Galatians 3:15–4:31
15 Brothers and sisters,u let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.v Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”i w meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 yearsx later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;y but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressionsz until the Seeda to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angelsb and entrusted to a mediator.c 20 A mediator,d however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!e For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.f 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,g so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith,j we were held in custodyh under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.i 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ camej that we might be justified by faith.k 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.l
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of Godm through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christn have clothed yourselves with Christ.o 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,p nor is there male and female,q for you are all one in Christ Jesus.r 29 If you belong to Christ,s then you are Abraham’s seed,t and heirsu according to the promise.v
4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slaveryw under the elemental spiritual forcesa of the world.x 4 But when the set time had fully come,y God sent his Son,z born of a woman,a born under the law,b 5 to redeemc those under the law, that we might receive adoptiond to sonship.b e 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Sonf into our hearts,g the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,c Father.”h 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.i
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 Formerly, when you did not know God,j you were slavesk to those who by nature are not gods.l 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by Godm—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forcesd? Do you wish to be enslavedn by them all over again?o 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!p 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.q
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters,r become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illnesss that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.t 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?u
17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.v 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.w 19 My dear children,x for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,y 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law,z are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave womana and the other by the free woman.b 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,c but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.d
24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is abovee is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”e f
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.g 29 At that time the son born according to the fleshh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.i It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”f j 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,k but of the free woman.l