Yea, and I went up by revelation, and commended with them of the gospel, which I preach among the gentiles - but between ourselves with them which were counted chief, lest it should have been thought that I should run, or had run in vain.

But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people) -- those influential leaders added nothing to my message.

Brethren, I speak according to the practice of men; contracts between men, when once ratified, cannot be disannulled or altered afterwards by any man.

What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.

Now a go-between is not a go-between of one; but God is one.

[In this relationship] there is to be no [distinction between] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], slaves or free persons, men or women; for all of you are united into one [body] because of your relationship with Christ Jesus.

My point is this--As long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.

This set of circumstances contains an illustration; for these two women [Hagar and Sarah] represent the two Agreements [between God and mankind]. The one [Agreement], given at Mount Sinai, represents Hagar, whose children became [the Israelites], enslaved under bondage [to the requirements of the law of Moses].