Gal.4.21

Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law?

Gal.4.21

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

Gal.4.21

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Gal.4.21

Listen to me, you who want to live under the law. Do you know what the law really says?

Gal.4.22

Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.

Gal.4.22

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

Gal.4.22

For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

Gal.4.22

The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife.

Gal.4.23

The son of the slave woman was born by human connivance; the son of the free woman was born by God's promise.

Gal.4.23

His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

Gal.4.23

But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Gal.4.23

The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise.

Gal.4.24

This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of being in relationship with God. One is from Mount Sinai in Arabia.

Gal.4.24

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

Gal.4.24

which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar--

Gal.4.24

Now these two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. Hagar, the slave-wife, represents Mount Sinai where people first became enslaved to the law.

Gal.4.25

It corresponds with what is now going on in Jerusalem--a slave life, producing slaves as offspring. This is the way of Hagar.

Gal.4.25

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

Gal.4.25

for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children--

Gal.4.25

And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery.

Gal.4.26

In contrast to that, there is an invisible Jerusalem, a free Jerusalem, and she is our mother--this is the way of Sarah.

Gal.4.26

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

Gal.4.26

but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Gal.4.26

But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And she is our mother.

Gal.4.27

Remember what Isaiah wrote: Rejoice, barren woman who bears no children, shout and cry out, woman who has no birth pangs, Because the children of the barren woman now surpass the children of the chosen woman.

Gal.4.27

For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

Gal.4.27

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband."

Gal.4.27

That is what Isaiah meant when he prophesied, "Rejoice, O childless woman! Break forth into loud and joyful song, even though you never gave birth to a child. For the woman who could bear no children now has more than all the other women!"

Gal.4.28

Isn't it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise?

Gal.4.28

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Gal.4.28

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

Gal.4.28

And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.

Gal.4.29

In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless connivance (Ishmael) harassed the child who came--empowered by the Spirit--from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn't it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern?

Gal.4.29

At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

Gal.4.29

But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

Gal.4.29

And we who are born of the Holy Spirit are persecuted by those who want us to keep the law, just as Isaac, the child of promise, was persecuted by Ishmael, the son of the slave-wife.

Gal.4.30

There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: "Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son."

Gal.4.30

But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."

Gal.4.30

Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman."

Gal.4.30

But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the family inheritance with the free woman's son."

Gal.4.31

Isn't that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Gal.4.31

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Gal.4.31

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Gal.4.31

So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, obligated to the law. We are children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith.

Gal.5.1

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

Gal.5.1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Gal.5.1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Gal.5.1

So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Gal.5.2

I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered.

Gal.5.2

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

Gal.5.2

Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

Gal.5.2

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you.

Gal.5.3

I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law.

Gal.5.3

Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Gal.5.3

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Gal.5.3

I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses.

Gal.5.4

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace.

Gal.5.4

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Gal.5.4

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Gal.5.4

For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.

Gal.5.5

Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit.

Gal.5.5

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

Gal.5.5

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Gal.5.5

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith.

Gal.5.6

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

Gal.5.6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Gal.5.6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Gal.5.6

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.