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Galatians 3:23-4:31
New American Standard Bible

23 But before faith came, [a]we were kept in custody under the Law, (A)being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our [b](B)guardian to lead us to Christ, so that (C)we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a [c](D)guardian. 26 For you are all (E)sons and daughters of God through faith in (F)Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were (G)baptized into Christ have (H)clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 (I)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is [d]neither male nor female; for (J)you are all one in (K)Christ Jesus. 29 And if (L)you [e]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s [f]descendants, heirs according to (M)promise.

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a [g]child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is [h]owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and [i]managers until the [j]date set by the father. 3 So we too, when we were children, were held (N)in bondage under the [k](O)elementary principles of the world. 4 But when (P)the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, (Q)born of a woman, born (R)under [l]the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under [m]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as (S)sons and daughters. 6 Because you are sons, (T)God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “(U)Abba! [n]Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and (V)if a son, then an heir [o]through God.

8 However at that time, (W)when you did not know God, you were (X)slaves to (Y)those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be (Z)known by God, (AA)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [p](AB)elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You (AC)meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [q]over you in vain.

12 I beg of you, (AD)brothers and sisters, (AE)become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a [r]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the [s]first time; 14 and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my [t]bodily condition, nor express contempt, but (AF)you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is [u]that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy (AG)by [v]telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not [w]in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought [x]in a commendable way, and (AH)not only when I am present with you. 19 (AI)My children, with whom (AJ)I am again in labor until (AK)Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for (AL)I am at a loss about you!

Slave and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not (AM)listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (AN)one by the slave woman and (AO)one by the free woman. 23 But (AP)the son by the slave woman [y]was born according to the flesh, and (AQ)the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [z](AR)This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from (AS)Mount Sinai giving birth to children [aa]who are to be (AT)slaves; [ab]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26 But (AU)the Jerusalem above is free; [ac]she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“(AV)Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
Than those of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you, brothers and sisters, (AW)like Isaac, are (AX)children of promise. 29 But as at that time (AY)the son who was born according to the flesh (AZ)persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, (BA)so it is even now. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

“(BB)Drive out the slave woman and her son,
For (BC)the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:23 I.e., the Jews
  2. Galatians 3:24 I.e., children’s escort and supervisor
  3. Galatians 3:25 See note v 24
  4. Galatians 3:28 Lit not male and female
  5. Galatians 3:29 Lit are Christ’s
  6. Galatians 3:29 Lit seed
  7. Galatians 4:1 Or minor
  8. Galatians 4:1 Lit lord
  9. Galatians 4:2 Or stewards
  10. Galatians 4:2 I.e., when the child is no longer a minor
  11. Galatians 4:3 Or rudimentary teachings
  12. Galatians 4:4 Or law
  13. Galatians 4:5 Or law
  14. Galatians 4:6 I.e., Paul’s translation of the Aramaic Abba
  15. Galatians 4:7 I.e., through the gracious act of
  16. Galatians 4:9 Or rudimentary teachings
  17. Galatians 4:11 Or for
  18. Galatians 4:13 Lit weakness of the flesh
  19. Galatians 4:13 Or former
  20. Galatians 4:14 Lit flesh
  21. Galatians 4:15 I.e., considering yourselves fortunate
  22. Galatians 4:16 Or dealing truthfully with you
  23. Galatians 4:17 Or with good intentions
  24. Galatians 4:18 Or with good intentions
  25. Galatians 4:23 Lit has been born
  26. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which
  27. Galatians 4:24 Lit into slavery
  28. Galatians 4:24 Lit which
  29. Galatians 4:26 Lit which
Close NLT

Galatians 3:23-4:31
New Living Translation

God’s Children through Faith

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children[a] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.[b] 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,[c] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children[d] of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

4 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles[e] of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.[f] 6 And because we[g] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[h] 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.[i] And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters,[j] I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Abraham’s Two Children

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.[k] 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia,[l] because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
    you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband!”[m]

28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[n] 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Footnotes

  1. 3:26 Greek sons.
  2. 3:27 Greek have put on Christ.
  3. 3:28 Greek Jew or Greek.
  4. 3:29 Greek seed.
  5. 4:3 Or powers; also in 4:9.
  6. 4:5 Greek sons; also in 4:6.
  7. 4:6a Greek you.
  8. 4:6b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”
  9. 4:7 Greek son; also in 4:7b.
  10. 4:12 Greek brothers; also in 4:28, 31.
  11. 4:22 See Gen 16:15; 21:2-3.
  12. 4:25 Greek And Hagar, which is Mount Sinai in Arabia, is now like Jerusalem; other manuscripts read And Mount Sinai in Arabia is now like Jerusalem.
  13. 4:27 Isa 54:1.
  14. 4:30 Gen 21:10.
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