Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you ^(A)are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For ^(B)as many of you as were baptized into Christ ^(C)have put on Christ. ^28 (D)There is neither Jew nor Greek, ^(E)there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ^(F)one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(G)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^(H)seed, and ^(I)heirs according to the promise.

Sons and Heirs Through Christ

4 Now 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, ² but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, ^(J)were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But ^(K)when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, ^(L)born^{[a] (M)}of a woman, ^(N)born under the law, ^5 (O)to redeem those who were under the law, ^(P)that we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth ^(Q)the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ^[b]“Abba, Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, ^(R)and if a son, then an heir ^[c]of God ^[d]through Christ.

Fears for the Church

⁸ But then, indeed, ^(S)when you did not know God, ^(T)you served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now ^(U)after you have known God, or rather are known by God, ^(V)how is it that you turn again to ^(W)the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ^10 (X)You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, ^(Y)lest I have labored for you in vain.

¹² Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. ^(Z)You have not injured me at all. ¹³ You know that ^(AA)because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me ^(AB)as an ^[e]angel of God, ^(AC)even as Christ Jesus. ^15 [f]What 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. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

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

Two Covenants^(AF)

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

²⁸ Now ^(AN)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(AO)children of promise. ²⁹ But, as ^(AP)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(AQ)even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does ^(AR)the Scripture say? ^(AS)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^(AT)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Christian Liberty

5 ^(AU)Stand^[h] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a ^(AV)yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^(AW)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

¹⁵ So ^(A)Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

The Sign of the Covenant^(B)

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord ^(C)appeared to Abram and said to him, ^(D)“I am ^[a]Almighty God; ^(E)walk before Me and be ^(F)blameless. ² And I will make My ^(G)covenant between Me and you, and ^(H)will multiply you exceedingly.” ³ Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: ⁴ “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be ^(I)a father of ^[b]many nations. ⁵ No longer shall ^(J)your name be called ^[c]Abram, but your name shall be ^[d]Abraham; ^(K)for I have made you a father of ^[e]many nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make ^(L)nations of you, and ^(M)kings shall come from you.

¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but ^[a]Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ And I will bless her ^(A)and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother ^(B)of nations; ^(C)kings of peoples shall be from her.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face ^(D)and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham ^(E)said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, ^(F)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My ^(G)covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and ^(H)will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget ^(I)twelve princes, ^(J)and I will make him a great nation. ²¹ But My ^(K)covenant I will establish with Isaac, ^(L)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this ^(M)set time next year.” ²² Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

So he said, “Here, ^(A)in the tent.”

¹⁰ And He said, “I will certainly return to you ^(B)according to the time of life, and behold, ^(C)Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) ¹¹ Now ^(D)Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and ^[a]Sarah ^(E)had passed the age of childbearing. ¹² Therefore Sarah ^(F)laughed within herself, saying, ^(G)“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my ^(H)lord being old also?”

¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ^14 (I)Is anything too hard for the Lord? ^(J)At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Isaac Is Born^(A)

21 And the Lord ^(B)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah ^(C)as He had spoken. ² For Sarah ^(D)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, ^(E)at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—^(F)Isaac.^{[a] 4} Then Abraham ^(G)circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, ^(H)as God had commanded him. ⁵ Now ^(I)Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁶ And Sarah said, ^(J)“God has ^[b]made me laugh, and all who hear ^(K)will laugh with me.” ⁷ She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? ^(L)For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

²³ When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and ^(A)encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.