Verse
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Answer
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1
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What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
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2
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The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
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3
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So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
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4
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But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
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5
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to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
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6
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Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
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7
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So your are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
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8
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Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
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9
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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?
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10
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You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
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11
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I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted by efforts on you.
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12
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I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
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13
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As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,
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14
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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.
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15
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Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn our your eyes and given them to me.
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16
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Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
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Verse
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Answer
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17
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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.
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18
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It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.
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19
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My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
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20
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how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
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21
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Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
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22
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For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
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23
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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.
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24
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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.
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25
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Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
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26
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But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
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27
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For it is written: "Be glad barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."
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28
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Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
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29
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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.
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30
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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."
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31
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Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
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