Sonship in Christ

¹Now 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 ^[c]managers until the date set by the father. ³ So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the ^[d]elemental things of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under ^[e]the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under ^[f]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir ^[g]through God.

⁸ However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^[h]elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ^[i]over you in vain.

¹² I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; ¹³ but you know that it was because of a ^[j]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ^[k]first time; ¹⁴ and that which was a ^[l]trial to you in my ^[m]bodily condition you did not despise or ^[n]loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. ¹⁵ Where then is ^[o]that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ So have I become your enemy by ^[p]telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. ¹⁸ But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable ^[q]manner, and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹ My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— ²⁰ but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. ²³ But the son by the bondwoman ^[r]was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. ^24 [s]This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children ^[t]who are to be slaves; ^[u]she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free; ^[v]she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say?

³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, ^[w]but of the free woman.