Judgment and Salvation

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

Psalm 3^[a]

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.^(A)

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[a] we were held in custody^(A) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(B) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(C) that we might be justified by faith.^{(D) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(E)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(F) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(G) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(H) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(I) nor is there male and female,^(J) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(K) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(L) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(M) and heirs^(N) according to the promise.^(O)

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 slavery^(P) under the elemental spiritual forces^[b] of the world.^{(Q) 4} But when the set time had fully come,^(R) God sent his Son,^(S) born of a woman,^(T) born under the law,^{(U) 5} to redeem^(V) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(W) to sonship.^{[c](X) 6} Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(Y) into our hearts,^(Z) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[d] Father.”^{(AA) 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.^(AB)

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)(B)

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,^[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^(C) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(D) I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.^(E)

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake^(F) and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet,^(G) dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed^(H) man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,^(I) because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.