4 Here is what I have been saying. As long as your own children are young, they are no different from slaves in your house. They are no different, even though they own all of the property. 2They are under the care of guardians and those who manage the property. They are under their care until the time when their fathers give them the property. 3It is the same with us. When we were children, we were slaves to the basic things the people of the world believe.

4But then the right time came. God sent his Son. A woman gave birth to him. He was born under the authority of the law. 5He came to set free those who were under the law. He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have.

6Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God “Abba.” Abba means Father.

7So you aren’t slaves any longer. You are God’s children. Because you are his children, he gives you what he promised to give his people.

Paul’s Concern for the Believers in Galatia

8At one time you didn’t know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all. 9But now you know God. Even better, God knows you. So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless beliefs? Do you want to be slaves to them all over again?

10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Paul’s Appeal to the Believers

12I make my appeal to you, brothers and sisters. I’m asking you to become like me. After all, I became like you. You didn’t do anything wrong to me.

13As you know, it was because I was sick that I first preached the good news to you. 14My sickness was hard on you. But you didn’t put me off. You didn’t make fun of me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God. You welcomed me as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

15What has happened to all of your joy? If you could have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, you would have. I can give witness to that. 16Have I become your enemy now by telling you the truth?

17Those people are trying hard to win you over. But it is not for your good. They want to take you away from us. They want you to commit yourselves to them. 18It is fine to be committed to something, if the purpose is good. And you shouldn’t be committed only when I am with you. You should always be committed.

19My dear children, I am in pain for you. Once again I have pain like a woman giving birth. And my pain will continue until Christ makes you like himself.

20I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could change my tone of voice. As it is, you bewilder me.

Hagar and Sarah

21You who want to be under the authority of the law, tell me something. Don’t you know what the law says? 22It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one. 23Abraham’s son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God’s promise.

24Those things can be taken as examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar. 25Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves.

26But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother. 27It is written,

“Be glad, woman,

you who have no children.

Start shouting,

you who have no labor pains.

The woman who is all alone has more children

than the woman who has a husband.” (Isaiah 54:1)

28Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was. 29At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the son born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.

30But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property with the free woman’s son.” (Genesis 21:10)

31Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.