Gal 4-6 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now I say , as long as the heir is a child , he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything ,

Galatians 4

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a ^{▼▼ Or minor}child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is ^{▼▼ Lit lord}owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and ^{▼▼ Or stewards}managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held ^din bondage under the ^{▼▼ Or rudimentary teachings or principles
,} ^felemental things of the world. 4 But when ^gthe fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, ^hborn of a woman, born ⁱunder ^{▼▼ Or law}the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under ^{▼▼ Or law}the Law, that we might receive the adoption as ^lsons. 6 Because you are sons, ^mGod has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ⁿ“Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and ^oif a son, then an heir ^{▼▼ I.e. through the gracious act of}through God.

8 However at that time, ^qwhen you did not know God, you were ^rslaves to ^sthose which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be ^tknown by God, ^uhow is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless ^{▼▼ Or rudimentary teachings or principles
,} ^welemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You ^xobserve days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored ^{▼▼ Or for}over you in vain.

12 I beg of you, ^zbrethren, ^aabecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a ^{▼▼ Lit weakness of the flesh}bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the ^{▼▼ Or former}first time; 14 and that which was a ^{▼▼ Or temptation}trial to you in my ^{▼▼ Lit flesh}bodily condition you did not despise or ^{▼▼ Lit spit out at}loathe, but ^agyou received me as an angel of God, as ^ahChrist Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is ^{▼▼ Lit the congratulation of yourselves}that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy ^ajby ^{▼▼ Or dealing truthfully with you}telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable ^{▼▼ Or thing}manner, and ^amnot only when I am present with you. 19 ^anMy children, with whom ^aoI am again in labor until ^apChrist is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for ^aqI am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not ^arlisten to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^asone by the bondwoman and ^atone by the free woman. 23 But ^authe son by the bondwoman ^{▼▼ Lit has been born}was born according to the flesh, and ^awthe son by the free woman through the promise. 24 ^{▼▼ Lit Which
,} ^ayThis is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from ^azMount Sinai bearing children ^{▼▼ Lit into slavery}who are to be ^bbslaves; ^{▼▼ Lit which}she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But ^bdthe Jerusalem above is free; ^{▼▼ Lit which}she is our mother. 27 For it is written, ^bf“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you brethren, ^bglike Isaac, are ^bhchildren of promise. 29 But as at that time ^bihe who was born according to the flesh ^bjpersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^bkso it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? ^bl“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For ^bm the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, ^{▼▼ V 5:1, note 1}but of the free woman.

Galatians 5

Walk by the Spirit

1 ^{▼▼ Some authorities prefer to join with 4:31 and render but with the freedom of the free woman Christ set us free
,} ^bpIt was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore ^bqkeep standing firm and do not be subject again to a ^bryoke of slavery.

2 Behold I, ^bsPaul, say to you that if you receive ^btcircumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I ^butestify again to every man who receives ^bvcircumcision, that he is under obligation to ^bwkeep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who ^{▼▼ Or would be}are seeking to be justified by law; you have ^byfallen from grace. 5 For we ^{▼▼ Lit by}through the Spirit, ^{▼▼ Lit out of}by faith, are ^cbwaiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in ^ccChrist Jesus ^cdneither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but ^cefaith working through love.

7 You were ^cfrunning well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from ^cgHim who calls you. 9 ^chA little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 ^ciI have confidence ^{▼▼ Lit toward}in you in the Lord that you ^ckwill adopt no other view; but the one who is ^cldisturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still ^cmpersecuted? Then ^cnthe stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish that ^cothose who are troubling you would even ^{▼▼ Or cut themselves off
,} ^cqmutilate themselves.

13 For you were called to ^crfreedom, brethren; ^csonly do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^ctserve one another. 14 For ^cuthe whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ^cv“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you ^cwbite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, ^cxwalk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out ^cythe desire of the flesh. 17 For ^czthe flesh ^{▼▼ Lit lusts against}sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^dbso that you may not do the things that you ^{▼▼ Lit wish}please. 18 But if you are ^ddled by the Spirit, ^deyou are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^{▼▼ I.e. sexual immorality
,} ^dgimmorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, ^dhsorcery, enmities, ^distrife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^djdisputes, dissensions, ^{▼▼ Or heresies
,} ^dlfactions, 21 envying, ^dmdrunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not ^dninherit the kingdom of God. 22 But ^dothe fruit of the Spirit is ^dplove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, ^dqself-control; against such things ^drthere is no law. 24 Now those who ^{▼▼ Lit are of Christ Jesus}belong to ^dtChrist Jesus have ^ducrucified the flesh with its passions and ^dvdesires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also ^{▼▼ Or follow the Spirit}walk ^dxby the Spirit. 26 Let us not become ^dyboastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6

Bear One Another’s Burdens

1 ^dzBrethren, even if ^{▼▼ Gr anthropos}anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are ^ebspiritual, ^ecrestore such a one ^edin a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 ^eeBear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill ^efthe law of Christ. 3 For ^egif anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must ^ehexamine his own work, and then he will have reason for ^eiboasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For ^ejeach one will bear his own load.

6 ^ekThe one who is taught ^elthe word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 ^emDo not be deceived, ^enGod is not mocked; for ^eowhatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 ^epFor the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap ^eqcorruption, but ^erthe one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 ^esLet us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we ^etdo not grow weary. 10 So then, ^{▼▼ Or as
,} ^evwhile we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the ^ewhousehold of ^exthe faith.

11 See with what large letters I ^{▼▼ Or have written}am writing to you ^ezwith my own hand. 12 Those who desire ^fato make a good showing in the flesh try to ^fbcompel you to be circumcised, simply so that they ^fcwill not be persecuted ^{▼▼ Or because of}for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who ^{▼▼ Two early mss read have been}are circumcised do not even ^ffkeep ^{▼▼ Or law}the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may ^fhboast in your flesh. 14 But ^fimay it never be that I would boast, ^fjexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^fkthrough ^{▼▼ Or whom}which the world has been crucified to me, and ^fmI to the world. 15 For ^fnneither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a ^fonew ^{▼▼ Or creature}creation. 16 And those who will ^{▼▼ Or follow this rule}walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the ^frIsrael of God.

17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the ^fsbrand-marks of Jesus.

18 ^ftThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^fuwith your spirit, ^fvbrethren. Amen.