Galatians 4 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

Sonship in Christ

1Now what I mean is this: as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave even though he is the master of all;

2but he is under guardians and household administrators or managers until the date set by his father.

3So also we, when we were children (spiritually immature), were kept like slaves under the elementary teachings of the world.

4But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

5so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we might be adopted as sons.

6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”

7Therefore you are no longer a slave (bond-servant), but a son; and if a son, then also an heir through God.

8But at that time, when you did not know God and were unacquainted with Him, you were slaves to those things which by nature were not and could not be gods at all.

9Now, however, since you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and worthless elemental principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?

10[For example,] you observe days and months and seasons and years.

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

12Believers, I beg of you, become as I am, for I have become as you are. You did me no wrong.

13On the contrary, you know that it was because of a physical illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;

14and even though my physical condition was a trial to you, you did not regard it with contempt, or scorn and reject me; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus Himself.

15What then has become of that sense of blessing and the joy that you once had? For I testify of you that, if possible, you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me.

16So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17These men eagerly seek you, not honorably. They want to isolate you so that you will seek them.

18Now it is always pleasant to be eagerly sought after for a good purpose, and not just when I am with you.

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

20how I wish that I were with you now and could change my tone, because I am perplexed in regard to you.

Bond and Free

21Tell me, you who are bent on being under the 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 child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, while the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise.

24Now these facts are about to be used as an allegory: for these women can represent two covenants: one from Mount Sinai that bears children for slavery; she is Hagar.

25Now Hagar is (represents) Mount Sinai in Arabia and she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

27For it is written,

“Rejoice, o barren woman who has not given birth;

Break forth into a shout, you who are not in labor;

For the desolate woman has many more children

Than she who has a husband.”

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

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

30But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,

For never shall the son of the bondwoman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.”

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