In writing you this, I swear before God, I am telling you the solemn truth.

The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense.

I want to ask you only this one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by doing what the law commands, or by believing the message you heard?

I mean this: The law which was given four hundred and thirty years later could not annul the contract which had already been ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

But before this faith came, we were kept locked up under the law, in preparation for the faith which was to be unveiled.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer in the charge of the attendant.

I mean this: As long as the heir is under age he is not a whit better off than a slave, although he is heir of all the property,

This is spoken as an allegory. For these women are two covenants, one coming from Mount Sinai, bearing children that are to be slaves;

This is the freedom with which Christ has made us free. So keep on standing in it, and stop letting your necks be fastened in the yoke of slavery again.

I mean this: Practice living by the Spirit and then by no means will you gratify the cravings of your lower nature.

Practice bearing one another's burdens, and in this way carry out the law of Christ.

Now peace and mercy be on all who walk by this rule; that is, on the true Israel of God.

Let nobody trouble me after this, for I carry on my body the scars that mark me as Jesus' slave.