Galatians 4

NASB — New American Standard Bible (NASB)

NLT — New Living Translation Bible (NLT)

Verse 1

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,

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.

Verse 2

but he is under guardians and ^[c]managers until the date set by the father.

They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.

Verse 3

So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the ^[d]elemental things of the world.

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.

Verse 4

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under ^[e]the Law,

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Verse 5

so that He might redeem those who were under ^[f]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

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]

Verse 6

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

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]

Verse 7

Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir ^[g]through God.

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.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

Verse 8

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.

Verse 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?

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?

Verse 10

You observe days and months and seasons and years.

You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.

Verse 11

I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ^[i]over you in vain.

I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

Verse 12

I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

Dear brothers and sisters,^[f] I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you.

Verse 13

but you know that it was because of a ^[j]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ^[k]first time;

Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News.

Verse 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.

But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.

Verse 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.

Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible.

Verse 16

So have I become your enemy by ^[p]telling you the truth?

Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

Verse 17

They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them.

Verse 18

But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable ^[q]manner, and not only when I am present with you.

If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

Verse 19

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

Verse 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

I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Abraham’s Two Children

Verse 21

Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?

Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?

Verse 22

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.

The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.^[g]

Verse 23

But the son by the bondwoman ^[r]was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

Verse 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.

These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.

Verse 25

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia,^[h] because she and her children live in slavery to the law.

Verse 26

But the Jerusalem above is free; ^[v]she is our mother.

But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.

Verse 27

For it is written,

“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”

As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
    you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband!”^[i]

Verse 28

And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

Verse 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.

But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

Verse 30

But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^[j]

Verse 31

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

So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.