Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 nFormerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are onot gods. 9 pBut now that you have come to qknow God, or rather to be rknown by God, how can you turn back again to the sweak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 tYou observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you uin vain.
12 Brothers,1 I entreat you, vbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a wbodily ailment that xI preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, yas Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your zeyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the atruth?2 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, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, bfor whom I am again cin the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed din you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Example of Hagar and Sarah
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, eone by a slave woman and fone by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while gthe son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted hallegorically: these women are itwo covenants. jOne is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for kslavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;1 she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But lthe Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
m“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,2 brothers, like Isaac, are nchildren of promise. 29 But just as at that time ohe who was born according to the flesh ppersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, qso also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? r“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 but sof the free woman.
