⁸But at that time when you^* did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods. ⁹But now, because you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them^b all over again? ¹⁰You carefully observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹I am afraid for you, lest perhaps I have labored for you in vain! ¹²I ask you, brothers, become like me, because I also have become like you. You have done me no wrong!

Paul’s Personal Appeal

¹³But you know that because of an illness of the flesh I proclaimed the gospel to you the first time. ¹⁴And you did not despise or disdain what was a trial for you in my flesh, but you welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus. ¹⁵So where is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me! ¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy by^* being truthful to you? ¹⁷They zealously seek you, not commendably, but they want to exclude you, in order that you may seek them zealously. ¹⁸But it is good to be sought zealously in good at all times, and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹My children, for whom I am having birth pains again, until Christ is formed in you! ²⁰But I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone because I am perplexed about you.

Read in Logos

Galatians 4:8–9: Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again…?

Footnotes

*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as temporal
bLiterally “to whom”
*Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being truthful”) which is understood as means