1   Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all;

2   But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father.

3   Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the ^note elements of the world:

4   But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5   To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6   And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth ^note the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7   Wherefore thou art no more a servant,

A. D. 58. but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

8   However then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods.

9   But now, after ye have known God, or rather are ^note known by God, how turn ye ^note again to the weak and beggarly ^note elements, to which ye desire again to be in bondage?

10   Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11   I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

12   Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13   Ye know that in infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you at the first.

14   And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15   What then was the blessedness ye spoke of; for I bear you testimony, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

16   Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17   They zealously affect you, but not well; for, they would exclude ^note you, that ye may affect them.

18   But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19   My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you,

20   I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for ^note I stand in doubt of you.

21   Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22   For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

23   But he who was of the bond-woman, was born according to the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise.

24   Which things are an allegory: for these are the two ^note covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is ^note Agar.

25   For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and ^note answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26   But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27   For it is written, ^note Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband.

28   Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^note the children of promise.

29   But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

30   Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? ^noteCast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.

31   So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.

Previous section

Next section