Galatians 4:18-5:24

English Standard Version

¹⁸It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(A)not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹^(B)my little children, ^(C)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(D)is formed in you! ²⁰I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(E)one by a slave woman and ^(F)one by a free woman. ²³But ^(G)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(H)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(I)covenants. ^(J)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[a] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But ^(K)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,

^(L)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸Now you,^[b] brothers, ^(M)like Isaac, ^(N)are children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(O)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(P)so also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? ^(Q)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(R)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(S)freedom Christ has ^(T)set us free; ^(U)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(V)a yoke of ^(W)slavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(X)if you accept circumcision, ^(Y)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(Z)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are ^(AA)severed from Christ, ^(AB)you who would be justified^[c] by the law; ^(AC)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(AD)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus ^(AE)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(AF)only faith working through love.

⁷^(AG)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(AH)the truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from ^(AI)him who calls you. ⁹^(AJ)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰^(AK)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(AL)take no other view, and ^(AM)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,^[d] still preach^[e] circumcision, ^(AN)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(AO)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish ^(AP)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(AQ)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(AR)serve one another. ¹⁴For ^(AS)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(AT)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you ^(AU)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶But I say, ^(AV)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(AW)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^(AX)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(AY)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are ^(AZ)led by the Spirit, ^(BA)you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now ^(BB)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(BC)divisions, ²¹envy,^[f] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(BD)those who do^[g] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But ^(BE)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(BF)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(BG)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³^(BH)gentleness, ^(BI)self-control; ^(BJ)against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(BK)have crucified the flesh with its ^(BL)passions and desires.