19My little children of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, 20I wish I could be with you now, and change my address; for I am in doubt about you.
21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22For it is written[113] that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free. 23Now the son of the bond-maid was born after the flesh, but that by the free woman was by promise. 24Which things are allegorical; for these are the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, gendering unto bondage, which is represented by Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds with Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, “Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not, cry out and shout for joy, thou that travailest not, for more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her which had an husband[114].” 28So we, brethren, as Isaac, are the children of the promise. 29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now. 30But what saith the scripture? “Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-maid shall in no wise inherit with the son of the free woman[115].” 31So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
[CHAP. V.]
STAND fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made you free, and be not again held under a yoke of bondage. 2Behold, I Paul declare to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3And again, I testify to every man who is circumcised, that he is under an obligation to keep the whole law. 4Ye have vacated all expectations from Christ, as many of you as are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5For we in spirit by faith expect the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith exerting its energy by love. 7Ye were running well: who hath hindered you that ye should not obey the truth? 8This persuasion cometh not from him who called you. 9A little leaven leaveneth the whole mass. 10I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be no otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear condign punishment whosoever he be.
11But I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then indeed the offence of the cross is at an end. 12I wish that they who trouble you were cut off from you. 13For ye have been called unto liberty, brethren; only use not that liberty as a pretext for carnality, but in love be subject one to another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed by one another.
16But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh hath appetites contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these act in opposition the one to the other: so that ye do not the things which ye would. 18But if ye are under the conduct of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these: adultery, whoredom, impurity, lasciviousness, 20idolatry, magical charms, enmities, strifes, jealousies, animosities, quarrels, divisions, heresies, 21envyings, murders, drunkenness, revels, and the like of these, concerning which I tell you now, as I have told you already, that they who live in such practices shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, 23meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. 24But they who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and irregular appetites. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not be vain-glorious, irritating one another, envying one another.
[CHAP. VI.]
BRETHREN, if a man also be surprised into any act of offence, ye that are spiritual, replace such a one in the spirit of meekness; keeping an attentive eye on thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3For if any man conceits that he is something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4But let every man bring his own work to the test, and then shall he have glorying in himself alone, and not by comparison with another. 5For every man shall bear his own burden.