so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.

Do Not Be Enslaved Again

But at that time when you[a] did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods. But now, because you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them[b] all over again?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:8 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as temporal
  2. Galatians 4:9 Literally “to whom”

So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.(A)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

Formerly, when you did not know God,(B) you were slaves(C) to those who by nature are not gods.(D) But now that you know God—or rather are known by God(E)—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved(F) by them all over again?(G)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:9 Or principles