Galatians 4–6

Sons and Heirs

4I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,¹ though he is the owner of everything, ²but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³In the same way we also, when we were children, ^cwere enslaved to the elementary principles² of the world. ⁴But ^dwhen the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^eborn ^fof woman, born ^gunder the law, ^5hto redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ⁱadoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent ^jthe Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^kan heir through God.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you ^ldid not know God, you ^mwere enslaved to those that by nature ⁿare not gods. ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^oto be known by God, ^phow can you turn back again to ^qthe weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10rYou observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I am afraid ^sI may have labored over you in vain.

¹²Brothers,^{3 t}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^uYou did me no wrong. ¹³You know it was ^vbecause of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^wat first, ¹⁴and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^xas an angel of God, ^yas Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I then become your enemy by ^ztelling you the truth?^{4 17}They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^anot only when I am present with you, ^19bmy little children, ^cfor whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^dis formed in you! ²⁰I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^eone by a slave woman and ^fone by a free woman. ²³But ^gthe son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^hthe son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ⁱcovenants. ^jOne is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;⁵ she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But ^kthe Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,

^l“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;

break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!

For the children of the desolate one will be more

than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸Now you,⁶ brothers, ^mlike Isaac, ⁿare children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^opersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^pso also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? ^q“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^rof the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5For ^sfreedom Christ has ^tset us free; ^ustand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^va yoke of ^wslavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^xif you accept circumcision, ^yChrist will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^zhe is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are ^asevered from Christ, ^byou who would be justified¹ by the law; ^cyou have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^dwait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus ^eneither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^fonly faith working through love.

^7gYou were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^hthe truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from ⁱhim who calls you. ^9jA little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10kI have confidence in the Lord that you will ^ltake no other view, and ^mthe one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,² still preach³ circumcision, ⁿwhy am I still being persecuted? In that case ^othe offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish ^pthose who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^qOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^rserve one another. ¹⁴For ^sthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^t“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you ^ubite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶But I say, ^vwalk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^wthe desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^xthe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^yto keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are ^zled by the Spirit, ^ayou are not under the law. ¹⁹Now ^bthe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^cdivisions, ²¹envy,⁴ drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^dthose who do⁵ such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But ^ethe fruit of the Spirit is ^flove, joy, peace, patience, ^gkindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23hgentleness, ⁱself-control; ^jagainst such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^khave crucified the flesh with its ^lpassions and desires.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, ^mlet us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ⁿLet us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

6Brothers,^{1 o}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^pyou who are spiritual should restore him in ^qa spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2rBear one another’s burdens, and ^sso fulfill ^tthe law of Christ. ³For ^uif anyone thinks he is something, ^vwhen he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴But let each one ^wtest his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵For ^xeach will have to bear his own load.

^6yLet the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7zDo not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^awhatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸For ^bthe one who sows to his own flesh ^cwill from the flesh reap corruption, but ^dthe one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹And ^elet us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^fif we do not give up. ¹⁰So then, ^gas we have opportunity, let us ^hdo good to everyone, and especially to those who are ⁱof the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹See with what large letters I am writing to you ^jwith my own hand. ^12kIt is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^lwho would force you to be circumcised, and only ^min order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴But far be it from me to boast ⁿexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which² the world ^ohas been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵For ^pneither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^qa new creation. ¹⁶And as for all who walk by this rule, ^rpeace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^sthe Israel of God.

¹⁷From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18tThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^uwith your spirit, brothers. Amen.