Part 4

48:004:009 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

48:004:010 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

48:004:011 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

48:004:012 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

48:004:013 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

48:004:014 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

48:004:015 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

48:004:016 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

48:004:017 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

48:004:018 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

48:004:019 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

48:004:020 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

48:004:021 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

48:004:022 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

48:004:023 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

48:004:024 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

48:004:025 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

48:004:026 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

48:004:027 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

48:004:028 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

48:004:029 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

48:004:030 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

48:004:031 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

48:005:001 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

48:005:002 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

48:005:003 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

48:005:004 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

48:005:005 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.