Galatians 4 - Ephesians 3

English Standard Version

Sons and Heirs

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[a] though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(A)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[b] of the world. ⁴ But ^(B)when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^(C)born ^(D)of woman, born ^(E)under the law, ^5 (F)to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ^(G)adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent ^(H)the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^(I)an heir through God.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you ^(J)did not know God, you ^(K)were enslaved to those that by nature ^(L)are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(M)to be known by God, ^(N)how can you turn back again to ^(O)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10 (P)You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid ^(Q)I may have labored over you in vain.

¹² Brothers,^{[c] (R)}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(S)You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was ^(T)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(U)at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(V)as an angel of God, ^(W)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by ^(X)telling you the truth?^{[d] 17} They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(Y)not only when I am present with you, ^19 (Z)my little children, ^(AA)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(AB)is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(AC)one by a slave woman and ^(AD)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(AE)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(AF)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(AG)covenants. ^(AH)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[e] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(AI)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ Now you,^[f] brothers, ^(AK)like Isaac, ^(AL)are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(AM)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(AN)so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? ^(AO)“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.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(AP)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(AQ)freedom Christ has ^(AR)set us free; ^(AS)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(AT)a yoke of ^(AU)slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(AV)if you accept circumcision, ^(AW)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(AX)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are ^(AY)severed from Christ, ^(AZ)you who would be justified^[g] by the law; ^(BA)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(BB)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus ^(BC)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(BD)only faith working through love.

^7 (BE)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(BF)the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(BG)him who calls you. ^9 (BH)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (BI)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(BJ)take no other view, and ^(BK)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[h] still preach^[i] circumcision, ^(BL)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(BM)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish ^(BN)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

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

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(BT)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(BU)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(BV)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, ^(BW)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(BX)led by the Spirit, ^(BY)you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now ^(BZ)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(CA)divisions, ²¹ envy,^[j] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(CB)those who do^[k] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(CC)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(CD)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(CE)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 (CF)gentleness, ^(CG)self-control; ^(CH)against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(CI)have crucified the flesh with its ^(CJ)passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, ^(CK)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ^26 (CL)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^{[l] (CM)}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(CN)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(CO)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2 (CP)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(CQ)so fulfill ^(CR)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(CS)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(CT)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one ^(CU)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For ^(CV)each will have to bear his own load.

^6 (CW)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7 (CX)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(CY)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For ^(CZ)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(DA)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(DB)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And ^(DC)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(DD)if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, ^(DE)as we have opportunity, let us ^(DF)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(DG)of the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(DH)with my own hand. ^12 (DI)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(DJ)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(DK)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast ^(DL)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[m] the world ^(DM)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(DN)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(DO)a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(DP)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(DQ)the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18 (DR)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(DS)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(DT)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(DU)by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and ^(DV)are faithful^[n] in Christ Jesus:

^2 (DW)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

^3 (DX)Blessed be ^(DY)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing ^(DZ)in the heavenly places, ^4 (EA)even as he ^(EB)chose us in him ^(EC)before the foundation of the world, that we should be ^(ED)holy and blameless before him. In love ^5 (EE)he predestined us^[o] for ^(EF)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, ^(EG)according to the purpose of his will, ^6 (EH)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in ^(EI)the Beloved. ^7 (EJ)In him we have ^(EK)redemption ^(EL)through his blood, ^(EM)the forgiveness of our trespasses, ^(EN)according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ^9 (EO)making known^[p] to us the mystery of his will, ^(EP)according to his purpose, which he ^(EQ)set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for ^(ER)the fullness of time, ^(ES)to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹ In him we have obtained ^(ET)an inheritance, ^(EU)having been predestined ^(EV)according to the purpose of him who works all things according to ^(EW)the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be ^(EX)to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard ^(EY)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, ^(EZ)were sealed with the ^(FA)promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is ^(FB)the guarantee^[q] of our ^(FC)inheritance until ^(FD)we acquire ^(FE)possession of it,^{[r] (FF)}to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵ For this reason, ^(FG)because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[s] toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I ^(FH)do not cease to give thanks for you, ^(FI)remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that ^(FJ)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ^(FK)may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ^18 (FL)having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is ^(FM)the hope to which he has called you, what are ^(FN)the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, ^(FO)according to the working of ^(FP)his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ ^(FQ)when he raised him from the dead and ^(FR)seated him at his right hand ^(FS)in the heavenly places, ^21 (FT)far above ^(FU)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above ^(FV)every name that is named, not only in ^(FW)this age but also in the one to come. ²² And ^(FX)he put all things under his feet and gave him as ^(FY)head over all things to the church, ^23 (FZ)which is his body, ^(GA)the fullness of him ^(GB)who fills ^(GC)all in all.

