Galatians 4:1-7
Legacy Standard Bible
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 stewards until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were (A)enslaved under the [c](B)elemental things of the world. 4 But when (C)the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, (D)born of a woman, born (E)under [d]the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under [e]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as (F)sons. 6 And because you are sons, (G)God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “(H)Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and (I)if a son, then an heir [f]through God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Galatians 4:1 Or minor
- Galatians 4:1 Lit lord
- Galatians 4:3 Or rudimentary teachings, principles
- Galatians 4:4 Or law
- Galatians 4:5 Or law
- Galatians 4:7 Through the gracious act of
Galatians 4:1-7
New Living Translation
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[a] 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.[b] 6 And because we[c] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[d] 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.[e] And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
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