Sons and Daughters through Christ

¹But I say that as long as the heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, though he is lord of all.

²Instead, he is under guardians and stewards until the time set by the father.

³Similarly we also, when we were underage, were held in bondage under the elemental forces of the world.

⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent ʜɪꜱ Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

⁵to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as children.

⁶And because y’all are children, God sent the Spirit of ʜɪꜱ Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a child; and if a child, then an heir through God.

⁸However at that time, when y’all didn’t know God, y’all were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

⁹But now that y’all have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do y’all turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles? Do y’all want to be in bondage all over again?

¹⁰Y’all observe days, months, seasons, and years.

¹¹I am afraid for y’all, that I might have wasted my labor for y’all.

¹²I beg y’all, siblings, become as I am, for I also have become as y’all are. Y’all did me no wrong,

¹³but y’all know that it was because of bodily illness that I preached the gospel to y’all the first time.

¹⁴And though my illness was a trial to y’all, y’all didn’t despise nor reject; but y’all received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Now where is the blessing that y’all enjoyed? For I testify to y’all that, if possible, y’all would have plucked out your* eyes and given them to me.

¹⁶Have I now become y’all’s enemy by telling y’all the truth?

¹⁷Those people are zealously seeking y’all but not for good. No, they desire to alienate y’all, that y’all may zealously seek them.

¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous for an excellent cause, and not only when I am present with y’all.

¹⁹My little children, of whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in y’all.

²⁰But I wish I could be present with y’all now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about y’all.

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, y’all who want to be under the law, don’t y’all listen to the law?

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

²³However, the son by the slave was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through the promise.

²⁴These things are an allegory, for these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children who are to be slaves—this is Hagar.

²⁵Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, because she is in bondage with her children.

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

²⁷For it is written,

“Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear children.

Break out and shout, you who were never in labor.

For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.”

²⁸Now y’all, siblings, are children of promise like Isaac.

²⁹At that time, the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, and so it is now.

³⁰However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will not share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.”[#Genesis 21:10]

³¹So then, siblings, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.