微读圣经

Sonship in Christ

1Now I say, as long as the heir is a Or minorchild, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is Lit lordowner of everything,

2but he is under guardians and Or stewardsmanagers until the I.e., when the child is no longer a minordate set by the father.

3So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the Or rudimentary teachingselementary principles of the world.

4But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under Or lawthe Law,

5so that He might redeem those who were under Or lawthe Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.

6Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! I.e., Paul’s translation of the Aramaic AbbaFather!”

7Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir I.e., through the gracious act ofthrough God.

8However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods.

9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless Or rudimentary teachingselementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?

10You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years.

11I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored Or forover you in vain.

12I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

13but you know that it was because of a Lit weakness of the fleshbodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the Or formerfirst time;

14and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my Lit fleshbodily condition, nor express contempt, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

15Where then is I.e., considering yourselves fortunatethat sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

16So have I become your enemy by Or dealing truthfully with youtelling you the truth?

17They eagerly seek you, not Or with good intentionsin a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them.

18But it is good always to be eagerly sought Or with good intentionsin a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you.

19My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

20but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for I am at a loss about you!

Slave and Free

21Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law?

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

23But the son by the slave woman Lit has been bornwas born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

24Lit WhichThis is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children Lit into slaverywho are to be slaves; Lit whichshe is Hagar.

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

26But the Jerusalem above is free; Lit whichshe is our mother.

27For it is written:

“Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth;

Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;

For the children of the desolate one are more numerous

Than those of the one who has a husband.”

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

29But as at that time the son who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is even now.

30But what does the Scripture say?

“Drive out the slave woman and her son,

For the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

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