Galatians 4 — FBV

4Verse 1Let me explain what I'm saying. An heir who is underage is no different from a slave, even though the heir may be the owner of everything.^{Verse 2}An heir is subject to guardians and managers until the time set by the father.^{Verse 3}It's just the same for us. When we were children, we were slaves subject to the basic rules⁺of the law.^{Verse 4}But at the appropriate time God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the rule of law,^{Verse 5}so that he could rescue those who were kept under the rule of law, so that we could receive the inheritance of adopted children.^{Verse 6}To show you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son to convince us, causing us to call out, “Abba,” meaning “Father.”^{Verse 7}Since you are now no longer a slave, but a child, and if you are his child, then God has made you his heir.^{Verse 8}At the time when you didn't know God, you were enslaved by the supposed “gods” of this world.^{Verse 9}But now you've come to know God—or better, to be known by God. So how can you go back to those useless and worthless rules? Do you want to be slaves to those rules all over again?^{Verse 10}You're observing special days and months, seasons and years.^{+Verse 11}I'm concerned that all I did for you has been wasted!^{Verse 12}I'm pleading with you, my friends: be like me, because I became like you.⁺You've never treated me badly.^{Verse 13}You remember that it was because I was sick that I shared with you the good news on my first visit.^{+Verse 14}Even though my illness was difficult for you, you didn't despise or reject me—in fact you treated me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus himself.^{Verse 15}So what's happened to all your gratefulness? I tell you, back then if you could have pulled out your eyes and given them to me, you would have!^{Verse 16}So what has happened—have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?^{Verse 17}These people are keen to gain your support, but not for any good reasons. On the contrary, they want to keep you away from us so that you will enthusiastically support them.^{Verse 18}Of course it's good to want to do good. But this should be at all times, not just when I'm there with you!^{+Verse 19}My dear friends, I want to work with you until Christ's character is duplicated in you.^{Verse 20}I really wish I could be with you right now so I could change my tone of voice… I'm so worried about you.^{Verse 21}Answer me this, you people who want to live under the law: Don't you hear what the law is saying?^{Verse 22}As Scripture says, Abraham had two sons, one from the servant girl, and one from the free woman.^{+Verse 23}However, the son from the servant girl was born following a human plan,⁺while the son from the free woman was born as the result of the promise.^{Verse 24}This provides an analogy: these two women represent two agreements. One agreement is from Mount Sinai—Hagar—and she gives birth to slave children.^{Verse 25}Hagar symbolizes Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the current Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.^{Verse 26}But the heavenly Jerusalem is free. She is our mother.^{Verse 27}As Scripture says, “Rejoice you who are childless and who have never given birth! Shout aloud for joy, you who have never been in labor—for the abandoned woman has more children than the woman who has a husband!”^{+Verse 28}Now my friends, we are children of promise just like Isaac.^{Verse 29}However, just as the one born according to a human plan persecuted the one born through the Spirit, so it is today.^{Verse 30}But what does Scripture say? “Send away the servant girl and her son, for the son of the servant girl will not be an heir together with the son of the free woman.”^{+Verse 31}Therefore, my friends, we're not children of a servant girl, but of the free woman.