القراءة بلغتين

فأَقولُ إِنَّ الوارِثَ، ما دامَ قاصِرًا، فلا فَرْقَ بَينَه وبَينَ العَبْد، مع أَنَّه صاحِبُ المالِ كُلِّه

لٰكِنَّه في حُكْمِ الأَوصِياءِ والوُكَلاءِ إِلى الأَجَلِ الَّذي حَدَّده أَبوه

وهٰكذا كانَ شَأنُنا: فحِينَ كُنَّا قاصِرين، كُنَّا في حُكْمِ أَرْكانِ العالَمِ عَبيدًا لَها

فلَمَّا تَمَّ الزَّمان، أَرسَلَ اللهُ ٱبنَه مَولودًا لِٱمرَأَةٍ، مَولودًا في حُكْمِ الشَّريعة

لِيَفتَدِيَ الَّذينَ هم في حُكْمِ الشَّريعة، فنَحْظى بِالتَّبَنِّي

والدَّليلُ على كَونِكُم أَبناءً أَنَّ اللهَ أَرسَلَ رُوحَ ٱبنِه إِلى قُلوبِنا، الرُّوحَ الَّذي يُنادي: «يا أَبَتِ»

فلَستَ بَعدُ عَبْدًا، بلِ ٱبنٌ، وإِذا كُنتَ ٱبنًا فأَنتَ وارِثٌ بِفَضْلِ الله

لَمَّا كُنتُم فيما مَضى لا تَعرِفونَ الله، كُنتُم عَبيدًا لِآلِهَةٍ لَيسَت بِآلِهَةٍ حَقًّا

أَمَّا الآن، وقَد عَرَفتُمُ الله، بل عَرَفَكُم الله، فكَيفَ تَعودونَ مَرَّةً أُخْرى إِلى تِلكَ الأَرْكانِ الضَّعيفةِ الحَقيرة وتُريدونَ أَن تَعودوا عَبيدًا لَها مَرَّةً أُخْرى؟

تُراعونَ الأَيَّامَ والشُّهورَ والفُصولَ والسِّنين

إِنِّي أَخْشى علَيكم أَن أَكونَ قد أَجهَدتُ نَفْسي عَبَثًا مِن أَجْلِكم

أُناشِدُكم، صيروا مِثْلي، فقد صِرتُ مِثْلَكم، أَيُّها الإِخوَة. لَم تَظْلِموني شَيئًا

تَعلَمونَ أَنِّي لِمَرَضٍ في جِسْمي بَشَّرتُكم أَوَّل مَرَّة

وكُنتُ لَكم مِحنَةً بِجِسْمي، فلَم تَزدَروني ولَم تَشمَئِزُّوا مِنِّي، بل قَبِلتُموني قَبولَكم لِمَلاكِ الله، قَبولَكم لِلمَسيحِ يسوع

فأَينَ ذاكُمُ الِٱغتِباط؟ إِنِّي أَشهَدُ أَنَّكم، لو أَمكَنَ الأَمْر، لَكُنتُم تَقتَلِعونَ عُيونَكم وتُعطوني إِيَّاها

فهَل صِرتُ عَدُوًّا لَكم لِأَنِّي قُلتُ لَكمُ الحَقّ؟

إِنَّهم يَتَوَدَّدونَ إِلَيكُم لِغايَةٍ غَيرِ حَسَنَة، لا بل يُريدونَ أَن يَفصِلوكم عَنَّا لِيَنالوا وُدَّكم

يَحسُنُ التَّوَدُّدُ إِلَيكم لِغايَةٍ حَسَنَةٍ في كُلِّ حين، لا عِندَ حُضوري بَينَكم فقَط

يا بَنِيَّ، أَنتُمُ الَّذينَ أَتَمَخَّضُ بِهم مَرَّةً أُخْرى حتَّى يُصَوَّرَ فيهِمِ المسيح

أَوَدُّ لو كُنتُ الآنَ عِندَكم فَأُغَيِّرَ لَهجَتي، لِأَنِّي تَحَيَّرتُ في أَمرِكم

قولوا لي، أَنتُمُ الَّذينَ يُريدونَ أَن يَكونوا في حُكْمِ الشَّريعة: أَما تَسمَعونَ الشَّريعة؟

فقَد وَرَدَ في الكِتابِ أَنَّ إِبراهيمَ رُزِقَ ٱبنَين أَحَدُهُما مِنَ الأَمَة والآخَرُ مِنَ الحُرَّة

أَمَّا الَّذي مِنَ الأَمَة فقَد وُلِدَ بِحُكمِ الجَسَد، وأَمَّا الَّذي مِنَ الحُرَّة فقَد وُلِدَ بِفَضْلِ المَوعِد

وفي ذٰلِكَ رَمْز، لِأَنَّ هاتَينِ المَرأَتَينِ هُما العَهْدان: أَحَدُهُما مِن طُورِ سِيناء يَلِدُ لِلعُبودِيَّة وهو هاجَر

(لِأَنَّ سِيناءَ جَبَلٌ في دِيارِ العَرَب) وهاجَرُ تُقابِلُ أُورَشَليمَ هٰذا الدَّهْر، فهي في العُبودِيَّةِ مع أَولادِها

أَمَّا أُورَشَليمُ العُلْيا فحُرَّةٌ وهي أُمُّنا

فقَد وَرَدَ في الكِتاب: «إِفرَحي أَيَّتُها العاقِرُ الَّتي لم تَلِد، اِهتِفي وٱرفَعي الصَّوتَ أَيَّتُها الَّتي لم تَتَمَخَّض: إِنَّ أَولادَ المَهْجورَةِ أَكثَرُ عَدَدًا مِن أَولادِ ذاتِ البَعْل»

فأَنتُم، أَيُّها الإِخوَة، أَولادُ المَوعِدِ على مِثالِ إِسْحٰق

وكَما كانَ المَولودُ بِحُكْمِ الجَسَدِ يَضطَهِدُ المَولودَ بِحُكْمِ الرُّوحِ في ذٰلِك الحين، فمِثْلُ هٰذا يَجْري اليَوم

ولٰكِن ماذا يَقولُ الكِتاب؟ يَقول: «أُطْرُدِ الأَمَةَ وٱبنَها، فإِنَّ ٱبنَ الأَمَةِ لن يَرِثَ مع ٱبنِ الحُرَّة»

فلَسْنا نَحْنُ إِذًا، أَيُّها الإِخوَة، أَولادَ الأَمَة، بل أَولادُ الحُرَّة

But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all,

but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.

And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.

But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—

but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.

However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.

These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.”

Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”

So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.