1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children,cSee ch. 2:4 were enslaved to the elementary principles1Or elemental spirits; also verse 9 of the world. 4 Butd[1 Tim. 2:6]; See Mark 1:15 when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son,ePhil. 2:7; See John 1:14 bornf[1 Tim. 2:15]; See Gen. 3:15 of woman, borng[Luke 2:21, 22, 27] under the law, 5 hSee ch. 3:13 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receiveich. 3:26; See Rom. 8:15 adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sentj[Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 3:17]; See Acts 16:7 the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father! ” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, thenkSee ch. 3:29 an heir through God.
8 Formerly, when youl1 Cor. 1:21; 1 Thess. 4:5; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 John 4:8 did not know God, youm[Eph. 2:11, 12; 1 Thess. 1:9] were enslaved to those that by naturen2 Chr. 13:9; Isa. 37:19; Jer. 2:11; 5:7; 16:20; [1 Cor. 8:4] are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or ratheroSee 1 Cor. 8:3 to be known by God,p[ch. 3:3] how can you turn back again toqRom. 8:3; Heb. 7:18 the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 rRom. 14:5; Col. 2:16 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraidsch. 2:2; 5:2, 4; 1 Thess. 3:5 I may have labored over you in vain.
12 Brothers,t[2 Cor. 6:13] I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are.u[2 Cor. 2:5] You did me no wrong. 13 You know it wasvSee 1 Cor. 2:3 because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to youw[ch. 1:6] at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received mex1 Sam. 29:9; [Mal. 2:7 (Gk.); 2 Cor. 5:20] as an angel of God,ySee Matt. 10:40 as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy byzSee ch. 2:5 telling you the truth?1Or by dealing truthfully with you 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, anda[ver. 13] not only when I am present with you, 19 b[1 Cor. 4:15; Philem. 10] my little children,c[James 1:18] for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until ChristdRom. 8:10 is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons,eGen. 16:5 one by a slave woman andfGen. 21:2 one by a free woman.
23 Butgver. 29; [Rom. 9:7] the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, whilehver. 28; Gen. 17:16-19; 18:10, 14; 21:1, 2; Heb. 11:11 the son of the free woman was born through promise.
24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are twoiSee Rom. 9:4 covenants.jDeut. 33:2 One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
26 Butk[Heb. 12:22; Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10] the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written,
lCited from Isa. 54:1 “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. ”
28 Now you, brothers,mSee ver. 23 like Isaac,nRom. 9:8; See ch. 3:29 are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the fleshoGen. 21:9 persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit,pSee ch. 5:11 so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say?qCited from Gen. 21:10; [John 8:35] “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. ” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave butr[1 Pet. 3:6] of the free woman.