Galatians 4
4
1This is what I am saying: When young children inherit all that their father owned, they are still no different from his slaves. It doesn’t matter that they own everything. 2While they are children, they must obey those who are chosen to care for them. But when they reach the age the father set, they are free. 3It is the same for us. We were once like children, slaves to the useless rules#4:3 rules Or “powers.” Also in verse 9. of this world. 4But when the right time came, God sent his Son, who was born from a woman and lived under the law. 5God did this so that he could buy the freedom of those who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us his children.
6Since you are now God’s children, he has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. The Spirit cries out, “Abba,#4:6 Abba An Aramaic word that was used by Jewish children as a name for their fathers. Father.” 7Now you are not slaves like before. You are God’s children, and you will receive everything he promised his children.
Paul’s Love for the Galatian Believers
8In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real. 9But now you know the true God. Really, though, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to the same kind of weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again? 10-11It worries me that you follow teachings about special days, months, seasons, and years. I fear that my work for you has been wasted.
12Brothers and sisters, I became like you. So please become like me. You were very good to me before. 13You know that I came to you the first time because I was sick. That was when I told the Good News to you. 14My sickness was a burden to you, but you did not stop showing me respect or make me leave. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel from God. You accepted me as if I were Jesus Christ himself! 15You were very happy then. Where is that joy now? I can say without a doubt that you would have done anything to help me. If it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me. 16Am I now your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17Those people#4:17 Those people The false teachers who were bothering the believers in Galatia. See Gal. 1:7. are working hard to persuade you, but this is not good for you. They want to persuade you to turn against us and work hard for them. 18It is good for you to work hard, of course, if it is for something good. That’s something you should do whether I am there or not. 19My little children, I am in pain again over you, like a mother giving birth. I will feel this pain until people can look at you and see Christ. 20I wish I could be with you now. Then maybe I could change the way I am talking to you. Now I don’t know what to do about you.
The Example of Hagar and Sarah
21Some of you people want to be under the law. Tell me, do you know what the law says? 22The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave woman, and the mother of the other son was a free woman. 23Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born in the normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of the promise God made to Abraham.
24This true story makes a picture for us. The two women are like the two agreements between God and his people. One agreement is the law that God made on Mount Sinai. The people who are under this agreement are like slaves. The mother named Hagar is like that agreement. 25So Hagar is like Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is a picture of the earthly Jewish city of Jerusalem. This city is a slave, and all its people are slaves to the law. 26But the heavenly Jerusalem that is above is like the free woman, who is our mother. 27The Scriptures say,
“Be happy, woman—you who cannot have children.
Be glad you never gave birth.
Shout and cry with joy!
You never felt those labor pains.
The woman who is alone#4:27 woman … alone This means her husband has left her. will have more children
than the woman who has a husband.” Isaiah 54:1
28My brothers and sisters, you are children who were born because of God’s promise, just as Isaac was. 29But the other son of Abraham, who was born in the normal way, caused trouble for the one who was born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same today. 30But what do the Scriptures say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son! The son of the free woman will receive everything his father has, but the son of the slave woman will receive nothing.”#Quote from Gen. 21:10. 31So, my brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman.
Currently Selected:
Galatians 4: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Galatians 4
4
1Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will some day be theirs. 2This is because children are placed in the care of guardians and teachers until the time their parents have set. 3That is how it was with us. We were like children ruled by the powers of this world.
4But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children.#Ro 8.15-17. 6Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. 7You are no longer slaves. You are God's children, and you will be given what he has promised.
Paul's concern for the Galatians
8Before you knew God, you were slaves of gods that are not real. 9But now you know God, or better still, God knows you. How can you turn back and become the slaves of those weak and pitiful powers?#4.9 powers: Spirits were thought to control human lives and were believed to be connected with the movements of the stars. 10You even celebrate certain days, months, seasons, and years. 11I am afraid I have wasted my time working with you.
12My friends, I beg you to be like me, just as I once tried to be like you. Did you ill-treat me 13when I first preached to you? No you didn't, even though you knew I had come there because I was sick. 14My illness must have caused you some trouble, but you didn't hate me or turn me away because of it. You welcomed me as though I were one of God's angels or even Christ Jesus himself. 15Where is that good feeling now? I am sure that if it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me. 16Am I now your enemy, just because I told you the truth?
17Those people may be paying you a lot of attention, but it isn't for your good. They only want to keep you away from me, so you will pay them a lot of attention. 18It is always good to give your attention to something worthwhile, even when I am not with you. 19My children, I am in terrible pain until Christ may be seen living in you. 20I wish I were with you now. Then I would not have to talk this way. You really have me puzzled.
Hagar and Sarah
21Some of you would like to be under the rule of the Law of Moses. But do you know what the Law says? 22In the Scriptures we learn that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one of them was a slave, while the mother of the other one had always been free.#Gn 16.15; Gn 21.2. 23The son of the slave woman was born in the usual way. But the son of the free woman was born because of God's promise.
24All this has another meaning as well. Each of the two women stands for one of the agreements God made with his people. Hagar, the slave woman, stands for the agreement that was made at Mount Sinai. Everyone born into her family is a slave. 25Hagar also stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia#4.25 Hagar also stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia: Some manuscripts have “Sinai is a mountain in Arabia”. This sentence would then be translated: “Sinai is a mountain in Arabia, and Hagar stands for the present city of Jerusalem.” and for the present city of Jerusalem. She#4.25 She: “Hagar” or “Jerusalem”. and her children are slaves.
26But our mother is the city of Jerusalem in heaven above, and she isn't a slave. 27The Scriptures say about her,#Is 54.1.
“You have never had children,
but now you can be glad.
You have never given birth,
but now you can shout.
Once you had no children,
but now you will have
more children than a woman
who has been married
for a long time.”
28My friends, you were born because of this promise, just as Isaac was. 29But the child who was born in the natural way made trouble for the child who was born because of the Spirit. The same thing is happening today.#Gn 21.9. 30The Scriptures say, “Get rid of the slave woman and her son! He won't be given anything. The son of the free woman will receive everything.”#Gn 21.10. 31My friends, we are children of the free woman and not of the slave.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012