Galatians 4 - Ephesians 2

New King James Version

Sons and Heirs Through Christ

4 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, ² but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, ^(A)were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But ^(B)when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, ^(C)born^{[a] (D)}of a woman, ^(E)born under the law, ^5 (F)to redeem those who were under the law, ^(G)that we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth ^(H)the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ^[b]“Abba, Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, ^(I)and if a son, then an heir ^[c]of God ^[d]through Christ.

Fears for the Church

⁸ But then, indeed, ^(J)when you did not know God, ^(K)you served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now ^(L)after you have known God, or rather are known by God, ^(M)how is it that you turn again to ^(N)the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ^10 (O)You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, ^(P)lest I have labored for you in vain.

¹² Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. ^(Q)You have not injured me at all. ¹³ You know that ^(R)because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me ^(S)as an ^[e]angel of God, ^(T)even as Christ Jesus. ^15 [f]What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ They ^(U)zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. ¹⁸ But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. ^19 (V)My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰ I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Two Covenants^(W)

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^(X)the one by a bondwoman, ^(Y)the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman ^(Z)was born according to the flesh, ^(AA)and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are ^[g]the two covenants: the one from Mount ^(AB)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the ^(AC)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

²⁸ Now ^(AE)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(AF)children of promise. ²⁹ But, as ^(AG)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(AH)even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does ^(AI)the Scripture say? ^(AJ)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^(AK)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Christian Liberty

5 ^(AL)Stand^[h] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a ^(AM)yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^(AN)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised ^(AO)that he is ^[i]a debtor to keep the whole law. ^4 (AP)You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; ^(AQ)you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit eagerly ^(AR)wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶ For ^(AS)in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but ^(AT)faith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law

⁷ You ^(AU)ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ^9 (AV)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

¹¹ And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, ^(AW)why do I still suffer persecution? Then ^(AX)the offense of the cross has ceased. ^12 (AY)I could wish that those ^(AZ)who trouble you would even ^[j]cut themselves off!

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only ^(BA)do not use liberty as an ^(BB)opportunity for the flesh, but ^(BC)through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(BD)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ^(BE)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶ I say then: ^(BF)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(BG)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, ^(BH)so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But ^(BI)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now ^(BJ)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: ^[k]adultery, ^[l]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, ^[m]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that ^(BK)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But ^(BL)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(BM)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, ^(BN)goodness, ^(BO)faithfulness, ^23 [n]gentleness, self-control. ^(BP)Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s ^(BQ)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ^25 (BR)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ^26 (BS)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear and Share Burdens

6 Brethren, if a man is ^[o]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of ^(BT)gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ^2 (BU)Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill ^(BV)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(BW)if anyone thinks himself to be something, when ^(BX)he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But ^(BY)let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and ^(BZ)not in another. ⁵ For ^(CA)each one shall bear his own load.

Be Generous and Do Good

^6 (CB)Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for ^(CC)whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap ^(CD)everlasting life. ⁹ And ^(CE)let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap ^(CF)if we do not lose heart. ^10 (CG)Therefore, as we have opportunity, ^(CH)let us do good to all, ^(CI)especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Glory Only in the Cross

¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! ¹² As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, ^(CJ)only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the ^(CK)cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by ^[p]whom the world has been crucified to me, and ^(CL)I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(CM)in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

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

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption in Christ

^3 (CN)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as ^(CO)He chose us in Him ^(CP)before the foundation of the world, that we should ^(CQ)be holy and without blame before Him in love, ^5 (CR)having predestined us to ^(CS)adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, ^(CT)according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, ^(CU)by which He ^[q]made us accepted in ^(CV)the Beloved.

^7 (CW)In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to ^(CX)the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and ^[r]prudence, ^9 (CY)having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure ^(CZ)which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of ^(DA)the fullness of the times ^(DB)He might gather together in one ^(DC)all things in Christ, ^[s]both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ^11 (DD)In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to ^(DE)the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ^12 (DF)that we ^(DG)who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard ^(DH)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, ^(DI)you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ^14 (DJ)who^[t] is the ^[u]guarantee of our inheritance ^(DK)until the redemption of ^(DL)the purchased possession, ^(DM)to the praise of His glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

¹⁵ Therefore I also, ^(DN)after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ^16 (DO)do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that ^(DP)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ^(DQ)may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ^18 (DR)the eyes of your ^[v]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is ^(DS)the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, ^(DT)according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when ^(DU)He raised Him from the dead and ^(DV)seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ^21 (DW)far above all ^(DX)principality^[w] and ^[x]power and ^[y]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And ^(DY)He put all things under His feet, and gave Him ^(DZ)to be head over all things to the church, ^23 (EA)which is His body, ^(EB)the fullness of Him ^(EC)who fills all in all.

By Grace Through Faith

2 And ^(ED)you He made alive, ^(EE)who were dead in trespasses and sins, ^2 (EF)in which you once walked according to the ^[z]course of this world, according to ^(EG)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in ^(EH)the sons of disobedience, ^3 (EI)among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in ^(EJ)the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and ^(EK)were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

⁴ But God, ^(EL)who is rich in mercy, because of His ^(EM)great love with which He loved us, ^5 (EN)even when we were dead in trespasses, ^(EO)made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together ^(EP)in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in ^(EQ)His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ^8 (ER)For by grace you have been saved ^(ES)through faith, and that not of yourselves; ^(ET)it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of ^(EU)works, lest anyone should ^(EV)boast. ¹⁰ For we are ^(EW)His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called ^(EX)the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one ^(EY)new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might ^(EZ)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby ^(FA)putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For ^(FB)through Him we both have access ^(FC)by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been ^(FD)built ^(FE)on the foundation of the ^(FF)apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^(FG)the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^(FH)a holy temple in the Lord, ^22 (FI)in whom you also are being built together for a ^(FJ)dwelling place of God in the Spirit.