Galatians 4:12-5

English Standard Version

¹²Brothers,^[a] ^(A)I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(B)You did me no wrong. ¹³You know it was ^(C)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(D)at first, ¹⁴and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(E)as an angel of God, ^(F)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What 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. ¹⁶Have I then become your enemy by ^(G)telling you the truth?^[b] ¹⁷They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(H)not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹^(I)my little children, ^(J)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(K)is formed in you! ²⁰I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

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

^(S)“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,^[d] brothers, ^(T)like Isaac, ^(U)are children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(V)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(W)so also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? ^(X)“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 ^(Y)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(Z)freedom Christ has ^(AA)set us free; ^(AB)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(AC)a yoke of ^(AD)slavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(AE)if you accept circumcision, ^(AF)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(AG)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are ^(AH)severed from Christ, ^(AI)you who would be justified^[e] by the law; ^(AJ)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(AK)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus ^(AL)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(AM)only faith working through love.

⁷^(AN)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(AO)the truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from ^(AP)him who calls you. ⁹^(AQ)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰^(AR)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(AS)take no other view, and ^(AT)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,^[f] still preach^[g] circumcision, ^(AU)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(AV)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish ^(AW)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!