Chapter 4 | |
1 | And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant -- being lord of all, |
2 |
but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father, |
3 | so also we, when we were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude, |
4 | and when the fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law, |
5 |
that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive; |
6 | and because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, `Abba, Father!' |
7 | so that thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ. |
8 | But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods, |
9 | and now, having known God -- and rather being known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude? |
10 |
days ye observe, and months, and times, and years! |
11 | I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you. |
12 | Become as I am -- because I also am as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt, |
13 | and ye have known that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the first, |
14 | and my trial that is in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me -- as Christ Jesus; |
15 |
what then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me; |
16 | so that your enemy have I become, being true to you? |
17 |
they are zealous for you -- yet not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous; |
18 | and it is good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you; |
19 | my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you, |
20 | and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you. |
21 |
Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear? |
22 | for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman, |
23 |
but he who is of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who is of the free-woman, through the promise; |
24 | which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; |
25 | for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children, |
26 | and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all, |
27 | for it hath been written, `Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many are the children of the desolate -- more than of her having the husband.' |
28 | And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise, |
29 | but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now; |
30 | but what saith the Writing? `Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;' |
31 | then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's. |