But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all;
but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the {Or, elements 2 Peter 3:10, 12}rudiments of the world:
but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:
but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly {Or, elements See verse 3.}rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?
Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years.
I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain.
I beseech you, brethren, become as I am, for I also am become as ye are. Ye did me no wrong:
but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I {See marginal note on chapter 1:8.}preached the gospel unto you the {Greek: former.}first time:
and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor {Greek: spat out.}rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Where then is that gratulation {Or, of yours}of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
So then am I become your enemy, {Or, by dealing truly with you}by telling you the truth?
They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.
But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you—
but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
For it is written, {Genesis 16:15.}that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
{Genesis 21:2}Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.
{Many ancient authorities read For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia.}Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.
For it is written,
{Isaiah 54:1}Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;
Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:
For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
Now {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now.
Howbeit what saith the scripture? {Genesis 21:10, 12}Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.
Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.
Querverweise zu Galater 4,5 Gal 4,5
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, {Deuteronomy 21:23.}Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.
even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people,
For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you {Or, overseers}bishops, to feed the church of {Some ancient authorities, including the two oldest manuscripts read God.}the Lord which he {Greek: acquired.}purchased with his own blood.
And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for {Some ancient authorities read you.}us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
and he is before all things, and in him all things {That is, hold together.}consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; {Or, that among all he might have &c.}that in all things he might have the preeminence.
{Or, For the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him}For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
and through him to reconcile all things {Or, into him}unto {Or, him}himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.
who being the effulgence of his glory, and {Or, the impress of his substance}the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.
And for this cause he is the mediator of a new {The Greek word here used signifies both covenant and testament.}covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first {The Greek word here used signifies both covenant and testament.}covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers;
but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ:
who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of the times for your sake,
Because Christ also {Many ancient authorities read died.}suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
And they sing a new song, saying,Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.