Galatians 4:26-5:23

English Standard Version

²⁶But ^(A)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,

^(B)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸Now you,^[a] brothers, ^(C)like Isaac, ^(D)are children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(E)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(F)so also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? ^(G)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(H)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(I)freedom Christ has ^(J)set us free; ^(K)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(L)a yoke of ^(M)slavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(N)if you accept circumcision, ^(O)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(P)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are ^(Q)severed from Christ, ^(R)you who would be justified^[b] by the law; ^(S)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(T)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus ^(U)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(V)only faith working through love.

⁷^(W)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(X)the truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from ^(Y)him who calls you. ⁹^(Z)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰^(AA)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(AB)take no other view, and ^(AC)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,^[c] still preach^[d] circumcision, ^(AD)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(AE)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish ^(AF)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(AG)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(AH)serve one another. ¹⁴For ^(AI)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(AJ)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you ^(AK)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶But I say, ^(AL)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(AM)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^(AN)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(AO)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are ^(AP)led by the Spirit, ^(AQ)you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now ^(AR)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(AS)divisions, ²¹envy,^[e] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(AT)those who do^[f] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But ^(AU)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AV)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(AW)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³^(AX)gentleness, ^(AY)self-control; ^(AZ)against such things there is no law.