Sons and Heirs

(Genesis 21:1-8; Romans 8:12-17)

1And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant — being lord of all, 2but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father, 3so also we, when we were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude, 4and when the fulness of time did come, God sent forth His Son, come of a woman, come under law, 5that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive; 6and because ye are sons, God did send forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’ 7so that thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

8But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods, 9and 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? 10days ye observe, and months, and times, and years! 11I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.

12Become as I [am] — because I also [am] as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt, 13and ye have known that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the first, 14and 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; 15what then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me; 16so that your enemy have I become, being true to you? 17they are zealous for you — [yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous; 18and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you; 19my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you, 20and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.

Hagar and Sarah

21Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear? 22for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman, 23but he who [is] of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who [is] of the free-woman, through the promise; 24which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; 25for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now [is], and is in servitude with her children, 26and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all,

27for 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.’

28And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise, 29but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now;

30but 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;’

31then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant’s children, but the free-woman’s.