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4:1  What I am saying is that as long as an heir is under age, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
4:2  The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
4:3  So also, when we were under age, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
4:4  But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
4:5  to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
4:6  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’
4:7  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
4:8  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
4:9  But now that you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
4:10  You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
4:11  I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
4:12  I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
4:13  As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,
4:14  and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
4:15  Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
4:16  Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
4:17  Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.
4:18  It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.
4:19  My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
4:20  how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
4:21  Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
4:22  For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
4:23  His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
4:24  These things are being taken figuratively: the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: this is Hagar.
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.
4:26  But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
4:27  For it is written: ‘Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; break forth and cry aloud, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.’
4:28  Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
4:29  At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.
4:30  But what does 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.’
4:31  Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.