Read New International Version, 2011 Galatians 4 Bible Online

Galatians 4 - New International Version, 2011 bible

Galatians 4

¹What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.

²The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

³So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces [18] of the world.

⁴But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

⁵to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. [19]

⁶Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, [20] Father.”

⁷So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

⁸Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

⁹But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces [21]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

¹⁰You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

¹¹I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

¹²I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

¹³As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,

¹⁴and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

¹⁵Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

¹⁷Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.

¹⁸It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

¹⁹My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

²⁰how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

²³His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

²⁴These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

²⁵Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁷For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” [22]

²⁸Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁹At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

³⁰But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” [23]

³¹Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.