^4 (A)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(B)slipped in to spy out ^(C)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(D)so that they might bring us into slavery—

⁴ For ^(A)certain people ^(B)have crept in unnoticed ^(C)who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert ^(D)the grace of our God into sensuality and ^(E)deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(A)freedom Christ has ^(B)set us free; ^(C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(D)a yoke of ^(E)slavery.

¹² I wish ^(A)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(B)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(C)serve one another.

⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(A)to be known by God, ^(B)how can you turn back again to ^(C)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10 (D)You observe days and months and seasons and years!

³ In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(A)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[a] of the world.

²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(A)danger from my own people, ^(B)danger from Gentiles, ^(C)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;

Test the Spirits

4 Beloved, ^(A)do not believe every spirit, but ^(B)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for ^(C)many ^(D)false prophets ^(E)have gone out into the world.

¹⁹ They promise them ^(A)freedom, ^(B)but they themselves are slaves^[a] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.