Galatians 4–6

4Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, ²but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³Even so we, when we were children, ^awere in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴But ^bwhen the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, ^cborn ^1dof a woman, ^eborn under the law, ^5fto redeem those who were under the law, ^gthat we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶And because you are sons, God has sent forth ^hthe Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ²“Abba, Father!” ⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, ⁱand if a son, then an heir ³of God ⁴through Christ.

Fears for the Church

⁸But then, indeed, ^jwhen you did not know God, ^kyou served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹But now ^lafter you have known God, or rather are known by God, ^mhow is it that you turn again to ⁿthe weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ^10oYou observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹I am afraid for you, ^plest I have labored for you in vain.

¹²Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. ^qYou have not injured me at all. ¹³You know that ^rbecause of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me ^sas an ⁵angel of God, ^teven as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵⁶What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷They ^uzealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. ¹⁸But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. ^19vMy little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Two Covenants

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^wthe one by a bondwoman, ^xthe other by a freewoman. ²³But he who was of the bondwoman ^ywas born according to the flesh, ^zand he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴which things are symbolic. For these are ⁷the two covenants: the one from Mount ^aSinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—²⁵for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—²⁶but the ^bJerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷For it is written:

^c“Rejoice, O barren,

You who do not bear!

Break forth and shout,

You who are not in labor!

For the desolate has many more children

Than she who has a husband.”

²⁸Now ^dwe, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^echildren of promise. ²⁹But, as ^fhe who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^geven so it is now. ³⁰Nevertheless what does ^hthe Scripture say? ⁱ“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^jthe son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Christian Liberty

5Stand ^a1fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a ^byoke of bondage. ²Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^cif you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised ^dthat he is ²a debtor to keep the whole law. ^4eYou have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; ^fyou have fallen from grace. ⁵For we through the Spirit eagerly ^gwait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶For ^hin Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but ⁱfaith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law

⁷You ^jran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ^9kA little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

¹¹And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, ^lwhy do I still suffer persecution? Then ^mthe offense of the cross has ceased. ¹²ⁿI could wish that those ^owho trouble you would even ³cut themselves off!

¹³For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only ^pdo not use liberty as an ^qopportunity for the flesh, but ^rthrough love serve one another. ¹⁴For ^sall the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ^t“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶I say then: ^uWalk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^vthe flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, ^wso that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸But ^xif you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹Now ^ythe works of the flesh are evident, which are: ⁴adultery, ⁵fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, ⁶murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that ^zthose who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But ^athe fruit of the Spirit is ^blove, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, ^cgoodness, ^dfaithfulness, ²³⁷gentleness, self-control. ^eAgainst such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s ^fhave crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ^25gIf we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ^26hLet us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear and Share the Burdens

6Brethren, if a man is ¹overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of ^agentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ^2bBear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill ^cthe law of Christ. ³For ^dif anyone thinks himself to be something, when ^ehe is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴But ^flet each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and ^gnot in another. ⁵For ^heach one shall bear his own load.

Be Generous and Do Good

⁶ⁱLet him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for ^jwhatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap ^keverlasting life. ⁹And ^llet us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap ^mif we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ⁿTherefore, as we have opportunity, ^olet us do good to all, ^pespecially to those who are of the household of faith.

Glory Only in the Cross

¹¹See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! ¹²As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, ^qonly that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴But God forbid that I should boast except in the ^rcross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by ²whom the world has been crucified to me, and ^sI to the world. ¹⁵For ^tin Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

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

¹⁸Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.