By Grace Through Faith

2 ^(GD)And you were ^(GE)dead in the trespasses and sins ^2 (GF)in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following ^(GG)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in ^(GH)the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in ^(GI)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[t] and the mind, and ^(GJ)were by nature ^(GK)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[u] 4} But^[v] God, being ^(GL)rich in mercy, ^(GM)because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even ^(GN)when we were dead in our trespasses, ^(GO)made us alive together with Christ—^(GP)by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and ^(GQ)seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable ^(GR)riches of his grace in ^(GS)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For ^(GT)by grace you have been saved ^(GU)through faith. And this is ^(GV)not your own doing; ^(GW)it is the gift of God, ^9 (GX)not a result of works, ^(GY)so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For ^(GZ)we are his workmanship, ^(HA)created in Christ Jesus ^(HB)for good works, ^(HC)which God prepared beforehand, ^(HD)that we should walk in them.

One in Christ

¹¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called ^(HE)the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹² remember ^(HF)that you were at that time separated from Christ, ^(HG)alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to ^(HH)the covenants of promise, ^(HI)having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were ^(HJ)far off have been brought near ^(HK)by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For ^(HL)he himself is our peace, ^(HM)who has made us both one and has broken down ^(HN)in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ^(HO)ordinances, that he might create in himself one ^(HP)new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might ^(HQ)reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and ^(HR)preached peace to you who were ^(HS)far off and peace to those who were ^(HT)near. ¹⁸ For ^(HU)through him we both have ^(HV)access in ^(HW)one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer ^(HX)strangers and aliens,^[w] but you are ^(HY)fellow citizens with the saints and ^(HZ)members of the household of God, ^20 (IA)built on the foundation of the ^(IB)apostles and prophets, ^(IC)Christ Jesus himself being ^(ID)the cornerstone, ^21 (IE)in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into ^(IF)a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him ^(IG)you also are being built together ^(IH)into a dwelling place for God by^[x] the Spirit.

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(II)a prisoner of Christ Jesus ^(IJ)on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of ^(IK)the stewardship of ^(IL)God's grace that was given to me for you, ^3 (IM)how the mystery was made known to me ^(IN)by revelation, ^(IO)as I have written briefly. ^4 (IP)When you read this, you can perceive my insight into ^(IQ)the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is^[y] that the Gentiles are ^(IR)fellow heirs, ^(IS)members of the same body, and ^(IT)partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

^7 (IU)Of this gospel I was made ^(IV)a minister according to the gift of ^(IW)God's grace, which was given me ^(IX)by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, ^(IY)though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, ^(IZ)to preach to the Gentiles the ^(JA)unsearchable ^(JB)riches of Christ, ⁹ and ^(JC)to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery ^(JD)hidden for ages in^[z] God, ^(JE)who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold ^(JF)wisdom of God ^(JG)might now be made known to ^(JH)the rulers and authorities ^(JI)in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was ^(JJ)according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have ^(JK)boldness and ^(JL)access with ^(JM)confidence through our ^(JN)faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering ^(JO)for you, ^(JP)which is your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^(JQ)every family^[aa] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to ^(JR)the riches of his glory ^(JS)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit ^(JT)in your inner being, ^17 (JU)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being ^(JV)rooted and ^(JW)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to ^(JX)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and ^(JY)height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ ^(JZ)that surpasses knowledge, that ^(KA)you may be filled with all ^(KB)the fullness of God.

^20 (KC)Now to ^(KD)him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, ^(KE)according to the power at work within us, ^21 (KF)to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.