²⁶ For you are all ^(A)sons and daughters of God through faith in ^(B)Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were ^(C)baptized into Christ have ^(D)clothed yourselves with Christ. ^28 (E)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is ^[a]neither male nor female; for ^(F)you are all one in ^(G)Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ^(H)you ^[b]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s ^[c]descendants, heirs according to ^(I)promise.

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a ^[a]child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is ^[b]owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and ^[c]managers until the ^[d]date set by the father. ³ So we too, when we were children, were held ^(A)in bondage under the ^[e](B)elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when ^(C)the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, ^(D)born of a woman, born ^(E)under ^[f]the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under ^[g]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as ^(F)sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, ^(G)God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “^(H)Abba! ^[h]Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and ^(I)if a son, then an heir ^[i]through God.

⁸ However at that time, ^(J)when you did not know God, you were ^(K)slaves to ^(L)those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^(M)known by God, ^(N)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^[j](O)elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You ^(P)meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years.

Slave and Free

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not ^(A)listen to the Law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(B)one by the slave woman and ^(C)one by the free woman. ²³ But ^(D)the son by the slave woman ^[a]was born according to the flesh, and ^(E)the son by the free woman through the promise. ^24 [b](F)This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from ^(G)Mount Sinai giving birth to children ^[c]who are to be ^(H)slaves; ^[d]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 ^(I)the Jerusalem above is free; ^[e]she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written:

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

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

²⁰ So he set out and came to ^[a]his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and ^[b](A)embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and ^[c]in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out ^(B)the best robe and put it on him, and ^[d](C)put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; ²³ and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; ²⁴ for this son of mine was ^(D)dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been ^(A)baptized into ^(B)Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been ^(C)buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was ^(D)raised from the dead through the ^(E)glory of the Father, so we too may walk in ^(F)newness of life.