Galatians 4:8-31

New King James Version

Fears for the Church

⁸ But then, indeed, ^(A)when you did not know God, ^(B)you served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now ^(C)after you have known God, or rather are known by God, ^(D)how is it that you turn again to ^(E)the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ^10 (F)You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, ^(G)lest I have labored for you in vain.

¹² Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. ^(H)You have not injured me at all. ¹³ You know that ^(I)because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me ^(J)as an ^[a]angel of God, ^(K)even as Christ Jesus. ^15 [b]What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ They ^(L)zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. ¹⁸ But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. ^19 (M)My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰ I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Two Covenants^(N)

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^(O)the one by a bondwoman, ^(P)the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman ^(Q)was born according to the flesh, ^(R)and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are ^[c]the two covenants: the one from Mount ^(S)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the ^(T)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

²⁸ Now ^(V)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(W)children of promise. ²⁹ But, as ^(X)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(Y)even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does ^(Z)the Scripture say? ^(AA)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^(AB)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.