The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

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- Chapter 4 -

Then I say, that the heire as long as hee is a childe, differeth nothing from a seruant, though he be Lord of all,

But is vnder tutours and gouernours, vntil the time appointed of the Father.

Euen so, we when wee were children, were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the world.

But when the fulnesse of time was come, God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnder the Lawe,

That hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Law, that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes.

And because ye are sonnes, God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his Sonne into your heartes, which crieth, Abba, Father.

Wherefore, thou art no more a seruant, but a sonne: now if thou be a sone, thou art also the heire of God through Christ.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

But euen then, when ye knewe not God, yee did seruice vnto them, which by nature are not gods:

But now seeing ye knowe God, yea, rather are knowen of God, howe turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments, whereunto as from the beginning ye wil be in bondage againe?

Ye obserue dayes, and moneths, and times and yeeres.

I am in feare of you, lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine.

Be ye as I (for I am euen as you) brethren, I beseech you: ye haue not hurt me at all.

And ye know, how through infirmitie of the flesh, I preached ye Gospel vnto you at the first.

And the trial of me which was in my flesh, ye despised not, neither abhorred: but ye receiued me as an Angel of God, yea, as Christ Iesus.

What was then your felicitie? for I beare you recorde, that if it had bene possible, ye would haue plucked out your owne eyes, and haue giuen them vnto me.

Am I therefore become your enemie, because I tell you the trueth?

They are ielous ouer you amisse: yea, they woulde exclude you, that ye shoulde altogether loue them.

But it is a good thing to loue earnestly alwayes in a good thing, and not onely when I am present with you,

My litle children, of whome I trauaile in birth againe, vntill Christ be formed in you.

And I would I were with you nowe, that I might change my voyce: for I am in doubt of you.

Hagar and Sarah

(Genesis 21:9–21)

Tell me, ye that will be vnder the Law, doe ye not heare the Lawe?

For it is written, that Abraham had two sonnes, one by a seruant, and one by a free woman.

But he which was of the seruant, was borne after the flesh: and he which was of the free woman, was borne by promise.

By the which things another thing is meant: for these mothers are the two testaments, the one which is Agar of mount Sina, which gendreth vnto bondage.

(For Agar or Sina is a mountaine in Arabia, and it answereth to Hierusalem which nowe is) and she is in bondage with her children.

But Hierusalem, which is aboue, is free: which is the mother of vs all.

For it is written, Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children: breake forth, and cry, thou that trauailest not: for the desolate hath many moe children, then she which hath an husband.

Therefore, brethren, wee are after the maner of Isaac, children of the promise.

But as then hee that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit, euen so it is nowe.

But what sayth the Scripture? Put out the seruant and her sonne: for the sonne of the seruant shall not be heire with the sonne of the free woman.

Then brethren, we are not children of the seruant, but of the free woman.

But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all,

but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

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

And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba,(a) Father!”

So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Hagar and Sarah

(Genesis 21:9–21)

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

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

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

These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

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

For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.” (b)

Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”(c)

So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.

Footnotes

(a)4:6 Abba is a Greek spelling for the Aramaic word for “Father” or “Daddy” used in a familiar, respectful, and loving way.

(b)4:27 ℘ Isaiah 54:1