Epistle to the Galatians, Chapter 4
Galatians 4 NASB - New American Standard Bible Chapter 4 of Galatians—New American Standard Bible (NASB)
- ¶ 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,
- but he is under guardians and [c]managers until the date set by the father.
- So also we, while we were children, were held 1in bondage under the [d]2elemental things of the world.
- But when 3the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, 4born of a woman, born 5under [e]the Law,
- so that He might redeem those who were under [f]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as 6sons.
- Because you are sons, 7God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “8Abba! Father!”
- Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and 9if a son, then an heir [g]through God.
- ¶ However at that time, 10when you did not know God, you were 11slaves to 12those which by nature are no gods.
- But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be 13known by God, 14how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [h]15elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?
- You 16observe days and months and seasons and years.
- I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [i]over you in vain.
- ¶ I beg of you, 17brethren, 18become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;
- but you know that it was because of a [j]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the [k]first time;
- and that which was a [l]trial to you in my [m]bodily condition you did not despise or [n]loathe, but 19you received me as an angel of God, as 20Christ Jesus Himself.
- 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.
- So have I become your enemy 21by [p]telling you the truth?
- They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.
- But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable [q]manner, and 22not only when I am present with you.
- 23My children, with whom 24I am again in labor until 25Christ is formed in you—
- but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for 26I am perplexed about you.
- ¶ Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not 27listen to the law?
- For it is written that Abraham had two sons, 28one by the bondwoman and 29one by the free woman.
- But 30the son by the bondwoman [r]was born according to the flesh, and 31the son by the free woman through the promise.
- [s]32This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from 33Mount Sinai bearing children [t]who are to be 34slaves; [u]she is Hagar.
- Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
- But 35the Jerusalem above is free; [v]she is our mother.
- For it is written,
¶ “36REJOICE, 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.” - ¶ And you brethren, 37like Isaac, are 38children of promise.
- But as at that time 39he who was born according to the flesh 40persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, 41so it is now also.
- But what does the Scripture say?
¶ “42CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON,
FOR 43THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.” - ¶ So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, [w]but of the free woman.
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Or minor
- ^ Lit lord
- ^ Or stewards
- ^ Or rudimentary teachings or principles
- ^ Or law
- ^ Or law
- ^ I.e. through the gracious act of
- ^ Or rudimentary teachings or principles
- ^ Or for
- ^ Lit weakness of the flesh
- ^ Or former
- ^ Or temptation
- ^ Lit flesh
- ^ Lit spit out at
- ^ Lit the congratulation of yourselves
- ^ Or dealing truthfully with you
- ^ Or thing
- ^ Lit has been born
- ^ Lit Which
- ^ Lit into slavery
- ^ Lit which
- ^ Lit which
- ^ V 5:1, note 1
REFERENCES
- ^ Ga 2:4; 4:8f, 24f
- ^ Ga 4:9; Col 2:8, 20; Heb 5:12
- ^ Mr 1:15
- ^ Jn 1:14; Ro 1:3; 8:3; Pp 2:7
- ^ Lu 2:21f, 27
- ^ Ro 8:14; Ga 3:26
- ^ Ac 16:7; Ro 5:5; 8:9, 16; 2Co 3:17
- ^ Mr 14:36; Ro 8:15
- ^ Ro 8:17
- ^ 1Co 1:21; Eph 2:12; 1Th 4:5; 2Th 1:8
- ^ Ga 4:3
- ^ 2Ch 13:9; Is 37:19; Je 2:11; 1Co 8:4f; 10:20
- ^ 1Co 8:3
- ^ Col 2:20
- ^ Ga 4:3
- ^ Ro 14:5; Col 2:16
- ^ Ga 6:18
- ^ 2Co 6:11, 13
- ^ Mt 10:40; 1Th 2:13
- ^ Ga 3:26
- ^ Am 5:10
- ^ Ga 4:13f
- ^ 1Jo 2:1
- ^ 1Co 4:15
- ^ Eph 4:13
- ^ 2Co 4:8
- ^ Lu 16:29
- ^ Ge 16:15
- ^ Ge 21:2
- ^ Ro 9:7; Ga 4:29
- ^ Ge 17:16ff; 18:10ff; 21:1; Ga 4:28; Heb 11:11
- ^ 1Co 10:11
- ^ De 33:2
- ^ Ga 4:3
- ^ Heb 12:22; Re 3:12; 21:2, 10
- ^ Is 54:1
- ^ Ga 4:23
- ^ Ro 9:7ff; Ga 3:29
- ^ Ga 4:23
- ^ Ge 21:9
- ^ Ga 5:11
- ^ Ge 21:10, 12
- ^ Jn 8:35
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