 ↩
37. Galatians 4:16 Or dealing truthfully with you ↩
38. Galatians 4:18 Or thing ↩
39. Galatians 4:18 Gal 4:13f ↩
40. Galatians 4:19 1 John 2:1 ↩
41. Galatians 4:19 1 Cor 4:15 ↩
42. Galatians 4:19 Eph 4:13 ↩
43. Galatians 4:20 2 Cor 4:8 ↩
44. Galatians 4:21 Luke 16:29 ↩
45. Galatians 4:22 Gen 16:15 ↩
46. Galatians 4:22 Gen 21:2 ↩
47. Galatians 4:23 Rom 9:7; Gal 4:29 ↩
48. Galatians 4:23 Lit has been born ↩
49. Galatians 4:23 Gen 17:16ff; 18:10ff; 21:1; Gal 4:28; Heb 11:11 ↩
50. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which ↩
51. Galatians 4:24 1 Cor 10:11 ↩
52. Galatians 4:24 Deut 33:2 ↩
53. Galatians 4:24 Lit into slavery ↩
54. Galatians 4:24 Gal 4:3 ↩
55. Galatians 4:24 Lit which ↩
56. Galatians 4:26 Heb 12:22; Rev 3:12; 21:2, 10 ↩
57. Galatians 4:26 Lit which ↩
58. Galatians 4:27 Is 54:1 ↩
59. Galatians 4:28 Gal 4:23 ↩
60. Galatians 4:28 Rom 9:7ff; Gal 3:29 ↩
61. Galatians 4:29 Gal 4:23 ↩
62. Galatians 4:29 Gen 21:9 ↩
63. Galatians 4:29 Gal 5:11 ↩
64. Galatians 4:30 Gen 21:10, 12 ↩
65. Galatians 4:30 John 8:35 ↩
66. Galatians 4:31 V 5:1, note 1 ↩

Sonship in Christ

Bond and Free

Notes

Commentaries on Galatians 4