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Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ from a servant though he is lord of all. But he is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. So when we were children, we were in bondage to the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born from a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of His Son, crying, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

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No Longer Slaves But Sons and Heirs

Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he[a] is master of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the time set by his father. So also we, when we were children, we were enslaved under the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time came, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that he might redeem those under the law, in order that we might receive the adoption. And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba![b] (Father!),” so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:1 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as concessive
  2. Galatians 4:6 “Abba” is Aramaic for “father”