Galatians:4
Seeker Overlay ON
*
Now I say ,
As long as the heir is a child ,
he differs nothing from a bondman ,
though he be lord of all ;
*
but he is under guardians and stewards until the period fixed by the father .
*
So we also ,
when we were children ,
were held in bondage under the principles of the world ;
*
but when the fulness of the time was come ,
God sent forth his Son ,
come of woman ,
come under law ,
*
that he might redeem those under law ,
that we might receive sonship .
*
But because ye are sons ,
God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts ,
crying ,
Abba ,
Father .
*
So thou art no longer bondman ,
but son ;
but if son ,
heir also through God .
*
But then indeed ,
not knowing God ,
ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods ;
*
but now ,
knowing God ,
but rather being known by God ,
how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage ?
*
Ye observe days and months and times and years .
*
I am afraid of you ,
lest indeed I have laboured in vain as to you .
*
Be as I [
am ],
for I also [
am ]
as ye ,
brethren ,
I beseech you :
ye have not at all wronged me .
*
But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first ;
*
and my temptation ,
which [
was ]
in my flesh ,
ye did not slight nor reject with contempt ;
but ye received me as an angel of God ,
as Christ Jesus .
*
What then [
was ]
your blessedness ?
for I bear you witness that ,
if possible ,
plucking out your own eyes ye would have given [
them ]
to me .
*
So I have become your enemy in speaking the truth to you ?
*
They are not rightly zealous after you ,
but desire to shut you out [
from us ],
that ye may be zealous after them .
*
But [
it is ]
right to be zealous at all times in what is right ,
and not only when I am present with you --
*
my children ,
of whom I again travail in birth until Christ shall have been formed in you :
*
and I should wish to be present with you now ,
and change my voice ,
for I am perplexed as to you .
*
Tell me ,
ye who are desirous of being under law ,
do ye not listen to the law ?
*
For it is written that Abraham had two sons ;
one of the maid servant ,
and one of the free woman .
*
But he [
that was ]
of the maid servant was born according to flesh ,
and he [
that was ]
of the free woman through the promise .
*
Which things have an allegorical sense ;
for these are two covenants :
one from mount Sinai ,
gendering to bondage ,
which is Hagar .
*
For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia ,
and corresponds to Jerusalem which [
is ]
now ,
for she is in bondage with her children ;
*
but the Jerusalem above is free ,
which is our mother .
*
For it is written ,
Rejoice ,
thou barren that bearest not ;
break out and cry ,
thou that travailest not ;
because the children of the desolate are more numerous than [
those ]
of her that has a husband .
*
But ye ,
brethren ,
after the pattern of Isaac ,
are children of promise .
*
But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him [
that was born ]
according to Spirit ,
so also [
it is ]
now .
*
But what says the scripture ?
Cast out the maid servant and her son ;
for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman .
*
So then ,
brethren ,
we are not maid servant '
s children ,
but [
children ]
of the free woman .