Galatians 4–5

4TH CHAPTER

You Are God’s Children

¹Let me explain further. As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything. ²He is placed under the control of guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³It was the same way with us. When we were children, we were slaves to the principles of this world. ⁴But when the right time came, God sent his Son ⸤into the world⸥. A woman gave birth to him, and he came under the control of the laws given to Moses. ⁵God sent him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children. ⁶Because you are God’s children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into us to call out, “Abba!^aFather!” ⁷So you are no longer slaves but God’s children. Since you are God’s children, God has also made you heirs. 

⁸When you didn’t know God, you were slaves to things which are really not gods at all. ⁹But now you know God, or rather, God knows you. So how can you turn back again to the powerless and bankrupt principles of this world? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? ¹⁰You religiously observe days, months, seasons, and years! ¹¹I’m afraid for you. Maybe the hard work I spent on you has been wasted. 

What Happened to Your Positive Attitude?

¹²Brothers and sisters, I beg you to become like me. After all, I became like you were. 

You didn’t do anything wrong to me. ¹³You know that the first time I brought you the Good News I was ill. ¹⁴Even though my illness was difficult for you, you didn’t despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were God’s messenger^bor Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵What happened to your positive attitude? It’s a fact that if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Can it be that I have become your enemy for telling you the truth? 

¹⁷These people ⸤who distort the Good News⸥ are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They don’t want you to associate with me so that you will be devoted only to them. ¹⁸(Devotion to a good cause is always good, even when I’m not with you.) 

¹⁹My children, I am suffering birth pains for you again until Christ is formed in you. ²⁰I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice. I’m completely puzzled by what you’ve done! 

You Are Children of the Promise

²¹Those who want to be controlled by Moses’ laws should tell me something. Are you really listening to what Moses’ Teachings say? ²²Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by a woman who was a slave and the other by a free woman. ²³Now, the son of the slave woman was conceived in a natural way, but the son of the free woman was conceived through a promise ⸤made to Abraham⸥. 

²⁴I’m going to use these historical events as an illustration. The women illustrate two arrangements.^cThe one woman, Hagar, is the arrangement made on Mount Sinai. Her children are born into slavery. ²⁵Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is like Jerusalem today because she and her children are slaves. ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷Scripture says: 

“Rejoice, women who cannot get pregnant, 

who cannot give birth to any children! 

Break into shouting, those who feel no pains of childbirth! 

Because the deserted woman will have more children 

than the woman who has a husband.” 

²⁸Now you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 

²⁹Furthermore, at that time the son who was conceived in a natural way persecuted the son conceived in a spiritual way. That’s exactly what’s happening now. ³⁰But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, because the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.” ³¹Brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman but of the free woman. 

5TH CHAPTER

Live in the Freedom That Christ Gives You

¹Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm ⸤in this freedom⸥, and don’t become slaves again. 

²I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand. ⁴Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor.^a5However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval. ⁶As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love. 

⁷You were doing so well. Who stopped you from being influenced by the truth? ⁸The arguments of the person who is influencing you do not come from the one who is calling you. ⁹A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰The Lord gives me confidence that you will not disagree with this. However, the one who is confusing you will suffer God’s judgment regardless of who he is. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the cross wouldn’t be offensive anymore. ¹²I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves. 

¹³You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. ¹⁴All of Moses’ Teachings are summarized in a single statement, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ¹⁵But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don’t destroy each other. 

¹⁶Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. ¹⁷What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do. ¹⁸If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject to Moses’ laws. 

¹⁹Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, ²⁰idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit God’s kingdom. 

²²But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws against things like that. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. ²⁶We can’t allow ourselves to act arrogantly and to provoke or envy each other.