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!